Small Animals Make Great Pets!!
As a child, I was fortunate enough to have parents that let me have pets. I remember having dogs, cats, fish, birds, gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs. I am completely in favor of letting children take on the responsibility of caring for a small animal. Not only will this help to teach your child responsibility, it will prepare them for caring for larger animals in the future (such as a cat or a dog).
Hamsters and gerbils should be kept in a cage with plenty of water, food, things to chew on, as well as enough bedding to cover about 1/2 – 3/4″ thick. Be warned ahead of time, if you get two males, they will fight as they get older. Also, if you get one male and one female, there is a high possibility that they will mate leaving you with lots of unwanted little ones. It is in your best interest to get one animal. If you do not, you will have to invest in a separate cage for the other animal.
Having a good amount of things inside the cage for your gerbil or hamster to chew on is an absolute necessity. I suggest buying cardboard tubes from your local pet store that are safe for them to eat, as well as hard chew treats they can eat as they wish from the cage.
Also, be sure your little animal has lots to keep him busy in his cage. Have plenty of tubes and odd shaped items he can crawl in and out of. If he gets bored, he may start working on an escape plan and you may have to gather a search party to help look for him.
To make sure he gets plenty of exercise, put and exercise wheel inside his cage so he can run as long as he wishes. You could also consider purchasing a ball with a removable lid you place your animal inside and let him run throughout a room under your supervision. If your small animal does not get enough exercise, he will become obese and his health will deteriorate rapidly.
The most incredibly important thing to remember when picking out a small animal for your child to raise and take care of is the habits of the animal. Gerbils and hamsters are nocturnal, meaning all or almost all of their activity will be after the sun goes down. This means throughout the night, your child will have to hear and deal with the noise of the animal, chewing, the exercise wheel, drinking water, the whole nine yards. Be sure to talk with your child before your purchase and make sure it is something they can handle. Also, make sure your child is mature enough to be responsible for another life. A child from about 4th grade up would be the ideal age.
Giving your kids the opportunity to care for their own animal will help them become responsible adults and at the same time give them a fun, furry companion to help entertain them!!
Thanks for reading! As always, your participation in comments and discussions is encouraged and greatly appreciated!!
March 28th, 2008 at 06:00 pm
I agree – it is important for children to look after & care for their own pets – a very important learning process.