NOT RAINING CATS AND DOGS?

Other pet options you can consider if you’re allergic to cat hair and dogs barking:

Backyard CHICKENS are popular once again in households countrywide, and they provide the added advantage of “giving back” to the family in the form of their eggs, and their droppings, which are good compost for the garden. Roosters are also your only loadshedding-proof alarm clock… They generally require a roost, which can be a simple wood pole and wire structure, especially to keep them safe from other animals if you have them.

BUNNIES are a popular option for children, but they do require a bit of work – and they are sensitive and can die suddenly. On the other hand, they may breed like rabbits, leaving you with more animals than you bargained for. Bunnies need an outdoor hutch to sleep in.

On to your RODENTS – many a mom’s favourite (not!). Mice, hamsters, gerbils and even rats generally live indoors in specially bought cages, which do require regular cleaning. They are small enough for a small child to handle, and they’re fun to watch. Be prepared, however, for a regular “turnover” as these animals also don’t live very long – about three years naturally in the case of a hamster.

FISH care ranges widely from a bog-standard goldfish in a plain glass bowl to a complex system of oxygen pumps, water tests and changes, and knowing which types of fish coexist harmoniously, and which don’t. Add to that the regular sight of Nemo belly-up in your tank and you might reserve the home aquarium for an older child.

EXOTIC PETS such as snakes, lizards, geckoes and spiders, even geese and pigs, are all options to be carefully considered and researched as most entail specialised care and some are even dangerous. Be sure your (older) child’s interest isn’t a passing craze before you invest in that turtle which can live to a hundred!