Children love pets, and parents love their children. So it's no surprise that many parents give in to their kids' desires (or in some cases, demands) for a pet of their very own.
Making a child happy is a wonderful thing. But if you're considering getting a pet for your child, or if you've already done so, you have think beyond the joy that comes on the day the pet comes home. You must also consider the long-term lessons a pet can teach, and your role in helping bring those lessons home.
Ask any parent what lessons a pet can help teach a child, and it's likely the one they'll name will be "responsibility." It's true: Having to care for a pet on a daily basis is often a child's first introduction to thinking about the needs of others, or even to realizing that others have needs. These are important steps in a child's development to be sure.
But too often, parents don't think about the lessons that are equally important, such as how a pet can help teach a child about commitment and compassion.
There's a tendency, in our throwaway society, to think of all pets as disposable and of relatively inexpensive children's pets -- small birds, rodents or reptiles -- as the most disposable of all. When a child's enthusiasm for a new pet wanes, care for the animal sometimes suffers to the point of neglectful cruelty, or sometimes the animal will be dumped. While neither option is a good one for the pet, allowing these situations to develop is not in a child's best interest either.
What are you teaching a child when you allow a little pet to be neglected or decide to give it away or, worse, to just turn it loose to starve or be eaten? Instead of teaching that living beings are more than "things" that can be thrown away like last year's birthday presents, you've taught that they are disposable. And instead of teaching that, sometimes you have to do what you don't want to because someone is counting on you, you've taught that it's OK to bail out on another living being just because you have things you'd rather do.
Instead of laying the groundwork for a lifetime of giving, you've sent a message that when the going gets tough, it's acceptable to move on, because it's only what your child wants that matters.
Do you really want your child to learn such selfish behavior?
I've been thinking about this a lot lately because of a rat I've named Zoe, a former throwaway pet who ended up in the hands of some nice people who try to find new homes for former children's pets. (Believe it or not, there are quite a few rat rescuers around. For a list, visit the Rat Fan Club page at www.ratfanclub.org.)
Zoe came home with me because she was gentle and affectionate, and also because her story of abandonment was so common as to be troubling. Her rescuers get dozens of former children's pets every year, and I wanted to help in a small way.
So many children's pets are not as lucky as Zoe is, which means a lot of children aren't lucky enough to have parents who care enough to teach them that pets are a lifelong commitment.
When you say yes to a pet for your child, do your child and that pet a favor, and realize that the ultimate responsibility -- for teaching your child, for seeing that your child's pet is well cared for -- is yours.
Children learn by example, so please set a good one. No pet, no matter how small, should be discarded because the "newness" wears off, and the sooner your child learns this, the better for your child, that pet and us all.
THE SCOOP
When you're expecting your first baby, it's natural to worry about how your four-legged children will react to the change. Most of that concern is not necessary. If you follow commonsense guidelines, such as never leaving pets and young children unsupervised, chances are your animals will adapt splendidly and your offspring will grow up knowing the many benefits of having animals in the home.
Still, it never hurts to let your pet know what's coming, which is why I was delighted to get a copy of the "Preparing Fido" CD of baby sounds, everything from delighted cooing to ear-shattering screaming. The CD, which comes with a booklet of training tips, is $20.99 including shipping and handling from Preparing Fido, P.O. Box 3712, Albuquerque, NM 87190. You can also purchase the CD with a credit card on the Web, at www.preparingfido.com.
PETS ON THE WEB
Dogs with long backs, such as dachshunds and basset hounds, are particularly prone to spinal injuries. The expense of treatment and the prospect of a long rehabilitation for many of these injured dogs often lead their owners to reluctantly choosing euthanasia, even for pets who are otherwise healthy. The Dachshund Orthopedic Disc Group E-mail Resource, known as the Dodger's List in memory of one such victim, is working to spread the word that a back injury doesn't have to mean death for a beloved pet.
Founded by Linda Stowe, Dodger's List (www.dodgerslist.com) offers practical advice on how to prevent back injuries in dachshunds and other long-backed breeds or mixes, how to minimize them and what can be done after an injury has occurred -- there are lifesaving options! Everyone with a long-backed dog should read the information on this Web site.
QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK
Q: You recently offered suggestions for a reader whose cat knocks things off shelves. Would you please share the tried-and-true trick that has worked for my family?
We taught our cats to stay off the kitchen counter by putting double-sided tape on the counter. (Actually, we set cardboard over the counter and put the tape on that so we didn't have to clean up the sticky remains.) When the cat jumped on the counter, she was horrified that her paws stuck. She jumped down, thoroughly cleaned herself and hasn't been back up since.
For cats who want to knock things off using their paws, we have taped balloons to shelves. When the sharp claws hit the balloons, it scares the cat into next week! This trick also works for dogs who like to steal things off tables -- they burst the balloon in their mouths and it scares them. -- V.P., via e-mail
A: Double-sided tape does indeed work wonderfully, since cats loathe the sensation of having their paws sticking to any surface. The tape also works to discourage cats from clawing the corners of chairs and couches. You can find double-sided tape in any home-supply store, or look in pet-supply stores, catalogs and at Web sites for Sticky Paws, ready-made strips that do the same thing.
I haven't had quite the luck you have had with balloons, though, either with shelf-climbing cats or counter-cruising dogs. But I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying this inexpensive deterrent. You can also try mousetraps, set without bait and placed under a single sheet of newspaper to protect the animal. When the animal trips the trap by walking nearby, it leaps into the air with a frightening "snap!" that discourages a repeat visit.
Still, I wouldn't trust any training method to protect your most valuable pieces, because accidents do happen. Kids and pets break things, that's a given, and the best way to protect your special pieces is by putting them in a place that's safe from harm -- either behind the doors of glass-fronted cabinets or in another room with the door shut.
Q: Can you tell me how to contact an organization we have heard of that provides bulletproof vests for dogs in police and sheriff canine units? We would like to make a donation in memory of a friend's dog. -– D.E., Fair Oaks, Calif.
A: I don't know if it's the one you've heard of, but I did find Pennies to Protect Police Dogs (www.penniestoprotectpolicedogs.org), a charitable organization in Florida founded in 2000 by an amazing young woman named Stacey Hillman, then 10 years old. Since its founding, the organization has raised more than $200,000 and provided vests for police dogs in 16 states. (The vests cost about $600 each, and many municipalities say they just can't afford the extra expense.)
You can donate with a credit card through the Web site, or send a check to Pennies to Protect Police Dogs, c/o Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 140, P.O. Box 1742, Sanford, FL 32772-1742.
Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com. You can also read her frequently updated Web log or view her column archives at www.spadafori.com.
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