Choosing a pet for your child requires lots of research and thought. If you live in Vancouver and are considering bringing an animal home for your kids, it’s always advisable to consult a veterinary wellness clinic in Vancouver for tips on planning and caring for a variety of pets. Here are a couple of adorable animals that can offer your child a gentle introduction to owning and caring for a pet.

Say Hello to the Crested Gecko

This little lizard comes in a variety of colours and has a friendly personality. Although children will need coaching on how to properly handle their geckos this breed of lizard enjoys a certain amount of interaction and can be fun to observe climbing and exploring its environment. Crested Geckos live in a terrarium and one adult gecko requires a minimum of a 20-gallon tank. Geckos enjoy eating a nutritious diet of prey like crickets and silkworms. Helping your children learn about their gecko’s diet is a great way to introduce topics like nature, diet, and life cycles of animals not indigenous to Vancouver. Keep in mind, geckos can live 10-20 years and are a commitment the whole family must share. Geckos do have a few specific requirements for heat, light, and substrate for their habitat though so to make sure you have all you need to welcome your new pet home, work with a veterinary wellness clinic in Vancouver to ensure you’ve got the right supplies for your crested gecko.

The good old Guinea Pea

Unlike hamsters and gerbils, Guinea Pigs are calmer and tolerate human interaction considerably more. They are wonderful first pets for children as they are relatively easy to care for and are typically heartier than their smaller furry cousins. Guinea Pigs enjoy being fed a healthy diet of vegetables and hay. Interestingly, Guinea Pigs are not able to make their vitamin C and so require a diet that offers vitamin C such as dark Kale, dandelion, red bell pepper, and other yummy choices. Children will delight in helping feed their guinea pig and learn about the health benefits of various fruits and vegetables local to Vancouver. Guinea Pigs can be housed in enclosures on the floor that are a minimum of 100 square inches per adult guinea pig with walls that are ten inches high. For advice on how to clean and care for your guinea pig’s enclosure, diet, and health it’s best to consult a veterinary wellness clinic in Vancouver to make sure your new furry friend is safe and comfortable in their new home.

Bringing a new pet home can be exciting for the whole family, but without the right help from a veterinary wellness clinic in Vancouver, it can be a challenge. Reaching out to trusted experts in animal care like the professionals at Cypress St. Animal Hospital can help ease the transition for you and your new furry family member!