Why It’s Important to Raise Kids Around Animals

Many parents worry that pets may misbehave with children, particularly young ones. Unnecessarily, many families give up their pets when they first have kids due to concern about the animal and child not getting along. However, piles of research along with our 40 years of experience as a pet hospital in Saint Francisville, LA have shown us that it’s actually really important to raise your kids around animals. Here’s why:

• During the first year of their lives, babies raised around dogs had better immune systems and fewer instances of respiratory tract infections. What parent is going to argue with having a healthier child?
• A pet teaches kid’s about responsibility. Walking the dog, scooping litter boxes, feeding regularly, brushing and bathing are all important tasks that every member of the family should help with, particularly kids learning more about helping out.
• Pets provide children with long-term companionship. With a dog or a cat, kids always have a friend to turn to for love and happiness. This proves particularly helpful for children without siblings.
• Kids need a certain amount of confidence to engage with pets. Therefore, growing up in a household with pets leads to higher self-esteem levels in children.
• As a child grows, a pet ages. As they mature, children learn about the realities of life such as illness, death and the importance of healthy living, such as by going along for annual visits to a pet hospital in Saint Francisville, LA.
• Socializing with peers educates kids on a number of qualities that help them better adjust. However, the same also applies to animals. In fact, pets can teach children about empathy, compassion, kindness and patience.
• Life with a pet inspires playtime and creativity. Whether it’s going outdoors to run around with the family dog or curling up with the kitty to read a book, pets and kids can bond over shared activities and interests.
• A pet’s needs cause kids to disconnect from their devices. If a pet requires affection, playtime or food, children have to put the tablet or smartphone down to pitch in.
• Children struggling with ADHD, autism or other spectrum disorders can have lower blood pressure, along with better cognitive and communication skills, with the love of a therapy animal.
• For those kids learning to read, their skills are improved by reading out loud to animals. It’s lower stress for them to read in front of a cat than an adult who might intimidate them.
• When you adopt a pet with your child, they learn the importance of saving lives, helping the community and working together for the greater good. If your child is old enough and really passionate about animals, he or she can expand their horizons even more by volunteering at a local shelter.

Have you recently added a pet to your family? Congratulations! Prioritize your pet’s health with help from a premier pet hospital in Saint Francisville, LA. As a full-service animal hospital, St. Francisville Animal Hospital can take care of all of your pet’s needs. Additionally, we offer house calls and 24/7 service so your pet is always taken care of by the best veterinary professionals in the area. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your pet.

Categorised in: Dog Health