Look, the reality is, even with an older child, a pet is the parent's responsibility. A younger child will often have a hard time taking care of an animal (well maybe not a turtle) and an older one will leave for college. No matter how good the child is, a parent will have to drive it to the vet, to get groomed, to obedience training (for dogs) . Having a pet also impacts day-to-day life (can't stay late, gotta walk the dog) and vacations (dogs, cats, rabbits and the like need to be kenneled). If you know that no matter what they say that YOU are the one ultimately responsible for them, having a pet can be a pleasure. We have a beagle who is great with our kids and we love very much, but make no illusions as to who's dog it is.

If you are thinking about going the herp route, make sure your are fully aware of the feeding requirements for the animal. Snakes mostly get mice, which can be bought frozen, then thawed for feeding. Most lizards prefer crickets and/or mealworms. I love all types of lizards, especially geckos. But having lizards as pets generally means having crickets as pets. But lizards are much cooler than turtles and snakes. Bearded dragons are pretty neat and eat veggies along with crickets. IMHO, crested geckos have gone from a very difficult gecko to maintain to a wonderfully easy one, since they are now making a powedered food for them. No more getting the ratio of baby food to calcium to crickets correct. Just a powder that mizes into a gruel. And they are so neat since they stick to the walls.

Poor kitty...

Fish are wonderful and low maintenance and kids love them. Start out with a 2-10 gallon tank and 1-2 freshwater fish. The only downside is that they don't always live for long but if you buy one of the pH test kits and test your tap water first you can get fish that are more suited to what you can provide them.

I thought turtles were a no-no because of salmonella...

We have 2 cats and 1 dog from before our daughter was born. They are ours, not hers. Once the cats have moved to the scratching post in the sky, I don't think we'll have more cats. I would like to get another dog, since they are best in pairs, especially since our daughter has divided our time and Dog needs more play. This will not be "hers," though I hope it likes her best. Daughter, thankfully, has no allergies, but who knows about the next one. I'm going to try to avoid fish, rodents, reptiles, and amphibians, though I may cave on fish.

We have two cats that were mine before the marriage. They are definitely mine since my husband basically tolerates them. My stepdaughter pesters (my definition of her version of taking care of) the fat cat. She absolutely loves the cat and I know she doesn't mean to pester her to death. The fat cat basically puts up with it but definitely makes clear when she is done with the attention and wants to be left alone. The new rule is that the cat is to be left alone if she is under the table. This has been where most of the scratching has taken place.

My stepson is responsible for feeding the cats. Most nights he accomplishes this without being asked.

The other cat does not like anyone touching it except me (I don't know why) so tends to stay out of touching distance of the kids. The kids have learned from day 1 that she is a very, very shy cat and is not to be followed around like the other one. If she does get within touching distance, they do try to touch her and I am trying to teach them how to approach her quietly so they can pet her nicely.

I think we might get a dog when life becomes more calm and we get into a bigger place. My husband would really like to get a dog.

Personally, I like cats and my husband likes dogs. Therefore we agreed not to get anything. Besides my husband wants a dog but has no interest in actually taking care of a dog. I would definitely start with fish. And their short life span might be just the thing considering, kids loose interest very quickly in things.

We had 2 dogs for 15 years each. My kids and hubby want a puppy, but I am not willing at this point to bring on the extra work. I know full well who will be taking care of this new pet, and we are far too busy now to handle it. As much as I loved my dogs, they were a lot of work. And, I don't want the stained pee carpets, chewed on baseboards, dog fur run amok.....I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for another dog. And I think that is important - you have to realize what you are getting yourself into and if your not willing or able to put in the extra time, don't do it. Don't kid yourself into thinking your children will do it all.

We have fish - which works out well. Cycle of life stuff, some last longer than others, we have even had fish births. One child really wants a cat, but hubby is allergic. Her friend just got a bunny, and she is now longing for one of her own.

Pets are a great way to teach your kids responsibility. If they aren't ready to learn that kind of a lesson then they shouldn't get a pet. That simple.

If you want to start your kids off with something small; I like fish. You feed them once a day and they aren't that hard to set up and maintain. You get to teach your child about feeding habits and how to take care of them all around. The only down side is that you can't pick them up or take them for a walk.

I agree with what most people said. You will ultimately wind up taking care of the pet(s). They are children after all.

You might want to stay away from turtles - we love ours but it has grown from about 5 inches to almost a foot long, has outgrown tank after tank (and I really can't afford to upgrade to the big thousand dollar tank he needs now), and they live for decades. He is cool though.

(p.s. anyone want to adopt a turtle?)

I wish I could get a dog for my kids, (the wife & kids have been begging me for one for years) but I'm in over my head with all the responsibility it takes to manage the family as it is right now. What would be great if I could time share a dog with another family, like 1 month on, one month off. Is that possible?

We got cable TV a few months ago, not my decision, but I can't stand it. Now I'm thinking if I can negotiate with the wife/kids for trading the ownership of a dog with canceling the cable TV, how much it can improve family life.

We already have 2 cats and 2 outdoor box turtles which are low maintenance, but a dog is a class of pet by itself. In order to enjoy a dog, its personality has to fit in. I'm afraid that if I do get a dog and it ends up not working out, I'll be stuck with something I don't want. Getting rid of it is such a gutter move.

Decicians, decisians, commitments, decisions. It's what life is all about.

DandyLion, I disagree that dogs are in a class of their own in comparison with cats. Cats tend to have harsh personalities themselves while I have found most dogs to be easy going. The flip side is that potty training is much harder on dogs and they require walks.

I live in a house of 9 cats (yes 9, not my choice), a dog, fish, and a hamster. Of all of them, aside from the fish, I would say the dog is by far the easiest to take care of. Feed him twice a day, let him out to do his business now and then, and walk him.

If you want something low maintenance, you should look into different breeds. I hear gray hounds are actually very lazy dogs. Small dogs tend to be yappy too.

If you're going to go the reptile or amphibian route, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! These are not "easy" animals. They have very specific needs: special diets, substrates for bedding, in many cases they need specific lights/temperature, and a decent size enclosure. I am of the opinion that these animals should not be kept as pets as many folks don't know what they're getting into and 1) the animal ends up suffering/dying or 2) they get released to a shelter or -more likely- out in the environment (witness the florida exotic pet amnesty return a few weeks ago).

Pets can be a great way to teach responsibility. But, you have to go in with your eyes open as to who really is the responsible person for the animal's care. Also, the welfare of the animal should be given significant consideration.

What about a bunny? THere are rescues in the area. They small, personable and can be litter box trained. Just a thought.

The only problem with rabbits is that, if not kept carefully clean, they tend to smell a bit.

Look, there are problems with pretty much all pets. There are good things about all pets. The important thing is to do your research BEFORE you get one. We rescued our beagle from the Humane society (a good option if you decide that getting an animal is right for you) and there are always plenty of animals in there. Strays, abandoned pets, pets people have given up, all because someone didn't realize puppies grow into DOGS, kitties into CATS and all the various idiosyncrasies that make people who really love their animals love them. If you do make a choice, please be informed. Animals are not furniture, they are not accessories, you can't just "take them back" if they don't fit your lifestyle. They are living breathing creatures with needs of their own. When you get one, you are taking responsibility for them, so PLEASE PLEASE make sure you are ready.

Oh, DO NOT get a rabbit! Yes, they can be litter box trained. But they are much much more destructive than either dogs or cats. My ex-MIL had rabbits...and chewed-through phone and light cords (I have no idea how the rabbit did not electrocute itself), every bit of wallpaper below 2 feet had been systematically stripped off, and the last trick I got to see was that the rabbit could balance against the wall on its hind legs, and stretch juuusssttt high enough to reach the toilet paper on the roll. It would grab the end in its teeth, then go tearing through the house. Happened in every bathroom. The rabbit TP'd the interior of the house more thoroughly and effectively than ANY house exterior TP'd by the most diligent group of high schoolers!

Please be careful before you buy your children any exotic pets (this includes most reptiles, turtles, sugar gliders, etc.)! I have heard many sad stories of teenagers having exotic pets, but if their parents do not understand the specialized dietary and vet needs, the pet often dies because parents are unwilling to spend the money and time to get it proper care. I agree with the posters that say the pet is the parents' responsibility - even if it's your child's pet, you are ultimately responsible for its well-being.

We had two ball pythons before our daughter was born. One was a special needs animal who had been severely neglected and developed bronchitis and other difficult to treat ailments. In addition, she wasn't too bright and had to be hand fed (yep, you hear me right, the genius couldn't figure out how to get the mouse in her mouth straight). After my daughter was born, a baby and the other two babies were just too much work. So we gave the snakes up for adoption to someone we knew and understood the special needs girl's issues (physical and mental).
My daughter got a fish tank (10 gal) for her first birthday and has since graduated to a 35 gallon that she loves. We've had some fish for years and others who die as soon as they meet the long term dwellers (read: we have a bully fish that kills newcomers). We also have a dog and we are on our third hamster (first one lived almost four years before dying of old age, second one caught a variant of kennel cough from the dog after she was kenneled during a vacation). My daughter tries to help with the animals but the dog is really my baby and I do most of the work with the other animals. I love animals, though, so it doesn't really bother me.
Daughter has been angling for a bird lately and I'm not so sure about that. They are kind of messy and can be obnoxious. Anyone else have any experience with canaries and parakeets?

Hello everyone,

I was raised in a pet household. We had a family pet, a cat, then a dog once died and each of my three sibs. has assorted fish, birds, gerbils over the years. Our parents supervised animal care, much they supervised how we cleaned our rooms etc., and they went over how to care for pets with us and made sure we understood the responsibility, but we were the ones who cleaned the fish tanks and habitats, did the feeding, even paid for toys and food and such ourselves as we got older. I think it was an immesureably good learning tool for us. Pets teach so much and many kids, LOVE the responsibility and really rise to it. These are not just another toy that the family gets bored of. I say, get that pet, but take the time to train the child while you're training fido or installing the gerbil wheel.

I really have a problem with pet birds. It seems cruel for a creature that can fly wherever it pleases it to be kept in a pretty darn small cage. That argument could be made for a lot of caged animals of course, but a bird is especially heinous IMHO.

My wife and I really, really want a dog. We both grew up with them and absolutely love the thought of having one in our home. Since they potentially require the ability to spend large sums of money due to necessary but unexpected healthcare, we're holding off for now. Because we're holding off, we've decided to wait until our son begs for one and we get an agreement that he has to do the dirty work. It'll get us a dog and teach him responsibility. Win-win!

not much sadder than a household with no pets!

I never had any pet as a child other than fish. It was all my parents would allow. But, we did have a very large tank with an elaborate array of fish. I would love to have a dog now. But, as a single gal who works way too many hours, I just don't have enough time to devote to one.

I agree that puppies are HARD, which is why we adopted a year old, trained, black mutt. (For some reason black dogs are the last to be adopted.) He's not without his quirks, but we love him, even though his hemorrhagic gastroenteritis cost us about $1000 and lots of tears by me and gagging by my husband.

I agree it's wrong to cage an animal that flies. I'm sure it's just me anthropomorphizing, but flight is so beautiful...

I've come along reluctantly as a pet owner. I never had a pet growing up and never felt anything lacking in my life as a result, but my stepson loved animals so he/we owned first a rabbit (and as it turns out lots of people ARE allergic to them, including my husband, plus they are destructive poop machines) then a tarantula (the crickets didn't bother me so much, but as pets go they aren't very interactive). A couple of years ago, when our daughter was eight, we added a dog to our family. Oddly, this has been the easiest of our three pets. He's much more integrated into our daily lives than the rabbit and tarantula ever were. Even though he takes more in the way of daily attention than the others (although not much--feeding and walking aren't a big deal), we actually WANT to take care of him because he makes it so clear that he loves being part of our family. So we all happily divide up the responsibilities of keeping him fed and walked and healthy and adequately entertained. I'm beginning to think the "dogs are so much work!" cry is mostly a myth.

21117--

I lived with 3 parakeets and I must tell you, NEVER AGAIN!!!!! They were obnoxiously noisy and I was picking birdseed and feathers out of my furniture 6 months after they and their owner moved out of my apartment. Bleah!!

We have a dog and 2 cats and a tank of fish. Most of the fish die within a couple months but we have 2 super fish that have been around for over a year.

The dog and cats are loved by all but ultimately taken care of by - ME! Jonathan is right, kids can't take dogs and cats to the vet or pay for their food, or walk them late at night, or schedule their vacation care. I have seen too many people gets dogs on a whim and the whole family ends up being miserable because they had unrealistic expectations - for whatever reason. The dog goes to a rescue, pound or untrained 3rd party all because someone had no clue about dogs and their care.

My husband wanted a dog from the time we were married 12 years ago, but it was not fair to any dog since we were never home. We had our kids and when the youngest was 4 we got a dog. The kids are 10 and almost 7 now, so they feed him and walk him short distances, help bathe him and give him endless treats but I am responsible for the dog. My husband does his share but he really is my dog, luckily I love dogs so it is all good.

The cats have been around for 8 years and are currently plotting our murder in the basement, but that is another story.

We have 1 cat, 2 dogs, 5 hermit crabs and a fighter fish named "Diana"! Of course I do most of the work taking care of them but it's really not than bad and my 5 year old daughter loves all of them dearly and they (at least the warm/blooded ones!) love her too. I couldn't imagine our family without pets because I grew up with them and so did my husband. My advice is to get whatever you are personally willing to take care of. Kids should help but you are the adult and ultimately responsible. Just an FYI - cat and dog owners should check out the wellness plans at PetSmart (Banfield) clinics. You pay a minimal monthly fee and nearly all maintenance services are covered.

We will never have any pets that need to be kept in a cage- I just really dislike every aspect of it (unpleasant for the animal, and unpleasant for me to have to clean the cage). We are a cat family and probably always will be.

I agree with the other posters that the pets really belong to the parents, not the kids. It isn't fair to the animal if the kids are the only parties caring for them, and the animal has to go hungry if the kid forgets to feed him or whatnot. I've known parents with this attitude, and I think it stinks... this is a living creature, not just a "lesson" for your kid.

I agree with everyone else - the pet is the parents' responsibility.

I just feel bad for the poor dumped kitty. It's really a good idea to have all family members tested for allergies before getting a pet, especially a furry one.