Can Pets and Babies Coexist

As soon as you found out that you were going to have a baby, the pet in the house came to mind! You thought about what to do, how to look at the two of them together. You’ve come across many comments that raising your baby alongside a pet is either okay or can be dangerous. Then listen to our article! Here is the information you may need about babies and pets !

What are the Benefits of Keeping Pets?

We can list the benefits of pet feeding during childhood, when the baby grows up and starts to act more consciously .

1- Awareness towards animals and nature!

The baby gets the opportunity to see that there are other creatures besides humans and that these creatures have other relationships with nature. Thus, the baby experiences respect for others and establishing good relationships at a very young age.

2- Understanding the feelings of others!

Your baby understands your feelings too. However, looking into the eyes of the pet who cannot speak and needs your help, the baby gains the ability to feel the boredom and excitement in the animal’s face.

In this sense, spending time with animals for babies creates an effect that will make it easier for the baby to understand the feelings of the person in front of him in his future life.

3- Responsibility for others and unrequited love!

While helping the child to feed and care for the pet, he realizes that he can respond to another’s need and feel love. This is also important in terms of seeing what he can do and trusting himself.

3 Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pet

We talked about the beneficial aspects of your baby growing up with a pet and spending his childhood with it. However, raising a child at home with a pet is a responsible job. Let’s remind.

If you are considering getting a pet, we recommend that you decide based on your answers to these questions.

1- Can your child move freely when with animals?

After observing whether your child is agitated when with animals, you should decide whether or not to bring a pet into the home . For this, we recommend that you follow your child’s behavior at the home of your pet-owning friends, instead of the animals on the street.

2- Is there enough space in the house for both the child and the pet?

As your child gets older, his belongings will spread around the house and every area of ​​the house will become a playground for him. Especially places that you do not want them to mess with, such as drawers and cabinets, will become the center of attention for your child.

Adding the animal and its order to the change of order in this house can add to the confusion, be warned. Therefore, you should decide well whether there is a suitable area in your home or not.

3- Do you have time to deal with both?

Another thing is you! In addition to the time you have to devote to your child, you will also have time to spend on caring for the animal. If it’s a dog, your walker outside; If it’s a cat, you’ll need to change your litter. The most important thing is that when you are not taking care of the cat or dog, you will not face his anger and sadness! In this respect, we recommend that you do not adopt a pet until you are sure that you can spare time without neglecting both your baby and the pet.

3 Things to Consider When Deciding on the Type of Pet

1- Choose calm types who can establish a friendly relationship with your child.

Mixed breeds are more patient and calmer than pure breeds. So you can use your preference in this direction. However, beyond the characteristics of the breed, you should also consider the characteristics of the animal you want to adopt. It may be helpful to learn about the temperament of the animal before comparing it with your child.

2-Is it male or female?

It is generally thought that female dogs are calmer than males. That’s why in a plan for dogs and babies to coexist, you might prefer a female dog. On the other hand, male cats are calmer than females. Keep in mind! When you have the cat and your baby side by side, it may also help to trim your cat’s nails.

3- Is it a puppy or an adult?

You should also consider the age of the animal. If you are going to have a cat or dog in the house with a baby, you can choose a kitten or dog so that the animal can grow with your baby and form a special bond.

It’s Time to Introduce Your Pet to Your Baby!

• It may be good to train the pet in an affectionate manner and keep the first encounter with your child short. The child, who may be overly curious, should also be trained not to harm the animal. Let’s say that it would be good to keep both of them in mind for a while so that both sides do not harm each other.
• You should be careful not to feed them at the same time. In addition, it is important to keep the feeding bowl of the animal out of the reach of the baby, so that the baby does not accidentally put his mouth in the bowl of the animal, and the animal does not become irritable when it sees its own food being reached.
• You should make sure that your baby is not allergic to the pet’s hair, dander and feces. Also, your pet must be under veterinary control!

Your Child’s Playtime with Animals!

Let’s face it, you may need to be busy with something at any time, you get tired while trying to make everything go smoothly. With this tiredness, you can’t always be willing and energetic about playing with your baby. So, how is your child’s playtime affected by having a pet in the house?

Primarily, babies and dogs! Dogs are always ready to run, jump and jump for your child who is growing up and is old enough to play with your dog. With this mobility, the dog not only befriends his child, but also makes his games better.

What about babies and cats! Cats are used to the calm behavior of adults, rather than the active and harsh behavior of children. For this reason, instead of playing with your child, they may prefer to run away and crawl under a bed and curl up in a corner.

If your child insists on playing, it may cause the cat to scratch and become aggressive by making it irritable. We recommend that you be careful, as this may affect not only the physical aspect, but also the child’s love of animals and the relationship he will establish with animals in the future.