Need Sponge Bob Assessment
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive March 2004:
Need Sponge Bob Assessment
Okay, please don't think horrible thoughts about me, but I am VERY anti-pet. I do NOT like animals. I don't like to see them hurt or abused, but I rather wish they did not exist. I don't like fur, I don't like that they go to the bathroom and then sit on your floors with that particular 'bathroom part' uncovered by underwear and clothes. I hate visiting people with pets and when I get home I always pick the fur off of my clothes. I truly, truly, truly don't like to touch an animal or be in a house with one.
Well, of course, my almost eight year old daughter is wanting one. It's possible she'll wear me down. I do remember wanting a hamster and a cat when I was her age and even older. And I used to play with my friends' pets, too. But as an adult I really am very opposed to them. So, my question is....which would be the better pet for our home IF it were to happen? A guinea pig or a cat? I don't like the idea of water/food bowls on my kitchen floor, nor do I like the thought of a litter box who knows where in the house. But I tend to think of guinea pigs as 'rodents' even though I know they aren't. I know way more about cats and cats seem 'normal' and I know nothing about guinea pigs, altho a search here revealed the comforting thought that they EAT their poop. I'm already feeling sick. I just can't imagine an animal running around my house!! I'm very 'clean'. I'm not anal or germaphobic about it, but I can only handle human messes.
I'm sure you're all thinking I should NOT get a pet since I have such negative thoughts about them, but if you could still offer me your opinion about which would be better for someone as squeamish about animals as me.
Thank you, and all you animal lovers out there, please don't hate me!!
I'd get a cat. If they become an outdoor cat, they will barely use the litter box. If you do have a litter box they have disposable ones so you'd never have to clean it.
A guinea pig is a rodent and I can't stand rodents. It's like a big furry rat. Yuck. But you really don't seem to want one or like one so you probably shouldnt get one at all. Pets get sick and there will be messes to clean up, vomit, diahrea, etc. So if you don't want to deal with that, maybe your dd can volunteer at a shelter when she's a little older.
Sorry, I guess I totally screwed up the subject header, huh?? I am reposting this under the right header, so if you have a response, please put it under the right post and hopefully this one can be deleted. Thanks!!
Between a cat and a guinea pig, go for the cat. I love animals (I'm a die-hard dog person, myself), but I think guinea pigs are gross.(My sister has them, and I think they stink.) Cats are at least much cleaner. Get a short-haired cat though, so it doesn't shed as much. Hopefully, you'd fall in love with the little thing! Don't dwell on the gross stuff...personally I think kids are a lot worse than animals!lol
Outdoor cat. Guinea pigs would drive you nuts with the smell and the mess and the cage cleaning. Eeewwww!
I'm not a huge animal person, but I like cats okay. You can feed them outside and they can poop outside. The humane society and groups like that won't let you adopt if you intend on making the cat an outdoor cat, so just get a freebie from someone in the spring when there are so many kitties around.
Well, I think you should get a cat and name him "Sponge Bob."  First of all, I am a huge cat lover. I have never had a guinea pig, but have been researching them and have owned a rabbit briefly, which is not too different from a guinea pig. With guinea pigs there will be more of an odor around the cage (not all bad, but some urine and a definite hay smell) and you will have to do more hands-on cleaning with poop, pee, scrubbing out the cage weekly, etc.
Cats are really very clean animals and HATE to be dirty. Their bottoms are generally immaculate (they do lick them though, so you'll have to tolerate the sight of a leg hiked into the air and them licking their "parts") except for the occasional "dingleberry" on a long-haired cat or when they have diarrhea--then they need a little help cleaning themselves. FYI--my cat is 12 years old and has only had diarrhea twice ever. Cats instinctively litter box train, but they do occasionally throw up hairballs. Yet, another reason a short haired cat would be better for you. I am VERY opposed to outdoor cats. It shortens their lifespan considerably, plus they are more likely to bring home things like fleas and ticks, in addition to "gifts" for you like mice and birds. A male would probably be better too, since you won't have to worry about it's first heat (a messy event from my understanding, but we've always had male pets)---either way make sure you get a cat spayed or neutered. If you do have an indoor cat then you will want to think about whether or not to have it declawed. You can find previous posts on the subject of declawing, plus now that I've opened the can of worms I'm sure it will be remarked on here. Anyway, our past 2 cats have been declawed because we couldn't get them just to use the scratching post no matter what we tried. My cats have suffered no life-changing trauma and they still "sharpen their claws" even though they don't have them. They could still easily jump onto and off of things as well with no pain. I had the declawing done at the same time as the neutering.
I'm just the opposite though about my pet logic. I think how cool it is that we cohabitate with our furry sons who are just extensions of our family. Keep us posted on what you decide.
P.S. My parents have 3 cats and have a sign in their house that says, "At our house cat hair is considered a condiment." LOL Thought that would really gross you out!
We have 4 cats and 2 dogs.
The dogs (or rather one in particular) sheds more than the cats. Only one cat really sheds a lot and strangely enough he is a short haired cat so it may depend on breed.
I love tom cats (male cats) in particular because I grew up in the country and we always had strays who ended up as ours and they were always male.
Be aware if you have male outdoor cats regardless if they are fixed (all my animals are fixed) they will fight. I have patched up my cats many times. It seems after a few years they settle down and stop roaming and fighting. My cats (all getting old now) can be found cuddled in many places in our house. They do go outside to go potty but come right back in.
Cats clean themselves throughout the day. Dogs pretty much need a bath when they get too dirty.
I think cats are easier pets and certainly would take one over any rodent. We were considering a rodent not too long ago but every time we went to the pet store I couldn't make myself bring one home. There was a distinct smell. My cats do not smell.
Good luck in your decision.
Yvonne
If you really want a no-shed, no-mess pet, you could get fish. Just kidding I've never had a guinea pig, so my vote goes for a cat. Everyone has already listed the good points and I don't think I could add anything else. Be careful, though. My Dh reluctantly agreed to let our 12 yr old get a cat and he is now her favorite person. 
If you want to talk rodents, my sister had 2 rats as pets. She would sing their praises everytime the subject came up. Me, I'll stick to cats and dogs.
We have a cat. He is so sweet. He is an inside kitty that goes outside to potty. I refuse to have a litter box in the house. He is very clean and we've had no problems with him.
My mother in law has 22 indoor cats. How does THAT grab you?? No, I don't visit much.
Thanks for all the advice. I am severely regretting my lapse in judgement by entertaining the idea at all. My daughter now has hope. What do you mean cats can get diarrhea or throw up hairballs??? I know bald cats exist....
We have a walking, oinking, tail wagging, nose snuffling, non shedding, non smelling battery operated pig. Apparently it's lacking as a pet. Sigh.
Now someone else on one of my other accidental multiple posts on this topic said that her cats sprayed the house with urine!! Why oh why couldn't my kids be allergic to fur???
Again, thanks for all the help. Feel free to add to it as I know the subject isn't closed here at our house. It'll start right back up again tomorrow morning.
I actually think that the fish idea is a good one. You could also do a hermit crab.
We had guinea pigs, and they were great! They can even live in cages outside, if the weather's ok. They were such friendly little things, and weren't at all hard to look after. They don't stink like hamsters, and don't have to be cleaned quite as often. It's funny, a friend and I were just talking about how much we loved them. We only got rid of ours because DH was allergic to their fur.
We have 2 dogs, and they are family members.
No cats for me.
Given the way you feel about pets, I suggest you tell your daughter what I told my sons about some things - Look, this is one of my idiosyncracies and you are just going to have to live with it until you are in your own home and self-supporting.
Can't stand Spongebob. Love dogs and very much like cats. Would not have a pet I couldn't pick up and cuddle, so that eliminates fish and birds. Also not too thrilled about pets that have to be in cages, though I had hamsters as a child and white mice for one of my sons. Presently we have my son's dog (which sheds a whole, whole lot) his cat (which doesn't shed much). He takes care of the whole feeding, walking, box cleaning, brushing AND vacuuming stuff, unless he is away (as he was, in the hospital in December, and once or twice a month overnight). He also has a snake, a bunch of "white mice" (lab rats actually, but mice sounds nicer to me) and a huge ugly frog. The latter animals live in his quarters upstairs so the only time I see them is when I have to feed them, as when he was in the hospital. The dog is a joy, and the cat is nicely behaved.
If you lose this battle - and I don't know how I'd bet on it - I suggest a smallish very short-haired dog. The dog can be walked, which eliminates box cleaning. The food dish should only be down at feeding times - dogs don't need to "graze" the way cats do - so you only have the water dish to deal with. Short haired dogs do shed, but not a lot.
Oh, and no matter what your daughter says, no matter how much she promises - guess who will be the caregiver for any animal? Not dd, you can bet on that. So if you do finally give in, make it an animal you can tolerate taking care of. Dogs can be put into the back yard for their business. I don't recommend letting cats out, because they pick up diseases, get into battles and have to be taken to the vet for their war wounds, pick up fleas, etc. Yes, dogs pick up fleas too. So if you get an animal that is outside for any period of time (anything over 3 minutes) you have to do flea treatments - usually drops on the back of the neck once a month as a preventative. Dogs also need heartworm medication monthly. Dogs and cats need annual checkups, vaccinations, teeth cleaning; and almost any pet animal will wind up at the vet at some point.
I don't think badly of you for not being a "pet person". I think well of you for knowing yourself well enough and being comfortable enough with yourself and us to post this in the first place.
When I say small dog, I mean something a little larger than a chihuahua or toy poodle - really little dogs are often yappers. I am thinking more of the beagle, small bull dog, miniature pinscher (though they may be yappy, but they are gorgeous), shi tzu (the Chinese dog with all the wrinkles) and dogs in that general size range.
Well, I posted a few weeks ago asking about guinnea pigs. Ds was begging for a dog and for several reasons dh and I really didn't want to get one. Well, we were considering a guinnea pig. My neighbor has one so ds went over to check them out. He asked lots of questions and after hearing how much work they were he decided he didn't want one. He said the thought of cleaning out the poop in the cage grossed him out. LOL. Sooooo, we got fish. We got two guppies and ds loves them. They swim together and go nuts when he feeds them. My parents found a really neat small tank. It is by national geographic and actually looks like the sea. It has a pump, so it just has to be cleaned out every 4-6 weeks. My ds is just thrilled with them and I am thrilled to have a no mess pet.
Debbie, can you post some info on that tank?? Do you know where they got it? Any idea how much it is?
Kate, I really don't think you should have a pet, because of the very strong feelings you have against animals...I had the sweetest cat in the world, he was indoor/outdoor, short hair and all that, but he still shed somewhat and made a mess at his food bowl... I would hate for you to get one and then decide later you couldn't handle it and break your dd's heart by getting rid of it. I would say no rodents, either, because you are definitely going to have to deal with the smell and cleaning cages. Eight is pretty young...even a responsible eight year-old is not going to be able to be the one solely responsible. How about a hermit crab or a small lizard (like Lisa the Lizard! ) But I think you'd better just not do this, IMO. And I want to tell you I don't think you're awful...I actually admire your honesty about this situation, which is why I think you need to be true to yourself in this situation.
Kate, I don't know where they got it, but I can call my mom tonight and ask. I want to say it is just a gallon tank. It holds 2 fish the size of guppies/goldfish or 6 smaller 1/2 inch fish. The guppies are a lot of fun to watch. They seem to have much more of a personality then most fish. I will let you know after I talk to my Mom. I will ask her how much and where they got it.
Thanks again everyone! It's been so helpful hearing everyone's experiences and suggestions. Keep them coming if you have them!
Debbie, I can't wait to hear about the fish tank! Thanks!
Okay, my husband is even less enthused than I am. He suggested a PLANT. He grew up on farm surrounded by animals. Guess he's been there done that a bit too much.
Kate, the more I think about it, I am with Janet. Especially now if your dh isn't crazy about the idea either. I know you don't want to disappoint your children, but sometimes we just don't get everything we want. A pet is a huge amount of responsibility and no matter what your 8 year old says now, she won't stick with it! LOL We are huge animal lovers and have two big INDOOR dogs, but my kids rarely help and I do get tired of doing most of the stuff myself...the only saving grace is that they are like my other two kids.
Just funnel your daughter's love of pets towards reading about them, maybe let her volunteer at a shelter if they will let her. Let her offer to walk an elderly neighbor's pet.
I thought I responded to this earlier, but I see I must not have hit the post button! Oops!
We can't have furry friends in our house because of dh's allergies. But we have a 6 year old ds who really really wanted a pet. I thought about getting him a lizard until I read that they can carry salmonella. So instead we got hermit crabs! The boys can take them out and *play* with them. They don't smell. I only have to feed and water them every couple of days. I change the sand in their tank once every couple of months. If we go away for a weekend it's no problem because I don't have to feed them every day. And if we go away for longer, we just take them along with us. They are the easiest pet to own!
Kate, my mom said that she got the fish tank at Target. They have a big national geographic section now. I couldn't find it on-line though. She doesn't remember the price, but said it was resonable. You do have to buy the pump seperately. I think you can do the tank with or without a pump, but without the pump you have to change the water frequently, that is why they sent the pump with it.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Thanks Melanie! Thanks Debbie! I'll keep you all posted!
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