What is the best first pet for a child or baby? Your opinion please and why.?

Answer 1

As long as you realize that you will be taking full-time care of this animal in addition to the full-time care the child requires and that they both require first quality care, then you are fine. I think a dog is a good animal for children. I adore cats, but they aren't as forgiving when the child pulls their tail. You must assess your living situation and the dog's needs. For instance, a golden retriever is a wonderful family pet, but it has long hair and that hair has special needs. So, if you don't have the time or desire to deal with long hair, please don't get a dog with long hair. Some dogs, like Fraser's Jack Russell Terrier are cute as a button, but are super high energy and require massive amounts of active play time every day. If you aren't prepared to give that, get a more sedentary dog such as a Bassett Hound. Little dogs do tend to be nippier than big dogs, but big dogs can sometimes not know their own strength, so those issues need to be considered. Research the animal before you buy so that you know you have the perfect fit for your family. Good luck and have fun! Oh, and please choose a pet from the humane society or other homeless animal shelter and please remember to spay or neuter! Thanks!

Answer 2

I would say that a baby should not have their own pet at all. A pet is not the same as a toy, it is a living breathing thing and needs to be taken care of. If you are willing to do most of the care taking and feeding than a fish(such as a SINGLE beta in a bowl with some gravel and a plant or two, don't put two betas together please! they're very pretty to look at.) or perhaps a parakeet(budgie) would be a good *first pet*.

Fish require very little care, but their tanks do tend to smell after a while if you do not change the water/clean the tank or bowl regularly. Same with birds, but birds are a bit more fun because if they get used to you you can take them out and hold them on your finger. It is also nice to hear your bird singing throughout the day.

Answer 3

For a child, i recommend a rat, they are clean, dont bite, much more tolerable of children than any other small animal ive ever met(even though you still need to teach the kids to be gentle, they can still be hurt), they are cheap to take care of, love being held and attention, they need alot of attention, but surely not as much as a puppy or kitten!and your child would be able to help with cleaning the cage, and filling the water bottle and things like that, so it would be an easy pet for you to take care of.

Answer 4

I would recommend taking your child to meet animals to see what he/she likes. For example, if you have a friend with a dog, take your kid w/ you to meet the dog and see if she's even interested. If your child doesnt seem interested in pets at all, i would go with a fish because they're interesting enough and they are about a thousand times easier to take care of than most other animals. Good luck!

Answer 5

Obviously, any pet that you, personally, are taking responsible care for is fine, and a small child or baby would be fascinated with just about anything that moves.

Fish are a good start. Other than tank-cleaning and feeding them, there isn't much to taking care of them. Cats can be a little more expensive, but if you keep them well fed and keep their litter box clean, they'll usually amuse and take care of themselves (though you have to watch your furniture...scratching posts are VERY good investments).

Frogs, toads, anoles, and turtles are fairly easy to take care of, but they tend to be a bit boring; any movement at all tends to be a big event for them.

I'd avoid dogs and guinea pigs; dogs tend to be noisy, jealous, and require room to exercise. Guinea pigs are cute and fun to watch, but to take care of them, keep them in good health, and keep them from smelling, you really need to be on-the-ball, and they're prone to respiratory infections and mites even in the best of conditions. Not good starter pets.

Answer 6

None! No seriously its only for the health of the baby dogs can be dagerous, cats scratch, fish (well what are they gonna do), rodents they end up choking, birds they will let them free. Just wait until the child is at least 4.

Answer 7

get it a fish later wen 2-3 dog so they wont be ascared of em in later life gl ooooh hows about a hamster g8 to watch and gentle to pet

Answer 8

For a baby i think it should be a fish, they dont stink, they aren't hard to take care of, there perfect!

Answer 9

i had a friend who was swore 'rats', yes 'rats' where a wonderful first pet. that or a rock.