Thinking of getting a pet - recommendations?

[Bananas85]

Hi everyone, I have an 8 year old boy who is wonderful but he's been asking for a pet for quite a long time. I do feel a bit sorry for him as he's an only child, his cousins all live hours away and he's quite shy so doesn't have a big group of friends so part of me thinks a dog could be a perfect companion but I understand our lifestyle would need to change so its a big consideration.
Another option could be a cat as my son and I love them but my DH is not a fan and doesn't like them using litter trays inside (but also doesn't want an outdoor cat 🙄).
Does anyone have recommendations of breeds of cats or dogs or other pets that could work for a family of 3 (DH works from home full time so that part would be ok).

sorry, meant to include THIS!!!!

Just to say, although this is a good idea in theory, good rescue centres and/or breed specific charities should never let someone with a child as young as OP's take a dog to foster.

Mine make a strong point of it (no under 16s) as we're not equipped enough or knowledgable enough about the dogs that come to feel confident putting them in a home with children. Dogs can change in foster and display new behaviours they might not have displayed before. And owners lie. Owners lie all the time about their dogs and the environment the dog comes from.

It's why you hear so many horror stories of dogs going into kennels then being re-homed to homes that aren't equipped to cope - because the kennels haven't evaluated the dog properly and the former owner has lied.

Get a moggie that's 6 months ish old.

When we got another cat after our 15yo cat died, DS then 11 really wanted one under a year old but we insisted on no kitten. We found a 6 month old at the RSPCA. She's an absolute delight. DS loves playing with her.

Not exactly cuddly though ?

Ferrets are fab. My daughters had two when they were little and they loved playing with the kids and would curl on on their chests and snooze when they watched TV. They were awake in the mornings before they went to school and after school and they slept the rest of the time, so very low maintenance. They use a litter tray but in terms of playfulness and affection, they are very like dogs. You need two, as they really need company and I would recommend boys as they tend to be a bit lazier and laid back than females. My daughter loves them so much, she got more ferrets when she moved out, all rescues. There are so few homes willing to take them on, they were practically throwing them at her. :( They do smell a bit but they are terrific fun and very quiet so no problems with neighbours.

I think you're mistaking me for @smallglassbottle 😆
I would literally die if someone put this in my hands!

Give me a cat any day!

OP, your DH doesn't realise it yet, but he will succumb. I was the same until I got one. Once they have infiltrated our home, cats emit magical rays that subdue and entrance us to be their slaves. Look what happened in Egypt, and how kittens dominate the internet. They are on their steady path to intergalactic supremacy. Those who resist (like your DH) are often the ones who are zapped with specially potent rays - there are videos on YouTube full of doting "cat daddies" who used to despise felines.

We have a ragdoll and she is a very dog like cat, but without the high maintenance needs regarding exercise and being left alone. She plays fetch, follows us around the house and is very tolerant of children. Very chatty and loves being wherever we are. We’ve also semi-trained her to follow commands, although she is still a cat so doesn’t have the innate need to please of many dogs 😂

Bloody hell I didn't need to see that!

Agree - lovely pets! We had one called Phoebe, who had a very pretty striped carapace. We were quite attached to her.

Sorry, mea culpa, I thought you were the person advocating for them.

Note to self - don't skim read.... bad girl.

Another vote for a ragdoll. Ours are exactly like one pp describes; fetches, cuddles, sits on top of your well anything, wants to be where you are and they love our 8 year old.
They cant go outside though, like dogs they are not streetwise, cannot be out on their own.
plus the hair shedding is pure horror.
But this gives you collateral with your husband if he is a gadget lover; he can be in charge of the robot vacumer and the robot litter tray!
😄
Edited to add you best get 2, they do not like to be home alone, ever. Your husband works from home, but he cant sit with the ragdoll at nighttime I suppose, so it will need a friend.

We have had a number of pets ,including cats, rabbits, guunea pigs, hamsters and currently have a 9 year old dog. I would not have rabbits or Guinea pigs again. Cats are great and pretty easy to look after and you can leave them for the whole day. Dogs are fabulous but a huge commitent, its like having a permanent toddler but even worse. You can't take them shopping, on a flight etc. You also can't leave them home alone for more than 4 hours and insurance costs a fortune. One of the best pets we have had are hens. They are actually good fun, have very individual personalties, and are really interactive. We have 3 hens at a time in an eglu house placed in an eglu walk in run which protectsthem perfectly from foxes. They are allowesd out to free range in the garden under supervision. They are also easy ans cheap to care for and you have the bonus of delicious fresh eggs.

My son is also an only child and I've got to say a pet isn't really a substitute sibling...probably off topic though! We have allergies so cats and dogs were off the table. He had a gecko for 7 years (rescued) pros- lived in his room, easy to handle. Cons- live crickets for food, electrics. He loved him and that never waned. We have chickens and they are brilliant if you have the space- easy to handle, he could pick them up from age 2, played with them all the time. We also have a tortoise who he adores, but we had her already. He's 16 now and has had plenty of fun with those pets. He wants a goose but we don't have enough space...

Just some notes @Bananas85 for if you consider rodents:

Gerbils are fun and very lively. They do bond with their human guardians and sometimes climb all over their trusted family members. They do need at least 1 gerbil friend to live with.

If you would like a small pet more conventionally "cuddly", I'd recommend a Syrian hamster.
The males tend to be less moody than the females. 1 male (to avoid fighting) who is given lots of attention and some running space outside of their regular cage.

Seconding everything said about why rabbits are not a suitable child's pet. Their needs are not simple.

Enjoy choosing 😍

Cats are easy but in honesty mine don't bring me much joy. I got 2 kittens after doing a lot of research. They came with fleas, they killed so much wildlife and brought it into the house, they moult everywhere, and their food stinks. They also dribble when happy, which is so gross! I couldn't cope with the litter, so they are happy indoor/outdoor cats. In retrospect I'd probably get one, two is twice as expensive (we pay for food, insurance and flea treatment, and once a year vet checkup)
Positives

• with two I feel less guilty leaving them
• they can be left in the day, even overnight (we have a timer feeder), and they really don't care

Negatives

• I think with dogs you get a lot more back.

I am clearly not really a pet person. I don't think I will ever get a dog as they are too tying. But as I was in a similar position, wanting to get a pet for my kids, I think cats were probably the best choice.

Apologies if this sounds harsh but I’m not sure you did enough research. Dry cat food doesn’t stink and is better for their teeth. If you don’t let them free range but have a catio they are unlikely to catch birds, small mammals, fleas, worms. A lot of short hairs don’t produce much fur.I’ve never had a dribbly cat but accept there are some.

Are you really using a timed feeder to feed wet food ? That’s gross.

Thanks for the advice. We use wet food on the advice of the vet as we have a male cat and male cats are more prone to kidney problems on dry food only. They get wet food in the morning and dry at night, as dry is good for teeth and less smelly. If we leave them they just have dry in the automatic feeder until we get back. We have a huge garden which they love, and are at the end of a cul-de-sac, very safe. So I couldn't put them in a catio. Much as I would love for them to never bring in a bird/rat/slowworm/frog etc ever again. They were rescued moggies and produce a lot of fur.

Rescuing some battery hens was one of the most rewarding experiences ever. Not a dog or cat, I know, but I’m sure they were grateful!! Super friendly and easy

Yup, all animals are different. However, none of our cats, male or female have ever had kidney problems and all have been exclusively dry fed. Except our current boy who had to have a tooth extraction and got constipation when having wet food.
One of the best things about having 'indoor with plenty of room' cats using litter trays is you know a lot about their health.
Do you groom your cats so they don't shed or end up with fur balls?

@changedusername190 yes ! smart litter robot a real game changer. I have to keep a second litter tray as 2 resident cats, but it has made a huge difference. I only need to clean the interior of the robot once a month. And along with pp's, two cats definitely better than solo if you go down that route. They are much happier and arguably more fun with not much extra input from their hoomans. Altho mine do knock seven bells out of each other on occasion, it's mostly just floof that comes adrift. But they look for each other if one is MIA. Anyway I advocate for cats ! And spare me the hissing roaches 😬

We have a pair of gerbils. Lovely guys, can be tamed well and are great fun to watch and care for. They have a good lifespan too if properly cared for.
We also have a russian dwarf hamster, he is also lovely. We enjoy giving the rodents a great life with all the modern conveniences. It's fun to shop for them and set up their habitats so they have enriched and comfortable lives. They are great pets for kids.
We also have a cat who is not permitted to eat any of the rodents, or even threaten to.
The cat costs a lot more than the rodents. We are very grateful we insured him as in four years he has spent £10k at the vets.
He stays indoors at night and doesn't have a litter tray. I don't want him troubling the wildlife or having any further accidents. He goes out in the morning and dinner time but prefers to sleep inside for most of the day. He has a cat flap to the garage but is mainly an indoor cat by choice.

My daughter had a Syrian Hamster and I completely fell in love with her. She was gorgeous. Bit us a couple of times first few days and then never again.
She would sit in my hand and I would take her to the fridge to choose a tiny cold treat. Lovely cuddly girl.

Ferrets are adorable.

@changedusername190 Which robot litter tray do you recommend please?

Will most cats take to them? I have an image of a cat raising an eyebrow at the idea of using a fancy electric toilet…

Aw, she sounds lovely!

My female Syrian hamster had changing moods. In comparison, my male one was always sweet. Pet guidance books at the time suggested there was often a difference in temperament between the sexes.