Considering to get one for my 5 Year-Old boy.
What do you think, Ozbargainers?
Tell your reason(s) and please don't say both.
Pet for 5 Year-Old Kid - Cat or Dog?
LMAKAMAKA on 31/10/2017 - 17:25
Comments
Remember a cat or dog is a $10,000 investment. If you're not prepared to spend that sort of money over the 10-20 year life of the animal don't get one.
Dogs are more effort than cats. Allow an hour a day for walks and activity or don't get a dog. If it's a working dog breed allow 2 hours. Cat's are easier to look after. Allow 10 minutes a day for changing cat litter, feeding and watering, etc.
I've owned a dog and several cats and have fostered around 40 cats from a no-kill shelter.
Now I feel silly. All these years and I never realised my cat needed watering :p
You should try it.. Take it into the shower with you to make up for lost time, and report back on how positive the experience was for the both of you.
In my experience cats are not aloof creatures. However, they will dictate the terms on how they interact with you. Our current girls are two of the sweetest kitties. They are Somalies, which means they are amazingly beautiful, but they are also very social and affectionate; even when we have people visit. If you do get a pet you need to teach the child to be gentle with it and be prepared to supervise their interactions for quite a while. Both cats and dogs have claws and teeth and will defend themselves from rough handling. That said, most well socialised pets will put up with a little bit of pawing.
Pets are not cheap play things. They need to be treated with respect. They need feeding, vet care, attention and a space that is theirs. Cats like to get up into high places like wardrobes, dogs like their own basket etc. Dogs need to be walked, and socialised, regularly. I good local dog park is a great place to take them.
We have pet insurance for our cats. This is not cheap but it means we have some leeway if the cat gets sick. Vet bills can add up very quickly. Also, you will need to make some hard decisions one day and your child will need to understand about this. Hopefully it will be in at least 10 to 15 years time, but it can be sooner. One of our cats lasted less than 5 years before we had to put it down from cardio myopathy; this was after a truly horrific nine days from the time we found out about the condition until the cat had a heart attack. A very sick animal is a truly heartbreaking thing to have when there is little you can do to help it.
If you are not home a lot, or intend not to be in the future, you might want to consider getting two animals so they are companions to each other. Dogs are probably best for this as cats don't always share nicely.
pet goat "OMG its a f**king llama"
Cats are much more self sufficient, bury their own poo and nees less looking after. You don't get as much back from them as dogs though.
Golden retrievers are fantastic with kids, a really gentle breed. We have two and our kids were only little when we got the first. The only downsides are the constant hair shedding (lots of vacumming) and of course the poop scoop which is an issue with all dogs.
To summarise many of the longer posts above:
We won't say both, we say none.Too young if it really is for a 5 year old.
I actually think something like a duck or chicken or quails is a good idea if your backyard is safe from feral cats and stuff. Self sufficient if ignored for a period but still can be interactive (well only because they know you feed them but still …)
If your kid wants a cat or dog, save money and point them to this thread. Plenty of cattiness and bitching here.
But seriously. Assuming you're not going to get a pet for a month, realize it's work and surrender it, I will go for a dog every time.
Breed and temperament matter. (Some people get upset if you say breed matters, because the dog they love is a breed that has a reputation. I say tough). If you're getting one from a shelter, make sure it doesn't have an aggressive nature. Spend a couple of hours at the shelter. If you're getting a puppy spend a few months reading and learning about dogs if you haven't had one. Even then realize you should never leave your 5 year old with an animal unsupervised. Mine are 9 and 7 and I still make sure there's an adult in the room, and probably will till about age 12. My dogs aren't aggressive but they still do get excitable and you just never know.
Don't buy a pet for a 5 year old. Buy one for you. You will be the one caring for it and if a dog you will be the pack leader. Cats don't give a shit either way.
Hi OP, I have just read the responses in this thread. I grew up with both a dog and a cat of our own. I may have some alternative views/perspective. My thoughts are as follows:
As you may have gathered already, dogs and cats have very different upkeeps and styles of companionship. You don't want to get a certain species because everyone said so. Determine if you have the financial means and/or time to look after them during your daughter's early years.
While many others have suggested a rescue dog, I strongly recommend that if you decide to get a dog, let it be a puppy. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks and it will most likely come with some headaches. If your daughter is 5, and the dog is fairly mature already, then your daughter may potentially experience 'death' at a very early age. A puppy that is well-cared for will live well into your daughter's adulthood 18+ where her mind is mature.
I strongly recommend that you assess your own personality and your daughter's. Ask yourself which one you prefer given what the others have covered in this thread, and what your daughter would likely prefer. Children at this age can be molded, and having a dog or a cat will teach a child a lot of different personality traits. Be mindful which one you end up choosing!
In dogs especially, they also vary greatly in personality. Be sure to do some research on this too. Find one that suits your family. Particularly consider the amount of attention, exercise, upkeep it most likely needs.
Whichever one you choose, I am sure you will make the right choice, all the best!
thanks bro.
An iPad with Nintendo dogs.
I would get them a kitten and that way the cat can grow up with the kid and become a real family member who will prob end up loving sitting on your/their lap, or next to you while you watch TV or sleep at the end of your kids bed at night :) They are also very easy to take care of bar first few weeks when it is just learning it's surroundings and you but lots of fun from them on especially when they are small they have so much energy
I've had the same dilemma. I ended up with 2 rats.
Couldn't be happier. They are now potty trained and play with my 3yo and my 6yo every day. Absolutely love them. Great personalities.
Its great growing up with a dog, you're kid will love it. However it won't be your kid's dog. Just by the nature of how dogs are, it will see the father of the family as the master, and it will most likely try to one-up your kid in the social hierachy, and try to establish dominance, unless trained well and you've let the dog know where it really stands in the family.
I don't like the idea of giving a dog to a child, because it never really is that way. If you get a dog, it will usually be the most "dominant" male's dog.
Besides all that, its a no brainer. You should get a dog for sure :) That's if you're willing to be the master.
- A lot more companionship. Very loving.
- Very playful. Pick the right breed and your dog and son can have a lot of fun together. Kids don't play much with cats like they can do with dogs.
- easy to keep outside or inside without worry. I know with cats, if you let them outside, they will roam the suburb and the neighbours will be feeding the cat without you knowing.
I've had experience with cats and dogs, and I much prefer dogs. I hope this helped!
Dog.. Cats can carry harmful bacteria.
Cats aren't really pets, they're more like a roommate who you have to feed and clean. They'll do whatever they want, so that might be boring or uninteresting for the kid.
Dog would be best but be prepared to take care of it. Your kid won't. They never do. You have to do everything so make sure if you're getting a dog you want a dog. Don't get a dog just for your kid.
Nintendogs.
i gave my kid another kid to play with
Growing up I had a dogs and a cats. I’ll never own a cat again if it’s my choice. I love every dog I had but all the cats In my life I had no connection with them.
I'll second that
If you're going to get a dog, make it a Staffy. They're cheeky little shits, but they are the most loveable dogs in the world. Plenty of rescue operations out there that will love to rehome a dog.
Our cat growing up was the best ever! Definitely vote CAT!
Get a COZMO !
I never had a pet goring up. I have a son dou…lol…I think a dog is more suitable specially for children, we have 2 dogs now a small hunting dog and a big Rottweiler and he is loving them!Even the Rotti has a blast with him!
go to a rescue/rspca and let your kid decide - or better yet, maybe the dog or cat will choose you :)
ETA: i've wanted a cat ever since i was a little kid (i'm in my 30's now) and when i finally got one (only 2 years ago) i wept with joy. the best part is that my cat chose to engage with me and we've been so happy ever since :)