I’m thinking of getting the kids a pet and don’t really know what to get.

Mrs Rochey and I have narrowed it down to either a Cat or a Sausage dog but if I’m honest I’d rather go for the dog.

Help us out please.

How old are your kids?

How much will they ‘do’ for said pet?

if you want excersize and have the time and want a loyal companion… go for the dog
Or if you want a part time pet that will come and go as it pleases and you would rather have the mess from the pet in other peoples gardens.. then go for the cat !!!

cats are much lower maintenance.

Rescue Greyhound!
They’re ace.

Need very little exercise. Couple of short walks a day. Very lazy. Don’t moult. Travel well in cars.

Downsides are that they’re pretty hopeless at fetching sticks and being trained. A “best on the lead” dog. Ours will run and run and come back, but only in very safe surroundings.

like i said..
cats are a part time pet..
but they can be higher maintenance for your neighbours with gardens !!!
mmm that looks like a lump of clay !! or is it ??

by now you can tell i like cats !!! a lot
and yes i do have a garden and neighbours with cats !!
they used to have more cats than they have now… i just dont know what happens to them.

The kids are 6 and 2, big garden and no cats in neighbours garden.

Tough one I know.

Anyone also know what the cost of buying one of these pets will be?

Goldfish?

At that age, don’t get the pet they ‘want’, get what you would like. You will be the one who ends up looking after it!

Cats for kids
Dogs for pensioners
and a cat flap…easy

2nd, Rescue Greyhound

Beautiful looking dog, very calming to own.

Also great with kids, half the time you don’t know they are in the house as they sleep well.

Dogs are a big commitment. Your life really can become ruled around the dog – must head straight home from work to take it a walk; can’t spend a weekend away at short notice etc.

They’re lovable and friendly but I’d always be a bit too anxious to commit for 10+ years of hard work. I’d consider an older rescue dog…

or a cat. Cats are easy going.

I love Jack Russells and my daughter recently got a Jack pup for my Granddaughter who is 3.
They get on beautifully and with the Jack being playful in spirit and very intelligent they have ‘learned’ each others boundarys so they have great playtime together.. Jacks are easy to train and also cart about on days out etc.

My first question would be why do you want to buy the kids a pet? Have they expressed an interest in having one, or is something you would like to do for them?

Children (in my experience) get bored with pets very quickly, as they have a very limited attention/ entertainment span. The pet then is passed down to the Parent (often Dad) to look after/feed/walk.

Think very carefully why it is you want a pet, I’m actually not that keen on the term pet, as they are a member of the family rather than a sideshow to entertain (sorry, just been involved in rehoming many peoples discarded animals).

You need to look at a variety of questions before you decide what to get, as they’re a lifelong commitment:
If it’s a dog you want, what do you want to do with him/her? Just the occasional walk, long walks every day, running next to you whilst you ride?
Do you mind if the dog/cat sheds hair?
How much space do you have at home for the pet?
Do the children want a pet to look at, or interact with?
How much spare time do you have to spend looking after the animal?
Do you holiday abroad much? (In which case you’re gonna need to factor in Kennel/ Cattery fees for each day you’re away)
If you holiday in this country, would you take it with you? Camping, pet friendly B&B’s etc?
Are any of your family allergic to pet hair?
Do you want to pay for insurance for them, or just rack up your credit card if they’re ill?
Are you prepared to handle accidents in the house? Soiled or torn furniture, or unexpected medical emergencies?

I re-read this, and it sounded like a bit of a rant (completely unintentional I assure you), but pets of all kinds are a huge commitment, and buying one needs to be considered very carefully.

mattbee – Member
At that age, don’t get the pet they ‘want’, get what you would like. You will be the one who ends up looking after it!

Never a truer word as well as:

NikNak7890 – Member
Children (in my experience) get bored with pets very quickly, as they have a very limited attention/ entertainment span. The pet then is passed down to the Parent (often Dad) to look after/feed/walk.

Kids WILL get bored of whatever pet you get them. Having said that, it can teach them to look after something/someone and gives them a tolerance and lack of fear of other people’s animals as they grow up.

I think zaskar rider is being unfair on cats a little – don’t underestimate the de-stressing ability of having a purring cat in your lap or the fun you can have with a ball and string and a cat (that’s not around its neck zaskar rider!!). Cats end up as “part-time” pets because people treat them that way. If you nurture them and play with them properly as they grow up, they can show as much loyalty as a dog.

If you have the time, are prepared to get up at 6 in the morning in the winter etc etc, then get a dog. I’d love one so much, but just don’t have time for it at the moment and it wouldn’t be fair to bring one into the household. But unlike a cat, you can take it places with you, take it for a walk, a ride, camping, and all that other good stuff.

I’m especially sensitive about people getting dogs for which they don’t have time after our previous next door neighbours got the loveliest Parsons JR and got bored sick with it after about six months. So their neighbours were left with a frustrated dog who did nothing but run around the garden barking at its own shadow for the next couple of years. Eventually, it went to the dogs trust when they moved and the new house was rented and couldn’t have pets. Despite all this, the dog still retained its very good nature and must have been gutted to have been left somewhere. I just hope that whoever got him gave him the time and attention he deserved.

Good luck with your choice.

If you have the time, are prepared to get up at 6 in the morning in the winter etc etc, then get a dog.

I had to physically drag our greyhound off my sons bed this morning at ten o clock cos I wanted to go for a walk 😉

I had to physically drag our greyhound off my sons bed this morning at ten o clock cos I wanted to go for a walk

LOL. Good point brant but your dog wants to MTFU mate. But you know what I mean…dogs require a level of commitment that ends up surprising a lot of people.

I would suggest that owning a dog takes only slightly less commitment and time than having a child. Whatever the weather, I’m out at 6 to walk him before work. The wife goes to work early so she can come home early and walk him so we minimise the amount of time he’s on his own. We don’t both go out on week night because he’s been on his own all day. He also doesn’t do well in kennels so any holidays take an extra layer of organisation. having said all that, we wouldn’t be without him.

Two things, they don’t have to cost much as there are more than enough rescued dogs looking for homes and get it insured (typically 6 weeks before it goes to see a vet) as those bills can get pretty huge. We took ours to the vets as he was scratching a lot when he first joined us. Now all skin conditions are excluded because it’s on his vets record before we started the insurance.

In my experience, unless the dog is a pet for one of the adult members of the family then it can become a very miserable addition to the family.

If its ‘just’ another family member, no one takes ownership of their care and resentment sets in. The pet ends up being the short straw when no one wants to walk it, feed it or clean up after it.

They are literally another young child in terms of attention and care. They make mistakes, they get sick and they require attention. I have close family who have a lovely cocker spaniel. They are lovely people but whenever i see the dog i feel as though its borderline abuse for them to have it.

The happiest dogs i see tend to be working dogs or dogs that are the fathers faithfull friend. Family dogs tend to be ‘trophy pets’ imo.

Totally agree. I’m not exactly on a greyhound crusade, and certainly saw a bad side to dog ownership when my old collie cross took a very bad view of my wife when she was pregnant with my first son – including shitting on my pillow on our bed when I was away, when she was asleep next to it!

I think if you had pets when you were growing up (I grew up with numerous cats and dogs over the years and so did my wife) its second nature to have a pet of sorts when you are older with your own commitments..
Hence, as soon as we were married with a place of our own we had a dog, over the last 30 years we have had 3 dogs and numerous cats… my own daughter never knew life at home without any kind of animal..
She is now married and although had her daughter first needed to have a pet.. hence the Jack Russell.
Selfish people should never own pets…

Will I must say a big thank you to all of the above, I’ve taken into consideration all of the comments and I will listen to the advice, I’m going to think long and hard before I commit to any pet.

Thanks again to all.

Rochey

PS, I now have sad kids, but I would rather have that than a dog/cat not being loved.

Good to hear Rochey. They are wonderful additions to the family, but like a new child they do add to the workload.

there was a lot of good stuff here….. and good for you for stopping and thinking.
Q
long term cat lover

Some great advice here and well done Rochey for holding fire.
We’ve got two rescue cats,they aren’t much trouble and are great additions to the family,but they are occasionally sick on the carpet and bring daead creatures into the house.Wouldn’t be without ’em.