Are pets always 'for the children'?

[OrmIrian]

Speaking as a family that had only one cat before the children arrived, and she was only really here because SIL needed a home for her. Since the DC were born we've aquired fish and rats and a replacement kitten for our old mog. I don't think any of that would have happened if the DC weren't here. We've lost some pet rats recently and I want to replace them. DC don't reallyb .

Do you subscribe to the view that pets are for the children?

Of course OrmIrian... all the pets are for the dc's.

No, but have to be appropriate for the children. I work as a Countryside Ranger and had my trusty collie X rescue dog always at my side, until a couple of years ago when she started to get too old to accompany me, I felt terrible lonely working on my own without a dog, so we got another one, but whereas we would've got a rescue, with a 1yr old dd we decided to get a puppy, so dd will grow up with him and I will have a companion(I lost my old collie a few months later)My puppy is now almost 2 and we all adore him, DH likes to take him for a good stomp, dd plays all with him and he keeps me company at work. We've just got another puppy as I have had 2 dogs in the past an he's settling in well too. We may get a hamster when DD is older and I'm trying to persuade dh to let me keep chickens. But me and DH had our own hamster before dd was even thought about (I had one at uni too).
I think its good for dcs to have children in the family and accept some responsibility for them as they grow older, but the parents have to want them too, we're going to have to help to care for them and pay the bills for them.
If you want pets just for you, go for it.

We have cats for us and hamsters, guinea pigs and giant snails for the children, fish for DP.

Though I'm the keenest on the snails.

We always had cats, way before children. My children are very keen on animals so we'd have them for them anyway but it helps that DP and I like to have animals around.

Oh yes and I'll second the pets instead of children. I will admit its probably no coincidence that the month after my dd was born, my sister got a puppy, I got my first puppy just before her youngest ds was born, and I've got my 2nd puppy just before my best friends 2nd dd is due. There were practical reasons for getting one at these times too, but cuddling a little warm puppy when you're feeling broody does help!

Of course not! My 2 cats make very good foot muffs.

OK. Thanks.

So it wouldn't be at all sad and needy to buy two more ratties for me then?...

not at all

last year for Christmas I got a parrot.

Ds has a budgie and a rabbit and goldfish but in reality they're mine all mine as are the dogs and cats.

I want a puppy.

I play with the gerbils while the dc's are at school. Don't want them to get lonely do I?

We got our dog when all our friends seemed to be having children, and we couldn't get pregnant.

She's very disdainful of DS now, although he thinks she's wonderful.

However, I just got home to find that she had eaten the entire cake I had left on the side to defrost, so I have disowned her.

Why would anyone want to get pets for the children?

Oh, and wannabe - get a puppy

no i dont think the pets are for the dc.obviously its great for them.but our cats and rabbit were my idea

IMO pets are the perfect antidote to all the cr*p which life throws at you on a regular basis. That's why I have so many

Children (thankfully) don't have all that going on in their lives - life is all toys, playing, sleepovers, chocolate buns and birthday parties.

Pets are wasted on children

Get a puppy wannabe, they are lovely, my little 10wk border terrier cross is curled up asleep next to me at the mo.

Nah. If I got a pet it would be for me too. A pet's a family thing isn't it? You can't just get one for the kids and leave them to it.

We were considering getting a cat. The kids would love it, but if we didn't have kids I'd still consider getting a cat or a dog because it's a kind of stress relief having a pet. It does seem to make a bit of difference having an animal around.

no my dh would have a corinary if I brought home any more animals.

we already have two dogs, two dats, a parrot a budgie and a rabbit. and fish... but they are dh's.

oops two cats.

Hmmm.... I think I want a dat. Are they furry?

Had a rat and a cat. A dat would fit in nicely with the series.

We have just bought a dog for the kids - but it is really my xmas pressie now I am a SAHM I am bored rigid and lonely.

If it's anything like our house, the pets that are supposedly for the dc are actually looked after by the parents - in our case that means me.
Therefore you are absolutely justified in getting 2 more rats. You know, I've only had our 3 rats for 3 months and I am already planning on getting more when they go!