There’s a reason I started this blog, and this video reminded me of it. For every little boy or girl there is a perfect first pet. Like a first love. It should never be take lightly, and in all likelyhood it will be remembered for a lifetime:
We both know that this is very unlikely. But we want them to try, right? My seven year old wants everything he sees in the pet shop. Its Easter; and bunnies and chicks look cute. But in a few weeks that cute little chick is a gangly-neck rooster that scares the kids and now you don’t know how to gently get rid of it. Or if you went with the bunny, now its a big fluffy ball that leaves deep scratches on your arms when you try to hold it and it kicks you with those powerful hind legs.
Well, there are ways to have the best of both world. A cute pet for your son or daughter, and the knowledge that you are prepared to take over the care when they start loosing interest. That’s what this site is going to be about.
Kids first pet can be a fish tank, a lizard, a snake (that’s right mom, he wants a snake that eats mice), or maybe a kitten or puppy! Whatever you want to consider, I will be happy to tell you how kid-friendly the idea is, and how and where to get the supplies you need – cheaply! Better still, I will tell you the pros and cons, the costs, the care and feeding, so we don’t end up…trying to explain where “fluffy” went, to big sad eyes on our children’s upturned faces.
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We will return to ideas for kids first pets with our next post.
Well that’s not exactly how the Nursery Rhyme goes, but its still true that little boys like all kinds of stuff that moms and sisters find “icky”. After all what are little boys most interested in: adventure, sharks, bugs, and dinosaurs? This is a great opportunity for a manageable and inexpensive first pet: Lizards! After all, what looks more like a mini-dinosaur than a lizard?
Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you when I asked my son what he wanted for his birthday. My little guy asked for a lizard. Its been 2 months now, and he loves it, and surprisingly I kinda like it too!
All it took was a little research:
Basic Types of Lizards:
When you go into a pet store that carries reptiles you will see several different types of Lizards and a wide range of prices. Costs range from $40 – $120. The lizards fall into 2 basic categories: dry climate (desert) and moist climate (jungle). This is an important factor in making a decision, as the environment and care for your pet can be complicated, and you need to know what you are getting into. Dry climate is easier to set up and maintain. Moist climate will have more ‘exotic’ species, but they are more delicate and the lizards tend to be less hardy. If you want to avoid pet funerals and sad kids, stick to dry climate.
Needs
Starter Kit: Fortunately, most pet stores that sell lizards, will carry lizard starter kits that have all the essentials (tank, mat, heat lamps, temperature gauge, cover, etc.)
Decorations: You may want to accessorize and your child might feel involved if he or she gets to pick something out. But keep it simple. Lizards do not need or play with toys.
Food: This is usually live food! So you will need to keep the “food” in some sort of container as well. Ask the store clerk to help you get the essentials.
Water dish: All lizards will need water and easy access to it. And it needs to be refreshed regularly.
Specific Types of Lizards
While there is a decent variety of lizards you can have as a pet, lets stick to the basics: Bearded Dragon, Leopard Gecko, Green Anole, Iguana, and Chameleons. Each has its own pros and cons. Without going into detail, because there is plenty of information on the internet, just ask the pet store clerks. We chose the Bearded Dragon!
Bearded Dragons, are docile and therefore unlikely to jump out of your kid’s hand and run away. They actually like to be held and even gently petted or rubbed under the chin. Their cage is very easy to maintain. They eat crickets and meal worms. Bearded dragons are very colorful, and they can grow to about 24 inches. Most pet stores and breeders will tell you that they are the best lizard both for beginners and for children. They will never bite (to the best of my knowledge).
Initial outlay: $60 for the lizard, $40 for the starter kit, $10 for carrier which later became the cricket box, $5 for crickets, $10 for calcium power (ask the clerk why). $125 out the door. Food cost me about $6 a week. Overall…very affordable, and very “first pet” worthy.
Kids are naturally curious, and notoriously uncoordinated. The typical result is cuts, scrapes and bruises. If your child has pets its worse. Kitties, bunnies, puppies, etc. all have claws, and getting scratched while playing, or the accidental mis-handling is par for the course.
I remember my childhood as filled with scabes and road rash, and my seven year old takes after his dear ole dad. I am amazed at the number of bruises on his legs alone, when he gets into the tub for a bath.
So it was with great interest that I saw an article in this months Prevention magazine. Filed under Health Hearsay was a questions about cleaning cuts and scrapes with hydrogen peroxide, something I have been doing my whole life. Boy was I surprized when I read the answer. Do Not Use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean wounds. While it is true that Hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria, it is very caustic and will damage healthy tissue at the same time. The best way to clean a small wound is good old soap and water, dab with an antibiotic cream and put a clean bandade on it. So save the hydrogen peroxide for what it was intended – hair coloring.
Traditional pets are ideal. The whole family can enjoy the antics of a new kitten in the home. Watching it stalk invisible prey, or running into a discarded paper sack can provide hours of fun. With a puppy, it is very similar. However puppies require a little more attention in the beginning. They cry when left alone or made to sleep in the laundry room, but you will never see such adoration, as you see in a puppies eyes when it looks at you. You can’t stay in a bad mood when you come home to your excitable little puppy
The only caution is: please be careful with a child under the age of two. No matter how many times you remind an infant not to hurt a pet, they fail to comprehend the consequences of their actions. It’s not their fault, they are just not at a developmental level where they understand that a little puppy or kitten feels pain, and you have to supervise that child and pet much closer than normal. Nor do you want an animal to scratch or nip at your child, which it might do instinctively if grabbed or held wrong.
Puppies and kittens are easy to care for, and little has to be said that you don’t already know. So the only advice I have – is how to get your supplies online at significant discount over the local pet store. Check this out:
If you child is young, a fishtank is the best way to go. Its something to look at, they can name the fish, they can feed the fish (with your supervision), and it doesn’t require constant care attention, like a puppy or kitten might.
If you have little experience yourself with fish tanks, I am putting a video here to help you get started:
Just cut and paste the following link into your search bar:
Birds are not the first pet kids normally think of when they ask for a pet. But then there is the occasional baby bird rescue. Who doesn’t remember finding a bird that’s fallen out of its nest, or finding the tame bird that somehow got lost from its home? Personally, I have had both happen to me as a kid. Including once finding a baby hawk. But as a first choice for a pet, not too often. But its hard to find a simpler pet to care for. The typical birds people bring home are, cockatiels, parakeets, finches and canaries. For those that don’t know, cockatiels are those pretty birds with the long tail feathers and the cute feather on the head that perks up when the bird’s is interested in something. The best ones are hand-trained. Either way they are very friendly. They need a little more room than most, but they have the best personality all around. Parakeets are noisy and dirty, they come in all colors and can be very pretty to look at, but they are very unfriendly. They are best to get in pairs, and they have a song that some people enjoy. Finches are very small birds. They make a pleasent “beeping” noise and they are no trouble at all. It is recommended that if you get finches, you get several at the same time. They are social, they like to nest and will make lots of babies (remember to get them some nests). They are not the kind of bird that will sit on your finger, but they are very pleasant. Canaries are great. Hearing the song of a canary, for me, stimulates memories of Spain and other Mediterranean countries. The typical canary is a solid yellow, but they come in other colors as well. The male of the species is the singer, females will not sing. The canary song is actually a mating call, and the trademark song that you hear is very pleasing to the ear. But if you get a canary for the singing, do not buy them in pairs. After all when you have a mated pair, the male has no reason to sing! Again, do not spend retail prices if you can avoid it. Here is a site that carries everything from birdseed to cages, from pet vitamins to cage liners.
Little boys are made of what? Frogs and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails? Well add Lizards and Snakes and other creepy stuff their moms would freak out over. Nevertheless, reptiles make great pets for little boys (and some little girls). Unfortunately, it can be a little pricey to start you reptile habitat. For example:
But once you get started, maintenance is minimal. Snakes are about the same when it comes to care. Another excellent alternative is a mini-turtle. They are much easier to care for, and cheaper to get started with. But the life span for pet turtles is pretty short. (In nature, they are long-lived). But most turtles that are store-bought are the amphibious ones that have the little island enclosures. You don’t see too many people getting box turtles for pets, and you probably wouldn’t want one for your child, especially if you are fond of their fingers. Box turtles are notoriously brutal biters.
Again, if you are going to get your child a first pet, you probably want to control expenses. The best way is to do your homework, find a website like this one, and then do your shopping on line Here’s a coupon for THE ANIMAL DEN a great little online pet store: Animal Den coupon code: ad203. Please feel free to send some feedback too! It’s not just for me, but also for the next person that comes to read this article. Let them know your experience!