Personally, I was 7 (way back in '73) when I first became a gerbil owner. I
fondly remember watching them in their ball every Saturday while she cleaned
out their aquarium. I'm sure she made sure they were fed and well cared for,
just as she looked after all our family pets. But they were my
responsibility, and I think most kids over the age of reason can be
marvelous pet owners.
That said, legally and morally, I will not give any animal (or anything
else) to anyone under the age of 18 without first discussing it with the
parents. To me, this just makes sense.
A few weeks ago we gave some gerbils to some family friends. They have 5
daughters age 2-14. When we delivered the gerbils, we all sat down on the
living-room floor and the girls all got a chance to meet and hold the little
guys. I just saw the little guys this weekend and they're doing fine. Even
a two year can understand that it's necessary to be careful and gentle with
tiny living beings.
So, in a nutshell, I don't have a set age for what's to be considered
responsible. I view it as a pet being placed in the home of an adult. It
doesn't matter to me who does the feeding, cleaning, etc., as long as it's
done and the pet is cared for.
One other thing, when I do place gerbils, I provide a complete set-up (
aquarium with lid, house, water bottle, food, litter, wheel, print-out of
info, etc. ) so I know they have what they need to get started. It think
this gives me and the new owners piece of mind.
Just my two or three cents,
~Mary
> I know this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find anything in
> the GML archives and I am breeding again, so I wanted to raise the
> question:
>
> What is the appropriate age for a child to have a gerbil? Certainly I
> think 4 is too young, and 10 is probably fine, but I haven't decided
> where to draw the line in between.
>
> Opinions?
>
> --
> Tana and The Little Rascals
> http://members.home.net/tlr-gerbilry
>
