To wonder if kids really should have small pets?

[SJaneS48]

Just that really! I get that we buy them as we want our children to learn about responsible pet keeping and that some of them do really look after their pets brilliantly. I loved mine as a kid and was pretty devoted to them.But a lot don’t and just putting it out there to see what other people think from an animal welfare perspective?

My DDs have both had hamsters. DD1’s bit her so often she went completely off holding it and it went completely feral. Cleaning it’s cage without it hanging off your finger was a nightmare! DD2s has made it to the age of 3 and is a much nicer natured little boy but she got bored with it quickly and while his needs are looked after, he’s rarely out of the cage unless it’s cleaning time.

When DD2s hamster pegs it, we won’t be replacing it. It’s just been to the vets and it has just got me thinking about the whole small furry pet industry and whether children are just to young to really have them?

A child is not responsible for any pet that is theoretically theirs. My parents took full responsibility for all of the menagerie of pets they had, and anything we did was a bonus.

Those are YOUR hamsters. If your kids can't or won't socialise them it falls to you.

I agree that small children shouldnt be responsible for small animals. However a family can share that responsibility.

I know too many cases where when the kid loses interest and the parent doesnt pick up the slack. Kids are kids and are fickle by nature, its the adults responsibility to ensure that the animal is not just clean and fed but also stimulated.

Most small pets arent ideal for kids really as they arent sturdy enough for little ones. Lots arent very interactive, and the ones that are subsequently need lots of stimulation!

My kids will have small pets, because i do think its god for them to learn responsiblity and i loved mine as a kid. However i will be responsible for them

I would say that it depends somewhat on the age of the children, but people are often mistaken to believe that young kids are a good match for small pets. They are really too fragile and require more careful and consistent care than many children can provide.

YANBU. Small animals are terrible pets for children. They don’t like to be awake in the day, they rarely enjoy being held, and they’re very fragile. They end up usually living miserable and lonely lives in an unnatural environment.

Cats and dogs are a bigger commitment but are much more suitable as pets for children.

It’s meant to teach responsibility, but tbh most parents that buy rabbits etc do absolutely no research into caring for them and keep them in appalling conditions, so how can the children possibly learn! So it’s a YANBU from me.

I'm not actually convinced that hamsters are suitable pets for anyone - they never seem to get on that well with captivity, and in a lot of cases when people say they're 'tame' they mean 'frozen in fear'.

We have just bought my dd a hamster. We already have a dog and cats. I bought a very large cage and researched ways to make a cage a nicer place to be. My dd chose the hamster and named it but I made it clear that I would be looking after it. We get the hammy out every day and spend time near the cage when its awake so dd can talk to it. So far its been a lovely experience for her and the hamster seems happy too! It hasn't bitten so far .
I take the attitude though that any pets we buy while she lives at home are basically mine .

I think too many people probably stick small animals in unsuitable cages and don't give any thought to them just because they are small pets. Thats the problem, not small pets per se.

Of course small children shouldn’t have a pet of their very own, family pets fine, but its-normal for children to get bored and not want to clean animals or feed them... no way would I let my children have a pet of their own.

I think people forget small pets still have big needs and are hassle!. You should go into it commited to meeting their needs just like you would a dog.

Some like rabbits have a much longer lifespan then people seem to expect. If you get a rabbit for your 10 year old then expect to be caring for it when your kid has long since grown/moved out!

Lots of the housing is inadequate, 90% of hamster cages i see dont meet minimum welfare standards and people dont do any research. Lots of people dont plan for things like vet bills etc

People go into pets at home buy a rabbit, feed it poor quality food, with no friends, and leave it in a hutch at the end of the garden with limited interaction (gets some fuss and cleaned out on a sunday if lucky. Rabbits are the RSPCAs most neglected pet apparently
You wouldnt keep a dog like that

It might be a short life but its their whole life

@thecatsthecats, I do take DD2s hamster out but I didn’t with the previous one as quite simply it didn’t like people. Of course I oversee their welfare as I do with the rest of the pet menagerie and I completely agree that it shouldn’t be left solely to children without supervision. Neither DD had a pet till they were ten and both had it fully explained that life is precious and if you have an animal you undertake to look after it throughout their lifetime. However, bigger picture I wonder how ethical the small furry pet industry is and whether we really should be letting children have small animals. I’m not saying all are neglected by any means but children quite often go off them!

I don't think anyone should have any pet, without gaining a licence that would be costly financially and in commitment, as licences would only be granted to people who had completed in depth training. Licences would have to be renewed annually and the hefty fee would pay for regular inspections.

I have kept many animals, most of which have lived longer than average. I won't be doing it again.

@Hardbackwriter - you need a big, long-haired Syrian. They're great. Intelligent and not vicious like the nasty little Russian ones. But not for children.

Funnily enough @Hailtomyteeth, the current hamster is a long haired Syrian whereas DD1s was a Russian and that pretty much sums up their differences in nature! I do agree there should be greater legislation around pet ownership which should include ensuring people have the knowledge on how to look after pets properly. Reptiles for example who are often sold as ‘easy’ pets have very complex needs and live for a very long time. Certainly the number of puppies and kittens bought during lockdown are really worrying - I suspect rescue centres will see a big increase in young animals next year who haven’t coped with being left on their own for the first time. Compared to the dog and cat (both of whom are cuddled up to me on the bed right now) I regret buying both hamsters. Bigger picture, it does raise a big question in my head about selling small furries to primarily a market of children.

We have guinea pigs in a massive outdoor run which is quite tricky to corner them in should we want to. They are very sociable and friendly and come over to chat and eat and but we don't really pick them up to 'play with them' only for health checks. Yes we could handle them more so they get used to it but they clearly don't 'want' to be picked up so we never pressed the issue. As prey animals I imagine a large mammal swooping down from above is pretty damn scary. I dont chase after my cat to grab her if she's not up for it. My children still love them and enjoy looking after them, but we get lots of negative comments from friends about them not being fun pets if you can't cuddle them. They are so expressive and show so much natural behaviour in their current set up chasing each other round at high speed and obviously playing at times.

As friend of mine who is a vet says that most pets that people think as ideal for children really aren’t
Hamsters - Bitey and nocturnal
Guinea pigs - neurotic
Gerbils - psychotic
Rabbits - nervy and like to die unexpectedly
Most of these are by nature very averse to being picked up and I agree with the person above, we don’t Chase cats and dogs around to pick them up (I hope) so we shouldn’t with small furries either

From experience I don't think small pets are well suited to younger children. Not interactive or playful enough. Family dog is a much better plan.