Reply to Are Pets a Must Have for Kids?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A dog is an extra child. Just consider that . You have to train your dog, groom your dog, take  your dog to the park, and not isolate it at home all day. It is work .

If your kids like cats, I would start with that. They are way easier but not as much fun as a dog[/quote]

Cats are sort of ideal for kids because they can be a ton of fun when they are kittens, but then they get older and lazier and less interested in playing. Which is also what kids do with pets -- they are thrilled at first and then they lose interest over time as the animal matures and is less of a novelty (yes, even dogs). So if you have a desire to have a large, uncaged, furry pet, but are unsure about the time and cost of a dog, a cat might actually be perfect.

One tip on cats -- I love my cat and he's been great for our family (we got him before we had kids) but he is a huge shedder. Since kids also produce a lot of mess, I resent the shedding more now than I did when he was younger. If we get another cat after he passes, I will only look at breeds that known to shed less and are considered more hypoallergenic. Right now I vacuum or sweep pretty much daily because between the kids' crumbs, the cat hair, and then the tendency of both kids and cat to track things throughout the house without thinking, I feel like our floors are always a bit messy. Just something to consider (and yes, dogs are generally worse on this front because they are bigger, but there are low-shed and hypoallergenic options there too, and at least with dogs you have the option to get them groomed which can help a lot with shedding).[/quote]

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