SEERS CROFT VETERINARY SURGERY

childrens pets

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There is a huge variety of suitable pets available for children. Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters are all popular children’s pets and provided you keep them clean, fed and watered, they can be great fun. Food and bedding is relatively cheap and if you have a paper shredder, shredded paper is great to use mixed with straw. Most of the "small furries" are easy to look after and can be very affectionate; they are very responsive to handling and, with gentle human contact from an early age, can become very affectionate

A Few Things To Remember:

Do - Ensure that bedding is cleaned out often enough not to smell – this is essential for airway health. Insist on good hand-washing following any handling of pets or pet excrement when cleaning out cages etc. Show your child how to approach and handle pets gently. Ask your vet about the correct way to handle young animals. House them indoors or in a garage during the winter, if it gets very cold. Avoid loud noises, rough play. Feed your pet on a proper diet daily – discuss what is meant by a proper diet with the vet at a post-purchase checkup. Remember that your pet needs regular exercise.

Do Not - Let very young children handle pets by themselves. Allow very young children to shout at or hit your pet. Disturb your pet when it is asleep, eating or playing with a toy - pets need private time too. Let animals lick faces.

Choosing the Right Pet

Goldfish

Goldfish are a very good starting point for becoming a responsible pet owner, but they don't give very much in return!!

Guinea Pigs and Rabbits

Guinea pigs make excellent pets. They can be kept indoors or outdoors and need a nice big, warm hutch that is easy to move. They need fresh food and water every day and loads of love. They should be bought at a young age and handled regularly. A proper diet is essential and should not include too many “greens” – see the section on dental disease.