Should we or should we not get a pet? To Have or Not to Have a Pet, that my friends is the question..
I’m sure this is a decision that is not taken lightly by anyone. With another move on the horizon I am looking for our next home and one of the boxes I’m opting in on is the option to allow pets. We still aren’t 100% if we will indulge the kids and get a pet, you would think it would be a simple, yes or no answer. I know when we didn’t have children, (before we had a family) I didn’t think twice or even bother to mention it to the hubs, that I was adopting another pet! But now.. it’s definitely a question that has to be brought up and has to be seriously considered. Here are my concerns for having a pet:
Thanks to my friend Whitney for letting me borrow her pups!
Concerns for a dog:
- Potty Training a dog.. Ain’t nobody got time for that.. But you know who (all signs point to me) would be doing this. I’m having a hard enough time with E..
- Vet appointments. Again.. something I would have to deal with..
- Let’s go out of town! What about Fido? To board or not to board the pupper..
- Day trip or gone for more than a couple days? Can the dog come with us?
- What breed would be best for a family of four? (I’m kind of a nerd when it comes to animals. I love to research them.. anything else.. meh!)
- How big of a dog are we talking about? Can’t be too large so he/she will fit in the car..
- With the boys being in school will the dog be lonely not having anyone to play with during the day? I’ve got to work too..
If we leave the dog outside we will need to make sure he/she has good shelter and always fed and watered. But since we would have a smaller dog, it would most likely be inside. I don’t have too many concerns per say, but those are definitely worth considering when adopting an dog.
Concerns for a cat:
- Who’s going to clean out the litter box?
- Male or Female? The breed is not really important, just as long as it is sweet to us 🙂
- Are you going to invest in a self cleaning box?
- Would we de-claw the cat? -Spaying or neutering would automatically happen if we decide to adopt from the humane society (we normally do). I’ve never had a cat de-clawed btw..
We don’t really need to consider boarding the cat unless we are going to be gone for more than a day. I like to think we can take the cat with us if we are going to visit family and I can always have a friend come check on the cat if we are going to be gone longer than a couple days. The good thing about a cat is that they can hang out and not get outta control like a dog does. Watch me say that now, and end up with the cat from hell.. or this sweet baby kitty!
I love going to my parent’s house.. there’s always a kitten or a sweet dachshund to love on.
The question remains. Will we get a pet at our next home? I don’t think we will be able to answer that until we get there. The idea of lugging an animal across the south does not sound appealing to me and neither does having to turn a place down if they don’t accept a certain pet. I’ve seen more “No Cats Allowed” than I have no dogs in rentals. I understand it’s because the cat’s urine stains. smells bad , and doesn’t wash off easily either. But if there’s one thing I can’t stand is having a home smell like it’s animal inhabitants.. Not in my house! Sorry I just had to add this GIF!! LOL
The pet debate will continue until after we get settled.. stay tuned!
Question:
What are your top concerns when it comes to a dog or a cat? I look forward to yours so I can add to mine!
Candy
We adopted a dog last December. My kids begged for one for years and I felt like they were old enough to share in the responsibility, so we got one.
I wish more people would consider these things before getting a pet. We get animals dumped off all the time where we live.
The best part about having a cat is that a self cleaning litter box can be purchased for their use. I wouldn’t have a cat without one.
I’ve had pets my entire life so I can’t imagine a life without them. They are my ‘kids.’ I have even moved 1600 miles across the states with them.
Pets add so much to a household. I can’t imagine my life without them. I can admit though, walking a dog in cold and rain isn’t much fun and the hair that either produce comes with the territory. But I wouldn’t change it for the world!
My kids begged for a dog for years! We finally gave in last spring. While it’s been good for the most part, I’m not a big fan of middle of the night walks, rainy walks, and vet and groomers bills.
We don’t currently have a pet. With a dog, I worry about training one and when we go out of town. With a cat, we have an open floor plan and I have no idea where we could put a littler box where it would actually be out of the way.
Cats are definitely easier than dogs when it comes to your own personal time. They require so much less of you. But, with that in mind, they aren’t as much a family pet as a dog would be. Travel is a big issue for anyone with a dog. If you don’t want to potty train, you could always adopt from a rescue because they are often trained already. Good luck on your decision!
To many pets are re homed due to the owner not thinking about all the pros and cons to owning a pet. These are all great things to consider.
We have 2 dogs and 1 cat. And I would go down to the cat only in a heart beat.
If you’re ready, get a dog. They’re not man’s bestfriend for nothing.
I am and always have been an animal person. But they aren’t for everyone! If you don’t have the time and dedication I would say no. But if you do, they are incredible:)
Puppies are like babies for sure, but when raised correctly they are the best thing to have around, Cats are very independant.
we have a cute little chiweenie that we got over 5 years ago. he is a great addiiton to our family. A bit feisty sometimes
I’d love a pet. I think it’d be great for the kids. Hubby nixnays it though, so we don’t, and probably won’t.
That’s been a tough subject in our house. My kids would love one, but hubby is allergic
We just got a new puppy 3 days ago! Potty training is difficult but he’s doing surprisingly well. We also have a cat but I’m in the process of training him to pee on the toilet! Our old cat was toilet trained too. I’ll never clean a litter box again!
Those are all good things to think about before getting a pet. My mom just got a dog, and it drives me nuts because she works all day long, so the puppy has no interaction for most of the day.
I’ve been thinking about getting a puppy that can grow up with my baby, but my big concern is how rough it might play. I know that kids aren’t made of glass, but I’m still nervous about my little one being knocked down ALL the time.
My children really want a dog. I do not. As much as I love pets, I already have enough on my plate with my husband and three children – I don’t want to add another responsibility into the mix at this point in time.
We got a dog 2 years ago. It was a huge adjustment at first but now we could never picture our lives without him.
These are all important things to weigh. We have both a dog and a cat and there are definite pros and cons. Love our animals though!