http://www.brittline.com/2011/11/29/how-do-you-choose-a-family-pet/
There comes a time when you are so fed up of the kids asking if they can have a real pet, instead of Fluffy go walkies, when you will eventually give in, and say yes. Then you have to consider what type of pet you are going to choose, after all if you are going to have a family pet, then it has to be one that all the family agree on, right?
Unfortunately this is always easier said than done. You will wan to get a fish, easy to keep and not very expensive. Your daughter will want a kitten, you know sweet, cuddly and fluffy. Then your son will want a puppy, after all boys do love dogs. You know that it will take some major negotiation for everyone to come out of this happy with the choice. After all, like top Christmas gifts, when do you agree on anything?
Now, depending on the age of your children, the things that will have to be taken into consideration before the choice is made are:
- Who is going to feed it every day.
- How much does the pet cost to buy?
- Who is going to exercise it, especially important if you are getting a dog.
- Which one of you gets to clean it out, perhaps a rota would work best.
- Grooming may also be something that needs to be thought of.
Then comes the biggest argument of all, who gets to name it?
So if you can answer all these questions, you will have come some way to narrowing down your choice. Be firm though, because the chances are it will be Mum and Dad that end up doing most of the care and feeding. So get a family pet that you can both deal with equally, this should mean that you are all happy.