| H |
aving been brought up with small animals ever since I can remember, I now own and run a horse livery |
yard, cattery and small animal hotel on the outskirts of Coventry. My extended family members have always included
a menagerie of four or six-legged friends.
Over the years these have ranged from the
four stick insects I bred and sold for 2p each
to fund my other animals, to my event
horse. Proper competing however, has
had to take a back seat until my actual
(human) family starts full-time school
this September.
Although looking after animals can
be time consuming and even
expensive, I still believe that
having animals in the home, has
many more plus than minus points.
Social Skills
For a start they help family members to develop a number of social skills. As team members and
playmates, animals strengthen commitment, endorse the value of routine and help children to understand the cycle of life and death when eventually they pass away.
Of course, one major factor that needs to be
seriously considered before you get a pet, is
whether you can commit yourself to looking
after an animal for life, which may be
several decades.
