Are you thinking of getting a pet for your family? If your children are excited to help, it is important to teach them how to take care of it. Make sure they learn the responsibilities of being a pet owner. Kids may seem on board for a new fluffy family member, but those four paws need to be looked after.

To help your children become responsible pet owners, it is good for them to understand and help out with pet care. This is true for both young children and teenagers. This guide maps out the building blocks needed to teach kids how to take care of pets. It is designed to help them understand what is required.

Helping out at Mealtimes

Dinner time is one of the easiest ways your child can get involved with looking after your pets. Encourage your child to measure out food. If they are too young to understand numbers, help them pour until you tell them to stop. Might be best to try this part with the bowl already on the floor.

Once your pet is done eating, your child can pick up the food bowl. They can then help with washing it and putting it away. Get your kids in the habit of feeding their pet before or after breakfast and dinner. This will help them remember that when they eat, their pet needs to eat too.

You can also encourage your child to regularly check water bowls too to see if they need filling up. Very young children can fill up a bowl with a little help. This is likely a job better done with the bowl already on the floor.

We all give our pets treats, so teaching your child how to hand a pet a treat safely is important. They should place the treat in the palm of their hand and offer it with their hand kept flat. The pet will then be able to take the treat without risking nipping any fingers!

How to Handle a Pet

Children learn a lot through experience. When it comes to handling a pet, it's essential your child knows how to do so correctly. Holding a pet requires special care, and it is important to make sure your child is aware of this.

If a pet feels threatened, they may try to escape by squirming, biting or scratching the person holding them. For example, if they feel like they are going to fall.

When handling a bunny, it's best for children to sit on the floor. Place the rabbit on their lap and support its backside and hind legs. Rabbits have strong hind legs. When held, they can kick out. This can lead to spinal, pelvic or limb fractures. If dropped, other injuries may occur.

When holding a puppy, dog, kitten or cat, it can be gently picked up around the shoulder blades with their backend supported. Again, it’s best for a child to be sat down when handling any animal. If the animal was to accidentally fall, it would be less height for them to fall. Cats are good at landing on their feet but that doesn’t mean they always do!

Brushing and Bathing

You can teach children to groom their pet by letting your child hold the brush and then gently guide their hand to brush in the direction of the pet’s hair growth. When they’ve got the hang of it, you can let them have a go on their own but always under supervision.

When grooming, it's important children understand and look out for changes in their pet’s body language. Any changes could be a warning sign the animal is feeling uncomfortable or distressed, so grooming should be stopped.

Bathing is another aspect that children can get involved with. Parents can support the animal while the child gently massages the shampoo into their coat. They can then wash the suds off with clean water either using a shower head or jug.

Children aged 8 or older can begin to help when it comes to brushing your pet’s teeth. They can do this by gently guiding a toothbrush into the pet's mouth. Then, they should brush in circular motions. Make sure your pet is comfortable having its teeth cleaned before letting a child do it.

Children and Pet Playtimes

Playing games like fetch can be great fun for children of all ages – even if they can’t throw very far! Children from around 2 years can play games of hide and seek, either hiding themselves or hiding treats and toys.

Kiddies over 3 years could make an obstacle course and teach their pet some agility. Teaching a pet tricks and basic commands is something your child can do if they can speak clearly. There's loads of fun games kids and pets can play. Even something simple like dragging a piece of string along the floor can be a fun chasing game for a cat!

Walking a dog is a great activity that children of all ages can get involved with. Older children, aged 13 and above, can usually take most breeds of dog on short walks alone. However, make sure they're strong enough to control the dog if they need to.

Children under 10 can walk a dog on a lead. It is preferable for an adult to also have a lead attached to the dog for safety. The lead shouldn’t be wrapped around the arm or hand, it should be kept short and held in two hands (unless it’s an extendable lead), and their arms should be down by their sides.

Kids and pets can be the best of friends if they’re taught how to care for them properly. Spending time together will help them to form strong bonds. Dogs and cats are great pets for kids, particularly younger ones. However, there are plenty of other pet options to consider.

Teaching children to care for a family pet helps develop important life skills. But remember, especially when it comes to younger children, you must always supervise. That way your child and their pet are both kept safe and happy.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis AND Felis - www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis AND Lapis - www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.