Welcoming Plum and Kiki, Our New Boys - Pets for kids

One of the first thing we do when we move to Indonesia is adopting pets.
For Bo et Obi, this is like dreams come true.
As I have mentioned in many of my previous posts, we could not have any pets in the house we rent in New York City as requested by the owner.
So, during our stay for 4.5 years there, we could only have a goldfish named Darwin, although our immediate neighbors have cute cats and dogs.

Say Hi to Kiki, our dearest 6 y.o. Persian

Both my kids, and my hubby as well, love cats and dogs.
We used to have pets when we were kids in our houses back in Indonesia.
I remember Hoki, our all-black dog which had been so good at guarding our house.
And Udi, my hubby, had a cat as well ,named Plum, when he was a kid.

After a long discussion and consideration, we decided to adopt cats.
When the kids and my hubby stayed in our parents' house in Lampung, they were so accustomed to having cats around.
It's a good interface before they are ready to have pets of their own.

Lazy bones :)

There are two of them there in Lampung, Miek and Bituk.
Don't ask me why Abin, my nephew, gave those names to the cats because when I asked about it (those name are not regular or familiar names for us Indonesians) he said he didn't know either.
My kids really love those cats.
Although they are not pure breed, those cats are cute.

And long story short, we finally got two cats directly!
Lucky us.

When we have moved to Jakarta, after a brief 'transit' in Lampung, our hometown, we started to look for some information about adopting cats.
We decided to adopt cats instead of buying them from pet stores.
It just feels right and we saw that there were so many cats which needed help.

Bo and Kiki are quite close 

Moreover, we discussed it at length with the kids, as huge responsibilities entailed whenever you decided to have pets at home.
Having pets is a lifetime commitment.
It's not only about having fun with them without taking care of them properly.
You have to be responsible for feeding them, cleaning them,  taking them to the vet, cleaning the litter boxes, making sure the cats are adapting well, making sure the house is still clean, and so many more. Moreover, the kids have to learn the do's and the don'ts of having cats, especially cats. Like it or not, they are animals which need to be handled properly.
After all those long talk, we are welcoming Plum and Kiki, our new boys, to our home

morning session with Kiki.

First, we adopted Plum, our kitten. Plum, named after my husband's first cat, was a baby Persian. His all black body and white paws make him look so adorable. We got him when he was just 3 month, so he just finished breastfeeding from his mom. Just like any kittens, Plum is so active and curious. It took him only 3 days to be shy in our house and afterwards, he's already running around like crazy. Good thing we got him since baby so that we can easily teach him about his food, his litter box and his no-go rooms or places in the house. 

It's sooo difficult to take pictures of Plum!

Then, a month after we got Plum, we got Kiki. Kiki is a 6 year-old Persian with a rather sad story. He was picked up by Ibu Sari, my Ambassador's wife who happens to be an avid cat lover and rescuer, in her garage. Kiki was in a bad shape at that time, so dirty and matted, with scars and ear infection. It looked like he was abandoned because his previous owner probably couldn't take good care of him anymore. So, long story short, Kiki was taken care of and Ibu Sari was looking for a new home for Kiki. We happily welcomed Kiki to our house and there he was, joining our little cat world. It takes a while for Kiki to adjust with Plum but they are progressing. 

We do like having pets at home as it brings many valuable lessons and good impacts for us as well as the kids, despite all the nitty gritty that we have to take care as well for the well being of our pets and us as well. Here are some positive sides of having pets, especially for our kids:

Teaching them about responsibility

Having pets is not only about petting them and playing around. It entails a lot of responsibilities and some of them might be tough, like cleaning up their waste and making sure that the pets are well taken care of.

We ask Bo and Obi to make a schedule and take turns of feeding, cleaning up the litter box and bathing our cats. With clear distribution of works and time, they learn to be responsible. If they can not fulfil their obligations, there will be punishment as well.

Learning about being compassion 

Pets are lovable and having them around us teach us more about being compassion. 
I really love to see the growing love of my kids for Plum and Kiki.
They treat them tenderly and just like have two additional members of the family.
It brings such positive vibes in the house.

Knowing more about the importance of sanitation and hygiene

Another important aspect we need to know about having pets is how to manage and take care of their waste, hence teaching us more about the importance of sanitation and hygiene. Simple thing such as washing hands thoroughly after handling any litter or petting the cats can be easily done. I don't have to remind them again and again to do that because they fully understand the need to ensure that their hands are clean, for their own health and benefit. We also learn more how to clean up the fur and deal with fleas if any. 

Having fun and relaxing moments with pets, taking them away from their gadgets and game

This is another important thing that we enjoy from having pets.
It's very relaxing to play with Plum and Kiki after a long strenuous day at work or at school.
Besides, we spend more quality time with our family and putting down those gadgets for some times! It's good to have kids paying attention to something else besides games and gadgets. This pets for kids session really works.


Well, that's our story about Plum and Kiki, our pets. Again, welcoming Plum and Kiki, our new boys, is such a pleasure. 

Do you have pets as well? 
Do you like cats? 
What are their names?