In this increasingly digital life in which we live I believe that owning pets is more important than ever.
They can give us, and particularly children, a grounding in the real (analog!) world.
Keeping a pet should teach about care and responsibility, about relationships and emotions and ultimately the sadness and feelings associated with death.
We have all seen and heard of situations where disabled children have responded beyond their carers’ expectations when they have contact with animals, especially dogs or horses.
There seems to be a unique bond that can form in these situations.
This same bond can be found with any children in the right situations and this relationship with a pet can help children through many of life’s difficulties, bullying in school, when parents fall out with each other, the death of a close relation and many other stressful situations.
However we also all know of the situation where a pet has been purchased for a child to find out that after the initial enthusiasm the pet is abandoned to the care of the parents.
This can result in a terrible situation where the pet is no longer wanted by anybody and can lead to poor care.
Parents have to be the leaders in this situation.
There has to be an expectation that the pet will have all its needs met to the limits of the child’s ability.
Parents should only fill any gaps where a child is not yet capable of performing all the duties needed, but these gaps should be handed over as soon as possible and the child should be expected to do this. Getting this right will empower the child but getting it wrong could make them feel useless.
Children need to see the clear link between their care for the pet and its well being.
We live in a disposable society but pets are definitely not disposable items.
Every day I see many wonderful families whose children have close relationships with their pets.
There is always great pressure on me to get owners’ pets better from their accident or illness but I feel this pressure even more when children are involved as their expectations of my skills are greater!
Sometimes parents will try to shield their children from the death of their pet.
I feel that this is an important and sad life lesson that children need to experience.
At this point the pet is lost to them and they need to know why.
They need to know it is ok to feel sadness and upset when losing what is a totally unique animal.
They need to know that this pet can not be replaced but that they can find love with another pet.
Do not be tempted to do what my parents did to me when I was five years old.
My budgie died while I was in hospital having a broken arm repaired and they replaced her with another before I can home.
Unfortunately in their rush to replace her they could not find a bird of the same colour.
My first question when I came was why had my budgie changed from blue to green. I was told that budgies could change colour like this.
My trust in my parents was such that I truly believed that budgies could do this until I went to university!
Keeping pets adds so much to our lives whether we are young or old and the best part of my job is seeing how much people care for their animals.
My wife and I have always kept a lot of pets to the point that we now have five children to help look after them all!
