JFF How Many Pets Do You Have?

Updated on August 27, 2011
L.A. asks from Kyle, TX
51 answers

What kind are they and who is responsible for them? Feeding, cleaning, taking to the vet?
We have 1 cat. We just realized she is 16 years old! It takes all 3 of us to keep her happy.
She has US on a feeding schedule. She believes she should be fed every 6 hours, beginning 1 hour before my husband gets up each morning. Even if he has to get up early or sleep in, she somehow knows that 1 hour before to wake him up. She is relentless, jumping from the bed onto his face, screaming in my ear, waving her whiskers on our faces. She will step over our heads so that her belly fur tickles our faces.

I placed her litter box next to his desk, so he is in charge of cleaning it, but I am the one that takes her to the vet, because my husband cannot stand to see the cat upset.

Our daughter is the one our cat wants to sleep with if possible, but our daughter shuts her door. When she is at college, the cat, sleeps in the girls room. The cat also walks around the house searching for the girl for about a week when she leaves for college.

We all are in charge of letting her out the front door (only) and back into the house on her command.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.U.

answers from Detroit on

2 dogs (both pugs) and 3 cats. And since I am also a veterinarian, I am responsible for ALL of them! ;)

3 moms found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

2 Golden Retrievers, Molly, 11, and Kate, 2.

My dogs, I do it all. Don't mind really, they're the 4th and 5th children.

:)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Allentown on

2 cats, 2 dogs.

Kids in charge of feeding, me in charge of grooming, dh in charge of litter box, dh and I are both in charge of walking/exercising, I do the vet visits, dh does the kennel drive for boarding.

The only reason the kids don't walk them is because the dogs outweigh most of the kids, and the oldest wouldn't be able to hold them back if if they decided they wanted to chase a deer.

We'd have more pets if we had the room for them.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

L.B.

answers from Biloxi on

I live with 3 cats, 4 dogs (an old Corgi mix and 3 younger dachshunds), and a 15 year old boy child. Oh, wait, the boy is not a pet. LOL

My son is in "charge" of the dogs - feeding, watering, bathing, and picking up any "presents" they leave on their wee pads. They are all house trained but prefer to spend most days outside in the yard. But, when we are not going to be home for awhile I bring them in - dachshunds are notorious diggers and will "tunnel out" under the privacy fence.

They are
Betty - old Corgi mix who was just diagnosed with arthritis and has started meds. She is the bestest dog in the whole wild world.
Winnie - the smallest and most spoiled - she prefers to be carried from my son's bed to the back door when it time to get up and go out. She also prefers to never to go outside.
These two sleep with my son each night.
Mary - Winnie's daughter - is the baby of the family. Spoiled by all the dogs, doted on, and a whiner. But adorable.
Chewey - the only male dog is a long haired and looks like a wookie. He wants desperately to be a lap dog and struggles with his masculinity being surrounded by so many girls.
Chewy and Mary sleep in the spare room as they have been known to get into mischief over night when left loose in the house.

The cats are my responsibility.
I feed and water them and change the litter box. They have me very well trained. LOL They sleep with me every night. We just lost our older male two week ago after a long illness - while he was ill I adopted another male. Anyhoo, we have -
Zoe - she stood in the pretty line twice totally bypassing the smart line. Sweet and slightly uncoordinated she has been known to fall out of window sills and off laps after becoming too relaxed. She is still mourning the loss of our other kitty as they were companions.
Mama Kitty - came with this name - she lost her left front arm to a coyote defending her kittens about a decade ago. She is the smallest, weighing in at no more than 5 pounds. She drools when she purrs, which is often.
Ben - the newest addition - is a diabetic with an insatiable appetite so he is always hounding me for food. But he is on strict rations of a special diet to keep him insulin free. He is also a huge goof ball with no social graces and is obsessed with Zoe. Oh, and he likes to nip finger tips to get my attention.

That is my furry family. Way too many, but I wouldn't change it for the world. They are all rescues in one way or the other and all hold a different piece of my heart in their little paws.

4 moms found this helpful

A.D.

answers from Norfolk on

i have zero pets because of these exact reasons.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

O.. Psycho. Dog. He's 11.

3 moms found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Reading on

I have 1 dog, Sugar who is a toy poodle/bichon mix. She is 7 years old and was my first baby! She is completely my responsibility and I'm happy to take care of her. She sleeps in my bed, right next to me usually, but sometimes she will sleep at my feet (maybe she gets too hot :). My husband works night shift, and in the winter she keeps me warm, I won't go to bed without her!
I want more pets because I love animals. We just had a box turtle for a couple of days but I felt bad keeping him and set him free in the woods today. Growing up we had about 40 turtles, a small pig, 5 dogs, two fish tanks, 2 crows, and a pheasant, so I guess wanting to have pets is just in my blood but my husband doesn't want a farm!

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

3 dogs, 3 cats, and right now the school's 2 chinchillas

THe kids take care of the litter box and the feeding of the dogs and cats.
My 16 yo is in charge of the chins, she lets my 10 yo feed and hay them, he loves to be in charge of them on days she is in school.

THe kids also watch my neighbors two dogs, they walk them at noon, give them water and treats.

I was known as the dog lady in my old neighborhood. If there was a stray people would bring it to me. I have been known to stop traffic to get them too. I have also stopped for dogs on leashes, much to my kids chagrin. I usually get "NO MOMMY!!! There's a leash attached to it. "

Our one dog counts us. When my son went off to boot camp she sat by the front door for two weeks waiting for him to come home. I finally got her upstairs and she sat at the top of the stairs waiting for him. It was really rather pathetic.

We've had a praying mantis and a firebelly toad, we've raised guppies that turned into frogs when we found them in the pool. We also feed the critters outside. We have a critter board and many birdfeeders.

I'm thinking this Christmas we may get a 20 gallon or larger fishtank, with fish or turtles.
I would really like a cow, but I guess that wouldn't count as a pet.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

Currently 2 big dogs. They are MY dogs and primarily MY responsibility.

At one time we had the whole food chain. . . . fish, gerbel, cat and 2 dogs. *Different dogs than what I have now. ;)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Houston on

Right now we are a little light on animals.
Two cats. One is four and thinks she is a dog. She was a feral cat and seemed to bond with our dog when we brought her home as a kitten. She still does things that the dog used to do.
The other cat turns 16 on Tuesday and has some of the same issues that yours does. LOUD and needs to be fed a lot. He's a Manx-no tail.
I feed both cats and do the kitty boxes unless I tell someone else to do it.
A horse that is kept at a barn. His feeding is handled by the barn manager.
A chinchilla that is my daughter's and she takes care of her. But I admit to being charmed by her and helping out.
A stinkpot turtle with a lifespan of 50-75 years. We've had him about 8. He shares his tank with any baby red ear slider turtles that end up in the pool skimmer baskets. We raise them until they are a couple of inches and then release them to the creek. I care for the turtles. Stinky also has some fish in his tank that we put in there for him to eat but apparently he has made friends with them.
We have been through a couple of guinea pigs, tons of mice, a hamster, lots of fish including one guppy that lived for five years with next to no care. I was beginning to think that thing would outlive me. All small furry animals and fish are cared for by their child owners.
Yes, the animals are a pain when they get old and sick but I think they teach such a wonderful lesson. We love them dearly and try to be patient because, as I remind my kids, we will all be old and loony one day.
Fun question.

Our Golden Retriever died of bone cancer last year and we would like another but just can't do it yet.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.K.

answers from Houston on

Probably too many, but we have 10 acres, so I guess it's not too unusual.
3 dogs, 2 cats, 12 chickens, 16 guinea fowl, 3 fish.
my son helps a little with the poultry, the rest falls to me.
None of my animals come indoors, so there is no cleaning in that respect, personally I think animals belong outside, with plenty of love of course, but outside love. Comes from being farmers I spose.

2 moms found this helpful

K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

We have 3 cats and 1 dog. I do all of everything, except the litter box!
Husband is the cat person so he gets the litter box!

Cats:
Miranda-Almost 8 y/o, she MUST sleep on our bed EVERY NIGHT and will scratch at the door til we let her in. She is kind of mean to the kids but LOVES The Man and I.

Lelu-7 y/o, she is anti-social and does not like anyone except for my daughter, she sleeps on her bed with her and will only sit still to be loved by her. She disappears when company comes over, she really does not like to be messed with.

Pony-Tail Girl Cat-2 y/o, she is a beautiful Siamese cat that my sister got for my youngest son (he named her, he was 3 at the time, we call her 'Pony') who is a cat lover, like his Father! She is a very good cat and loves to be petted by anybody and everybody.

The Dog:
Brooks-4 y/o, he is a mutt, Catahoula Leopard Dog/Rott mix. He is the epitome of 'calm submissive' AND an EXCELLENT guard dog! He would LOVE to sleep with me but I do not allow it, he sleeps in the hallway between my kids' 2 bedrooms. He is a VERY handsome dog, a fierce black and brown brindle 95lb intimidating looking baby, whom I love with all my heart, just like one of my kids!

I am a dog person and The Man bought me my BIG DOG after I fell in love with him at the pet store...he was a clearance puppy, the best $39.95 we ever spent and the BEST DOG EVER! He was so easy to train and listens to me like no other!

I am the main dog walker but the teenagers have been known to take him on a walk about from time to time. My 3 lil' kids actually LOVE feeding all the animals, which is pretty cool too!

2 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

We had as many as 19 at one time, but like Allison, we have acreage. My oldest son was in charge of animal inventory. ;) We had goats, which I hated, and chickens, ducks, and geese which I loved, but coyotes and raccoons ate all of the birds. :( We gave away the goats. We also had two cats, and two rabbits that all died of old age.

Now we have two dogs that are wherever we are, inside when we're in, and outside when we're out. The older one is 17! I'm so attached to her. We also have a pig. He's the easiest pet we've ever had. He's about 11, I think. He's a rescue pig, just like our dogs. The farm he lived on was foreclosed on, and he needed a home so we took him in. He doesn't have any ears because dogs attacked him and ate his ears off (poor pig!). That happened before we got him. He isn't very attractive anymore, but we love him.

We all have different responsibilities with them. My 13 year old feeds the dogs morning and night. My husband feeds the pig in the morning. My 7 year old feeds the pig his afternoon snack. I give the dogs their heartworm meds and arthritis meds. We all let the dogs outside and inside as needed. It's a team effort. :)

2 moms found this helpful

C.W.

answers from Las Vegas on

I have 2 cute cats. My oldest is 3 years old and youngest is 2 years old. I am in charge of every thing because I am the only one who can do it. I will probably have my daughter help feed them when she's older and we will interchange the litter box duties. My oldest orange cat, Zodiac, is persistent the second he thinks the litter box should be scooped out lol. He will look at me with this certain tilt to his head and meow and if I don't get it, he will follow me around and meow at me until I follow him upstairs where the litter box is and scoop it out or change the litter lol. He also swats at my hand when he wants me to pet him, even if I'm half asleep haha... or he'll stand in my lap with his paws on my collarbone and rub his face against mine.

My youngest black/white one, Galaxy, is more laid back. She loves curling in my lap (Zodiac does too). She likes to go in the backyard (they both do) and since they are indoor cats I let em out in the yard every once in a while and Galaxy rolls around in the dirt like a crazy cat and then comes and rubs it on my leg. They both sleep on the end of my bed and Galaxy is like a watch dog, she growls when she senses danger or hears someone outside (sucked at the apt lol). I love my cats <3 They are so full of personality.

I love my red-eared slider turtle Tiko too. He started going to the above tank basking area I built him and basks under the heat lamp. He loves going out in the yard when it's warm enough and digging in the sand. He is huge too and so cute. He loves shrimp and will swim in his tank to where I'm standing if I give him crickets or something and not shrimp too lol.

@Margie, Aww cute. I would like to get 2 chinchillas one day (that aren't the schools lol) and some firebelly toads, they are so cool

2 moms found this helpful

J.C.

answers from Columbus on

We have a Newfie/Lab/Marshmallow named Russell. Big and black and hairy. He's 12 now and has diabetes, so he's gone pretty much totally blind. He's still happy and loves his morning hugs (literally hugs) from my husband. He tends to need a nap after a long sleep most days. I do the feeding and all the other mundane things. He even has to endure two insulin shots a day, but he's great with them.

I adopted Russell from the humane society when he was 8 weeks old. And aside from my brothers, he's the longest running male relationship I've had. I've only been with my husband for 10 years! Russell's 12! Despite being a grandpa dog, he's still my little boy - all 85 pounds of him.

He is declining and this may be his last summer. We all will be devastated. Okay, I'm going to go hug him now.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Daytona Beach on

we have a mini doxie (7 in Nov) and chihuaha (abt 10). a sun conure (1.5) and a cockatiel (3). i do everything. that was the agreement when we got animals. my husband likes them, but i LOVE animals. I would live on a farm if I could. :)

2 moms found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I have 1 dog (a new puppy maltese pom mix)
Daddy has 1 dog (lab/weimeriner mix)
Gma has 1 dog (chiuaua pom mix)
We each take primary care for our own animals but we all do cover eachothers responsibilities as needed.

2 moms found this helpful

A.C.

answers from Jacksonville on

We have an American Bulldog named Kali, I take care of her and my 4yo is in charge of feeding her. Even when my husband is home she comes to me for everything. I am always here so she has taken to me the most. She is a joy and also our protector. You'd be an idiot to mess with one of us on her watch. :)

We have a cat named Tweezer. I take care of him as well. He is crazy and not your typical cat. He NEVER is more than 2 feet from any one of us. We are ALWAYS stepping on him. I say "What am I supposed to do when you're underneath my feet, Tweezer?"

They both sleep in our bedroom. Kali has her own bed (a crib mattress) that my husband insists she needs because she's so big. The cat sleeps at our feet. As soon as anyone stirs Tweezer is up in your face purring, its so annoying. I love them but they are work.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Redding on

I have zero pets right now. I love animals, don't get me wrong, but our pets live very long lives and they are so much work.
At one point, we had a dog, a cat, two rabbits, a bird, and fish. Seriously, it was like a petting zoo. My son was really good about helping, but my daughter hated it although she was the first one to want to drag every stray home. As a single mom, it was hard to keep up with, at best. And, if we wanted to travel or go somewhere, we had to find someone to look after everything.
I would like to get another bird someday. I've always had birds and I really enjoy them.
For now, I'm enjoying not having to take care of any animals.
My son's dad has a dog and a cat so he gets his animal fix there when he goes.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

We have a cat named Oliver. I've had several cats over the last 25+ years and they ALL have demanded to be fed early in the morning. I just get up, feed them, and go back to sleep, no big deal. Oliver is the first I've had that will jump on the bed, take the pad of my hand in his mouth, and gently bite down to indicate "feed me!".

He is an indoor/outdoor cat and is the second I've trained to knock on the window when he wants in. Now, though, I'm working towards training him to use a catflap called SureFlap http://www.sureflap.co.uk/ that opens by triggering off the code in his microchip! It could save me getting up or out of bed to open the window. Oliver is just a bit highstrung, though, compared to other cats I've had, and is taking a bit of time to get comfortable with pushing the flap open.

We also have three Hermit Crabs (Hermie, Shelly, and Pearl).

1 mom found this helpful

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I "used" to be a pet person. Not so much anymore. My hubby has a dog from before I met him. "Bear" is his daughters dog, she is special needs and he puts up with her sitting on him, pulling his tail, etc. She's 15 now and doesn't do that anymore and now that we are married, my 11 and 8 yo love him also. We also have fish tanks. A huge one in our living room, med size in our family room and a little beta tank that sits on our breakfast bar. My husband takes care of the dog 100% (poop duty and feeds/waters him). I tend to take him to get groomed and the vet when needed since I have more free time during the day. Once Bear is gone, we won't get any more pets. They are a lot of work and we always have to find someone to take care of him on the few occasions we leave town. Just like when I get the baby "itch", I will visit someone with pets and enjoy theirs! :o)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.H.

answers from Louisville on

Just picked up our second pup - hoping to help the first one have a younger playmate! (think she's wearing out the neighbor's older dog!) First, 6mo old small black lab - today, a minpin beagle mix about 2 months old. Black lab is named Onyx - shelter named her that and I liked it so kept it -- the min/beagle was temp named Chomska but think we'll be changing that one!

1 mom found this helpful

T.C.

answers from Austin on

I have one indoor/outdoor cat. It picked us about 3 years ago. At first, it wouldn't come in the house at all. Now it sits on my lap and would even sleep on my feet but my husband likes it to be out at night. It's still slightly afraid of my husband and son. They will open the door for it, but I do everything else.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.K.

answers from San Antonio on

We have two Black & Tan Coonhounds. One is mine, the other is my husband's, but I am ultimately responsible for seeing that they are taken care of. Our son feeds and waters them, but I remind him to do it or do it myself if he's not home.
I schedule vet appointments and take them. I let them in and out. Well, sometimes our son lets them out, but rarely lets them in.
I do poop pick up.
My husband cuts their nails, but I clean ears and teeth. My husband also plays with them, wrestling on the floor and playing with toys. He will rub them if the curl up on the couch beside him and is willing to share a blanket with them.

We share a cat with the neighbor. Sometimes she is here, sometimes there. It really seems to depend on how much the dogs have been bothering her. She goes to the neighbors when she's had enough of the dogs, but will wonder this way after a week or so. Oh, I should mention she belongs to the neighbors. The cat just sort of semi-adopted us.

1 mom found this helpful

V.C.

answers from Dallas on

I love cats, but can't have them anymore because my husband and one son are so allergic to them.
I agreed to having a dog but it is their responsibility to care for him. I do if no one else is around and always show him affection.
My youngest son has a ball python. He is totally responsible for it. I use to hold it when it was very small, but went without touching it for a while and he got very big. So it is very hard for me to do that now.

1 mom found this helpful

H.G.

answers from Dallas on

Not a one! Im not a animal lover and it takes all I've got to clean up and take care of the humans im responsible for!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.J.

answers from Lancaster on

We have one four year old indoor only (blind) kitty and two seven year old outdoor only kitties. We have one golden retriever (six years). We have two goats for milk. Eleven chickens, two ducks and four turkeys, for eggs and meat.

The older two boys (14 and 12) take care of watering and feeding the outdoor animals. My oldest daughter (9) milks the goats, and the next boy (7) gathers the eggs.

I do the litter box for inside kitty and feed him, and we all let the dog out (and back in). We all play with the animals and run the ones that need ran.

Hubby and 14 y/o son wash the dog and the cats.

Oh yes, and five goldfish in a tank.

::sigh:: It gets wild, sometimes.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.G.

answers from Houston on

Hello, we had an old kitty, too. She was 21 when she passed last fall. She got to where she was 'lost' in the house and we joked that she was never happy what side of the door she was on (inside or out). She started losing her peripheral vision, diminished sense of smell, etc. The vet said her organs were fine and she was in no pain and ate well, so we just made her comfortable till she passed, laid out in the sunshine, her favorite spot. Not sure what your question is, you can respond personally if I didn't answer what you needed.
We also have an 11-yr border collie (rescue), Cindy Lou, who is the alpha girl. Then is Dogzilla (rescue), our 7-yr Italian greyhound, and a new shelter baby, Ladybird, who is a Catahoula Leopard (can you say hyper?). I do the majority of the pet care - food, vet, etc.

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

One dog. 7 yr old German Shepherd. Raised her from 9 weeks old. I do most of the boring stuff (feed, water, meds, vet visits, etc). Hubby plays with her daily. Kids play with her and take her out. Husband or I (often both of us) take her for walks and throw the frisbee for her for exercise. During the summer months we can get by with less, b/c she chases the kids around the pool when they are swimming. Seriously...she won't get in, but runs circles around the pool trying to beat them to where she thinks they are headed to as they are swimming. She also likes to run to the opposite side and try to "catch" (bite) the water that splashes up when they are jumping in doing cannonballs.
SHE knows who takes care of her. (me...) And when I use a certain voice (I don't really say anything, just make the noise from Charlie Brown's teacher---the waaa waa waaa sound) it gets her attention like nothing else. She will come directly to me and submit...like I'm her Mama talking to her in puppy speak or something.
She sleeps on the floor on my side of the bed. Doesn't go to bed until I do. And gets up only when I get up.
She's part of the family.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Phoenix on

We are down to one small house dog and 2 chinchillas, who share the same cage.

I take care of the dog mostly. But the kids let her out for pees and take her on short walks before leaving the house and will put fresh water and food in her bowl if I ask. My husband assumes typically assumes no responsibility, but always gives her a bath, washes her feet every day, and takes her out every night for the last potty break of the evening.

The kids, ages 9 & 12, totally take care of the Chinchillas. I only help supervise the emptying of the dirty bedding 2x month and of course purchase all the stuff.

I would love to have a cat, but hubs and son are allergic to them. My daughter wants a horse. I want a goat and a bird too. If we had the outdoor space I would have more animals.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from College Station on

We have 3 cats, a dog, a turtle, a fish (that said turtle failed to catch and eat) and a crayfish (left over from my science classroom this year). My boys are responsible for their daily care, they sleep where they want (the dog is outside only) and I take care of the big stuff.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

We have one dog and five cats. Right now, we're also fostering a cat for a friend. Plus my daughter and her fiance are staying with us for a little while and they have their three dogs and six cats with them. So right now, there are sixteen animals in my house.

1 mom found this helpful

E.B.

answers from Seattle on

We currently have one Beta Fish named Uniqua and a sweet and loving lap cat named Airborne(my brother in law is a Retired Airborne ranger...we took over there house when they moved up to the sticks...they choose to keep her here because they didnt think she would fair well through the move).

Growing up we always had out door cats. I am have never been a big Personal animal owner. My husband worked for Petco for years though and had always insisted we have some kind of pet. He takes good care of them and I have really come around with my sweet kitty:)

Before we moved we had a almost 75 gallon fish tank. We had also just had a bad round of ICK which killed off all of our elderly fish...(this is what we get for trying to bring a sick petshop fish home unknowingly) We lost our dear Sammie from it...the boys got a good lesson in loosing something they love...Which was good for me, because it was not something that really stayed with them long.

We didnt keep the big fish tank after our move. We gave the surviving fish to a good friend of ours and she send the kids pictures:)

I will say that Airborne our kitty earned her sticker on the back of our van...She was included when we got the family head stickers:) So, she is a keeper for sure:)

1 mom found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Two dogs (Alaskan huskies) and two hamsters. I am responsible for them although I involve my son (7) in the care of the hamsters. Our son wants a cat really bad but I'm afraid the dogs will not treat it right! I want to get my fish tank set up again - do fish count? :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.C.

answers from Joplin on

We have 3 cats. Hershey, Felix and Sylvie. Mr.Kitty had to go live with my in-laws. Mr.Kitty was the one cat who was "My" baby. When we brought home Alex from the hospital he NEVER adjusted. He hated the baby. When Alex began crawling Mr.Kitty would "stalk" him and bit him...so he had to go, I hated to part with him. We had Mr.Kitty from a kitten when my daughter was age 2. Being that it was "my" cat made it that much more difficult, but he LOVES living with my in-laws. It is like he is the "only" child now, he loves being the "only" cat.
My cats are indoor only. My daughter is in charge of feeding and making sure they have clean water ( she is 10) and she recently inherited the job of scooping litter, the teenager always forgot and never did that good a job!
The cats usually sleep with me. Sylvie is technically Tyler's cat. Hershey is Kristen's cat and Felix is Andy's cat.
I am the one who always ends up taking them to the vet. Our youngest was in poor health when we rescued her and she had a lot of issues, such as seizures. She seems to have outgrown them thankfully.

1 mom found this helpful

C.A.

answers from New York on

We have 2 cats. Smokey and Lucky. Smokey has long hair and is part bob cat and Lucky is a domestic. I buy the food and litter but my husband is the one in charge of cleaning out the litter box. They eat at 6am and 6pm and have dry food and water out all day. My daughter is 3 and wants to help feed them which is great. Taking on responsibility at a young age. She also gives them treats once in a while. I take them to the vet when needed. We also have a fish named Well...... Fish! LOL! He is my husbands. He wanted it so he takes care of it. Up until 3 weeks ago we had a hamster named Miley. She died. I thought that my daughter would be upset but after we buried her my daughter says to me.... "Can I have a black fish now?" Atleast she took Miley's death well.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Well, we have a dog. And several barn cats (with 2 litters of kittens). And I don't know how many chickens. They all live together in the barn, and all are free to roam around our property. They all get along with each other. The rooster used to sleep in the dog's kennel with him. It's very weird. LOL Our children take care of their needs. I like it that way. :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from Chicago on

We have two cats and three goldfish. They are:
Izzybella (we usually call her Mama)- she is 5 years old. She was found on the streets as a kitten. She hates people- except me. She sits on my lap and rubs against me and will come find me and meow at me if she wants me to sit down so she can jump up on me. But if other people are around (including my husband and daughter) she is behind the couch. She has the most beautiful cat face ever.
Princess (we call her Naughty)- she will be a year old in August. We got her from a farm last year for my daughter. She is a troublemaker. She loves to be outside- my daughter puts her on the leash and takes her for walks outside. Whenever we are outside she is at the door meowing to come out with us and even broke the screen in my daughter's window and jumped to come over by us.She hates to be by herself and will cry if you leave her in a room by herself. She also hates when we take showers and will stand outside the tub and cry and then jump up on the side of the tub and sit and watch. She loves to sleep in the bathroom sink too. Crazy cat.
Spot, Goldy, and Goldy-purple- 3 goldfish we got from the feeder fish at PetsMart over a year ago. They are huge now The fish are the favorite entertainment for the cats. :)
My husband takes care of the litter boxes and I clean the fish tank. We all feed feed all of them. My husband and daughter both want a dog but we live in a small place and the cats would be po'd if we got a dog.

1 mom found this helpful

T.B.

answers from Bloomington on

We have 1 outdoor dog and 1 outdoor cat. My husband feeds and waters them most of the time, sometimes my almost 4 year old feeds them. My husband cleans out the dog cage. I usually take them to the vet.
We also raise cattle and have 10. They just graze during the summer, but my husband mows, rakes, and bails our hayfields for winter feeding. He is solely responsible for them.

1 mom found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Charlotte on

We have two indoor cats and an indoor dog. They're all ten or eleven years old.

Snickers lives in my room 24/7 and I'm her sole caretaker unless I happen to be out for a long time. I absolutely have to be the one to get her to the vet because I'm the only one who can handle her and the only one she's bonded with. Twinkie is the queen of the household and I'm her favorite, although everyone tends to her but me. Everyone tends to Cookie, the dog, who loves us all. Everyone but me takes care of our fish whose names are Sakura, Sherman, and Lilac. I'll occasionally feed the fish and my job tends to be turning off the tank light.

1 mom found this helpful

K.J.

answers from Chicago on

We have 1 fish, and that is more than enough for me! I am so glad that we got a fish rather than a dog, as starting small has shown our family that we are NOT ready for a dog! It is hard enough to find someone to feed our fish when we go out of town--I'd hate to have to find a dog sitter every time we wanted to leave for a day or two.

1 mom found this helpful

A.H.

answers from San Francisco on

None. My son is really afraid of animals. If he weren't we'd get a lab.

1 mom found this helpful

S.R.

answers from Kansas City on

We have two cats. Dorito is 4 and Peanut is 3. Also one kitten- Mocha.
Can you tell the kids named them?

Dorito is a huge baby, he sleeps on my pillow at night above my head. He thinks every glass of water or water bottle is his to drink out of too. He is super lazy, every so often we will get a glimpse of the kitten in him but it never lasts for more than 5 seconds. Peanut is a tiny petite girl, but very very fat, lazy, and slow. She is a lap cat, and sleeps on our legs- super annoying. We call her the creeper because she will hide under the bed and wait for us to go to sleep and then creep her way out and get in bed. Mocha is a crazy kitten- she chases the older two around and annoys them to no end. She also loves getting in the trash and has recently eaten a giant hole through our linoleum floor in the mud room. Sigh...

I do everything except baths, that is my husbands job.

1 mom found this helpful

L.B.

answers from New York on

We have two dogs, we rescued a one year old miniature shih tzu, and we have a one year old cockapoo. They love each other!
We have 3 cats the mom, dad and baby, they are all indoor outdoor cats
We have 2 african water frogs.

My daughter wants a fish.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I'm late here, being you posted this in June!
Anyway:
we have a rabbit, fish, a Gecko, and Pill Bugs (also called "Roly-poly's).
I take care of them, with my kids.

As a kid and adult, I have had for my own pets:
dogs, cats, horses, frogs, Jackson Chameleon, tree frogs, Axolotl, insects.
Which I took care of myself.

D.M.

answers from Rapid City on

None and I'm happy with that! :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Memphis on

We don't have any now. I would like to have some in the future but keeping the kids take care of is all that I can handle. I love and animals and grew up with a houseful and loved it. But for the last 10 years I have been pet free and have really liked not having all the responsibilities of pet ownership. I know that we will eventually get a dog or a cat or both at some point but it's going to be a much harder decision.

M.M.

answers from San Antonio on

3 beautiful, wonderful, crazy, high maintenance cats. I love them all but I do have a favorite - and I tell him too!

I do ALL the work. Feeding, cleaning the poop box, trips to the vet.

The cats NEVER go outside. So they hang out in the house and drive us crazy with their antics.

I would definitely be the crazy cat lady with 100 cat if I wasn't married and didn't have a child!!

B.B.

answers from Dallas on

We have a 3 year old Rottweiler Angel, she is mostly outside, and my husband is responsible for feeding her, he walks her and has to hold her when we go to the vet and take her to get cleaned, but me and the girls play with her, and sometimes walk her. We have rabbit Julian, and a fish Dora, I am fully responsible for both of them, my husband wants no part of the rabbit, he always jokes wen I ask him to feed the rabbit that he is either gonna let angel play with him or turn him into stew... So I have to clean the cage, refill the water, clean the fish bowl and feed the fish... But at least I dont have to feed our dog... That's a real chore.

⊱.✿.

answers from Spokane on

We have 1 dog, Daisy, and she is my baby girl! It is my 7 y/o's responsibility to feed her bfast and dinner. I typically scoop poo, but don't have to often b/c she uses the woods more than she does the lawn. I also brush her and give her the meds she needs daily. Hubby and I both take her to the vet. She goes often b/c of her lupus. She is "mine" though and will only sleep in my room (I've tried the kids' room, but she pesters them until they let her into my room) and she is my shadow. She does love the kids though.
We have 3 cats. One is my hubby's, one is my SD's, and one is my oldest sons. My 7 y/o is also responsible for feeding them 2x daily. They are "barn cats" and hate to be in the house!! I've tried. They have a very nice, roomy, warm place to live. Don't worry!
We have 8 chickens. My hubby and my 7 y/o take care of them. They feed them and water them regularly and collect eggs daily. They are "free range" chickens and we let them out to roam during the day (Daisy watches over them and keeps them herded in the yard) and when the sun starts to go down they go back to their coupe on their own.
We have 2 fish. Hubby and I clean the tank and my youngest feeds them.
We also have a frog. My 7 y/o takes care of it exclusively.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.R.

answers from Dallas on

1 giant, fat cat, sweetest thing in the world. Sleeps in the bed with me and bf, and if the cat can manage it, he pushes me off my own pillow. Couldn't imagine life without him. I feed him and snuggle with him, bf scoops the litter. I also take him to the vet.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions