Pets - New York,NY

We have two dogs and a guinea pig. My daughters are 4 and 7. They do very well with both. We have small dogs but keep in mind that small dogs are VERY hard to potty train- requires CONSTANT attention and consistency. Usually, larger dogs are a bit easier to potty train.

Guinea pigs make wonderful pets but they are messy. My piggy likes to fling his bedding everywhere so it's a daily mess to clean up. And then there's the weekly cage cleaning session. Other than that, he's such a delight and easy to care for.

Any pet is mostly fine for children but as the adult and main caretaker of every living thing in your house, you need to determine how much pet you can take care of.

Over the years I have had several pets. Personally I love guinea pigs, they are soft and friendly when socialized properly. Fun to play with and very loving. Currently we have a cat and a dog. The dog loves the cat but the cat hates the dog. The dog is huge and very silly. The cat is very warm and friendly with people (she thinks she is a person) but she hates other animals. She's such a diva kitty. I'm going to have to get the cat declawed because she scratches too much and won't touch any scratching pad. The dog is very affordable because he only eats dry food. We tried canned food but then he got picky like a cat.

When traveling it is sometimes difficult to find accomodations we can afford for our pets. Something you may want to keep in mind. The dog does love my uncle and came home from a 4 day visit with fleas. The cat had a sitter who would watch our tv and pet her for hours. The cat was in heaven.

No matter what pet you choose that pet will become your added responsiblity and will never grow up and out of your house but they are alot of fun.

FYI - had birds growing up and they are loud and messy. Also had turtles. They were fun but died when we couldn't keep our apartment cool enough for them. Our apartment was too hot for us we had to open windows in the winter to let some of the heat out. Also had frogs, loved them even though they don't live long. Gerbils and hampsters are escape artists and you have to be prepared to find and recapture them.

I hope this helps.

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I never had anything other than dogs, cats, birds, and a turtle. I always make a rule that there be only one pet per species at a time. I just feel that more than one dog would not be far to the dogs them selves, because I really dote over my dog. Never more than one cat, because they do compete for the litter box so things can get very messy if you have more than one cat. I do make allowances for the birds though, because I have had 2 small birds at one time without any problems. So here's my 2 cents:
1. Dog - I love dogs; because they are so easy to train, entertaining, and literally become a true member of the family. If either child has a fear of dogs, then you need to get a small older dog, that is already trained and laid back. Puppies chew, but an older dog is at a lower risk for chewing. Don't want the dog chewing up the kids' toys and have them hate the dog. Make sure the kids understand "dog etiquette"...No tail or ear pulling, no taking food from the dog, very careful when holding the dog, etc. Let them help train the dog or teach the dog new tricks since they have a longer attention span. (Older dogs really are easier to teach, which is why seeing eye dogs and police dogs don't go through formal training until they are at least 1 yr. old.) Check the dog over really good before you take it home. Main thing to check for is temperament by touching the dog all over including the mouth, ears, tail, and belly. You might even want to hold the dog. (Don't let the kids touch the dog before you check out the temperament!) Take the dog for a walk to see how the dog walks on a leash. (Be sure to keep your dog on a leash when outside at all times. Off leash is becoming popular, but it's dangerous for the dog and owner.) The dog needs to be docile and not hyper. (Some dogs are picky eaters and my dog is one of them.)
2. Cat - Just be sure to keep the litter box out of the reach of the children and only you clean out the litter box. (My cat isn't picky, she likes her Meowmix.)
3. Turtle - You want one? Got one for ya real cheap. (Just kidding, my son would be very upset.) We have a red-eared slider and he's a pain to take care of. Land turtles are probably easier. Keep in mind that everyone touching the turtle must wash their hands immediately, because turtles have salmonella on them. The turtle we have is a water type and it's not fun cleaning out his stinky tank. Hubby keeps feeding him raw shrimp, which makes it even harder to clean. He eats and poops in his water, because that's just what this type of turtle does. He needs the water to help push the food into his mouth.
3. Birds - I want another set. Our birds are currently dead, but we really enjoyed them. Sure they're messy, but it's not that hard to clean up like the turtle. The best cage is the kind with the sliding bottom, so you can clean the cage while the birds are still in it. We lined the bottom with old glossy ads/magazine pages but you can get cage lining paper which is better since there's no ink on it. We had paraketes and finches. The finches don't poop a lot and are very quiet, but the poop is all over the bottom of the cage. Paraketes poop more, but it's more like little mounds. My sister had love birds, and she used to say they were the best, because they actually will only use one area in the cage as a potty. The sad part about having birds, is that they are very sensitive to their environment....If you have a gas leak, they will be the first ones to die before you even know about the gas.

Good luck picking out a pet.

You should think about the life span of the pet first. Your youngest is going to be out of the house in 10 years. If you get a dog or cat, you are the one that is going to be caring for this animal after they leave. If that is something you want then fine, go for it, but otherwise I would research what animal you would be willing to care for and the life spans of each option.

There are so many great pets, but a dog is really the most interactive. If you don't mind caring for one, they are great. The first year, if you get a puppy, is the most difficult. All the training that needs done is a lot of work, but worth it and important to have a good dog later. There are so many dogs in the shelters that really need home, that would be a fantastic way to go. Help an animal, and teach the girls about compassion too! You also get to skip over the puppy part that way. (i.e no potty training, and little to no training.) Also, a shelter can help you pick a dog that would be a good match w/your family That's really important, to make sure any dog you get has traits that are compatible w/your family/lifestyle.
Having said that, cats are great too. Again, the shelter are full of many that need a good home. Only draw back I can think of is the litter box! Really not so bad, but still needs to be done a min. of once a day.
I have really no experience w/smaller pets, guineapigs, hamsters, etc. I do know that some bite! And smell! Cage cleaning is a big part of caring for them! Rabbits are great, but don't do a whole lot. They can be playful and friendly if raised that way.
Good luck finding the pet that is right for you! :)

Depending how active your daughters are, like with sports or other extracurricular activities, either a dog or cat would be good pets. If they have a lot going on outside the home or if as a family you go away often, then a dog would not be a great idea. But a cat, or 2 cats (to keep themselves company), would be ideal. You could let the cats out in your backyard if you have a tall fence, but otherwise many cats are kept indoors. And like the other mama said, the animal shelter is a great place to visit, get to know what kinds of animals they have for adoption, what would work best for you. And the adult cats probably need adopting most of all. I got my dog from the shelter when she was 8 months old and she has been the greatest pet going on 9 years now. Good Luck!

Start small and with limited lifecycle, and maintenance. since you will eventually caring for it, even though EVERY child says they will do the deeds needed, eventually the novelty of animal care wears off... I went with them to a good reputable pet store, where my daughter could see and touch... I wasn't into fish care, but, her very first pet were goldfish (short life span; toilet friendly; though we had a family funeral for our large backyard, where my childhood pets rested, lol!) Then, we graduated to a hamster, where more care was needed, which was great, she did well, but, remember they do nip, and you need to be able to care for, since they learn from your handling, too! And you need to change and clean cage, at least bi-weekly. I then went to a kitten, since they are independent, and only the litterbox cleaning, was an issue, but, a reward system kept her on track, like credit towards her next video game or music want, or special large item, like a TV, etc. We eventaully got to 3 cats, 1 dog, and an ailing Grandmother with Alzheimer's... Not that Nana was a pet, but, the abaility for my daughter to raise those small little animals was the ticket to her learnign compassion for her ailing grandparents, and taught her to develop skills and abilities in consideration, kind, nice, friendly, conversative, foresight, responsible, accountable, research, math, shopping for bargains, environmental and pet friendly... Yet, she might have forgotten, and i had to do some of the work, but, I had a system (recorded) on the refrigerator that if she failed to do her specific, written works tasks "her job," which made me have to detour from completing my tasks, she was assigned a not so pleasant task to complete for me, in addition. She hated my jobs, and after doing three really bad tasks, she learned fast to finish her job. One afternoon of racking and bagging, and setting out for recycling our 1/2 acre of leaves for the weekend, changed that "I didnt do it attitude." Another time, she had to help me sort out my overflowing closet, as my "assistant," who ran the stairs; bagged the clothes; took to the garage for donation; and loaded the car for delivery. Remember, I was teaching accountability and responsibility, so that she could be a responsible, contributing member in society... Yes, she cried, pouted, but, finished her tasks, and is now, finishing her degree in chemical engineering, and is now a Mom, herself... funny thing, I listen to her, as she sets out to describe how her daughter will learn good behaviors to be a great person, I have to laugh, because on that list is that "she will have a pet, when she is old, enough!" I asked her, "Why?" she said because it taught her to be responsible, loving, and every kid should have a pet, because pet poop is REALLY humbling....! I couldn't stop laughing.. that girl is a responsible nut! good luck in your decision, because a pet, teaches alot, even for the parents... LOVE!

LOL. Love the question.

All my dogs have been small dogs except one. All my small dogs were easy to house break. My last two dogs I rescued from a dog shelter. They were already almost house broken. (I say almost because it took me about two weeks to get them used to going through a doggie door and going out side.)

The nice things about getting one from a shelter and getting a full grown dog is that they are either house broken or almost house broken, you know how big they are going to be and you know how frisky they are going to be or how sedate they are going to be and last but not least, you are saving their lives. Every shelter I've been to has an area set aside where the adoptive families can play with the dog to see if they are compatible.

My kids loved our dogs. They learned good life lessons from them. Good luck to you and yours.

I grew up with cats, usually one at a time and that is still my first choice. I had "my cat" from when I was 5 to 11 when she died. I fed her from the beginning but my parents did the litter box (more than most grade school kids can manage). Unless you have very wild kids they are old enough to have a cat. I never had a dog though I think you would need to help with that a fair amount too. I had mice in grad school. They were pretty easy to care for and only live 1-2 years. Friends have had good luck with rats as pets but that may not be your thing.

Cats, guinea pigs and hamsters are easy to care for. I enjoy OTHER people's dogs, the commitment needed to own one is too much for me. Enjoy considering your options