I grew up with many animals in my household, so many that my mom would consider herself an animal rescuer. While I loved all of my animals, my home was incredibly chaotic because of it. Looking back, I’m thankful I had the opportunity to grow up with some sort of family pet rather than none, and I’m so thankful my brother will be able to experience the same.

My firm belief that all families should have a family pet at least once in their lives is strong, and I hope to encourage everyone to see it this way as well.

Family pets are proven to be beneficial to kids, parents and the whole family in general. Kids are able to learn responsibility from taking care of a pet of any variety.

When a child is surrounded by something that they are partly responsible for, it implements a sense of caretaking that might not be present for a child who doesn’t have a pet. Even if the child is too young to be able to truly take care of an animal, watching and observing a family member care for one exposes the child to responsibility. It exposes them not only to responsibility but also nurturing.

Gail Melson, professor and author of “Why the Wild Things are: Animals in the Lives of Children” explains in an article on Parents website that, “Nurturing isn’t a quality that suddenly appears in adulthood when we need it. You don’t learn to nurture because you were nurtured as a child. People need a way to practice being caregivers when they’re young.”

A pet is a perfect way children can practice these skills, therefore cementing beneficial qualities that will add to their life as they grow up.

Pets are also wonderful sources of health benefits to their owners. Some may have already heard this fact, but it is true.

The American Heart Association has linked the ownership of pets, especially dogs, with a reduced risk for heart disease and greater longevity. Not only do pets lead to heart benefits, but there’s also research regarding how people who own dogs have less risk of depression and have lower cholesterol. 

What could possibly clench the overall positive idea of pet ownership and cause you to head over to an animal shelter or a pet adoption facility might be that pets are proven to bring families together as a whole. Having a family pet provides a center of activity to bond over.

For example, walking the dog can easily become a family activity, and gathering in the living room to drag a string around the floor for your cat to chase is fun for the whole family, especially the kids.

I’m not saying families that don’t have pets aren’t going to be close or that the children are going to end up being sad adults who can’t even keep a fish alive. I’m simply saying families who do have a pet might have children with less of a chance of killing their fish.

Having a family pet brings joy and happiness to a child. Interaction with animals has been proven to raise levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are the chemical building blocks of positive feelings. Playing with a furry friend will make you happy, which should be reason enough!

Personally, I wouldn’t trade growing up with my cat Snowflake for anything, and I know plenty of other people who feel the same similar warmth toward their own childhood pet.

So perhaps the next time your child begs you to get them a puppy or a kitten or even a lizard, if that’s what they’re into, it’s worth it to consider given the positive characteristics it will instill in them for later in life.