I’m very grateful that my children have been able to grow up with a pet cat in the house. He’s an old black cat called Boris who is quite a character! He drives us all nuts with his constant meowing and pawing us for incessant strokes but we wouldn’t be without him!
Regular readers will know that we recently moved out of the city and into the countryside. One of the reasons I wanted to move was to be able to have a pet dog too. We could have had one in the city I suppose but we didn’t have a garden and I didn’t fancy having to do daily walks around the busy streets.
Now we’re settled in the countryside with a little outside space to run around in and lots of lovely footpaths to go for walks along, our thoughts have turned again to a pet dog.
I think they can offer children so much. They encourage care and consideration as children learn to cater for their needs. They give family members something to share and care for together. They encourage a healthier lifestyle as you have to get out to walk them every day. They’re loving and fun and great to play with.
I love the idea that the children will have a constant and non judgemental friend in a pet dog. Someone that’s always there for them even when the going gets tough. Did you know that dogs are even being used to support young readers? Reading aloud to a beloved pet is something that a child can do without fear of being judged or corrected and I’m sure this can do marvels for a child’s self esteem.
Protecting your four-legged family members
I’d really love a family dog but the cost of caring for them does worry me. Of course there’s the day-to-day costs of all the food, bedding, worm tablets and flea drops to consider but then there’s the worry of the ‘what if’ costs too.
What if the dog gets sick? What if the dog gets injured? What if the vet’s bill is horrendous? I’ve certainly had to pay out for some dreadful bills for the cat over the years! He got hit by a car one year and another time ripped his neck on barbed wire and another time some awful person shot at him with an air rifle!
Did you know that the average vets bill is now approximately £300 and overnight stays and more complicated procedures can take that amount into the thousands very easily!
I think the sensible thing to do would be to buy pet insurance so I don’t have to worry about any unexpected costs and I’ll be able to relax knowing that our pet dog will get whatever care it needs. I’ll have to take a look at More Than pet insurance quotes online today to get a policy that suits my needs and budget. I much prefer the idea of paying a set amount monthly or yearly and knowing exactly where I stand.
The right dog for us
Some of you will already know that my son Crumb is deaf. Well this week we had an exciting visit to meet some hearing dogs for the very first time. The work these amazing dogs do is incredible! Here are ‘My Little 3’ with Tom a 6 year Labrador. He was fantastic and the children fell in love with him. It was great to see how Crumb’s confidence soared when he was able to help train, groom and walk him.
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Fingers crossed it will all go ahead and we’ll get the dog we dream of.
Watch this space!
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Deborah @ mommycrusader says
October 10, 2014 at 5:06 amI hope you find the dog that’s best for your family. I agree that pets are great for children. Thanks for this post!