... just how much work do you think a pet is? I mean, my cat can be left alone all day, even a couple days, and it's fine. I did that to my kid and I would (correctly) be attested. Pets also aren't nearly as expensive.

I mean, I got my first cat when I was 15, definitely wasn't ready for a baby then.

We had both, and now have dogs. Dogs throughout. I can’t even imagine our family life without our dogs. They made our lives whole. As we speak, my granddog will be put to sleep in a few hours. We are all heartbroken. My kids learned early on that dogs are special and part of the family.
I cannot reiterate enough- get a pet. Your kids will be better for it.

3 kids, 0 pets. We'd love a dog but with all this RTO, our lives just can't accommodate a dog. It's pretty heartbreaking for the kids. We can't figure out how to structure our lives so we could have a dog. Previously we had telework 2 days a week and I think it might have been doable. My coworker just had to give up her 2 small dogs to her elderly parents' farm because the dogs were so depressed about being home alone all day.

Anonymous wrote:I'm childless and have two fur children that I am obsessed with.

I am not childless because I "don't feel equipped emotionally" nor am I childless because I am "too busy or whatever." A lot of nasty judgment and assumption in your language. How about you MYOB?

You have pets. You don't have "fur children". Jaysus H...

Anonymous wrote:I have two dogs. No kids. The reason that I don't have children has nothing to do with not feeling "equipped" to have them. Or too busy.

MYOB.

No kids, but you hang out on a mommy board, telling others to "myob" about your volunteered info?

Anonymous wrote:I'm the opposite. Have two kids, they want a pet, I can't deal with the idea of more cleanup and smells and hair everywhere in my tiny house.

Same here. No pets for us, for as long as I can delay. Same reason - too much smelly smells and cleanup.

This is such an odd post to me. I have kids and pets. I had pets before I had kids. I grew up with pets. I don’t think people who have pets and don’t have kids are not emotionally equipped. They either don’t want kids either at the moment or for life or just want pets.

Pets are also easier, cheaper and fulfill an emotional need.

I have two dogs. No kids. The reason that I don't have children has nothing to do with not feeling "equipped" to have them. Or too busy.

MYOB.

Ok, JD. Find somewhere useful to be where you (may) be tolerated.

My dog is far more work than my kid who has a lot going on.

Got all my pets AFTER I had my kids, OP. I decided I wanted kids early. Then when the kids were older and we were established in a house and unlikely to move, I decided to take on animals of other species

I'm the opposite. Have two kids, they want a pet, I can't deal with the idea of more cleanup and smells and hair everywhere in my tiny house.

I'm childless and have two fur children that I am obsessed with.

I am not childless because I "don't feel equipped emotionally" nor am I childless because I am "too busy or whatever." A lot of nasty judgment and assumption in your language. How about you MYOB?

Can't put your kids in a crate and leave for the day. I get it.

My question would be, what percentage of childless pet owners don’t feel ‘equipped’ emotionally to have children? Or too busy or whatever.