Pets, Kids and Families

I had pets all my life as a child- cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, chickens, etc... As an adult though I have lived in apts where we couldn't have any, until now. We just got a kitten about a week ago. After watching my parents cats with my kids and their attitudes (they aren't used to having kids around and are like intolerant old fart mean cats), I decided that we'd rather get a kitten with the hopes that the cat and the kids will grow together, and accept one another. I am also a firm believer that once you get a pet they become a part of your family. I don't want to take in a pet that we won't be able to handle and keep passing it from one family to another. DH wanted to get a dog rather than a cat. But I also believe (OK not everyone will agree with me) that certain breeds are more dependable around kids than others. I would want a Golden Retriever because I love their disposition, but DH wants breeds that I am not ok with having around my young children. Plus, I don't have time and energy to keep up with a puppy right now. So given the needs of the cat vs. the needs of a dog, we went for the cat. You would think we got the cat just for DH He comes home from work and asks where is his cat? It's so sweet to watch the 15 month old baby just sit and watch the kitty in its bed. We are having to watch carefully with both the baby and the 3 yo, to make sure that they are gentle enough. The cat has been squeezed a little more than he'd like and petted a little hard, but overall the girls are doing great with trying their best and learning how to handle him, and the kitty is doing great with putting up with the kids. The kids are always supervised also. Just like having another human member of the family, everyone has to make adjustments. Getting a pet can be a huge change and often people don't know what they're getting into. And having kids and pets together sort of increases the responsibility exponentially. You have to take a lot of care that the pet is good with the kids and that the kids are good with the pets. You have to give the same consideration with other pets already in the family. I think kids and pets can be a great combination. I don't personally think waiting until children are school aged is a great limitation for every family. If children grow from babies around animals, accepting them, respecting them, and always tought how to handle them, I think it just comes natural as they get older. I think it's better to decide if the parents are ready and prepared to make sure that everyone is tought to get along and to be there to physically see it through. Also, it is possible for a child to be the one who always does the caretaking of the pet, while the parent oversees and makes sure it is done correctly.