How Old Should Kids Be Before Getting a Cat?

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     Cats are suitable companions not only for adults and elderly people, but for children as well. However, you cannot just give your child a cat or whatever pet he likes to have because there is certain age bracket suitable for them to own one.

Even though cats are inexpensive and easy to care for, not all children are responsible enough to care for them. To protect the cat and your child, you have to plan, to assess and to consider carefully the pros and cons of giving them a pet. More so, not all types of pets are suitable for them to have.

Different types of pets and suitable age of children to have them

If your child is between 3 to 5 years old, it is preferable to give them guinea pigs because they are gentle and rarely bites. If your child is between 6 to 10 years old, consider giving them shelf pets, like mice, hamster, fish and gerbils. If they are between 10 to 13 years, then give them rabbits, cats and dogs. If they are 14 and above, then give them fish or bird because they are busy at school and with extracurricular activities.

As mentioned beforehand, ages 10 to 13 years old are the most preferable ages for children to have cats as pets because they are responsible enough to feed them, to clean their litter box, to clean their feeding bowl and their cage and they are more reliable to walk them outside. Even though they are already responsible to do these tasks, you need to supervise them to assess if cats have adequate food and water. You should also check that the cats are in healthy disposition.

Benefits of having cats as pets:

Research shows the owning pets have soothing and calming effects to pet owners. They have positive effects to your health and well being. Scientists found that having pets at home positively impacts your pulse, blood pressure and breathing frequency.

Cats had been used in nursing home facilities and hospitals because they have therapeutic effects to bedridden patients. Their warm and furry bodies influenced a person's state of mind. It lowers stress levels of pet owners and prevents minor illnesses, such as colds and influenza. Children who did their share in raising cats have higher self esteem and good social skills. Moreover, early exposure to cats helps children develop resistance to asthma and allergens. It is also a suitable companion for elderly people than dogs because they are inexpensive to maintain. Cats do not need regular exercises like walking and constant trip to the backyard.

Researchers also found that cats also improve the health of patients with HIV. They also reduce the loneliness of single women and help patients with heart disease recover quickly.

With all the benefits mentioned above, no doubt, cats are preferable pet to consider for your child. But before giving them one, you have to consider your budget and what type of cat you like them to have because there are different species of domesticated cats available in pet stores.