A pet for my little girl

You don't seem to understand the reality that owning a pet is a huge responsibility and a fair bit of work. It's not all cute and sweet and funny and nice. Stray cats may look cute but they are not. Just because your child likes animals and finds them cute does not mean you have to own one. Pets can be dirty, smelly and sick, vets are expensive and need to be seen regularly to ensure the ongoing health of the pet. Pets need to be fed special diets...they cannot eat just anything. They need to be kept clean and trained. They need to be cleaned up after. Some pets can be destructive and some pets will bite or scratch and so on. Have you done any proper research on pet ownership other than asking here at myLot?? I'm betting you haven't. In case you are wondering, I have 2 goats, 3 dogs and a cat. I rescue animals that have been hurt and/or abandoned. If I could I would have many more animals around me but I know it's just not practical on many levels.

Why do you think I should keep myself from giving my kid a better experience with pets? If I didn't grow up taking care of a pet, that doesn't necessarily mean that my daughters can't have pets, too. I'm not going to be forcing it to my daughter, but I see her fascination with animals. She even thinks stray cats are cute.

I appreciate your advice and warning, sweetie. But, my husband and I have given it some thought. We perfectly understand that there's a great deal of responsibility involved in owning a pet. At first I was hesitant, but now I'm ready to live with some animals at home. I am a mother, and I didn't study motherhood or finish college with such a course, but I learned to be a good mom. If I can take care of a human baby, I'm sure I can learn the ropes of being a pet owner. My husband has good experience in handling animals when he was younger. They also had goats, sheeps, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats and a monkey. So, he will spearhead training our kid on pet ownership, and I'd be there to learn a thing or two and supervise as well.

Just because a fish isn't something that you can walk or play with it doesn't mean it's not a pet. You got to clean the tank and that takes a while you have to scrub it and then you have to worry about where to put the fish when your cleaning. You can always get more fish. For a kid to take on a dog depending on the age most likely you as the parent is going to be doing all the work. Big dogs need lot of space all dogs need to be walked daily they need training which kids don't always want to put in the world for training and some dogs don't see kids as there Alpha. You have to have a every outspoken child that will have authority in there voice when addressing a dog. Cat's are much easier then a dog. So are snakes. Rabbits I wouldn't go with because of the fact you have to clean after then a lot. Certain dogs need to be washed every few weeks. You need to be groomed, can just let there hair grow out and Lab's have fur. I'm assuming no one has allergies in your house. But pet hair can be annoying. I've always rather a hypoallergenic dogs. They are normally smaller breeds but they are mostly easier to handle with small kids and especially with with infants. Big dogs do well with infants it's just are you going to have time for a big dog and a big dogs needs. that is why it's important to do week if not months or years of looking.

I guess fishes would be best. Although, we bought a dog for her, supposedly, but it was a big lab, and at her age, she can't really make a pet out of it. With fishes, she can do the feeding herself and just watching the fishes swim could also calm her down after a long day of playing and running around.

I figured that a fish tank would need some cleaning - but I'm sure a weekly routine would do, right? For our lab, we had to clean up 2x a day. She poops too often, so we have to clean up everytime, otherwise, its really going to smell bad. And, oh my, she eats a lot.

I was thinking more along of a companion for your child. Birds and fish, she could only watch. A small child would probably over feed fish. You would have to keep the aquarium clean and closely supervise the feeding. Some birds can be let out of their cage to fly around the room, but if someone opens an outside door, the bird would be gone. We had a parakeet once. It was just my husband and me at the time. It would fly around and land on our shoulder or a finger. However, it also chewed the top of our curtains and the top of our lampshades, while leaving its droppings on everything. We gave the bird to my mother-in-law, who taught it to say a few words. She had more time to spend talking to the bird than either my husband or I. Twice, we owned goldfish but got tired of them. We took them out to my parent's farm where we put them in the stock tank. There, they grew to be over a foot long. My mother enjoyed feeding them oatmeal after they got big.

What special care more than feeding and cleaning the cage or tank, is required for birds and fishes? I'm curious to know what you're referring to, because the rest of those who responded above said that these are the easiest to maintain.

Your mom is some kind of zookeeper..lol. I'm sure she enjoyed taking care of the pets you gave to her, and her passion for these animals manifests in how much they've grown and learned from her. I didn't know certain birds can also be that destructive if left out of the cage.

You are the closest to your child and she will expect you to be there. Anyway I have seen how pets turn aggressive when some member of the household is indifferent to them. You may have to develop some fondness.

I'm the only one who's not used to having pets. I've always been scared of dogs, especially those on the streets. But, my husband grew up in the province. They had many dogs, cats, sheeps, turkeys, goats and chickens. It's like a mini farm out there. And, he gets his turn to tend to those animals. I would want my kids to have pets, so they won't grow up ignorant, like me.

Right. For the dog we had before, I don't go near it or even touch it. But, I get to clean its house and feed it too. Despite my lack of knowledge and experience in handling a dog, I am emotionally attached. I would be the first one to wonder if the dog has already eaten, and if it rains, I would bug my husband to move her to a warmer place. I feel sad if anything happens to it. I just can't handle it with my own hands, but the heart is there. But, I think I can handle fishes or turtles or birds.

Personally I wanted a Pembroke Welsh Corgi since they are not that big plus they are very intelligent and protective of children if they are trained well by their owners. You can check this breed out. Also you can check this website: http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102285465.asp They explain perfectly what you need to look for a dog for your toddler plus give you some breeds that would be best for your toddler. Good luck in finding a good and loving dog for your baby.

Thanks for that link. I'll read more through it. I'm surprised to see that bulldogs are recommended for small kids. Among the choices, I like the basset hound. A friend of mine has 3 of them, and they are really very tame. They just sit and lie and they like to get close to their owners. Are these the hush puppies model?

Thanks freymind. What breed would you suggest for us to get for our 3yr old toddler?

My brother had a turtle, but as far as I can remember, it wasn't very entertaining, and they smell funky. Here in our country, cats aren't really a common pet choice. There are a lot of stray cats, however. There are even stray cats that always attempts to sneak in our kitchen for food. And, they poop right in front out gates.

I know in the US and European countries, cats are special animals. But, here, you see them just everywhere, on the streets, the sidewalks and garbage area. There are only a few homes that take cats as pets, but even then, these cats are not as fluffy and good looking as those you have in your place.

I guess you are right.I've never really had a turtle so I don't know how it actually is...Cats aren't popular?This is so strange because cats are a favorite pet in my country,maybe even more than dogs...Still,maybe you should consider a cat,it will be unique and cats are a lot of fun and don't require a walk every day which is the most difficult thing about owning a dog...

Do your boys do the cleaning themselves? I think turtles can smell bad easily, if their tanks are not cleaned regularly.

I'm not, but my husband is. And, well, that's why we're looking for an easy to maintain pet, so it doesn't take a pet-genius to keep it alive.

That's right, fishes are gentle creatures and there's no need to carry them or watch out for them. I think its a stress reliver to watch them swim in the tank.

Yes, cats will surely go after it. But just have a good cage so that cats can't enter.

Yeah, that's a neccessary investment to make if I want the birds to live long, and especially if they cost that much, too. I won't be very happy to find out that stray cats got my lovely birds.

My inlaws have a big cage with a few lovebirds. I wanted to ask for a couple that we can take home for my daughter, but my husband discouraged me. He said the cats would go after it. Is that true?

Birds would be nice, too. I'm just concerned that some stray cats (they easily get through our gates, somehow) might hurt them. I don't know if that's true about cats. Also, what type of bird would you recommend?

I've heard of janitor fish. If you have them in your tank, do they really help in cleaning?

Those are good things to consider. My little girl can be trained to do the feeding herself, for the fish, bird or turtle. That would be a fun experience for her and she could learn how to be responsible with such task. She is energetic but I'm not comfortable having her play and run with the dog. You'll never know when the dog goes wild and might attack her. Unfortunately, our back yard doesn't have grass, so it may not be nice for the rabbits.

so, you got the point,just choose what you want to be your little girl pet