Pets and Kids

By Kimberly Hicken

            If I’m quiet, I can hear the constant chirping of three little chicks that are living in my son’s bedroom. That’s right. I have three baby chickens living in my house. Sometimes I wonder how I got to this point. I never thought I would have chickens living in the house. Over the course of my years of motherhood, I’ve had lovebirds, a turtle, dogs, kittens, bunnies, and fish for pets. Some lived in the house, some outside, and others in the garage. I happen to think that pets can be beneficial for kids, but you have to go into pet ownership with your eyes open. You need to know what to expect and what the benefits are so that you can make an educated decision about owning a pet.

Things to Consider:

            Pets are a lot of work. They just are. Someone has to feed them, water them, clean up after them, and generally make sure they don’t die. When you make the decision to let your child get a pet, keep in mind that the responsibility of caring for the pet will fall on your shoulders. The child might be old enough to take care of the pet. He might promise that he will be the one to do the feeding, cleaning, watering, walking, etc., but the reality is that sometimes you will be the one doing it. Sometimes, you will be the only one doing it. Kids forget, they lose interest, or they just get busy with school and extra-curricular activities. You can’t tell the bunny, “Gee, I’m sorry you’re hungry, but your owner is out of town on a basketball trip for two days.” No, you have to go out there and give the bunny food and water. (Yes, I speak from experience.) So, before you get a pet, ask yourself: Are you willing to take on the responsibility of a pet? Are you willing to be that pet’s main caregiver? Don’t fool yourself into thinking someone else will do it. They won’t. It will be you. At the very least, it will be you reminding others to take care of the pet.

            Pets can also be expensive. They need food which can add up over time. Certain pets will need regular shots and immunizations. If a pet gets sick or injured, it means a trip to the vet. Some pets will need special items to keep them like an aquarium for a turtle or a special cage for a bunny…or chicks. Even my daughter’s fish has cost me more money than I anticipated. He was acting depressed. (I didn’t know this was a thing, but apparently it is. She researched it.) She told me he needed some plants in his fishbowl, so I bought her some plants to put in the bowl. He still acts depressed, but at least we tried to cheer him up. Before you get a pet, ask yourself: Can I afford this pet?

            Pets destroy things and create messes. I can honestly say that the fish has been the easiest pet in this department. He hasn’t destroyed anything. The birds would throw stuff out of their cage. It made a huge mess. My daughter would sweep it up, and then later, I would finish sweeping up what she missed. Our dog has chewed up more phone chargers than I can count. I don’t know why he does it. Maybe he enjoys shocking experiences. 😊 And then there is always the excrement to deal with, no matter what pet you have, you are constantly cleaning up their bodily functions. You can tell yourself that the kids will do it. They might actually do it for you, but the reality is that sometimes their idea of clean will not be your idea of clean. Before you get a pet, ask yourself: I’m ready to clean up after this pet? Am I willing to replace what this pet destroys?

The Benefits:

            Obviously, I’m not anti-pet or I wouldn’t have baby chickens living in my house right now. I just think it’s important to go into pet ownership with our eyes open. I feel that the benefits of owning a pet outweigh the drawbacks.

            Pets provide responsibility. I’ve already mentioned that the bulk of the responsibility will probably fall on you, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that kids can still help out with the pet. They will need reminding, of course, but I think it’s really good for kids to have to be responsible for something. There have been times when my daughter has come home complaining that she’s starving. I would say, “Dinner is almost ready. Did you feed the bunny today?” Sometimes she would say, “No, but I’ll feed him after I eat.” Then I would point out that the bunny did not have breakfast or lunch, so she should probably feed him first. It taught her empathy for another creature, and it taught her to be responsible. She learned how to feed and water a bunny and how to keep its cage clean. These are good lessons for any child. When we got our dog, the kids were the ones who housetrained him. My middle daughter was the main one who did it. Her reward? She got a pair of lovebirds. (I know. I’m a little crazy.)

            Pets can be fun. Our dog will fetch and wrestle and play hide-and-seek with us. Whenever a kid is bored, the dog is an instant playmate. When we had a bunny, he was fun to take out of the cage and play with. Even our fish is fun to watch…at least, he is when he’s not depressed. Pets can provide a great source of amusement and entertainment for kids.

            Pets teach children how to deal with death. Some people would question whether or not having a pet die is a benefit, but I tend to think that it is. Life is a beautiful thing, but eventually, we all die. When a child experiences the death of a pet, there is grieving and a sense of loss and sorrow. It’s an opportunity for parents to help their children through this difficult time. It gives us the chance to discuss our beliefs about what happens after death. It allows us to give our children the tools they need when coping with a loss. Someday, the child will experience the loss of a loved one, and it won’t be a pet. I feel like if kids have experienced the death of a pet and have learned how to grieve and deal with the death appropriately, they will be better able to handle the death of a close friend or family member. The tools will already be in place. Plus, as a parent, you won’t be trying to give them the tools they need when you are grieving yourself. I’m not suggesting that you get a pet and hope it dies. I am, however, saying that if/when the pet dies, it can provide the opportunity to help your children learn some coping skills that will help them throughout their lives. This past weekend when my daughter went to feed our bunny, he was dead. It was a sad day for all of us. We had to take care of his body and clean his cage. (By we, I actually mean her older brother and I did it. That’s another responsibility thing. When the pet dies, you will be the one to take care of things.) Still, it was an opportunity for us to grieve and cry a little. It’s okay for kids to see us cry. It’s even healthy for them to see us cry. They need to understand that sorrow is a part of life.

            Pets are therapeutic. When you have a bad day and just want someone to love you and listen to you unconditionally, go see your dog. I’m paraphrasing that quote. I read it somewhere many years ago. I don’t even know who to give credit to for that thought, but I believe it is appropriate, and actually holds true for all pets. My day is cheered when I see our fish swim quick circles around his bowl. Nothing is better than having my dog greet me with a smile, tail wagging swiftly. I even enjoy hearing the chirps of the baby chicks in my son’s room. When we got our dog, I was going through a divorce with my children’s dad. We decided together to get a dog. Then we discussed whether to get a small dog or a large dog. Once a large dog was decided on, I did research to determine which breeds were best for kids. We ended up getting a lab and Australian shepherd mix. You couldn’t ask for a better dog. He was a source of great comfort for my children when they were going through a difficult time in life. Even now, after a bad day at school, I’ve noticed that the kids go straight to the dog for a hug.

            Now, why do I have chicks in my house? In this case it was because my son needed something in his life. He was bored and needed a project of some sort. A friend of his once had baby chicks, and my son had wanted one ever since. I agreed to get him the chicks. We got three because the store told us they do better with at least three. Before we got them, I asked for his plan of what to do with them. He had a plan for where to keep them in his room. (He’s using the bunny’s old cage.) They can’t go outside until they are bigger. Once they are big enough to go outside, he has a place in mind for them. We have an old dog run that we never use. Our current dog is a house dog. He is going to fix the fence and build a coop. We are lucky enough to live in a rural neighborhood where it is zoned for chickens, so he can do this. Letting him have the chicks has given him a project to keep him busy and out of mischief. It is also therapeutic because he doesn’t have any close friends who live nearby right now, so it is helping take his mind off his loneliness. It is providing him with responsibility. (This means I have a responsibility. When I finish this article, I need to go check on the chicks.) They might die, but we can deal with that too. On the other hand, they might lay eggs eventually, and that will open up a whole new world of benefits for my kids.

            Whether you choose to become a pet owner or not, it’s still a big decision. There are definitely pros and cons to having a pet. Personally, I like to see kids have pets, even if it is just a fish in a fishbowl, but remember that ultimately, the pet is your responsibility. Still, I think the tradeoff is worth the benefits. I just hope that by fall, we will be able to gather fresh eggs for breakfast.