«I would love to have a pet»

«Why don't you ask Sarah?»

I want a pet so much - a cat. But my parents are against it because it's a lot of work. I would always look after it, feed it and look after it. How can I convince my parents?
Larissa, 11

Dear Larissa
I can really understand why you want a pet. When I was your age, I wanted nothing more than a dog. Whenever I went shopping with my mum, I would go to the pet department and hold a dog lead in my hand for a few minutes. My wish remained over the years and at the age of 17 I finally got my first dog.

You may not have to wait that long. But it's true that your parents can decide whether or not to allow a pet. And there are good reasons for this: An animal is not a toy. It needs to be looked after every - really every - day and you take on a lot of responsibility. An animal also costs money. You can find out on the internet how much each pet costs per month. For a cat, you should expect to pay around CHF 100 per month, and that doesn't include the vet.

On the other hand, a pet also has many positive benefits - especially for children. Researchers have shown that people are less stressed and even suffer less pain when they have a pet living with them. It has a relaxing effect when you can look after and stroke an animal. And there are even more benefits: you can learn to take responsibility and look after a living creature.

To convince your parents, it might be a good idea to show them how serious you are about your wish. Would you be willing to take on a few new tasks for a few months that you can do independently? For example, watering the flowers, hoovering and cleaning the toilet. You might be thinking «Eeeewww, that's really nasty!», but believe me, cleaning a litter tray is much smellier. Cat hair has to be vacuumed up everywhere and it needs fresh water and food every day. I'm sure your parents will be impressed if you do these chores well over a longer period of time. And then they might be more willing to think about getting a cat again.

Cats are often playful and you can stroke them. But sometimes cats are not so interested in people and prefer to be outside exploring the neighbourhood and hunting. Unfortunately, I've spoken to children who got a cat and were disappointed afterwards because it didn't want to cuddle or play at all.

Pets need preparation

No matter which pet you take in: You need to be well prepared so that you know how to keep it - there are animal welfare laws that you have to follow. It is a living creature that has feelings, can feel pain just like us humans and depends on us to treat it well throughout its life. If you and your family want to do something good, perhaps you can offer a pet from an animal shelter a new home.

My tip to you: ask around in your neighbourhood to see if anyone could use a good cat sitter during the holiday season. Many people would be very happy to have someone they can rely on 100 per cent to look after their cat. You could be a kind of «godmother» for the pet. That would be a start, don't you think?