Sharing pet care in a family: who does what, at every age
Pet care works best in a family when every job has one name next to it and everyone can see the list. Adults keep the jobs that need judgment, such as medicines and vet visits. Children take on jobs that suit their age, with an adult checking. Here is the full list of jobs, what children can do at each age, and how to keep track so nothing is missed or done twice.
The jobs a dog or cat needs
Write the list down before you share it out. Most families are surprised by how long it is.
Every day
- Food, once or twice, measured
- Fresh water
- Walks and toilet breaks, for a dog
- Scooping the litter tray, for a cat
- Play, for both
- A quick look: eating normally, moving normally, eyes and coat clear
Every week
- Brushing
- Washing food and water bowls properly
- Washing bedding, or at least shaking it out
- Emptying and cleaning the whole litter tray
- Checking for ticks after walks in long grass
Every month or year
- Flea, tick and worming treatments
- Vaccinations and checkups
- Buying food and litter before it runs out
- Nail trims and grooming appointments
- Insurance, and booking a sitter or kennel for holidays
What children can do at each age
Children and pets differ, so treat this as a guide, not a rule. Whatever their age, an adult stays in charge of the pet’s welfare. Never leave a young child alone with a dog, however gentle the dog is.
Under 5
- Help fill the water bowl
- Put toys back in the basket
- Come along on walks
- Learn the two rules that matter most: ask before stroking, and leave a pet alone when they are eating or asleep
5 to 8
- Scoop food into the bowl, with an adult checking the amount
- Refill water
- Brush a calm pet
- Play with a wand toy, or fetch in the garden
- Help wash the bowls
9 to 12
- Feed on their own on agreed days
- Scoop the litter tray, with gloves and a hand wash afterwards
- Hold the lead on walks, with an adult alongside
- Practice simple training: sit, wait, come
- Notice and report anything unusual, such as a pet not eating
Teenagers
- Walk the dog alone, if the dog is well behaved on the lead and the teenager can hold them when they pull
- Give routine treatments, with a parent checking the dose and the date
- Look after the pet for a weekend while an adult is nearby
A good test for walking alone: could they hold the dog if it lunged at a squirrel, and would they know what to do if a loose dog ran up?
Adults
- Medicines and vet visits
- Anything to do with a pet who is ill, injured or frightened
- Buying food and keeping track of supplies
- The final check that every job on the list got done
Safety and hygiene for everyone
- Wash hands after handling pet food, poo or litter, and before eating.
- Pregnant? Hand over the litter tray. Cat litter can carry an infection that is harmful in pregnancy. If no one else can do it, wear gloves and wash your hands well afterwards.
- Keep medicines out of reach, including flea treatments.
- Never use a dog’s flea treatment on a cat. Some contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats.
- Teach children to read the pet. A dog who turns away or yawns, or a cat whose tail is lashing, is asking for space. Our guides to dog body language and how to tell if your cat is happy are a good start for older children.
How to keep track
One list, where everyone can see it
A chart on the fridge, a whiteboard by the back door, or a shared list on the family’s phones. Each job gets a name and a day. If everyone is responsible, no one is.
A way to tell when it is done
The most common family pet problem is the dog fed twice, or not at all, because everyone thought someone else had done it. Two simple fixes:
- Tick it off. A tick on the chart, the moment the job is done.
- Measure the day’s food in the morning. Put the whole day’s food in one container. Whatever is left is what is still due, so a second meal is easy to spot.
A dog fed twice a day, every day, soon carries extra weight, and an overweight pet is more likely to have joint and health problems later.
Swap the jobs around
Rotate jobs every week, so the same person is not on the litter tray forever. Pair a dull job with a fun one: whoever scoops the tray this week also gets the evening play session.
A shared calendar for the big dates
Vaccinations, flea and worming dates, vet appointments and insurance renewals belong in a calendar the whole family can see, with a reminder a few days before each one.
When a child loses interest
It happens to almost every family, usually a few weeks after a new pet arrives. Plan for it from the start.
- The pet’s needs come first. Never let a pet miss a meal or a walk to teach a child a lesson. The adult covers, then the family talks about it.
- Share the jobs out again. A child who dislikes walking may enjoy brushing.
- Keep the pet part of the family, not a list of chores. Time together that is not a job, such as sitting with the cat or watching the dog in the garden, is what keeps children interested.
New to all of this? Our guide to the first week with a new dog or cat covers what to set up before they arrive.
Your pet, on every family computer
Pawsome Family turns 1 to 5 photos of your dog or cat into a small animated pet that walks, sits and naps along the bottom of your Chrome tabs. Sign in with the same account on each family computer and your pets are there too, up to 5 on the plan, and each browser chooses who is out. See the example golden retriever.
One pet is free for 30 days, with no card needed.