Cat - At What Age Should You Give Your Child a Pet?

If you have kids, you might be up in the air on getting a kitten, dog or something else. You probably should, but the question is when? Kids dream of having their own pet. As parents, you might be confused as to whether getting a pet is a good idea or not. There is no right or wrong answer, however. A lot depends on your personal situation and the maturity level of your children. If your children are not yet in school, they should not have responsibility over a pet. It is certainly fine for you to have a family pet, but you will need to be prepared to do most of the work yourself. Children at this age often do not know that they are bothering an animal and they simply think the animal is playing with them. You need to make sure that your pet will get along well with small children. Even gentle dogs and cats can become agitated when their tails are pulled or if a child is harassing them. If you have a bird, you will need to make sure that you are able to keep the cage out of the reach of children. Little kids love to stick their fingers into a bird cage and a bird loves to nip them. If your children are in school, they are probably ready for a pet. However, you will need to have a serious discussion as to whether your child will be responsible for all of the pet care or whether it will be shared between family members. A child often will agree to take care of a pet. When the time comes to actually do it, they might be less inclined. If your child generally does a good job at taking care of his or her belongings, then they might be ready to take on the additional responsibility of a pet. However, you must supervise this care as you are ultimately the one responsible for the pet's care. You should also never buy a pet on a whim. You will often see rabbits at a carnival or a box of free puppies on the side of the road. You might wander into a pet store at the mall and see a cute cat that you want to make your own. Avoid the temptation. Many animals which are bought on impulse end up in shelters. Do your research before you make a commitment to a pet. If you have prepared for a pet and know what you are getting into, they can be a great experience for a child. Adults also often name the times they spent with their pet as some of their favorite childhood memories. There can be quite a few benefits to pet ownership. Many people feel that it helps children gain responsibility. It can also teach them how to be kind to animals and can have a therapeutic effect on many children. Some doctors also believe that having a pet as a child will help reduce your susceptibility to allergies when you are older. Hal Storm is with www.petstoreyeti.com - your free resource for pet information. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hal_Storm Cat - Too Many Cat Litter Choices! Cat litter is the material that is used in litter boxes or trays to absorb urine and moisture from feces. But in fact, cat litter is a relatively recent accouterment to the feline lifestyle. For today's cat owners, cat litter is as much a necessity as cat food. Finding the right cat litter is something you can do easily. There are many varieties of cat litters such as clay, clumping, flushable and natural. The most common type of cat litter is made of clay, and it's dusty and pebbly. However, studies show that the dust in cat litter is not harmful to a cat's respiratory system. Hypoallergenic cat litter is made without silica dust, a mineral that is often found in clay cat litter. Flushable cat litter is far more environmentally friendly. Citrus cat litter is one type that is highly absorbent, flushable, and biodegradable. The well-known World's Best Cat Litter is a unique clumping, flushable cat litter made exclusively of corn with no additives of any kind. It is made from 100 percent ground-up corn, not clay, so it literally can't turn into mud in the bottom of your litter box. Clumping cat litters are quickly becoming the most common litters used. Clumping cat litter solidifies the cat's urine into a little rock. Clay litter was the standard for decades, but when clumping cat litter came out, it seemed to set off a competitive race for improving this product line. Typically, the non-clumping hypoallergenic cat litter requires that the litter pan be emptied and changed at least twice a week for one cat. But the advantage of clumping cat litter is that it allows you to scoop the clumps daily and only completely change the litter once a month. Natural cat litter is sanitized litter box filler, which controls odor naturally. One such natural cat litter is ExquisiCat Pine Cat Litter, which is a dust-free, odor-controlling cat litter, that's made from recycled pine. It is 100% natural and biodegradable. Feline Pine Cat Litter has an extra bonus in that it can be spread as mulch after it has been used. Another type of natural cat litter is Swheat Scoop Cat Litter. Swheat is a natural cat litter made from wheat, yes wheat. Wheat based scooping cat litter is an environmentally friendly alternative to filling landfills with clumping litter. Yesterday's News cat litter takes a unique approach to natural cat litter. It is made of recycled crumbled paper pellets, and is biodegradable, flushable, and environmentally friendly.