Choose the best pet for your family
By Ella Walsh
You may think that the easiest pet of them all is the humble goldfish - and you'd be right and wrong. While they definitely don't need walking and they won't break the bank in fish food, you may end up spending quite a bit of time and energy just keeping them alive. This family pet will need a regular supply of aerated water and this means investing in a pump. Aquariums need regular cleaning and maintenance and this will probably all fall to you to do.
So before you jump into pet ownership, spend a little time before you commit thinking about the right pet for your family – it will save possible heartbreak later.
Best kid-friendly pets
Quite simply, the small mammals that need no walking, minimal cleaning and can live quite happily on family food scraps.
- Guinea Pigs
- Mice
- Rats (Dr Harry's favourite choice for a kid-friendly pet!)
- Rabbits
But if your heart is set on something a little more interactive and you happy to invest the time and love on a dog or cat, these are the breeds most temperamentally suited for children:
Best family dog breeds
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Cocker Spaniel
- Golden Retriever
- Great Dane
- Labrador Retriever
- Maltese/ ShihTzu cross
- Pug
- Whippet
Best family cat breeds
- Abyssinian
- American and exotic shorthair
- Birman
- Burmese
- Manx
- Persian
- Ragdoll
- Somali
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