We would like a pet and have 3 small children. What's best, a cat or dog?

Question

Or would it be a fish/ hamster/ or bunny?

Answer 1

NO PETS... children require enough care, time & money! Wait until your kids are older & can help care for the pet. Otherwise you are going to end up overwhelmed & neglectful of your pet.

When you have children, there is so much more to raising a pet than playing, feeding, and walking it.

Your biggest concern should be your child's well-being. What if the pet attacks the kids. My cat of 15 years was the most affectionate, well-tempered animal I have ever seen. He was NEVER violent, he also NEVER went to the bathroom in the house... not once since I got him at 3 weeks old! The cat behaved perfectly with out first two kids, but for some reason disliked our youngest son. My son was not mean to the cat. Actually it was my daughter that liked to pull the cat's tail, but the cat never fought back or hurt her. Oddly though, the cat always bit my son and would pee on his bed & toys... he didn't pee on anything else in our house. Nothing stopped this behaviour, and I wasn't going to get rid of my son... so after several months the cat ended up living alone in the garage.

Secondly, consider the financial costs... sure, food doesn't cost that much and annual exams & vaccinations can easily be budgeted into household expenses. Consider something happens to your pet though... an unexpected injury or sickness.
The same cat... who has ALWAYS been an indoor pet... got outside one day when my parents were babysitting. The cat got hit by a car. The injuries took 9 months of medication, hospitalization, four surgeries, two types of physical therapy, additional (time consuming) home care & $7000 to fix. That is enough money to pay for my childrens' preschool tuition.

If an issue occurs with your pet you can't just get rid of them either... the children will end up heart broken, and scared that you are going to give them away too if they get sick or do something wrong.

Our last pet passed away this past February, and even though I miss him deeply, I am thouroughly content having no more pets. My hubby & I plan on getting another dog... when the children are in their early teens!

Answer 2

For children I think a dog would be best. A cat is more independant and will keep to themselves usually if they are content. A dog will be more playful, protective and more dependant on the family. A dog though is harder to take care of because they are so needy. Hamsters are too small and can be lost too easily in the house. It's amazing how hamsters are able to squeeze through such small wholes. Aquariums are great if you have a 10 gallon, they are easy to take care of. Anything bigger than a 10 can be a pain. If you don't properly take care of larger aquariums you will basically be buying fish monthly. One thing about children and aquariums is children love to tap on the glass, which is not good for the fish. And a child can get bored with an aquarium pretty quick because they really can't play with the pet other than put their toys in the tank. A bunny is adorable but a pain in butt to take care considering they just look adorable. Again, a pet you can't play with or really do much with other than pet and feed. I guess it really depends on what fits your family best. What does your family want out of a pet??

Answer 3

I had to write an essay once on what would be the best pet for a small child, this is how it went

If your kids are asking for a pet, start them out with a fish. If a fish dies, you can replace it easily without the child knowing. This will work them into a daily habit of feeding the animal and teach them some responsibility. Since you have 3 kids, get 3 fish in separate bowls...that way they don't fight over it.

When they "graduate" from the fish get them a small animal such as a bunny, something they can handle. Teach them to be gentle.

The final stage would be a dog. (I would skip cats completely because they dont tolerate kids very well) By the time they've worked up to a dog they will have learned to feed it daily and to be gentle with it. If you get a puppy who can grow up with them around it will be best.

Answer 4

a well behaved breed of dog would be good with children. One that doesn't have a mean tempermeant and can handle being hugged on and so forth by children without snapping at them.
Shih-tzus are good behaved dogs, same with cocker spaniels and labs. Depending on how big of a dog you want.
Cats are good if you keep the litter box clean but if the cat isn't in the mood to be played with by kids, it might scratch. (not to mention what it might do to the furniture)

Bunnies, hamsters, etc are too fragile for alot of handling and wouldn't be a good pet for a young child.
Fish you can't do anything with.

But if you want an animal that can be handled and doesn't need any maintence, think turtles and snakes, not as playful as a puppy but they can tolerate being handled and they don't shed.

Answer 5

A dog would be more work in the beginning (training it) but less work once you get him trained. A cat might scratch your kids and probably wouldn't be very good for them to play with, as cats get irritated. The same goes for a bunny, hamster, fish, etc - they all require mom to take care of them (clean cages, feed, etc) and they aren't very good playmates for the kids. A dog will play with the kids and be around for a long time - the only thing you need to do is train him and make sure he has food/water.

Answer 6

With small kids, I think it's better to have an aquarium with fish. If you get a dog or cat, it's like adding another child on to the household - one who can't understand nearly as much as the kids, and may not treat the little ones very well. (especially a shelter dog) Many dogs see little children as prey or someone to dominate and not as people. I would wait until the youngest child is at least 5 years old before I got a dog or a cat. I've seen way too many scratched eyeballs and bitten arms on little kids.

Answer 7

Cat, dogs are nasty flithy things. They are to needy, and whiny. Having a dog is like having a 2 year old child all the time. They can not do anything for themselves and are for the most part a waste of time and money.

Now a Cat is a great pet. Independent, affectionate and they have the ability to take care of themselves. You have three small children, so a Cat is perfect. If you get a dog you will have 4 small children with one that will shed and destroy your home.

Answer 8

well depending on how much money you want to spend and how well you are able to take care of/love the animal is what you should get.
Bigger pets need more maintenance especially dogs. If you want something to play with, a small dog or cat would be nice.
If you want some thing to look at and take care of, then fish and hamster stuff like that would be nice.

Answer 9

It depends on what you are looking for. Remember a cat is very independent and may sleep with the child, play ,etc but at its own time and place. But they are much easier to care for, especially when you already have 3 small kids!
But a dog- needs time and companionship. If you are not home to care for , spend time with, exercise, etc. then a dog is not for you. They can be great -do reseach on best breeds with kids). They will play with and entertain the kids more and be a better "pal."
fish- easy but not too fun to play with!
hamster - you can really make lots of fun living environments for them now and they are easy to care for and cute and cuddly. In house play of course...
bunny- we had a house liter trained bunny that was great fun. But liked being with people too. An outside one is cute too as long as you make sure you give it time, meet its needs, and attention too!

Answer 10

I think a bunny would be a good starter, that way your kids could learn to take care of it before you get something bigger.

It also depends on how old your kids are. If they're a bit older, a cat or a dog would be good. I would aim for a cat, because that way they could learn to look after it, but also the cat could look after itself. Dogs are a lot more work, but kids tend to like them more.

When I was younger, my parents got both. We had a puppy as well as a cat. Both are not for everyone, so make sure you check out the animals first if you happen to be adopting them from a shelter or something.