Makenzie has wanted a pet for as long as I can remember.
And being the somewhat overwhelmed parents that we were, the answer was pretty easy: No way!
But now that she's getting older, I've been giving it some thought.
I want her to have that experience as a kid, I think it's important.
I thought maybe a very small, caged animal would be manageable.
First she wanted a bunny.
Hmmm, maybe.
So I looked at bunnies.
Very cute as babies, but they get kind of big.
They do have the dwarf varieties, but even still... for some reason I just couldn't quite do it. Those things live for like 12+ years! I just really don't want a rabbit until Makenzie moves out.
Then she saw the super cool cages they have for hamsters.
She quickly changed her choice.
Forget the rabbit, hamsters are awesome!
I was totally down. Small, doesn't eat a lot, caged... sounded perfect. I started looking at hamsters and you can get some on the classifieds that come with all the supplies for like 10 bucks!
But then I decided to read up on hamsters and started thinking about the fact that they bite (don't think that would go over well with Makenzie), the fact that they're nocturnal and I don't think any of us want to hear him running on his wheel all night, and the fact that they're rodents. They're rodents right? They sure look an awful lot like mice... so anyway, my hamster plans started to fade as well.
Guinea pigs freak me out, don't like reptiles, fish are like decorations that eat, Justin is allergic to cats (although I think he may exaggerate his allergy at times just so we don't ever get one)... so... yeah, running out of ideas here.
I've always loved dogs, but dogs are a BIG commitment.
I decided to look on the classifieds anyway, and I came across this little guy (or girl, I don't know):
Oh my gosh! How cute is THAT? I want him! Makenzie would DIE. A pure-bread blue chihuahua. His parents only weigh 5 pounds. So about the size of a small bunny, but without the weirdness! Only $200, too... I realized that's pretty good after I checked the humane society and they have an adult 9-pound chihuahua for $150.
So anyway.. I am rambling, but I'm wondering what are your guys' thoughts on pets?? What's good for kids? Good for parents? (Becky, I want your opinion on the hamsters/gerbils!)
haha Justin is gonna die when he reads this
8 comments:
I had about 3 hamsters growing up and we never played with them because they bit. We liked watching them, but they are kinda stinky. I don't really recommend them. Plus once one of ours got out of it's cage and my dad found it when it ran across his stomach in bed in the middle of the night! Eek!
We also had two parakeets. I liked them. They were pretty, not stinky, and low maintenance. They don't do much and do nip a little when you hold them, but I thought they were cool. Might be an idea.
Dogs are great. I really do want one eventually, but honestly when we got our puppy it was SO much work. It is seriously like having another baby. After that 6 week "experiment" I decided I could not handle getting a dog until I was done having babies and my youngest was at least 2 or 3. Although plenty of people have dogs and young babies, but it was just too much for me.
That being said, my parents have this adorable part chihuaua, part Pekingese that weighs about 5 pounds and it lots of fun. It's a little yappy, but the kids love playing with it because it's not intimidating at all and my mom like snuggling with it, so a tiny dog might be a win win. Good luck and keep us posted! :)
That puppy is adorable. You guys would love it and you have a mostly fenced yard except right in front. How cute would it look in her easter basket?
I loved my hamster growing up. You remember my hamster he was nice. I'll agree with Shannon he did get out from time to time but he always found somewhere small to hide.
If you do get a dog get an adult dog, you can go on petfinder and find a nice adult dog that needs a home and that is already potty trained. I don't believe in paying for dogs from a breeder when there are dogs setting in a pound waiting for their forever home. Also many dog rescue will let you have a week with a dog to make sure its a good fit. Thats what we did with Riddick
If you are looking for a little dog like a chihuahua you should go check out the Humane Society. You might find one all ready potty trained. We got a dog from there around Christmas and ALL of the small dogs are chihuahuas. And they come "fixed" so you don't have to worry about that either. We got a big dog and he was only $75. Go check it out. They have bunnies and other animals too
Growing up we had hamsters, lizards, fish, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and dogs. I say go with the dog ALL THE WAY! All those other pets are just kind of lame. They don't bond with you or interact with you like a dog does. Plus, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits stink soooooo bad and it's such a pain to keep their cages clean and cleaning them is just gross.
That Chihuahua is ADORABLE!! I think your kids would love it. We've had a dog ever since Teya was born and our kids have just loved growing up with him. He is totally part of the family and they include him in their night time prayers. : )
I'll be honest and say that some parts of having a dog are hard. Puppies are high maintenance and it takes pretty much a whole year to get them completely trained. They usually house train within a week or so but chewing on stuff, barking, jumping up on people, etc...takes a lot longer, especially chewing because they have their baby teeth. Whenever we go out of town we have to find people to watch him which can be tricky. Also grooming, annual vaccinations, obedience school (if your dog needs, it, mine did!) and food can all add up pretty quick, and if it gets sick there's not exactly health insurance for dogs so that can be really expensive. Not trying to say it's not worth it, just trying to give you an honest picture of some of the things that come with having a dog. If you know that stuff in advance I think you'll have a better chance of sticking through the tough puppy stage and keeping the dog. In my opinion the benefits out having a dog outweigh any cons. Dogs are awesome!
Well hope you enjoyed my novel of a comment. I'm excited and can't wait to hear what you decide to do!
there is insurance for dogs. I looked into it when riddick was a puppy plus Walgreen's has insurance for pet meds
No, No, No we are not getting a dog or anything like unto it. We already have 3 little pets and when they grow up and buy pets for their kids they will learn why we never had pets. hahaha
We got a new home for our dog when Kyler was born. If it were an inside dog I think it's easier to care for, play with, etc. but Rhet is anti-inside pets. It was hard to remember to include the dog when it lived outside all the time. We are good with the fish. Kyler still loves them and gets excited to feed them (and pretends to feed them several times a day). Ours lived for two years and just barely died a few weeks ago, and we just got a beta to replace it. It's a good practice pet to make sure the kids are going to care for it. Usually kids lose interest in pets like hamsters after a few days. We have also done a pet frog which was kind of fun.
Post a Comment