You mentioned the 3am wrestling match and I wanted to share. I always dread the kitty that attacks your head when you are sleeping. I have pinned it to kittens between the ages of 3 and 9 months. About 9 months ago we adopted a kitty from the shelter and she was very sick. I mean very sick. She spent the first few weeks barely hanging on and the vet grew more concerned with kitty pneumonia. She lived on our shoulders because she was always cold. When we were cleaning, working, eating, didn't matter that's where she was.
When she was three months we went to bed as usual with her snug on our pillows, wheezing away and I dozed off to sleep. Around 2am I felt the familiar claws attacking my face and for the first time I was jumping for joy. She was our only kitten (the other two are old and don't play anymore) so I knew it was Cinnamon which meant she was feeling better! With each passing night she started playing more often and more aggressively and I grew more joyfully annoyed. She is now 8 or 9 months and quite the vocal kitty who really loves her people.
Just had to share my new view on the midnight attacks
LOL...that rat sounds like another sibling, Danielle! I think the only thing that makes me squeamish about rats/mice is the surprise factor. I don't like not knowing something is there before it runs out under my feet...a pet rat would be totally different. I had a guinea pig growing up so rats have never really grossed me out. Reptiles are another issue Grin.
Debra-There have been many moments since Aiden was born that I wish we didn't have our 2 cats and one dog. Especially when the cats are playing with each other at 3am and wake me up...and the dog takes a lot of care...We should have waited until Aiden was old enough to care for her. And travel arrangements are a pain...I actually just finished scheduling the kennel for Thanksgiving. I used to take her up to my parents house, but that required a 3 hour round-trip drive the day before our big trip and then the same 3 hour drive after the big trip. I figured we'd splurge on a kennel this year... Wink Animals are a lot of work...so if I had it to do over we'd have waited until Aiden was older (8 or 9) and could take some responsibility...But we have what we have and they're part of the family (no matter how annoying the 3 am wrestling match can be)...
Basically, I think that it always depends on the family and their personalities when choosing a family pet. But I chose a dog and rat because dogs can almost always adapt to your family. They become part of your family.. and they are great for playing, cuddling, comforting or just having a quiet companion. (They even help my little sister Morgan feel safer. She tends to take Emma, our little dog down the hallway with her when no one else will come)
And I also chose a rat.. partly because I myself have one. But I've had her since she was a baby and she acts more like a dog than a rat. She comes when she's called and is over social. Rat's are good (as long as you can get over that initial fear or disgust of them) because they are small, kind, and gentle. Just hold them.. and let them get to know you. You'll see what I mean.. because I was grossed out at first too.
Since I have a 6-year-old with an unexplainable fear of animals, I don't see us having too many pets for a long time. For me, I'd love to have a cat but have to settle for visiting with the neighborhood wanderer who comes over to visit on a regualr basis.
At this point, we have no pets at all, having buried our only one this summer. But I can't be too sad. It was a Beta fish that my son got for his third birthday who was with us for three years! I thought those things only lasted a week or two. But "Rock", as he was named by a 3-year-old, lived with us for a LONG time! Thought for sure Eli would want another fish, but he didn't
My family went through a tragedy when I was a child. Our dog was killed by a speeding car right in front of our house while we were playing outside. We were all so devastated that my mother vowed never to have another pet. Now that I am married and have my own children, I kinda like not having a pet. I hear all my friends talk about buying food, grooming, vet visits, going out for walks, making travel arrangements, etc... I think for me I have my hands full taking care of my home and my family.
My husband on the other hand, would love a pet. We may have to revisit this issue when we have a few kids and they are older.
Mikki-You should have seen my IL's concern over us having cats when Aiden was born...and then we got a dog Shocked. LOL. I can't even imagine what they'd say if we had a rat! They sound like really cool animals though! Better trained than my dog, who wouldn't know how to bring me a pencil.
Elsie, if she isn't breaking the skin then I wouldn't get too worried at the moment. Her nipping is a natural consequence for Aiden hurting her and she seems to recognize not to hurt him.
Cheryl - We have always had Beta and they have always lived for about 3 - 4yrs so I recommend them to my friends who are thinking about fish that are easy to care for and theirs always dies in about 2 weeks
I have to say my all time personal favorite would be a rat, my husband hates them but they are so affectionate, smart and loyal. Unfortunately they aren't the perfect family pet for all ages
All rat's can carry salmonella without a single symptom and therefore hygiene is EXTREMELY important for the first few months (after you have had them a couple months and monitored closely certain things you will know if your rat is high risk for being a carrier) but you still have to remember to wash your hands after touching them, and younger kids are too quick to suck on their fingers!
With older kids though, they are perfect. Danielle's rat behaves very much like a dog, she runs up to greet you when you come in her room, licks your feet and runs up your legs to say hello. I have had rats we trained to bring us stuff. One rat used to bring me my pencil every time I sat at the desk with her Grin They are inexpensive to feed and house and rather easy to clean up after. (oh and if they get a little messy, they don't fight you when you wipe them down with a warm wash cloth)
See...I have the opposite problem. Aiden terrorizes our animals. I chose a cat as the best family pet because they're able to stay out of sight of young ones if they want to. Our dog tends to get nippy with Aiden, she doesn't break his skin, but he pulls her tail and grabs her and just hangs on (we always intervene and punish him when we catch him, but a lot of it happens when we're not with them) and she nips him. So I always feel like I can't trust the two of them together. We've even talked about getting rid of the dog, but haven't had the heart to do it yet. Undecided She's a good dog, it's Aiden who hurts her and causes her to react.
You mentioned the 3am wrestling match and I wanted to share. I always dread the kitty that attacks your head when you are sleeping. I have pinned it to kittens between the ages of 3 and 9 months. About 9 months ago we adopted a kitty from the shelter and she was very sick. I mean very sick. She spent the first few weeks barely hanging on and the vet grew more concerned with kitty pneumonia. She lived on our shoulders because she was always cold. When we were cleaning, working, eating, didn't matter that's where she was.
When she was three months we went to bed as usual with her snug on our pillows, wheezing away and I dozed off to sleep. Around 2am I felt the familiar claws attacking my face and for the first time I was jumping for joy. She was our only kitten (the other two are old and don't play anymore) so I knew it was Cinnamon which meant she was feeling better! With each passing night she started playing more often and more aggressively and I grew more joyfully annoyed. She is now 8 or 9 months and quite the vocal kitty who really loves her people.
Just had to share my new view on the midnight attacks
Mikki Hogan
Publisher of UniqueParenting.com
LOL...that rat sounds like another sibling, Danielle! I think the only thing that makes me squeamish about rats/mice is the surprise factor. I don't like not knowing something is there before it runs out under my feet...a pet rat would be totally different. I had a guinea pig growing up so rats have never really grossed me out. Reptiles are another issue Grin.
Debra-There have been many moments since Aiden was born that I wish we didn't have our 2 cats and one dog. Especially when the cats are playing with each other at 3am and wake me up...and the dog takes a lot of care...We should have waited until Aiden was old enough to care for her. And travel arrangements are a pain...I actually just finished scheduling the kennel for Thanksgiving. I used to take her up to my parents house, but that required a 3 hour round-trip drive the day before our big trip and then the same 3 hour drive after the big trip. I figured we'd splurge on a kennel this year... Wink Animals are a lot of work...so if I had it to do over we'd have waited until Aiden was older (8 or 9) and could take some responsibility...But we have what we have and they're part of the family (no matter how annoying the 3 am wrestling match can be)...
Basically, I think that it always depends on the family and their personalities when choosing a family pet. But I chose a dog and rat because dogs can almost always adapt to your family. They become part of your family.. and they are great for playing, cuddling, comforting or just having a quiet companion. (They even help my little sister Morgan feel safer. She tends to take Emma, our little dog down the hallway with her when no one else will come)
And I also chose a rat.. partly because I myself have one. But I've had her since she was a baby and she acts more like a dog than a rat. She comes when she's called and is over social. Rat's are good (as long as you can get over that initial fear or disgust of them) because they are small, kind, and gentle. Just hold them.. and let them get to know you. You'll see what I mean.. because I was grossed out at first too.
Cute idea!
Since I have a 6-year-old with an unexplainable fear of animals, I don't see us having too many pets for a long time. For me, I'd love to have a cat but have to settle for visiting with the neighborhood wanderer who comes over to visit on a regualr basis.
At this point, we have no pets at all, having buried our only one this summer. But I can't be too sad. It was a Beta fish that my son got for his third birthday who was with us for three years! I thought those things only lasted a week or two. But "Rock", as he was named by a 3-year-old, lived with us for a LONG time! Thought for sure Eli would want another fish, but he didn't
My family went through a tragedy when I was a child. Our dog was killed by a speeding car right in front of our house while we were playing outside. We were all so devastated that my mother vowed never to have another pet. Now that I am married and have my own children, I kinda like not having a pet. I hear all my friends talk about buying food, grooming, vet visits, going out for walks, making travel arrangements, etc... I think for me I have my hands full taking care of my home and my family.
My husband on the other hand, would love a pet. We may have to revisit this issue when we have a few kids and they are older.
Debra
Mikki-You should have seen my IL's concern over us having cats when Aiden was born...and then we got a dog Shocked. LOL. I can't even imagine what they'd say if we had a rat! They sound like really cool animals though! Better trained than my dog, who wouldn't know how to bring me a pencil.
Elsie, if she isn't breaking the skin then I wouldn't get too worried at the moment. Her nipping is a natural consequence for Aiden hurting her and she seems to recognize not to hurt him.
Cheryl - We have always had Beta and they have always lived for about 3 - 4yrs so I recommend them to my friends who are thinking about fish that are easy to care for and theirs always dies in about 2 weeks
I have to say my all time personal favorite would be a rat, my husband hates them but they are so affectionate, smart and loyal. Unfortunately they aren't the perfect family pet for all ages
All rat's can carry salmonella without a single symptom and therefore hygiene is EXTREMELY important for the first few months (after you have had them a couple months and monitored closely certain things you will know if your rat is high risk for being a carrier) but you still have to remember to wash your hands after touching them, and younger kids are too quick to suck on their fingers!
With older kids though, they are perfect. Danielle's rat behaves very much like a dog, she runs up to greet you when you come in her room, licks your feet and runs up your legs to say hello. I have had rats we trained to bring us stuff. One rat used to bring me my pencil every time I sat at the desk with her Grin They are inexpensive to feed and house and rather easy to clean up after. (oh and if they get a little messy, they don't fight you when you wipe them down with a warm wash cloth)
Mikki Hogan
Publisher of UniqueParenting.com
See...I have the opposite problem. Aiden terrorizes our animals. I chose a cat as the best family pet because they're able to stay out of sight of young ones if they want to. Our dog tends to get nippy with Aiden, she doesn't break his skin, but he pulls her tail and grabs her and just hangs on (we always intervene and punish him when we catch him, but a lot of it happens when we're not with them) and she nips him. So I always feel like I can't trust the two of them together. We've even talked about getting rid of the dog, but haven't had the heart to do it yet. Undecided She's a good dog, it's Aiden who hurts her and causes her to react.