The influence of pets on the psyche of children

Since ancient times, domestic animals have been constant companions of people. The influence of pets on children's behavior has been known for a long time. Back in 1969, American psychotherapist B. Levinson wrote that animals help break the child’s hostile attitude towards the world around him and establish communication connections.

Children are much more likely than adults to attribute human traits to their animal friends; they treat them as peers, talk to them, and confide their secrets to them. A cat or dog, unlike parents who always have no time, will always listen to them and understand them. And unlike their peers, they never gossip or sneak around. In general, in some ways they are ideal interlocutors - in any case, ideal listeners. Pets are a powerful stress reliever. And this is of particular importance when the child is initially neurotic, and now there are more and more children with deviations in the activity of the central nervous system. However, many healthy children are afraid, for example, of the dark or loneliness, and the presence of a furry friend helps get rid of these fears and prevents them from developing into a real phobia.

Constant communication with pets from a young age allows you to master non-verbal communication skills and develop an intuitive understanding of the world.

Research shows that the level of aggressiveness and conflict in children who have pets is two times lower than in children who do not have pets.

Children who have a pet are less aggressive, quick-tempered and suspicious, more likely to make concessions and compromise. They are more active and less anxious; K. Lorenz also wrote that “as a result of communicating with pets, children at a very early age get used to taking others into account.”

The experience of communicating with animals and caring for them in childhood makes a person more sensitive to the feelings and moods of others, develops tolerance, self-control and self-control. By becoming partners with children, animals accelerate their emotional development and help overcome critical conditions and stress.

Features of pet care

Cats. Buying a cat. The easiest way to adopt a cat or kitten is from a homeless animal shelter. There they will always tell you how to care for her. When choosing a kitten, check whether it is healthy and whether its ears, eyes and teeth are clean. The baby should be cheerful, brave, keenly interested in what is happening around him and play with contentment. You can take a cat or kitten from the street. Animals are often offered to be placed in “good hands” by people you know. Of course, if an adult cat is used to living in the wild, she may not like it within four walls.

At the vet. Your cat should be taken to the veterinarian regularly. He will check her health and give you advice on caring for the animal. Two-month-old kittens receive their first vaccination against some dangerous infectious diseases. If you adopted a cat from the street, you should definitely show it to a veterinarian.

Cat care. The cat is a very independent animal. But you must feed her every day, keep her tray clean, and play with her. All cats and kittens love to play. They are happy to catch a simple wad of paper, especially if it is tied to a rope. The health of cats depends on regular and proper nutrition. A purebred long-haired cat needs to be brushed more often.

Raising a cat. Training a cat is much more difficult than training a dog. However, in order to live among people, she must learn certain rules. It is necessary to accustom the kitten to “go” to a special tray as quickly as possible. This is not difficult - cats are very clean by nature. It is enough to provide her with a tray with a special filler that absorbs moisture and odors and change it daily. And the tray should be disinfected periodically. The cat needs to “sharpen” its claws. To prevent her from scratching furniture and walls, give her a “claw picker.” The cat often steals ("gets") food. You can wean yourself off this only by catching him in the act. Cats don't like to travel. The animal must be transported in a special bag, to which it is better to accustom it in advance. A cat usually gives birth to three to five, sometimes more, kittens. She carries them for nine weeks. Kittens are born blind and deaf. However, they recognize the smell of their mother, can crawl, and find nipples with milk by touch. It is better not to take the kittens away from their mother for much longer. In the first months of life, it is she who teaches them all the necessary wisdom. The curiosity of kittens and their natural dexterity can cause inconvenience to their owners and even threaten the lives of the babies themselves. They climb anywhere, run around and fight. You need to keep an eye on the kids - they can do stupid things, for example, hide unnoticed in a refrigerator or car. It is very difficult to train cats, and yet some cats appear in films and even perform in the circus.

Dogs

Let's get a dog. Before adopting a dog, you need to think carefully. After all, for the next ten plus years she will become a member of your family. Ask the puppies' owners to show them their parents. The mother dog should be friendly to guests and allow them to pet their babies. Do not choose a lethargic and timid puppy - you need one that is vigorous and cheerful. If you live in a city apartment, it is better to choose a small indoor breed dog. A large dog will feel uncomfortable in your apartment; it would rather be in a separate house with an area where it can run around to its heart's content.

At the vet. The seller is obliged to give you a dog passport from a veterinarian with information about the dog’s health and vaccinations given to it. Be sure to give your dog an identifying tattoo (such as your phone number) in his ear or on the inside of his thigh in case he gets lost.

Dog care. When you get a dog, you immediately have a lot of responsibilities. It is not enough to feed the dog, you need to work with it. To keep a dog healthy and cheerful, it must go for walks with its owner regularly. Try to run and walk with her more. You need to feed your dog at a certain time. Don't give her a lot of sweets, it is very harmful to her health. Bathe your dog occasionally, and wash his paws every time after a walk. It is not always possible to take your dog with you on a long journey. Fortunately, convenient cages for transporting animals are sold.

Raising a puppy. Training a dog needs to start as early as possible, otherwise it will develop bad habits that will disturb everyone around it. The puppy must understand that it is forbidden to “mess” wherever he wants. It is important to teach the puppy to immediately run when the owner calls. You can encourage his correct actions with treats, but the best reward for a dog is your affection and verbal praise, and the worst punishment is a harsh “Ugh!” A dog carries its offspring for 63 days. Usually 2-4 babies are born, sometimes more or less. Puppies are born blind and deaf, but with well-developed senses. Their eyes open after two weeks, and after another week the puppies take their first steps. Puppies and children get along great. However, the child must respect the animal’s wishes and not squeeze it or cause pain.

Birds have a unique structure of their digestive organs - a beak holds food, a crop, two stomachs, glandular and muscular, a short intestine ending in a cloaca.

The excretory organs are also unusual - kidneys, ureters; there is no bladder as such. Instead of urine, urolithiasis are excreted from the kidneys along with droppings. Respiratory organs are lungs, air sacs that provide intense air exchange, also aid flight and act as “safety bags” during landing and takeoff.

Feeding parrots

The main food for parrots is specialized grain mixtures. The mixture is poured so much that the birds eat it almost without a trace. On average, small parrots are given 20 - 25 g (two teaspoons) per day, medium - 30 - 35 g, large - 40 - 45 g.

Additional foods include porridge, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, white bread, white crackers soaked in milk, tea, and various types of cookies, especially oatmeal. It is recommended to feed wet mixtures immediately; they are prepared for one-time feeding.

For drinking, tap water is used for 2 days, and for normal functioning of the intestines and kidneys, a solution of ascorbic acid with glucose should be used constantly. The latter normalizes kidney function, because in captivity, birds often receive an excessive amount of animal protein from the owner’s food, sometimes exceeding the amount of plant protein in ratio.

About the benefits of minerals

Plumage is important for maintaining optimal body temperature in birds. At a body temperature of 40–41 ºС, which is normal for birds, the plumage changes gradually throughout the year. During molting, it becomes very important to ensure the presence of mineral components in the feed, which are sources of Ca and P.

Therefore, the cage must have a separate feeder for mineral feeding. It is necessary to pour gravel into it, which, lingering in the gizzard, acts as teeth in carnivores, grinding the grain components of the feed mixture. The diameter of the gravel is from 2 – 3 mm for small parrots and 5 – 10 mm for large ones. In addition to gravel, mineral feed includes chalk, eggshells, mollusk shells, etc.

Breeding parrots

Under natural conditions, parrots themselves create pairs for procreation. In this case, there is no closely related mating, which is controlled by natural selection and instincts. The reproduction of birds in captivity depends entirely on breeders, who in most cases are amateurs and pursue one goal - business.

The result of closely related breeding is offspring of unnatural color - albinos and lutinos, i.e. white and yellow. Birds with such an obvious genetic pathology are practically incapable of imitating human speech and are characterized by poor health and short life expectancy.

Keeping parrots

When keeping parrots, it is important to consider several rules. It should be remembered that the kitchen is not a place for birds, because... dry air negatively affects their health (optimal air humidity should be 60%). The best place to install the cage is the partition between the window and the corner of the room at the level of the owner’s chest. In this case, drafts should be avoided.

Every day, any bird needs to fly around an apartment or room for 15 to 20 minutes. The first flight is permissible no earlier than a month after the bird appears in the house, because the bird must first adapt to the owner and the home environment, many of which (such as mirrors and windows) are simply dangerous for the pet.

Parrot care

When purchasing large parrots such as macaws, amazons, cockatoos and grays, remember that they are often carriers of hidden infections that can be transmitted to humans - psittacosis and chlamydia. Particularly dangerous are chlamydia, which are excreted by sick birds in droppings and respiratory secretions.

Birds imported from Africa and America find themselves in a stressful situation, adapting to our climate and temperature, as a result of which these infections appear. Therefore, the import of large parrots into our country must be accompanied by a 2-month quarantine, which is often not carried out. When purchasing a large parrot, you should test it for chlamydia infection in the laboratory by express diagnostics of litter samples.

All small species of parrots bred in Russia and Europe are adapted to our conditions. Therefore, there is no danger of any diseases characteristic of birds and humans. However, when purchasing birds, you need to pay attention to the color of the plumage (choose natural, never white or yellow), the condition of the plumage, droppings, the general condition of discharge from the cloaca, nostrils, eyes, etc.

Remember that only after studying all the features and maintenance requirements, you can provide her with decent care and a happy life!

Caring for hamsters.

If you decide to get a hamster, you should first weigh the pros and cons. The fact that it will be interesting for you to lose with him does not mean anything. You should think about whether you can pay enough attention to your pet: care for it, feed it.

Caring for hamsters includes feeding your pet. It must be fed with grains and fresh food. At the same time, you need to make sure that the hamster does not hide uneaten food scraps, as they can disappear and harm your pet’s health. It is necessary to change the water in your hamster's water bowl daily.

In order for hamsters to go to the toilet in one place, it is necessary to clean the cage daily. In addition, your hamster's cage needs to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week. Never use detergents when cleaning. Animals do not like the smell of such products. It is better to wash the cage several times in running water, and also do not forget to tear pieces of paper into the cage, and it is best to use sawdust.

In addition, the hamster is bothered by the same environment in the cage, so try to change it at least sometimes. These are, in principle, all the basic requirements for caring for hamsters. But before you get a pet, think about whether you are ready to bear responsibility for it.