cat or dog? For the ladies that have children and pets, is a puppy or kitten a better choice? After learning the truth…

I have a dog that I got when she was a puppy. Puppies that still need housebroken & trained are ALOT of work. I honestly wouldn't want to house break a new puppy if I had new carpet, just my opinion.

I think cats are much easier to train, most of the time you just sit a cat or kitten in a litterbox, make sure you keep it real clean & they keep going back there out of instinct. As for the cat not tearing up furniture & stuff they have all sorts of scratching posts & things that you can give them & it really helps to deter them from trying to sharpen their nails on your furniture.

I've got 2 cats with health problems and one senior dog. There are pros and cons to both. My dog is just a little terrier mix and he will take food from my 4 year old sometimes. The cats are not a problem at all, the litter box takes a 1 minute to clean, if that. My daughters cat is friendliest with the kids and has crystals in his urine so we sometimes have to give him a prescription diet. Not a big deal. My cat has a bad heart and requires medication twice daily. Takes 15 seconds to get the pills out and put them in his mouth. I have had cats and dogs my whole life and car if for them is easy peasy. Dogs are more high maintenance than cats especially some dog breeds. I would probably get a cat before I got a dog.

Both are major pains. Mil dog has never been around any children til our son was born. We live with them. He gets to stressed easily. Wants to lay on ds and steals food and the backyard constantly needs to be cleaned before ds can go out. Mils cat hates children and no one can walk by without being hissed at. Our cats (we have 2) will let ds play by them, hug them and lay on them and have never tried to bite or scratch ds. If you raise the animal around kids and with dogs find a good breed, They will be fine with kids. Just learn their stressors. But always watch them interact to know when to separate them. Some animals won't walk away when they get upset or mad.

We've had both. Cats are easier because you can leave them for a weekend with food and water and they are good to go. You always need to find someone to watch a dog or take them to be boarded if you leave somewhere. Yes you have to clean a litter box but with dogs, you shouldn't leave poop in your yard so someone has to clean that up too.

That being said, I've always preferred dogs because they are more social than any cat I've ever had. I love my cats but the bond with a dog is just different.

I have 2 dogs. One is a mutt (Lab/pitt mix) and he is awesome with the kids. He has a great temperament. He has always adapted when we have brought over any new pets (cat, turtle, rabbit, dog). He is great with the children. Ive had him as a puppy. He was abandoned at 6 weeks old. The only bad thing about him isbthat jes getting up there in age. He is 13 years old and an outside dog.

The other dog I dislike. My sister got a full breed German Shepherd and that dog has been horrible. Its not her fault but everyone else who wanted another dog (in the house). They dont have time to walk her and play with her every day. She has destroyed our clothes, yard, toys, etc. Shes still a puppy and she just turned 1. She has chased and knocked down my son and she knocked me down. I'm 5'10" tall and overweight. She is as tall as me when she is standing on her hind legs. On the plus side she is very smart. Its funny to see her play dead or drag herself on command.

Ive had a cat (outdoors) and they were very low maintenance. My first cat was a stray and I took her in. She was so smart. She learned that when I would whistle for the dogs to come I would pet them and give them attention so she started responding to my whistle too. She was great with the kids. Sadly someone stole her.

If you get a dog please do your research and consider how much time you have to spend with it. Some require more physical activities than others. Some breeds are great with kids and others are not too fond of them.

Good luck.

We have a kitten and an older cat, our kitten snuggles up with our 9 month old daughter, they're best friends. Our older cat isn't bothered by her, he doesn't interact with her much just tends to stay out the way lol. But he's never been aggressive towards her or anyone else.

Let me just start off by saying cats sucks because u have to clean their nasty litter boxes. So u are their slaves to it everyday. And when they get older it sucks. We have three old cats and one with diabetes. I have had cats almost my whole life and let me say I can't wait to have a break forever from cleaning up after them and their poop box. Now when baby starts walking I'm gonna have to make sure he does not go digging through the litter box. And oh yeah the amounts of sweeping of litter everyday is killing me. I want a dog so bad. And yes never declaw a cat. It's horrible pain for them and it's just altogether crule. You could always adopt a cat who has been declared already.

I had dogs as a kid, but really prefer cats. That said, my 3 cats all have totally different personalities and all respond differently to my nephew when he's here (he's almost 2 now).

My shy cat loved my nephew and would snuggle him while he ate until he was big enough to crawl. Now she hides from him.

My pushy smart a** cat has always tolerated Bryson but makes his boundaries very clear. Will swat my nephew or nip at him if Bryson smacks him or pulls his fur, but never any claws out or marks left, and always an audible warning first.

Our laid back cat just moves out of Bryson's grab range.

All in all, my cats have been good with him from the time he was itty bitty. No major issues.

Cats are buttholes. Even the nice ones. Lol. I have 3 dogs though. So I'm biased. Dogs are definitely more protective and better companions, but cats are more self sustainable and you don't hafta train them to do anything. Lol. Whatever you think you'll have time for. If I didn't already have dogs I wouldn't get a puppy I'd adopt a 2 year or older pitbull from a shelter. No puppy stage and a child lol

Cats are much easier IMO. I've had both, recently lost both my dogs and a cat (they were all old) and I've since adopted an older cat from our humane society.

A cat is more independent, set up a litter box, some food and water and they are pretty content.

A dog on the other hand needs to be trained much more, exercised, possibly groomed, and requires much more attention.

Something also to consider is if you travel, will you be able to board a dog? A cat is easy because a friend or family member can stop in and feed them as easily as picking up your mail. But a dog would need to be let out several times a day, and might destroy your house while you're gone, unless you crate them, which doesn't work for some dogs.

You could get a bird or a rabbit ;D.

Depends on the breed & temperament. We have 3 large dogs, 2 cats & 2 kids. 2 of the dogs are great with them (1 was a pup when our youngest was 1 & was incredibly easy to train) but the other dog i dont completely trust with them. They know not to tick her off, but you never know. The cats are great with the kids too, but can get grumpy if bothered. Cat scratches arent much fun & can happen even if the kids are just playing with the cats...

Totally depends on the kids & the animal in question. Sorry!

I have both and think either is a good choice. Personally, I love my cats though ?

I have both. None of my animals are aggressive but they've all caused some damage to my house/furniture as young babes.

For me personally; puppies are A LOT of work and like babies; add stress to the house for the first while. Training is time consuming. Cats are much more independent.

Cats are much lower maintenance than dogs. Dogs are a lot more interactive for little people.

What is your budget for a pet?

we have both, i got a blue nose, & a cat who gave birth about a week ago. lol. my daughter loves chasing the cat in her walker.

Any animal will be an inconvenience. Both will ruin your stuff at first and will do so more and more if you don't train them properly and for puppies, exercise them. Both are huge commitments. I love my dogs and am more of a dog person so personally that's what I would choose.

I'm not trying to sound mean, but don't get any pet if you are overly concerned about carpet, furniture, etc. All pets can have accidents, no matter how well trained. They shed & you will need to clean more. As for dogs, please research & find a breed that will fit well with your family lifestyle. Nothing worse than when people get a breed & then get upset at the dog for doing what it's true instincts are. We have a cat & dog. Having just our cat was way easier. We love our dog, but it can be a lifestyle change. Now when we go on vacation, we have to factor in the dog. Who will watch her? Will we take her? What hotels/rental houses will accept dogs? We can't be away from the house more than 12 hours(if our dog is home). We love her to death. I'm glad we got a dog after having our son. They play together, it's so cute.

Adopting a dog is so rewarding ?. Lots of amazing dogs out there that need homes. Most already house trained & leash trained. Good luck!

Both have ups and downs.

Cats are low maintenance, but are little sh*ts a lot of the time and could do harm to baby without you realising.

Dogs are high maintenance, generally quite friendly (if you get a good temperament), but can do much worse harm to baby than cat.

I prefer dogs personally, but I've never not had a dog.

For me dogs. They are more tolerant and patient I think.

My mom had both dogs and cats when we were kids, and I've had dogs with my kids but not a fan of cats.

My dd can cuddle and lay on our dog, but I don't think a cat would be so pleased about it. The one time she's been in close contact with a cat (it was a family member who we are not close to) she got scratched on her face.

Thank you. I'm hoping to eventually have both. I loved having animals growing up and hoping my lo will too.

I say dogs because I'm a dog person (I have 4 inside dogs) potty training is very easy if you have a sehudale that you go by regularly. You just have to remember that puppies have to go out very often the 1 rule is for every month they are is when they need to go out. So say your puppy is 8 weeks old then they have to potty every 2 hours but sometimes before then especially after eating or drinking. As for a good breed I'm a pitbull advocate as I feel they are the best breed but they aren't for everybody. I would research like crazy to find a dog that fits your family.