Cat or Dog?

Question

Is a cat or dog a better pet for our family? I am a stay at home mom and will be for at least another year after that I may go back to work. My daughter is 18 m/o and will be taught to be kind and respect the animal (just has she has been with my moms dogs and cats) and will never be left alone with the animal. We have a medium size back yard and lots of love to give. I realize that any animal is a huge commitment and I am taking it seriously. Which would be a better suit for my lifestyle. Any breeds be more compatiable? Personal experiences with toddlers and cats/dogs would be great. What about puppy/dog or kitten/cat? I am just worried about going back to work and leaving a dog home alone during the day I know most dogs are left alone. I would put the dog in our kitchen and puppygate it. Help!

Have been visiting our local shelter and find myself drawn to the cat section :)

Answer 1

You probably will get a different story with everyone. I have 2 dogs and a cat. I have always been a cat person and had many when I was little. Since you already have your hands full I would suggest a kitten. They will both be at a learning stages and cats are very independent. If you need to go out you can leave them at home with food, water and cat box. If you teach your cat not to scratch and give them posts or something they CAN scratch they learn. They tend to learn the cat box immediately, just keep it clean. If you get it from the pound, they will most likely already be litter trained.

Puppies take a lot of time and patience. It takes time for them to learn potty and to behave. If you need to go out, its kind of like leaving a kid at home. We got our two dogs at puppies and still we have to find a sitter if we will be gone for a long time, so they can be let out and fed. Its a lot like having kids. Althought they are great companions, perhaps at a different stage in your childs life they can learn to take care of a dog.

I would vote for a cat!

Answer 2

with a child to care for, i'd go for the cat, any short hair mutt cat mixed breed will do, cats seem to do better with small children than dogs-generally speaking-especially if the cat is young and starts out with the child...kitty will let her boundries be known without drawing overmuch blood (a dog can do alot of damage to a small child) (a dog will bite and shake to tear, a cat will nip or scratch and run). though our kids have dogs and cats and our grandchildren are doing o.k. with them...there was an incident a few years ago with one of the dogs and one of the grandchildren, but you can't see the scars on her little face anymore, and the poor dog had to be put down. that is why i say go for the cat.

Answer 3

I would recommand a dog. I have had lots of experience with different breeds and the best is the lab. I have a black lab now that is in love with my 3 year old nephew and my 7 month old nephew. He runs and plays with the 3 year old for hours and is gentle and sweet to the baby. Anytime he's upstairs crying the lab is always at the stairs crying to let us know that the baby's awake and in distress. He is in love with the baby..... anytime he is crying he tries to kiss him to make him feel better. Luckily the baby has figured out how to move his face away from the sloppery mouth LOL. But I would DEF recommand a Lab. They are great protective dogs when you need them to be but at the same time are the nicest dogs in the world. And are GREAT with kids.

Answer 4

I’d go for the cat.
They also want to be taken care of and demand a lot of your time, but in general they are much more independent and still give you the warm feeling we all crave for.

Why don’t you go to a shelter and just see what happens. Start with the cat section.
Cats choose, dogs accept most anyone, is my experience.

Answer 5

Either a cat or a small dog would be better for your daughter.
A big dog might be too much to hadle. If you get an older dog, it could've picked up big habbits from it's old owners which could put your daughter at risk.

Answer 6

Cat for sure. Cats are easier to take care of, loving, warm and soft, and can be better when you do go back to work. just trust me on this, I've had cats and dogs before, my whole family agree that we won't get anymore dogs. go to catfancy.com to find the breed that's right for you.

Answer 7

Go for the kitty, my family had a dog when i was younger and i had to have stitches because it bit me. Never have owned a dog and never will. Cats are low maintenance and they take care of themselves. And i doubt they will tear a hole in you like dogs can.

Answer 8

Cats are grate. They don't eat whenever they feel, and with proper training, your cat wouldn't pee everywhere. Also they are cuddely, and dont bark. I would suggest a Cat. Not a kitten. Although they are cute, a cat would be a little more less hyper and mostlikly trained.

Answer 9

I love cats and currently have four.
I have found that orange male Tabby's are very friendly. I think that all orange Tabby's are male anyways.You always see that breed on TV shows and commercials.
Male cats in general are more friendly as they want to protect their owners.
A kitten would be lovely.With a cat you don't ever have to rush home .
One vote for a male cat.

Answer 10

thats tough. but i think that hte best answer would be a cat. but, you would have to find a very nice and affectionate cat. not one that would attack your daughter . a breed of cats that i prefer for being loving and sweet are orange tabby cats. well any tabby cats are perticularly nice cats. i have two cats that i rescued from the humane sosciety. most of their cats are sweet. may i suggest going there?

best of luck!