Pets

[shortie]

Was just wondering how many of you have pets,as i was thinking of getting a kitten but not sure how DD will be.Her grans got cats and she doesn't really take any notice of them!! So i'm trying to decide!

[caren]

we have 2 dogs and a cat K does'nt take much notice of them

Edited May 30, 2007 by caren

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

we have 2 cats

she is ok with them one has been kicked mid meltdown,

but he adores her and comes and sits when she is upset

when she was little it was diffenrent and now she wants a GP

x

[Bagpuss]

We have two hamsters (eldest dd's and ds's) and 2 goldfish (youngest dd's), because she loves Spongebob, and she has a Spongebob fishtank. We've recently bought 2 guinea pigs (eldest dd's). Our youngest shows absolutely no interest in pets whatsoever, yet our eldest adores all animals. Our youngest dd appears scared by them too, and we've been so pleased that she has held and stroked one the guinea pigs, and is now asking daily if she can hold one They make superb pets, so calm and gentle

[krystaltps]

We have two dogs and the kids have a hamster each. C doesn't cope with the puppy stage, but he's good with adult dogs (and they learn to stay clear during a meltdown). He adores his hamster, Didi, I think the advantage is it's affection and attention on his terms with the hamster - he decides when to interact with it, unlike the dogs who can approach him at any time.

[phoebe]

pet free zone here - pften wonder about it and grew up with dogs myself, but feel I have my hands full enough!!

[peppa]

Dd has a rabbit, named (hop), had it a year now and she adores it. Luckily shes a very placid rabbit, as dd can be a little heavy handed, dd loves animals. Even attempted to stroke the bulls at local farm!

[Lynden]

We have a dog and two cats who think they are dogs! Logan LOVES Jasper (our dog), thinks he is the funniest thing ever! The cats he's fairly disinterested in because they dont pay him as much attention. We also had a big tank of marine fish but sold it to my sister when my sister bought our house as we didn't want to move it.

 

Lynne x

[Tally]

I have 2 cats. I love them, and find it really relaxing when they cuddle up to me.

 

It doesn't sound like your daughter is very interested. She may feel differently if the cat were her own, but she may not. Bear in mind the cost of food, neutering, vaccinations, and then vets' bills if the cat becomes ill. You would be making a long-term commitment if you get a kitten, as cats can live into their 20s, so you need to be sure it's the right decision.

 

Make sure you choose from a reputable breeder who has exposed the kitten to children from a young age.

[Bard]

One of B's focused interests is cats. We have 2 guinea pigs that are really mine, and a ginger cat.

The cat is the best �30 I ever spent. We got him from the Cat's Protection League, who gave us time to meet and play with different cats to find one that suited us perfectly. He was the one who came out into the cold when called, just so he could have a few more strokes.

B has never expected his cat to be anything other than a cat, never gets cross with him or tries to play with him roughly.

Sometimes the cat is the only thing B can bear near him, especially after a hard day at school, or when he's having a meltdown.

He shows more empathy and consideration to his cat than to most people, and the only time I have seen B distressed over someone else's pain was when he shut the door accidently when the cat was coming through..not hard, but enough to raise a squark.

The only worry that I have is if anything happens to the cat, B would be distraught.

Given a choice, I think he'd cope better with losing one of his humans than his cat.

[barefoot wend]

We have a dog which all the children love but that Kerre spends a good deal of time stroking (very useful during stressful times). He also has a gerbil which I got for him that he's not particularly interested in and a hamster, he chose himself, that he religiously plays with every night at 9 o'clock on the dot. He gets a little upset about them sometimes as he worries that he may not be a good pet owner. We're also getting him a Manx cat later in the year as he's been desperate to have a cat for quite a few years.

 

My younger son who has ADHD worries incessantly about his gerbil and has asked me not to get another when it goes. He worries about it constantly when we go away and panics all the time that it's going to die - which I know will be a very, very traumatic event for him.

 

So, I guess, it's swings and roundabouts.

[Flora]

2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 kitten, 2 goldfish and 2 snails!!!!!

 

The kitten is bill's, he mothers it and talks to it like a toddler. Animals are great therapy, but you've got to be really prepared and organised for the kitten/puppy stage because it really is like having a toddler. I spend my whole life hoovering and mopping the floors as I find animal smells awful, and amazingly our house doesn't smell of animal at all but that's only achieved by constant vigilence!

 

As long as your children have no allergies and aren't scared then I'd highly recommend some sort of pet as excellent therapy on lots of levels.

 

Flora

[forbsay]

3 goldfish and a shrimp called Buster. My little boy loves his shrimp. though it is scared of the fish and stays in his castle until after dark!

[hev]

I spend my whole life hoovering and mopping the floors as I find animal smells awful, and amazingly our house doesn't smell of animal at all but that's only achieved by constant vigilence!

my aunt used to have few dogs and cats and the animal smell was awful,i cant stand animal smells either

[smiley]

We have one dog - a beautiful collie (sheepdog ), she's very chilled, no bother and has been around longer than M, so they've always been together . When M was a tot - she would watch him, and go and sit with him if he'd fallen or was crying .

 

Now, they just totally ignore each other!

I think she sees' him as an annoying little puppy - and he sees' her as a old, boring dog (she's 13 now )!

[JsMum]

We have got a beautiful Spinger spaniel ###### called Tj, she is 7months old now and a real handful, these breeds are defo the ADHD type dog, lots of energy and so was a great match for J, we have had to put a lot in place over the last few months and just kitted the garden out with a play house and run of her own, because J was when hyper mode was annoying Tj and getting very aggressive towards her, there has been times where he has gone too far so her own space is somewhere J cant upset her.

 

Tj is really affectionate and highly intelligent and has learnt very quickly, the hardest thing for us is the pulling, but we have bought a new harness that has helped us train her.

 

My housed work had doubled before we got her own place in the garden due to muddy paws and hairs everywhere but thats now got easier with her in the garden more.

 

The walks have been beneficial for Js evening routines and have helped him calm down later into the evening.

 

She is great company when J is at school and I can walk her and refresh my mind and have a good think, the walk doesnt bother me even if its raining but it does if it is windy, even Tj doesnt like that.

 

Tj has really helped increase Js social skills because people will talk to him asking him about his dog and people genrally talk to us more when we have Tj and that has been really nice, because we do get isolated at times.

 

Its expensive, time consuming but the emotional benefits are very positive and its estimated that genrally dog owners are healthier and good for your heart and I also believe your soul too.

 

I also think its been harder than exspected so dont rush into it as its hard work.

Edited May 31, 2007 by JsMum