Children do know that pets are not toys
Christmas arrives and the vast majority of children are clear about the gift they want: a pet. Whether they are dogs, rabbits or hamsters, the little ones love the animals and want them Christmas. Of course, it is important to know that they are not toys that can be forgotten within a few days: they require a responsibility. In this regard, a study has just revealed that 98 percent of children say they are clear that animals are not toys.
'Together We Grow Better 2015' is the name of the study developed by the Affinity Foundation Chair, a research that also reveals something that we had before: the half of Spanish children reveals having asked a dog or a cat for the Magi or Santa Claus
The bond with companion animals
The pet animals They have shown on many occasions that they make people better in different aspects. In this sense, the II Scientific Analysis of the Affinity Foundation on the link between people and pets ensures that 60% of children associate the dog or cat with a 'companion of activities and games'.
Moreover, eight out of ten children between nine and twelve prefer play with your cat or your dog before with video games. In this sense, the various Affinity studies have shown that for half of the children the animals are, after their parents, their main source of Emotional Support.
This analysis also highlights the perception that children have of their relationship with the pet: far from wanting them as mere toys, The first concept that most children associate with their pets is to 'take care', followed by 'play' and 'feed'.
Reflection before buying an animal
In this line and coinciding with the search for gifts for Christmas, The Affinity Foundation recommends that parents conduct a reflection process before including a pet in the family unit. The objective is guarantee the welfare of the animals and reduce the abandonment of dogs and cats that occurs months after these dates.
It is important, as the entity reminds us, that the election of this 'gift' is not the result of the impulse and that the decision making involves all the people who will live with the animal. The director of the Affinity Foundation, Isabel Buil, insists that the decision can not be made "only "because the children put in the letter to the Magi who want a dog.
Do not forget the commitment that families must have when it comes to having a dog or cat, since the coexistence with an animal is lasting. "Before making the decision, we must analyze our habits of life, our customs and know how we are going to integrate this pet in our daily lives," said Buil.
The needs of animals
Before getting an animal you should know well what needs and care do you need, so act accordingly. It is important that the family assume the obligations that will be acquired with the incorporation of the pet.
The goal of all this is avoid more abandonment of dogs and cats, a reality that has also found this foundation in a study about it, in which he observed that a third of the dogs that nowadays live in a shelter arrived at home in the form of a gift.
"It would be ideal for parents to convey the message to their children that incorporating an animal into the family environment it deserves reflection by everyone and that we should not leave it in the hands of the goodness of the Magi, "concludes Isabel Buil.
Angela R. Bonachera
