Never ever, ever get DC a turtle!!!

This is why you don’t get your teen a snake that is going to live 20+ years and requires you to feed it live mice twice a week.

I think it's common for people to wait to get a dog or cat until their kid is older ES or MS and then the kid leaves home a few years later. That's why all pets must be family pets, not "for the kids."

Yes, but we knew this reality going in. And we made the decision to get the pet with eyes wide open of what would happen when the kids are gone. We also love the pet now so while it can be annoying at times to manage him, he is a living being and we are bonded.

We have pets because DH and I love them.

It doesn’t make sense to get a kid a pet and expect that they’ll take it with them as an adult. Who can predict what their living situation will be then?

Anonymous wrote:Yep

Meant to say yep
Have the pet , but I don’t “ resent” it.
I don’t feel like taking care of it but I do because that’s what we committed to.
Le Sigh

To me if you get a pet with kids at home, even teens, it's your pet and your commitment for life. Young adults don't often have the ability to even have pets.

No. We got a pet because DH and I wanted to. We would never get a pet for our kids.

You do your research. First you do your research: at X age of my child, the pet will be Y age. This type of pet's life expectancy is ___.
You make decisions that fit your family/life. I would never agree to some other adult's pet that I have to take care of - that's agreeing to selfish, immature, not taking responsibility behavior of the young adult.

We've had family members die and we've taken-in their dog, that's different.

Yep

Interested!

Did you get your (now adult) child a pet at their request. They considered it their pet. And now they are grown and out on their own, but you are still stuck caring for the pet? Is this common? Do you resent it?