Want To Get Your Child A Pet For Christmas? Here Are 4 Things To Consider First
Because a pet is forever
By Terri Kue -
Christmas might seem like a great time to surprise your child with a pet. After all, children only have to see a movie about cute animals and they start begging you for a fluffy kitten or floppy rabbit. And we don’t blame them for wanting a furry (or non-furry) friend - they are cute and make great companions.
But they are also a lot of work - not just for the kids, but for you. Ricky Yeo, President of Action For Singapore Dogs (ADS), emphasises that “at the end of the day, the parents will be the real caregivers to the pets, rather than the kids”, which makes sense since young children can hardly be counted to look after themselves (much less another living creature).
So if you think that getting your children a pet will help them mature, then you might need to rethink that.
Some people give pets to children because they think of it as doing something good for the kids, and that a pet is “a gift for the family”, according to him.
“There is generally a trend of people looking to give up their pets once the novelty wears off,” he says. This is especially so during Chinese New Year, where ADS sees more of such cases during the spring cleaning period.
We’ve spoken to some experts and have come up with things to consider before getting that pet for Christmas:
Getting your kids a pet for Christmas is basically the same as adding another toddler to the home - you have to factor in time and money for feeding, entertaining, medical bills and other cleaning up after them. And not just for Christmas - you will have to do it for many years.
“Parents have double the work to do,” says Ricky, explaining that they will have to constantly remind their children of the pet’s needs.
Remember: no matter how much your children say they will look after the new family addition, you will be the one doing the heavy lifting. Are you game for that?
Thenuga Vijakumar, President of Cat Welfare Society, also advises considering whether your lifestyle is suitable for a pet, including future plans you may have.
If you like to take spontaneous staycations away, who will care for your pet? If you work long hours, who will walk the dog or play with the cat?
You also have to ask yourself whether you’re planning to have more children in the future and whether you can even afford to care for an animal if something goes wrong. Remember: one visit to a vet in Singapore averages $40 to $250 (including late-night surcharge) for consultations, and that’s not including operations, medicine, or emergency care.
Says Thenuga, “the idea is that there's a being that is entirely dependent on you for food and shelter, and safety and warmth, so there's no difference in that sense (between a child and a pet)”.
If your child wants a dog, but your partner is not happy about the idea, things will not go well. In fact, if one child wants a rabbit and the other wants a bird, that won’t end well either. It might be tempting to bring home an animal friend as a “surprise”, but that can often lead to tears and arguments at home. This can result in pet owners giving up their pets.
Getting your child a pet for Christmas can lead to so many complications when you don’t sit down and have a proper discussion with the whole family. So before you get one, ask everyone these questions:
Does everyone in this family agree to get a pet?
Do we have enough space for it at home?
Do we know how to care for our pet properly?
Are we committed to looking after it for its whole life?
Can we afford to pay for its medical bills, food and grooming care?
Often, Ricky hears people refer to animals as “toys for kids”. Yes, you read that right - pets are sometimes thought of as entertainment for children.
For the little ones, it’s important to teach them that each animal is a living being like all of us and not some video game to be picked up and ignored when they’ve had their fun.
As Thenuga aptly puts it, children “should have some level of understanding of the importance of life” before being trusted with an animal for life.
To do this, she recommends breaking down the responsibilities into terms they will understand.
“Explain what is required. Feeding twice a day, cleaning of the litter box a minimum once a day, who will wash and disinfect the litter box. How much are veterinary bills and what is that in comparison to their monthly allowance.”.
Doing this helps them understand what it actually means to look after a pet so that they themselves can think about whether they are up to it.
If you need a more detailed list of things to cover, you can refer to some of NPARKS’ online resources. On pages 24 and 25 of their AVS Teacher Guidebook, there are a set of questions to ask your kids to get them thinking about the responsibilities of looking after a sentient being.
NPARKS also has a checklist to see if you are suitable to have a pet, such as whether the whole family agrees on getting one, whether you know the care the animal needs and so on.
All these will help your children understand that getting a pet isn’t about instant gratification, but it is a responsibility they will have to carry for many years.
It’s true that a pet can bring great joy to your family, as long as everyone in your family understands that they’re not just a festive gift, but instead a companion you will have to take care of for life.
These resources can help you if you’re thinking of getting a pet for your kids in Singapore
Free webinar series on responsible pet ownership:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=czav0206Vh0
The dos and don’ts of having a pet:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/resources/pets-animals-dos-and-donts
Criteria for responsible pet ownership (make sure you’ll be able to provide your pets with the listed):
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/pets/owning-a-pet/getting-a-pet/what-to-consider-before-you-get-a-pet