Getting a Pet

Hey, T.----
Haven't read all the responses, but here's my two cents:
WAIT!!!
Any pet you get "for the kids" is basically YOUR pet, especially if your husband isn't crazy about the idea. Your children are too young to care for an animal. I would also steer clear of rodents---when my kiddo was 6, I thought getting a guinea pig to be in his room with him would be a good "starter" pet that he could feed, at least. Big mistake. Besides the fact that small kids don't have a sense of how to properly hold and care for small animals, Guinea pigs are social animals and need a companion, so I got two...well, one of them turned out to be pregnant and we wound up owning 4 pigs. I have taken care of all feeding, cage cleaning, vet visits, burials (two have since died)...and the kiddo couldn't care less about them.
When he turned 9, we got him a dog that he'd been asking for since he was 7. Same story. I walk the dog, take it to the vet, feed it...
These pets are MY pets, that's the bottom line.
Next time I'm getting a cat. Cats are clean and independent and don't require daily walks. Sure, I'll have to clean the kitty litter box once a week, but that takes 5 minutes...and I will get the joy of having a purrball on my lap.
So, the bottom line is: It'll be YOUR pet, so figure out what YOU want and how much time you're willing to spend caring for it!

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T., I don't find having a cat to be much work. Certainly it is way less than with a dog. I have rabbits and we've had guinea pigs and they can be great pets. Hamsters are not always friendly but guinea pigs are and they do not require a lot of maintenance, you just have to clean the cage a couple of times a week. But when the kids are young and you get a pet, you do have to expect to do all of the pet care yourself.

Good luck.

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Hi T.,

We have 1 dog and 2 cats (all of which we had prior to the birth of our son)... If I had it my way I'd have more. :)
I also think it's wonderful for kids to grow up with pets of any kind for reasons already discussed. Our 3 y/o LOVES his furry family members. It's definitely a challenge sometimes because he's still learning how to treat them and it's not always nicely! But for the most part we all live peacefully together. Our son loves to help out with filling food and water bowls. And also helps us walk the dog.

As far as taking care of dogs and cats... yes, of course it's a lot of work. But I think the rewards far outweigh the work of it. And when you get your children involved and know that they are learning lifelong lessons on how to treat and respect animals it makes it a lot more fun and bearable.

There are so many varieties of cats and dogs that don't shed as much and are less allergenic. Both our cats are short-haired and our dog is a whippet who has very very short hair and barely sheds at all. She is very laid-back, gets along with the cats great and is tolerable of our son's antics. I think some others mentioned adopting an older pet.. or "borrowing" one on a trial basis... which I think is a fabulous idea. Good luck with your perfect pet search... keep us posted!

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Hi T.,
Check out your local animal adoption centers. They generally do have responsible people who can help you with suggestions. I do some traveling and leave my cats (2) at home. They do all right alone with a big bowl of dry food, 2 litter boxes and a big bowl of water for about 2-3 days. If I am gone longer than that I get my neighbor to look in on them and add food and water. Since they are not cat people I don't ask them to clean out the litter box. I have been gone as long as 9 days and they have been fine. I also recommend that you adopt a cat (or two so they are playmates) that are neutered and about age 1-2. At that age they are past the teething age and may even been just friendly lap cats. By the way, cats are probably the cleanest animal you can have as pets and most are terrific with kids.
Good luck with convincing your husband.
L.

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i have 2 cats and they ADORE my 11 month old son. i introduced them to each other slowly and they play together now....animals are a lot of fun, dont focus on the negative, hair etc...there really isnt that much cleaning involved with cats. i have all hardwood floors and i swiffer every other day and clean my floors once a week and thats only because my one cat is a long haired cat and sheds more than the short haired one. cats are easy to take care of, dump the litter box once a day, i have automatic feeders so i dont even have to fill their food/water bowls every day,only once a week. dont stress, just go and get yourself a cute and cuddly kitty :)

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i believe that having children grow up with pets is a great experience. but they are a lot of work, so you need to decide how much work you can handle right now since you will most likely be the one caring for the pet. i also work at an animal shelter and see so many pets abandoned because families decide they no longer have time to care for them. they see animals as disposable objects, which they are not. these animals come to the shelter very depressed and missing their famiiies. its very sad. so be sure you are willing to commit to a pet for life. i have an 11 month old boy and several cats. i do not find that cats are hard to care for with a child in diapers. all they require is fresh food and water daily, daily scooping of the litter box, love and attention, and washing of the litter box every week or so (can easily be hosed down outside with soap). they can be left alone overnight if need be, and if you're gone for a week vacation its easy to find catsitters to come daily to feed them. dogs require more attention, walks several times a day, and cannot be left alone nearly as long as a cat. so i would say wait til the kids are older before getting a dog. as for the other pets you mentioned, guinea pigs are more kid friendly than rabbits and hamsters. but their cages do need to be cleaned out every few days, and they require timothy hay and fresh vegetables to be healthy. personally i find caring for cats to be simpler. if you do decide to get a pet, please check out your local shelter first as there are many great animals waiting for new families to find them. most are dropped off through no fault of their own. a good shelter will work with you to find the perfect family/child friendly pet. good luck!

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Cats and turtles are the easiest animals to care for. If you need to go away, it doesn't bother a turtle. As long as you leave out food, have one of those self-watering bowls, and a nice big litter tray, (scoopable prefered) a cat won't have much problems either. The best cat to get is a female, because they don't mark territory. Doesn't matter for the turtle. Make sure you get a short haired cat, so there's no grooming problem. Cats and turtles are very independant. Train the children how to properly handle the animal and wash their hands. You should have no problem.

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