No pet because

[scfr]

The thing about pets is they have such a big impact on your daily routine & personal freedom, not to mention they can get very expensive, with health checks, food, toys and other equipment, pet-sitting, and other expenses.

The same can certainly be said about children! And yet I would never say those are good reasons not to have children. Those of you who have children can certainly address that (cost and effort versus reward), but I will say that the money and effort we have spent on our pets we have been repaid many, many, many times over in love and enhancement of the quality of our lives. But just like having children, it's something you should go in to with your eyes open, which I suspect was OP's point (sorry if I'm putting words in your mouth, Joan.of.the.Arch).

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Actually more people have children more irresponsibly than pets, but they can't just put the kids to sleep.

[Sporkman]

The same can certainly be said about children! And yet I would never say those are good reasons not to have children. Those of you who have children can certainly address that (cost and effort versus reward), but I will say that the money and effort we have spent on our pets we have been repaid many, many, many times over in love and enhancement of the quality of our lives. But just like having children, it's something you should go in to with your eyes open, which I suspect was OP's point (sorry if I'm putting words in your mouth, Joan.of.the.Arch).

But pets are for fun, entertainment, & companionship. Kids are for procreation of our species.

[disneysteve]

I never had a pet (except for a couple of gerbils briefly) as a child and have never had one as an adult, nor do I plan to.
1. They are an unneeded expense in my mind.
2. They require a level of care that I am not interested in providing.
3. We like to travel, often on short notice, and don't want the hassle and expense of finding appropriate boarding for an animal.
4. We don't want to have to rearrange our whole house to accomodate an animal who can break things with a swish of a tail or a jump onto a shelf. We have a lot of collectibles and fragile items displayed out in the open and that just wouldn't work with a dog or cat wandering around.
5. No way would we ever spend the kind of money we read about today that people are spending on pet health care.
6. Dogs bark.

All of that said, we have a perfectly nice tropical fish tank that we've had for several years. I love sitting and watching them. Very relaxing. Fish are inexpensive and very easy to care for. In fact, we haven't had to buy a new fish for the tank for over 2 years. We can leave them home when we travel with no problems. They don't need to be walked. They don't need vet care. When they do die, they are easy to dispose of. Other than changing the filters and periodically vacuuming the tank and doing a water change, they are extremely low maintenance. So that is the only pet you'll find in our house.

By the way, my wife is allergic to pretty much anything with fur or feathers.

[scfr]

But pets are for fun, entertainment, & companionship. Kids are for procreation of our species.

True!!! But I thought you felt there were many reasons NOT to have pets, and here you go making the case for them!

[PrincessPerky]

The same can certainly be said about children! And yet I would never say those are good reasons not to have children.

I would..if a child (of which I have several) seems a lot of work, and expense for little return...it just might be for the person considering it...

You wouldn't try to talk me into a pampered dog just because you find them rewarding...not good for the dog..so please don't try to talk people into kids just because you (and I) find them rewarding.

To each their own, including pets or no pets, and kids or no kids IMO...

btw I had a dog when I was a kid and two cats..plus rescued a stray few years back, that couldn't hunt, had some sort of neurological problem..not treatable..yes we paid a vet to find out..we took care of them all, and I loved them all...but make no mistake, they were pampered pets..pitied in the case of the stray....and I am very glad the current stray is healthy enough to work with us!

[TheTexan]

I guess there are those who consider their pets as children because they have none. I don't think people can compare children with a dog, ferret, bird, snake, or any other pet they may have. Children require much more and give much more in return. Sorry, no comparison.

[FrugalFish]

On the issue of kids... When I was PG with my DD just two years ago people told me how I would suddenly realize that my cats were just cats, and the dog was just a dog. My MIL even went so far as to tell us we would have to get rid of our cats once the baby arrived.

The funny thing for me is that after I had my DD, I found I had an even greater reverence for life and felt even more compassionate towards my animals. My pets are still like my babies, just different from my DD. DD has to grow up and go out into the world as a well adjusted human being. My animals need to be well behaved, but can also be spoiled rotten in a way that my DD can't be.

Make no mistake, I'd take my DD out of a sinking ship first, but I'd also go back for my cats. Kids and pets are different, but you can have high levels of love for both. I don't understand why people often say it's one or the other. That's definitely not the case for me.

[Ima saver]

I agree with coleroo and scfr! My dog is one of the most important things in my life and they all have been.

[Gruntina]

In some cases, pets can be cheaper than therapy!!!

[anonymous_saver]

Currently my partner and I have 2 cats and 2 bunnies in a large one bedroom apartment.

I would never be able to live without at least 2 cats, they give me some of my greatest enjoyment in my life.

I did have a "worst case scenario" happen to me 2 years ago when I was making a very small amount of money. I paid $1,800 to get dental floss removed from one of my cat via surgery. Well worth it though!

[nanamom]

Right now we have a cat and two dogs. All came from the local shelter. When my first two were little we went through the gamet of pets, as I recall we had numerous fish (salt and fresh), a turtle, lizard, gerbil, hamster, birds, bunnies (Killer and Tollhouse), cats and a dog. As my current two get older I am sure my ark will fill again. I love every minute of it. I think pets teach responsibility (taking care of them), caring (loving them), financial responsibility (paying for their stuff), and sorrow (losing them) like nothing else ever could. They also give us memories that can't be compared. I know when we got out second dog (mostly Golden Retriever) my stress levels dropped. She is my 3rd Golden. One as a child, one when my first two were young and now one to curl up at my feet and reminds me life is good. Well worth the money!

[simpleyme]

I was trying to post a link to a pict of my rabbit but accidently posted a pict I will try again and edit ;-)

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff253/simpleyme_2007/Kayandfattynibs.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff253/simpleyme_2007/KayandBabynibs.jpg

we found our rabbit in our yard so it was 'free" yah right,100 dollars to nueter

it is the same rabbit in both picts

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

OMG, that baby Nibs bunny is so cute! It must have been born nearby to have been in your yard. It does look like a domestic rabbit.

[Diolla]

I would like to ask a question?

How come I took my child in for vaccinations 4 times but have to do my cats and dog every year?

Every pet owner (especially cat owners) should have the answer to this question.