How to Choose the Right Pet for Your Family

Published:
April 22, 2021

Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Discovering how to choose the right pet for your family hasn’t been the easiest task for some families.

How to Choose the Right Pet for Your Family text with a picture of a family sitting on the floor with their dog

However, having a pet is something that should be a family decision, and it will be worth the work when you get it right.

Have you ever seen a pet owner and their pet, then think, “Yup. This makes sense!”

Or other times you see an owner and their pet and think, “ How did THAT happen?!” Yet – it just works.

You wonder just how that owner knew that their pet was exactly what they needed. How did they do it? Whose idea was it? What made them pick the perfect pet for them or their family?

If it were up to my kids, we would have a pet for every pet species alive: bird, fish, dog, cat, lizard, bunny, gerbil . . . they would have them all.

How they grew to love pets, I have no idea because I am NOT a good pet mom. If I happen to be a good pet mom now, it is only because I was forced to do it – against my will.

Owning a pet is actually a really big responsibility. It means commitment, hard work, and dedication to not give up.

Preparing your family and thinking things through carefully before getting a pet will make things run smoothly and help you lessen stress and burden.

So, check out some ideas on how to choose the right pet for your family:

Consider allergies.

This was big in my family when we were choosing what pet to add to our family. I LOVE cats, yet I am so allergic to cats I couldn’t even handle breathing around them for long periods of time. So, consider allergies.

Consider your home, size, and accommodations for pets.

Do you have a backyard? Do you want an inside-only pet or an outside-only pet? Is your furniture such that you won’t tolerate pet hair on them, or will that not be an issue? Do you want an odor-free home?

These are all just some of the questions you will need to think about when you are considering how your home will be impacted by a pet or how your home will impact a pet.

Health care for pets.

Look around for pet hospitals or clinics near you if you want a pet that may need medical care like dogs or cats. With fish or hamsters, this may not be a big issue.

Evaluate how much time your family will have to take care of it.

When trying to choose a pet, evaluate how much time your family will have available to care for pets.

If you have a family who is constantly away at baseball practice or extracurricular activities, getting a pet that needs a lot of attention may not be best for your family.

Assign tasks so that kids are aware of the responsibility they will have.

When choosing what animals to get, have a talk with family about the different responsibilities involved with certain animals.

For instance, are most of you willing to walk a dog? Are you all willing to take turns cleaning birdcages or cleaning out a fish tank? Who is willing to give the dog a bath?

Since committing to a family pet is an important thing, it is important that your family is prepared and even has some dedicated time to discuss these types of things before taking the leap.

Choosing the right family pet has great benefits for your family – no pressure or anxiety about picking the wrong one.

It is just that taking your time and being prepared means you can choose a pet that will bring more benefits than not.

Here are just a few benefits of choosing the perfect family pet:

The whole family will have a vested sense of ownership and responsibility.

It is not like shared chores because parents own the house and need help maintaining it. A pet is a shared responsibility, and all family members take care of it the same.

Kids learn to love and have compassion for something other than family and friends.

Caring for another living thing is a different kind of love that kids grow into and learn to do. Having family pets is the perfect way to show them.

Joy.

There is something about pets that bring kids joy and giggles unlike anything else. A pet is a joyful friend when a child feels lonely. A family pet can be a joyful playmate when kids have the energy to burn.

Develop a servant’s heart.

Being responsible for a pet can show the whole family what it is to have a servant’s heart. We don’t get thank-yous from a cat when we clean out their kiddie litter, yet we do it anyway.

Kids want to feed their pets, not because it does anything for them but they are happy to feed their pets and see their pets happy.

Make this experience a great experience where each family has an equal stake in choosing. In doing this, each member also has an equal stake in caring for it.

Happy pet searching! I hope you find the very best pets for your family, and that you are the very best family for the pet!

If your kids love pets, then here are some fun activities, printables, and resources with pet themes to share with your kiddos at home.

FREE Printable Pet Theme Play Dough Shape Mats | Living Life and Learning

Free Printable Pet Themed Shape Mats text with example of a printable worksheet page and triangle pieces of play dough

Pet Portraits- Bold Marker FREE Prints | The Kitchen Table Classroom

three photos of different pets with a pen sitting on table

FREE Dog Breeds Notebook & Draw Unit

three dogs running together outside in the grass with text Free Dog Breeds Notebook & Draw

Cat Breeds FREE Notebook & Draw Unit

two cats sitting on wooden floor with text Free Cat Breeds Notebook & Draw

FREE Pets Animal Playdough Mats | Preschool Play and Learn

Create An Animal Shelter Dramatic Play Area (with FREE Printables) | Early Learning Ideas

FREE Pets 18 Coloring Pages | Homeschool Preschool

Pet Scavenger Hunt For Preschool (FREE) | Pre-K Pages

Would it Make a Good Pet? | From ABC to ACTS

Pets & Their Homes FREE Matching Activity | Totschooling

Pets & Their Homes Matching Activity text with multiple illustrated examples of different pets and their homes

Make a Pet Art Activity with 6 FREE Printable Templates | Sunny Day Family

Pets FREE Coloring Pages for Kids | Itsy Bitsy Fun

FREE Pet Bingo | Totschooling

two different printable illustrated pet bingo pages for kids

Pet-Themed Gross Motor Brain Break for Kids | Life Over C’s

FREE Pets Printable Pack (K-3) | Money Saving Mom

seven different pet themed printable worksheets shown with a blue background and text Pets a Free Printable for K-3!

Pet-Themed I Spy Game (FREE Printable For Kids) | Next Comes L

a family sitting together on the floor with a dog and text How to Choose the Right Pet for Your Family

 

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