Dog vs Cat Vs Rat Vs whatever else

[Z-MusicalChairMassacre-U]

Okay so 99% of the time when I post here its about my family and questions about our pets so what would make this any diffrent lol. Currently I kive in a household of 9 so we only have our dog, sam, but every soon we'll bemoving into a newly build place with two rooms, two bathrooms and a nice sized livingroom and Kitchen. It'll only be me, my husband, and our girl who is 2.

Now the issue is we're afriad sasha is gonna be super lonely after living with so many people. She LOVES Sam and treats him well, never forgetting to give him his treats and to play outside with him everyday. Anyway we're debateing on getting her a new friend but their are some pros and cons.

We'll have a small fenced in yard but sam isn't very animal friendly. We think if we bring a kitten home we might be able to train him but it might end up inside and I HATE litter boxes. A puppy would be fine, sam is completely dog friendly but my husband only wants large breeds like danes and boxers. I'm kinda okay with that but large breeds eat alot and have more health issues or so I've heard. Now the thrid thing is Rats. Sasha loves to see them at petsmart and their affordable I've just never owned one. I've been researching them but first time is first time no matter how much ou think you know.

I'm open to thought and ideas of other animals and breeds. Whatever we do get we'll most likely choose from petfinder. This isn't how I'm making my choice but maybe it'll help me think a little clearer on it and find some facts for my husband, that we might agree on.  

[Mistress of Rain]

I am not going to try to sound mean or anything.

Your Daughter is TWO, she will get over and embrace having more room to play and probably a her own room. And I would not suggest Rats to be around a two year old...

You mentioned cats and how it would probably end up being inside but you hate litter boxes... already a cat does not seem like something for you family....even if the cat was indoor/outdoor (it would get over the fence.... and it will wander...) you would still need a litter box in your or two in your home.

You worry about big dogs eating a lot and having health problems. All animals eat a lot, and all dogs have their share of health issues. It is a reason you look for a retuable breeder, or you take you chances and adopt from the shelter. But if you are worried about spending money on food or health problems then I think you should just stick with Sam. Wait until you daughter can actually be responsible for a pet, or not need 100% supervision around an animal, and when you are confident you don't need to worry about how much food an animal eats or health problems.


this is just my suggestion with reading what you have put. And I will say this again your daughter is 2... she doesn't need a pet.... find other parents with children around her age to have play dates with, have her start building friendships with other kids...  

[Krissim Klaw]

Unless you are really having a craving to get yourself a new pet, I would hold off. Two is a very hard age when it comes to animal and kid interactions. You need to be so in the zone when supervising everything because the child is old enough to be highly mobile, but not yet mentally able to restrain and think through their actions. Their muscles are also still developing making even their innocent clumsiness a risk for falling and hurting or spooking a pet.

Now if you or your husband are really craving adding an addition and want to put in all the extra time to safeguard, then I would say go for it. Otherwise, I would suggest waiting a few more years.

I'm not for outdoor cats so I would say big no on that idea. Keep in mind large dogs however tend to have very long puppy stages and are thus at a great risk of hurting or overwhelming a small child when they are going through their own toddler-adolescent stages. If you can find an adult dog already proven to be great around children that would be ideal though it might be harder for your resident dog to settle in with. Rats are wonderful but very easy for a toddler to hurt or even kill within the span of second. They are best for older children and adults.  

[Vanilla eXee]

I hate litterboxes too, but after switching to litters other than clay, I've come to tolerate mine a lot more. Pelleted litters don't smell as bad and they also don't tend to stick to your cat and get tracked outside of the box. Top that with scooping every evening and you wouldn't even know I have a cat.

Small pets are a no-no for a child that small in terms of the child handling/interacting with them. Too easy for a 2 year old to hurt them and be hurt by them. My first small pet was a mouse when I was 5 or so, and even then I was only allowed to hold it when my mom was sitting with me and helping me.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Agrees with most of what has been said. Two is a difficult age for pets. A toddler is big enough to hurt any animal, and not yet mentally able to understand how to handle an animal with care.

All animals can have health issues. I have a heardy, smallish breed and I;ve already spent thousands in vet bills. There was a mysterious limp that needed several xrays and a CT scan, there was a midnight emergency of vomiting up blood cause he ate who knows what, more xrays for a recent injury. Dogs are EXPENSIVE. Cats less so, but, you can always have a urinary blockage or other nasty things. And outdoor life is really not for every cat. Depending on where you live, there might be too much traffic, there might be wild animals, other cats for him to fight. And you still need a litter box, unless you want a kitty door to provide them access to their outdoor bathroom 24/7. They do suck, Rascal goes outside, and still uses his litter cause he can't hold it through the night and I don't want him out after dark. Cats are also very long lived animals. You are potentially comitting 20yrs of your life to this animal. Are absolutely certain you can afford to care for it that long?

Rats are nice because they are cheap. Cheap to feed, cages can be found cheap second hand. You can make toys and hides, uses towels for bedding etc. I think it would be a really good choice for you BUT. I would not let your daughter play with them. Maybe if you were holding it she could pet it etc, she could watch them through the cage, but just, keep in mind they are very fragile. Also keep in mind life span is 2-3yrs, your daughter will not remember having them. As for being ready for them. I think you just gotta take the plunge sometimes, and learn from experience. And as sad as it is that they live short lives, it can be good because it's a short commitment and if you think they're too much work etc, it's not like you are in it for 10yrs.  

[Z-MusicalChairMassacre-U]

Okay I'll address one thing at a time.

It is also kinda for me, been having mommy craving but not ready for another human life quite yet. As far as money goes we're okay, I just worry about the heart ache and what-not a bit more. I avoid stress where I can so when I hear a dog might only live 5 yrs cause of health I avoid it. I know animals in general are stressful but animals acually tend to be calming to me. I don't think what has been said is rude or mean, gotta look out for what best for animals as well as humans.

As far as land I guess I should have mentioned I live on 20 aches of family land so whille its not all mine so one would bother a wonderin cat since the property already contains like four that move from house to house to find attention. The property also contains five uncontained dogs so fances are hardly a issue. The faimlys fairly good about wondering animals and just shoos um when their being bothered.

We are gonna wait a whille because we arn't in or place yet, might be late december before we are so this is just a ahead-of-time thing.