Pets and Children...your views! :)

Anna - posted on 11/09/2010

We have a dog and a cat. I was worried about how they'd behave with my son before he was born, but they've both made me proud. Our dog loves Aidan to death, and lets him crawl all over her, pull on her, put his fingers in her mouth, etc. She's exceptionally patient with him, and protective of him to boot. She does chew his toys occasionally, which I think is out of boredom and jealousy, but that's her only vice when it comes to him. The cat tolerates the baby, and as long as Aidan doesn't grab at him or corner him, he doesn't mind. He's warned my son a few times when he was getting too zealous in his exploration, but never bitten or clawed at him. And while I'm grateful for their tolerance, I don't ever leave the baby alone with them; they're still animals with instincts, and my son's still a baby with unpredictable impulses.

Chrystal - posted on 11/09/2010

I think animals are great for kids. As long as you do clean daily to prevent animal hair buildup than that's all you can do. Animals can teach kids responsibility so that's a plus to owning them.

Rita M. - posted on 11/09/2010

i've had 2 cats since sept/11/02 and we always said they would stay with us forever. But now after the sudden pregnancy and my daughter's birth I've been very worried, when I was young I was allergic to animal hairs, and so was her daddy, so she probably will as well, but we said we'd work it out, but when my cat showed sudden interest to attack her i became scared, i understand she's jealous because i'm now home all day and i show no love being all ocupied with my daughter. it really depends on the animal. My daugher is just 1 month old, but we are now sending both cats to live with a friend of my moms because their jealousy makes them poop everywhere, and I dont want that poop around when my daughter starts crawling.

Renee - posted on 11/09/2010

My husband grew up in town with a mini farm in his back yard! He had ducks, geese, St. Bernard, Maltese, birds(dove), numerous fish tanks, and what ever else strayed into their yard. I grew up with a cat in the house. When I was little we moved in with my grandparents who had a dog. (Stupid dog kept eating my stuffed animals. My Grandma also treated the dog better than she did us.) When we got married my husband had a St. Bernard/Husky mix. She died when our son was only a few months old. Besides the shedding and drooling, she was a GREAT dog. You could take food out of her mouth and she wouldn't make a noise about it. Kids could poke her in the eyes, pull her ears and tail and she would just lay there and take it. But at the same token she was very protective of her family.

Right now we have a 2 1/2 yr old son and a 7mos old daughter and 2 cats. The cats are good with the kids. If they weren't they would out the door. We also have 2 -55gal fish tanks, and a 35gal tank in my son's room. Later this week we are picking up a 200gal fish tank and selling off 1 of our 55gal tanks. We are looking at getting a dog once the kids are a little bit older. I am not really a dog person but I suppose my husband is putting up with the cats and he isn't a cat person.

Shannon - posted on 11/09/2010

my parents bred rottweilers the whole time i was growing up. at nine months i sat in the whelping box with my mom while one of our dogs had her pups. on average we had about 6-8 adult dogs, and 1 or 2 litters of pups (so about 16). i love dogs. i never got bitten until i was 17 and working at a kennel. as long as the dogs and children are well supervised and never left unattended, theres usually no issue. i cant comment on cats because ive never owned one, im allergic and i just plain dont like them. lol

Liz - posted on 11/09/2010

I have a set of two year old b/g twins and a four month old son. Right now we are living in an apartment, but as soon as we get a house of our own, my husband and I would like to get a Dog. I've always wanted a dog, and he grew up having a dog. Plus the older kids love dogs.

Iysha - posted on 11/09/2010

Well, my husband grew up with pets. he has had dogs, cats and his grand mother lives on a ranch with cows, goats, chickens, turkeys, 3 dogs, and a cat. I grew up without pets. My grandmother lived on a ranch also, but she just had a dog and some chickens...mostly fields of strawberries. lol.



When it came to pets for our daughter, my husband felt our home wasnt complete without a pet...I suggested fish. lol. In may, his grandma's dog had puppies (boxer/queenland heeler/terrier mix) and he wanted one so badly. I was against it, but of course,we ended up with one of the puppies. We have now just gotten a cat. I was just told that his co worker is getting rid of kittens and we are getting one. I was pissed!! lol...I cried. i already have to vacuum everyday and cats and dogs arent the best of friends....my dog is a sweet heart, she just wants to be loved on...the cat hates her and scratches her nose when she comes by and hisses at her when she gets too close.

I personally think it was a mistake to get a dog...sure she is sweet and my daughter has a blast playing with her, but i feel like I am not ready to have a dog. I hate taking care of her...I hate that of all the spots she could lay, she lays on my feet...and she steals my daughter's food. i just think pets are a pain and it takes a lot of patience for somwone to have a pet...it's harder to keep up with than a baby...really. The cat is ok, I still think the cat/dog combo was a bad thing....I hate that I had to kind of separate them and keep an eye on them...not my baby...them. lol. both are good with my daughter.



We get cheap food, and the pets are indoor pets...even if I think the dog should be outside...but it snows here. lol. If people are considering pets and have young kids, regular cleaning has to be done and they should be ready for some work....especially if they're getting baby animals. I feel like our dog doesnt get out enough but who wants to go out in the cold so the dog can run around, especially with a baby and steep stairs to go down? (that's what I'd have to do and I'm just not that in love with my dog)



i still like the fish idea...my daughter loves the fish in the library and I would just have to clean out the aquarium every so often...not clean up after the pet every day all day. lol



The good thing about pets...they eat stuff that falls on the floor!!!



btw, I am 22 and have a 16 month old.