Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?

My kids have two dogs and three ferrets and I take care of them. My sons are 8 and 4 so I think they are old enough to start taking care of them. What do you think?

Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?My daughter has 2 parakeets and she takes care of them.



She also helps with her dad's aquarium and the family cat. She also helps to take care of a friend's horses.



Your sons are old enough to take part in the care of your animals, although expecting them to have total responsibility for five animals is a bit much.



All the best.Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?
my daughter has 7 chichlid fish. she feeds them but we change the water for her. She also uses the net to gather and debris that may be in the tank. I know fish are nothing like dogs and ferrets but maybe they can start feeding them and making sure that if they made a mess then they clean it up.Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?My kids are 7 and 9 and we have a dog and a cat, they feed and water them twice daily and put them in and out as needed. I usually clean up the pee/poop if its in the house. And they are the pooper scoopers for the back yard. They also bathe the dog with their dad's help.



They are definitely old enough to help, the 8 yr old with everything and the 4 yr old with feeding them.Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?
we have 2 dogs and I have 3 kids and they never clean after the animals, they dont even clean after themselves ha ha well only sometimes its a good idea for them start cleaning :)Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?We have a dog, dwarf hamster, giant lizard, turtle, indoor %26amp; outdoor fish, plus assorted other creatures from time to time. The children care for their own pets -- feeding, watering, walking, brushing, changing water bowls, spraying %26amp; airing dog's bedding, etc. I am only involved in doing full tank/cage clean out's once a month.



My kids started being responsible at 4 years old, with supervision. As long as the ferrets are comfortable with the children, I would let them take some responsibility but they should be really taking care of the dogs basic daily needs.
me and my sisters have 4 cats, a dog, a turtle, a lizzard, ton of fish we are the ones who clean the turtles tank and the lizzards. we bath the dog, we feed the cats and play with them. my mom and dad dont do anything all they do is buy the food and treat the dog when he has flea. we buy them presents on christmas and like cat toys and dog bones lol

:)



im 16, one of my sisters is 14 and the other is 8. and my brother is 10 but he does not help at all lmao.Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?
not the 4 year old. But the eight year old could feed and water the animals n from time to time MAYBE pick up some poo
My children both have a cat of thier own, and I take care of the litter box and they do everything else. Works out okay.Do your kids have pets and who takes care of them?
my kids scoop the litter box yet hate me for it! but they are 13 and 10



i think at least ur 8 year old it but the four year old is still at the age where he thinks helping out parents is cool so use him while u can.
We have 2 dogs - they are family pets and we all care for them.
I think your kids are old enough to do some of the work, but you will have to tell them to do it every time. We have 2 dogs, 4 horses and 2 chickens, but the only ones that are only my 7 year old son's are the two chickens he got this spring after wanting some for a year. He is supposed to take care of them, because I was not really wanting chickens in the first place. They've recently started laying eggs, so he's more excited about a daily trip out there. I have to remind him to check their food and water every time, or he won't do it. I have to announce it's time to clean the droppings tray, and help him do it. This kind of responsibility just doesn't occur to kids, even when they're capable of doing the work. I would transfer some of the work to your kids, but be prepared to tell them to do it every day, and follow up to make sure it gets done. You don't want the pets to suffer.
My stepson is six and we have three cats, a dog, and an Oscar fish at our house right now. One of the cats is temporarily with us while my friend is in the military, but the other two are ours.



My stepson's responsbilities include feeding and getting water for the dog, letting the dog out to go to the bathroom in the morning, and putting him in his kennel when we have to go somewhere. Just general little tasks like that. If it's something like walking the dog, we do it because the dog is only 1 year old and a chocolate lab - still rather hyper lol But for the most part, he takes care of his dog. The fish is my husband's - so that's up to him. The cats are the family's, but I take care of feeding them and doing litter boxes because I don't think a six year old should be cleaning litter boxes.



Just start it out slow and don't give them things they can't handle (you may not want the 4 year old carrying a bowl full of water across the kitchen, for example lol). At that age, they usually are excited about the task because it gives them someone to take care of. :)



Good luck!
This is why ferrets are not recommend for children under the age of 16 because they require A LOT of responsibility. As for the dogs they could take care of them easier than the ferrets. Brush them feed and water them. The 8 year old can take the dogs for walks. Maybe if you allow it WITH the 4 year old. Unless you don't mind taking care of the ferrets and they are getting 2 hours play times with each others and 2 hours playtime with humans than I would re home them to someone who's life is devoted to ferrets, And even then even some people over 16 still aren't mature enough to take on the responsibility and do research on how to properly take care of ferrets.



I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, 3 ferrets, 2 tarantulas and a ball python. Out of those all of them are mine but a dog and 2 cats. I take care of all of them. But I don't have kids.