[AKCristyMJ]

Joanne this is so very well put!!

Thankfully all of Lidia's life we have lived in apts only, that do not allow anything more than fish.....and so we got alotta fish! lol

Lidia is 5 and we have always modeld the genuine TLC all animals deserve.
I even make sure she and us respect bugs, plants, trees, wild animals and others pets. I try hard to even gently free a spider in my house back outside, which in not easy for me ! *shudder*
I can say this has payed off well!

I think owning fish is a great start.
Through that she has learned daily chores of feeding and monthly chores of helping mommy clean the cage. She now knows these chores are messy and not fun but vital.
Fish die, so she too has seen a life cycle. She can see how one fish may die, but others are born (we have bred fish before).
It even requires TLC, she learned not to bump/tap the glass and such.

In 2yrs or more we will move to a pet Hamster or such.

I do not know which to get first eventually, cat or dog, but we will likely wait untill she-our oldest-is 10 or so.

I do not know if it is who she is or what we've taught, but I often see kids as old as 14 be awfully mean to animals, trees, whatever.
They amaze me.
I have sat stunned when I came out and saw an about 7ft tall trying to grow tree torn to pieces. I nearly cryed in front of the 10yr old girls who calmly admitted it was them, they "wanted wood to build a fort".

I had to stop neighbor kids from playfully teasing a stray dog with food one day.

Anyways, great topic!