First pet: kitten or puppy for a four year old boy full of energy?

Question

my son is "all boy" full energy. However, he is very gentle with babies and things that are small. My husband and I are confused, We asked him one day he says kitten the other puppy?? Any advice is helpful. Thanks.

Answer 1

Some domesticated animals bond with children
very well; while others take a little more time, and need
more supervision.

It would be best to visit a vet, animal shelter, or
petsore, and consult with Knowledgeable staff personel
to help you decide which breeds of dog or cat bonds very
well with children.
I include 'animal shelter', because many of the rescued
animals at the shelter may have formerly resided in
homes where children are present, and therefore have
experienced affection from children.
Have your child accompany you, and observe how your
child is drawn to whichever animal he sees.
If he prefers one over the other,
then That may be the deciding factor.

After your child has become acquainted with his new
pet friend, observe how well they bond.
Be ready to teach your child everything he wants to know
about his new pet friend.

Be advised: young animals grow and mature faster
than young humans... a young animal is fragile in the hands
of your "full energy" son; teach your son how to pet,
and correctly hold the young animal, so that it does not
sustain injury to its back and ribs.

Also, be advised: as a young animal matures, it plays
more agrresively. This is the animal's natural instinct,
in order for it to survive in its natural habitat.
Young animals have no concept of a young human's
threshold of pain when it is engaged in horseplay
interaction with a young human. And vice-versa for
young humans, not knowing a young animal's threshold
of horseplay...
...this is when you must pay careful supervision and
attention to playtime activities between your child and his
pet friend. A young animal's friendly nip can still
hurt your child. Your child's favorite wrestling moves
can still hurt the young animal, as well.

Hope this helps. :-D

(PS: I'm not a professional vet. I'm just an average
person who's learned this the hard way from my
very first pet-friend 35 years ago.)

Answer 2

puppy for sure. that is assuming you have your own place and you can keep a dog. Dogs do need to be walked played with ect. If you do not have a yard i will say a kitten, but that wont help you with your childs energy. if you choose to get a dog labs or retrievers are really good with children and people. But they are of larger size so hope you have a yard that the child and pup can go out and wear off there energy. these types of dogs need to play walk ect. they are active dogs. they are also very gentle and protective. but just like any other dog if they are neglected or abused they wont make good pets. I have had 2 labs i have trained them as puppies and have had no problem with them. Everybody i know loves the dogs i have had they have been so good, grant you i make the time for them, they are my kids. when i havent taken them for a walk in a while they let me know by chewing on something they arent supposed to., but thats how she gets back at me. It is my fault.

Answer 3

I would hesitate to get either pet (kitten or puppy) for a very energetic young child. A lot of rescue groups refuse to adopt young animals (either kittens or puppies) to households with young children (6 or under), for all sorts of reasons. A lot of parents will get rid of the pet if the child gets scratched or bitten, but that is not a good reason for getting rid of an animal -- particularly if the animal was only defending himself against a child grabbing, choking, or otherwise bothering the animal. Some small children are very good with kittens and puppies, but it sounds like you have some concerns, and should listen to that inner voice questioning if this is a good idea. I would suggest an older pet, probably a dog (and I prefer cats personally!), and probably a mix breed with some very gentle breed (like Labrador or Golden Retriever or beagle) mixed in. You will also want to let the child spend quite a bit of time with the animal before you decide to go through with this. Observe how he is and you may want to decide to wait until he's older.

Answer 4

Get him a puppy. Kittens can be playful but once they grow larger cats seem to be less playful and more concerned about themselves. Dogs on the other hand remain slightly puppy-like even once they're full grown and are always playful, perfect for a boy full of energy. Just be careful, as both pets are prone to nipping and you don't want him to end up being afraid of whichever choice you select.

Answer 5

cats can't really handle so much energy. they tend 2 get aggravated by that type of stuff. a cat probably is not the best pet choice for a 4 yr old boy.
stick with a puppy more likely a lab or retriever. there known for family life & good play mates for little kids or just people of all ages.

Answer 6

My daughter is Six years old and wanted a pet. We live in an apartment so a dog or cat is out of the question. We got her a siamese fighting fish. They need to be alone and are low maintanence. My daughter calls him Max and loves her fish. I got the kit from the pet store for about 25$ all together including food. I think they should start out with something like a fish or gerbil or something.

Answer 7

Get a puppy like a Doberman Pinscher. Dobes when trained to be friendly are the friendliest of the friendly. The only fault my Dobe has is that he doesn't like it when people don't like him. If came to our house and he knew you didn't like him, he would climb in you lap and lick your face until you changed your mind.

Dobes are also great with kids. They will take a lot of abuse from kids that a lot of other breeds would not tolerate. I have had dobes that would take pinching, ear pulling, and the likes from kids. Not that I condone those things but you know that kids will be kids and dobes will take a lot of abuse. They are definitely people dogs and may not do so well being outside dogs. They like to be around their family. And they love to play. And they love to just be in the room when everyone sits down in the evening to watch TV.

I think I have actually caught my dog watching TV a few times. He doesn't like to let on that he does it, but he does.

Dobes really like to be around their owners, so are not a good dog if left alone for long periods of time. Of course, they really like to go with you, so just put him in the car and take him with.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Cats tend to be more feisty and might scratch your little boy if he makes it mad. I just got my 4yr old daughter a small chihuahua mix female dog and she is doing great taking care of her. The dog "Honey" loves running around with my daughter and they both take their naps together. I think that a puppy would be the better choice. It also is a great opportunity for you to teach him responsibility. My daughter is in charge of cleaning the poop (with supervision, cleaning supplies and must wash her hands after-wards) among other responsibilities.

Answer 9

I would get him a puppy. He could take it out and exercise it and help you train it. Kittens are fun when they are little but mellow out as they get older. A dog will be quite active with your son for most of its life.

Answer 10

A puppy would be better and even more fun to grow up with. Cats are generally more moody than dogs and not always as social as dogs are. A dog would just be a better pet for a boy.

Labs are generally the best!! (my opinion)