What's the best age for child to have a pet?

A pet isn't a toy, so don't get it on a whim! I have a 3 year old boy and a 5 year old dog. There are days my boy gets along fabulously well with my dog - there are times my boy just doesn't want the dog around. But as dogs are man's best friend - my dog never gets offended. 😝 My boy grew up with a dog in the house so he is pretty much an animal lover and no fear of animals, which I am thankful for. He walks my dog too - it's really amazing to see their daily interaction.

It really depends on your child's temperament. I've seen babies grow up with their puppies and kittens and they got along just fine. I've also seen older kids who are just not interested in caring for a pet. While pets can be fun, it is a lot of responsibility and not a toy. Kids and parents need to understand this really well before getting a pet. Seen too many cases of abandonment because families claim that the cat or dog is not cute anymore or not fun anymore.

Having a pet is a big commitment, and your child won't be able to help taking care of the pet until they're at least 5 years old. But if you think you're capable of adopting another 'baby' into the house, I think 3 or above should be ideal. Your child needs to be mature enough to behave responsibly as new pet's behaviour is unknown. This is to protect both of your child and the pet.

I agree with Nadiah...wait for the child to be atleast 3 or above or what you can do is get a bit older pet say between 1-5 year old as they are better with young children. They are not prone to rough play as small puppies or kittens and would require less care which is important as your attention will already be on your kid, having a puppy will add more responsibilities.

It really depends on your child and the type of pets. At the end of the day, are you able to take up this responsibility if your child gave up taking care half way? Its a long term commitment and it is the responsibility of an adult and not the child.

I think if you want to introduce a pet to your kid you should do it from the start. Get them familiar during your pregnancy and then as soon as the baby is born. Make sure the bread of animal you have is child-friendly.

Once the child has a good command of his motor skills, then that would be a good time to have a pet. At that point he could more or less be aware of what a pet is and how to deal with them.