Palm-sized pets are so adorable, offer companionship, and are fun to be around, right? Note that these small pets also teach children more about responsibility and kindness!
If you lack space to welcome a cat or a dog, small pets are a perfect choice. Indeed, it’s hard to resist your kid’s imploring eyes! But, remember, picking the ideal small pet requires the same amount of research like you would have done with choosing a giant fur kid. At the same time, palm-size pets come with distinguished advantages in many aspects.
Before you know which are the best small pets who will be a part of your kids’ life, here is more to the picture for you as a parent. While you are thinking of making small pets a part of your family, you should know WHY!
Why go for small pets for your kids?
According to Dr. Jennifer Graham, serving as an assistant professor in Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine, small pets help children understand the importance of compassion and provide essential life lessons. While this finds significant applicability for children under the age of 5, it is also true for age groups just above them!
Indeed, small pets do not tend to have a life like bigger pets. Thus it can be your child’s first experience to deal with death! Yes, it is unfortunate and sad, but at the same, it can be a first introduction to the idea that everything ultimately dies!
Small pets are the perfect companion for your kid. Here is how!
Secondly, if you want to teach your child the importance of responsible management, small pets are a great way to do that right. It enables your kids to engage with an extensive range of tasks, right from cleaning the rabbit hutch to ensure that their pet friend is happy, watered, and fed properly.
One more advantage of choosing small pets over the larger ones is that they require smaller space. It is easy to care for them and tends to be more affordable. The best part is that small pets need less attention and time, unlike dogs, who require regular walking!
While there are plenty of benefits associated with small pets, we can now consider the best ones actually to experience! Remember to choose the one which would best fit your family. Explore some of the best small pets for your kids now!
Best small pets for children
#1 Hamsters
Hamsters are easy to care for and require less attention. The best part of choosing them is that they can be trained effectively to use the litter. But note that small breeds, particularly female hamsters, can be pretty aggressive. It is the only reason which makes hamsters sometimes challenging to handle and befriend. Hamsters should be kept in a roomy cage, with nesting areas and tunnels for sleeping.
A Hamster lives for around three years! Indeed, if your child’s pet dies, they can understand the situation as it will their first exposure to death.
#2 Guinea Pigs
They may belong to the same redolent family as the Hamsters, but their demeanor is different. These rodents have a sweet disposition and are extremely gentle. That is the reason for them to bite less.
One of the best benefits is that Guinea Pigs can be socialized. That perfectly implies that they won’t ever mind being handled as long as you hold them properly.
#3 Gerbils
Indeed, not very hands-on; still, Gerbils are one of the best small pets for your children. Unlike Guinea Pigs and Hamsters, Gerbils have relatively less lifetime! Specifically, it is around two years. The easy part is to feed them, as they are not aggressive and are amicable.
You have to take care of their environment as Gerbils are more sensitive to the environment than any other pet animal. Sometimes, humidity can result in them having fur and respiratory problem.
#4 Rats
Not everybody likes them!
But believe us, they make a greats mall pet for your kids. Not to be wrong, they are ideal pets if your child wants to develop and maintain a strong bond with their pet. It is possible with rats because of enhanced interaction and readily learn tricks like obstacle courses and navigating mazes.
#5 Rabbits
These are best for young children but require supervision. Just like Guinea pigs, rabbits are good for younger kids because of their friendly and gentle nature. Indeed, a rabbit can live for 8 to 12 years, so they are easy to care and also, you can train them.
Don’t forget a proper diet is a must to keep your child’s small pet happy and healthy.
The bottom line
Apart from these small pets, others, including chinchillas, and hedgehogs can make a great pair with your child. Yes, taking the responsibility of keeping the pet is challenging, which will shape your child’s abilities from an early age. Get the pet that suits your family now!