Parents’ beliefs on kids ages and safety with family pets
Parents reveal the age they believe kids can have a family pet, with 1 in 4 saying it’s safe to have a pet at any age…
A survey of a representative panel of 1002 Australian parents was conducted, to find out at what age they think is appropriate for their children to have a pet (both cats and dogs). On top of this, parents were questioned whether the size of the pet matters, and what would be the reasons for not allowing kids to have pets at an earlier age.
Pet ownership rates in Australia are among the highest in the world, with two-thirds (61%) of Australian households owning an animal. Around two thirds of dog and cat owners refer to their pet as a member of the family, but how many parents feel it’s safe to have their newborn, toddler or primary-school aged child around their ‘fur baby’? New research reveals one in four parents believe newborns are perfectly safe around cats or dogs, however large.
Kids Ages: Newborns
Interestingly, a quarter of parents think it is safe to have a pet with a newborn baby. Furthermore, when it came to the size of the dog in particular, this didn’t seem to alter their views. 28% of respondents think it is safe to own a small family dog with a newborn, an equal 25% agree in the case of a medium-sized dog, and 24% said having a large family dog wouldn’t be an issue. A quarter were also comfortable owning a cat with a newborn baby.
While it’s not recommended that young children are left unattended with pets, there are benefits to having a furry friend around the house with a newborn. A child who gains exposure to pets during infancy may develop a sturdier immune system and a lower chance of allergies.
Kids Ages: Babies up to age 1
Comparethemarket.com.au also found that more than a third of parents are comfortable bringing a pet into the family when a baby is younger than one. When it comes to canines, as long as it is small in size, 38% of parents think it’s safe when the child is younger than one. This compared with 35% if it’s a medium-sized dog, and 31% when it comes to large dogs.
Meanwhile, 36% of parents think it’s safe for a cat to join the household when a baby is under one. Pets can be more than just companions, they can provide a soothing presence and non-judgmental support for children too. This is particularly the case when animals are used as part of a treatment plan to help children develop communication skills, along with medical, developmental and emotional disorders.
Kids Ages: Primary-school aged children
Nearly a third of parents (30%) believe children need to be older than five before having a pet in the house. 45% of parents think this in relation to introducing a large family dog, 31% in relation to a medium-sized dog, and 22% for a small dog. On top of this, 21% think children need to be five years of age or older to introduce a cat safely into the home.
Regardless of age, children who have four-legged friends are found to benefit in various ways, such as gaining greater self-esteem, better social skills and are less likely to experience loneliness. So much so that the NSW Government has implemented three programs – Living Safely with Pets, Living Safely with Dogs, and We Are Family – in primary schools to teach children how to be responsible pet owners and ensure children and pets can live harmoniously together.