Pets Are Not Practice Kids
There are better ways to find out if you’re ready for kids.
As an animal lover and sometimes animal rescuer, I’m quite distressed when people get a pet as a “practice child.”
First, caring for a human child and caring for a pet are wildly different experiences. Being involved in animal rescue, I’ve seen too many animals get discarded because a new baby comes along. I don’t always think this is bad, or malicious, or even careless. Some animals are miserable in homes with children and are much happier when they’re rehomed to a place that’s quieter and less chaotic.
But, too often, animals are tossed aside the second they become inconvenient to new parents or lose their luster as adorable puppies or kittens.
When you get a pet, you make a commitment to care for it for the rest of its life. That means when it gets sick, gets old, or acts out.
Pets can bring out the best in people, revealing a more nurturing side. But kids can bring out the worst in people and pass the message along that pets are disposable when they’re inconvenient and only here for our amusement.
If you, or someone you know, want to get a pet to practice, here are some other things to consider BEFORE or instead of pet ownership.
- Foster an animal, all the benefits of adopting a pet…
