Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Is a Pet a Good Idea For Your Family?

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Is a pet a good idea for your family? Here are some questions to ask before venturing into pet ownership.Anytime my three year old sees a dog she either asks if she can have that one, or if we can get another dog to live with us. As a fellow animal lover, she comes by wanting it honestly but we simply cannot have a dog for a number of different reasons but this doesn’t stop her from asking.

A pet is a huge responsibility, especially a dog. One of the big reasons I wouldn’t bring a dog into our lives right now is because we have an incredibly stressed out cat who suffers from IBS and I’m sure the stress of any other animal in the house would be enough to set off her IBS bad enough that it kills her. It would be totally unfair for us to do that to her.

I’ve always had pets growing up, cats, fish, hamsters, birds and dogs. We were big into animals but now that I’m a homeowner, mother and pet caretaker I have a totally different perspective on animals and the responsibility that comes with it. We can’t even go away overnight without having our cat looked after since she’s on such a strict feeding schedule.

So many families take on the responsibility of a pet without thinking it through and it doesn’t always end well. There are a few things that need to be considered before you bring any pet into the picture, regardless of your family situation.

Can you afford it?

Pets are expensive. To properly care for an animal they, at the very least, need regular food and exams. Expect extras too, in our case it’s expensive prescription cat food and multiple vet visits per year. All of these expenses need to fit into our budget. The cost of owning a pet goes beyond simply paying the pet store or adoption agency the initial fee.

Does it work for your family lifestyle?

Even before we had kids a pet like a dog wouldn’t work for us. We’re not home enough and for an animal like a dog, which needs to be let out regularly and walked, we simply can’t do it. We also like to travel, even just to see family for a weekend, and a dog wouldn’t work. Consider your day-to-day schedule and see how owning a pet wold impact it. If you can’t make it work fairly for both you and animal it’s not a good time.

Who will care for the animal?

Another huge reason we won’t have a dog anytime soon is because my husband doesn’t have much interest in caring for one. He’s being fair and honest. I would hate for him to push me to have one leading me on to believe he’d help when I know it’s not something he’s interested in right now. With busy careers and a toddler running around I don’t want to be stuck doing everything myself which is precisely how it will be. For years my mom wouldn’t allow my sister to get a hamster because she knew very well she wouldn’t do stuff like clean it’s cage so until she proved herself she didn’t get one.

Pets take up more time and energy than I think most families realize. While I totally sympathize with wanting all things cute and fuzzy, unless you’re prepared to care for the pet on all fronts it may not be the best plan for your family. It can just lead to unnecessary stress.

Why Fish Are the Perfect Starter Pet for Children

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fish for petsIf you are looking for a first pet for your children that is easy to manage, but can still enthuse them, then you need to seriously think about investing in a Fish Tank and as many, or as few fish as you would like to put in it.

It’s fair to say that fish do get a bit of hard time when it comes to recognising them as ‘proper’ pets, but this really shouldn’t be the case. Granted, they perhaps aren’t as ‘hands on’ as a cat or a dog but what they may lack in physical interactivity they more than make up for in other areas, so what exactly makes them the perfect starter pet for a child?

A Wealth of Choice

Perhaps the best aspect is the choice you can offer your children when you involve them in the selection process. This can be both a great bonding experience, as well as simply an enjoyable family time when you choose the size of the tank, the accessories within it, and of course the fish themselves. Thanks to the huge variety offered by reliable retailers like All Pond Solutions you can essentially provide an entirely bespoke pet that you can’t otherwise get with different animals.

Hassle-free Care and Educational

Another benefit as a parent is you don’t have to worry about any allergy issues with your children, nor are there the dangers that come with the waste and mess you get with cats and dogs. If you have slightly older and more responsible children they can easily learn how to clean fish-tanks and feed their fish and you can use this as means for them to earn their pocket money and learn about responsibility.

Furthermore in regards to the educational element, if you invest in more exotic and unusual fish from different climes you can help your children learn about other cultures and the science behind why fish need the water a certain temperature.

Aesthetically Pleasing

The final advantages come from a design point of view; a fish tank can really add a fresh and interesting look to any room in your home, particularly when backlit. On top of this, a fish tank can have a calming and almost hypnotic effect that can help you and your children relax and unwind.

So there you have it, if you are looking for a first pet for your children, fish are the perfect choice for you.

Seeing The Emotional Side of Our Children

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Piglet

Photo by Soil-net.com

It has been a long week here. Hamilton the baby piglet has passed away due to a congenital problem. I received the phone call the other morning from my future son-in-law that something was wrong with “Hammy”. I jumped up and got dressed and my daughter was at work. We decided not to tell her right away because there was no need to upset her if it wasn’t serious.

The vet checked Hammy out and ran tests but sent us home to wait for the results. We told my daughter. Hammy was not getting better so we called the vet back and brought him back in. By the time he was rushed back the vet said to get him to Tufts Animal Hospital right away.

Death of a pet

To make a long story short I was home with my family and my daughter called me hysterical. Hamilton had passed away in her arms 15 minutes from the hospital. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help my daughter feel better. They went to the hospital because Kay had to know what happened and they told her it looked liked something he had been born with. They took Hammy home and asked if I wanted to be there for the burial. As you all know I helped raise him and I had to be there for the kids.

We are all still heartbroken. My daughter and her fiancé are still grieving. I received a phone call that night and this is exactly what was said to me, “Mom, I feel as though I have lost a baby and it shouldn’t hurt this bad.” My heart was so heavy and I was so frustrated because there was not ONE thing I could say to make her feel better.

Even her brothers ages 13 and 10 years were grieving. My 13-year-old son walked off on his own and just stared out at the river. He couldn’t deal with his sister and her fiancé actually crying. My 10-year-old son stayed close but I could tell he didn’t know what to do. He wanted so much to say something but had no clue what words to use.

When we left my daughters house and returned home we still needed to have dinner. My boys told me that they would give all of their money to K and C to help pay for the doctors for Hammy. My heart lurched again.

I have now learned that there are times when we will really have to watch our children hurt right from the core of their beings. And that there is nothing we can do to stop it but give them love and space.

Being a parent is so much work but seeing the love in my kids does make me so proud. RIP Hamilton, you will certainly always be in our hearts.

Have you ever experienced the death of a pet with children around?

The Nitty Gritty of Cat Litter

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Sel-cleaning litter box with cat litterOkay, I know it’s not the most glamorous topic in the world, but it is important if you have a cat or are thinking of getting one. I adopted my very first cat less than 15 years ago. Before that time, I had decided that “I wasn’t a cat person.” I love all animals great and small but that doesn’t mean I want to own all of them.

Then – into my life – walked a cute little gray and white kitten, who I named Sadie. I was hooked. Two years later, I ended up adopting a precocious black kitten who I named Ozzie — aka The Million Dollar Cat. Now, I am a bona fide cat expert!

Well, maybe not quite but I do know a lot about cat litter. Not only have my cats tested just about every kind of cat litter there is — I also worked in the pet industry for two years. Because of this, what I lack in personal experience – I learned through the experiences of others.

How hard can it be to pick a cat littler anyway?

Here are some of the main types of cat litter. There is clay litter, clumping litter, corn, newspaper, pine, wheat, crystal, scented, unscented, natural (and not so natural), heavy and light weight. The main things people want to know are; which one lasts the longest, hides the odor and it the most eco-friendly? There are really so many things to consider. Who knew? I will explain some of the pros and cons of each and then reveal my MOST favorite cat littler in the whole world!!! 🙂

Clay Litter

Clay litter is probably the cheapest option, but it is heavy and doesn’t clump. This means it may need to have a complete litter change more often to prevent bacteria and odor. Clay litter may contain some chemicals to supress the odor. It also emits a lot of dust.

Found on Amazon.com

Clumping Litter

This can be made of any number of materials but essentually it clumps so it is easy to dispose of liquid waste. Most of these can help to supress odor and come in scented and unscented versions. The clumping clay litter still emits quite a bit of dust though.

Found on Amazon.com

Natural fiber litter

Corn, wood, newspaper, wheat, etc are biodigradable and most are natrual. You’ll have to check the pacakging. Some may be scented and some may contain chemicals for clumping purposes. I have used the corn, wood and newspaper varieties and the corn was my favorite for odor control. The pine litter I tried smelled great when I first put it in the box but it soaked up the liquid waste and got funky fast. Now, they offer a clumping version which I have not tried. I imagine it works much like the corn.

Found on Amazon.com

Crystal litter

Crystal litter has become popular in recent years. I have never tried it but people who have seem to like it. Many of them use it in their automatic litter boxes because it doesn’t get stuck in the tongs like some of the other litters can.

Found on Amazon.com

Scented or unscented?

This is up to you. Ozzie developed an allergy to one of the scented clumping litters I used when when he was a kitten. Sadie never had any problems but Ozzie’s paws got chapped and even started bleeding. It was horrible. That’s when I switched to an unscented version that the vet recommended. If your cat is prone to upper respiratory infections you should choose a low dust unscented cat litter.

Now for my VERY favorite cat litter! I absolutely adore this brand for many reasons…

Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Clumping Litter

This wondrous litter is made using corn cobs and baking soda. It contains a light fresh scent which I love and luckily, Ozzie’s paws haven’t had an adverse reaction to it. I tried another corn litter before but the fine particles stuck to my cat’s paws leaving dusting cat prints all over the house.

If you have a cat I highly recommend this litter. They aren’t even paying me to say that — but they should!!! 🙂

Found Amazon.com

Of course, not all litters work for all cats and owners, if your cat is having issues using their litter box, it is best to consult the vet. Cats are really good about going in their boxes, so if they suddenly stop doing that — it may be the sign of a bigger issue.

TIP: When switching litters, it is best to mix a little of the new in with the old and slowly make the transition. Cats can be finicky and if you totally switch it might throw them off and they may refuse to use the box all together.

If you have any questions or suggestions of your own — I would love to hear them.

Do you have cats? Why type of litter do you use?

Warning: When Explaining Things to Children; Think Before You Speak

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When our betta fish dies, I had to explain it to my kids

Photo from DeviantArt

When our Betta fish – Nemo – died, I wasn’t really sure how to explain it to my then, 2 year old twins. While we were out, he had jumped from his bowl and plunged to his death. I was shocked and sad — but most of all I was afraid the boys would be inconsolable. They really loved that fish.

What to tell your children when a pet dies

They saw my shock (yes — I know it was a fish, but I love all my pets) and started to ask what happened to Nemo. The first thing I blurted out was, “Nemo must have gone home to visit his Mommy and Daddy.” At this point my husband looked at me and said something like, “Just tell them what happened.” I don’t like lying to my kids — but I felt like telling them the truth would steal some of their innocence. I knew he was right, so I had to retract my story, and tell them that Nemo had indeed died.

Of course, they didn’t know exactly what this meant so I said, “Nemo went to Heaven.” One of their grandfathers past away shortly after their 1st birthday.  We have always talked about their Papa being in Heaven with Jesus, so I knew they would sort of understand what I meant by that.

I remembered seeing a Cosby Show episode where Rudy’s goldfish died. The family gathered around the toilet, said some nice words and flushed it. That seemed like it might be a good idea. We took our sweet Nemo into the bathroom, said some nice words, told him good-bye and flushed him down the toilet. Before the lid even shut A. turned to me and said, “Can we get another Nemo?” That made me wonder why I had even bothered with my story in the first place. Lesson learned.

We did get another Betta, his name was James. Yes — I said was. He lived about a year and then passed away. I told the boys straight up what happened; he died, he’s in Heaven with Nemo and all of that. I flushed him on my own, since it seems as though I’m the only one in the family who cares when our fish die. In case you are wondering –  we did get a new Betta – his name is Firefish Sam.

All poop goes to heaven

So anyway — last summer I began potty training the boys. They were doing pretty well and N. was really getting the hang of pooping in the potty. One day – as I was emptying out his potty chair into the toilet – he turns to me and in all seriousness says “My poop go to Heaven with Nemo and James and Papa?”

Uh Oh! What had I done? Since that time, I have had to explain over and over that the toilet is not the gateway into Heaven. However, I’m not sure if they completely believe me.

It was funny. It totally caught me off guard. It made me realize just how important it is to think about what I am saying, before I attempt to explain things to the boys.

Oh – and when Firefish Sam dies – he’ll be buried; not flushed.

How have you explained death to your children?

Teaching Responsibility-Your Children Will Surprise You

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Spiderman and responsibilityWe all want our children to grow up to be responsible adults. We spend time nurturing and teaching and guiding so that we can form or mold them into responsible citizens. And when we look at how well they are doing we breath a sigh of relief. Parenting is not easy, there are no books and we learn as we go.

An event took place over the weekend that has made me realize just how responsible children can be. My daughter and her fiancée decided to get their first pet. This pet is a mini potbellied piglet. Because their home is not ready they asked me to help and “pig sit”. What wasn’t planned is that the piglets in the litter were pulled from mom too early and sent to a person who was the middleman.

Being the responsible grandmother that I intended to be in the piglet world I went with the kids to pick up the “baby”. Okay, can anyone guess what happens next? Long story short we have twins. And being dehydrated they need constant care.

Teaching my children to care for baby pets

I have learned that two boys ages 13 and 10 can be excellent caregivers. If piglets can get these boys up at 5am to help bottle-feed then I should have done this long ago! I have also learned that my daughter and her fiancée are going to be excellent parents to human children someday. Kids, if you are reading this please hold off on the human grandbabies until I recoup from piglets.

Teaching our children is not always easy. We have the usual homework battles as well as the getting up for school issues. We certainly are not the Brady Bunch. But watching my family care and nurture the piglets has made me realize just how far these children we have raised have come. Will they turn out to be responsible adults? I hope they will!

We as parents tend to get caught up in the everyday tasks of life. We are often so busy that we don’t take time to actually stop and see just how our efforts pay off.

Even before having children of our own we hear and read just how hard parenting can be. Truth is, the experts are right, it is tough and overwhelming at times. There is something the experts can’t show or tell us though. They can’t make our hearts swell with pride anywhere near as well as our children can!

So parents give yourself a pat on the back….we continue the tough job but we manage to get the job done with great rewards.

Do you have pets? How have you gotten your children to help care for them?

Our New Baby Dinosaur Pet

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Our gecko is pretending to be a baby dinosaur

Found on DeviantArt

Well we have a new pet in the Welch household.   I got to work on Friday and one of my employees had something to show me.  Somehow, he managed to spot this tiny little 1″ lizard sitting on the concrete floor of our warehouse.  I am amazed that he was able to spot it as it’s just a baby and very very tiny.  I don’t know how it got into our warehouse, whether it came in from the outside or hitched a ride on one of the packages that arrived is a mystery but there he was.  He asked me if I wanted it to give it to my two boys and I jumped at the chance.

A gecko pretending to be a dinosaur

My oldest son, Harrison, is in full Dinosaur mode.  He loves them and can’t get enough.  If he isn’t watching Dinosaurs on TV, he is drawing them, asking us to read books about them or playing with his toy dinosaurs.  So, I lied and told him this little baby gecko is his very own baby dinosaur.  I think he knows it’s not, he knows dinosaurs are extinct and this is just a baby lizard but I don’t know for sure.  Half the time he talks about it he refers to it as a lizard but it’s those times when he pretends it’s a dinosaur that are the most fun.  Much to this tiny little baby lizards horror, Harrison was marching around the room where we have the lizards new home, roaring and trying to teach the lizard how to be a proper dinosaur.  He feels it’s his job to teach it since it doesn’t have a mommy or daddy.  Probably not the best way to acclimate this baby lizard to it’s new surroundings but it was too cute to stop right away.

Before bringing it home, I took it to the local Petco and found someone that sounded like they knew what they were talking about.  He said it’s a gecko but wasn’t sure what type of gecko it is.  He got me hooked up with the basic supplies needed to take care of it and was quite helpful.  For food, he gave me a container of live wingless fruit flies and told me to shake a few in each day.  We set the little guy up with a nice home with sand, places to hide, water and put in a few flies.  So far, all of the flies seemed to have crawled into the water dish and died.  It doesn’t look like he has eaten any and we have had him for 3 days.  It’s making me a little nervous since the kids will be crushed if their baby dinosaur dies this quickly.  Most of the info I found online concurs with what the Petco employee told me so I am just going to wait and hope that when he is hungry or thirsty enough, he will eat and drink.

My wife hates reptiles, especially snakes, so I wasn’t sure how she would take it but when she saw how tiny it was, her heart melted for the little thing.   I think she has shown more interest in it than me.

All in all, we are happy with our new addition, we have been petless since we had to put our Bulldog down a year ago and the kids have been asking for a new pet.  We are so busy and our house is so small we decided to wait a few years before getting another pet but this baby gecko is a good compromise, doesn’t take up much room and seems pretty easy to care for.

If any of you out there know anything about lizards and can tell me what type of gecko it is, I would greatly appreciate it!

Do you have any reptiles? Any care tips you can share?

How to Choose the Perfect Pet for Your Family

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The old hound

Image on DeviantArt

Choosing the right pet for your family can be a tough decision and it should never be taken lightly. It’s not like going out to buy a sweater, or even a car; this is a commitment to take care of another living creature for the rest of its life. When you bring home a pet – you are making a promise – to provide it with whatever it needs to live a full, happy, and healthy life. You need to do a lot of research, ask yourselves some important questions, and really search your hearts to decide which pet is right for your family.

Here are just a few of the questions you should start to ask yourself – and your family – as you begin the search for your newest family member:

  • Why do we want a pet?
  • Who will take care of it?
  • Do we want a pet that will require a lot love and attention?
  • How will the pet impact our family life (traveling, cost, time)?
  • Do you have space for the pet?
  • Can you and will you provide everything your pet needs? They depend on you for almost everything.

There are so many types of pets available to suit just about anyone’s lifestyle. Let’s examine some of these, based on how much maintenance and care they require.

Low Maintenence Pets

These pets are perfect for a first time pet family. They will require minimal care. They aren’t the snuggly cuddly type of pet that will want to be touched or played with a lot. You can love them, you can care about them, but the less you mess with them, the happier they will be. Some examples of a low maintenance pets are:

  • Fish
  • Lizards
  • Hermit Crabs
  • Snakes

Remember, low maintenance, does not mean — no maintenance!!! You still have to care for these pets and provide them with the best environment possible, so they will thrive.

Medium maintenance pets

These pets require a little more maintenance as far as their care is concerned. Generally, you’ll want to dedicate around 30 minutes to cleaning and feeding them each day. Even though there isn’t a lot of care that goes into these pets, most of them still need your attention and most importantly your love. The more love you give them, the more they will love you back, and enrich your lives.

  • Cats
  • Small birds
  • Small animals (hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, guinea pigs, etc.)
  • Rabbits

High maintenance pets

Dogs are a high maintenance pet but to their owners, they are worth every single second of it. Dogs have many requirements and you have to be particularly diligent in educating yourselves, to find the breed (or mixed breed) that is right for your family. Far too many dogs end up in shelters or worse, because people don’t take the time to find out if they are capable of such a responsibility.

Some dogs are small and do well in small spaces, other dogs need to do a lot of running and some are happiest when they are working. You have to keep in mind how much time you can spend with them and the activity level of your family as well. Many dogs can suffer from separation anxiety and they can become destructive because they are bored or simply miss you. Their diet is also highly important, and you’ll need to give them the correct food such as Nature’s Blend by Dr. Marty, as well as treats when the moment is appropriate. With proper training, quality care, and lots of love, you will have a loyal family member, who values you more than you may ever know. If you can’t make them an important and highly cherished family member then you should probably find a different type of pet.

Dogs require:

  • Daily feeding, grooming and walking
  • Obedience training
  • Love, Love, Love
  • They need someone to take care of them when you go away on vacation
  • They need regular vet visits to keep them healthy

There is so much that goes into selecting the right pet. I urge you to go to your local library, surf the web, talk to your friends about their pets, go to pet stores, contact local rescues and humane societies to do research (volunteering is a fantastic way to help the animals and get a feel for what really goes into pet parenting), and obtain all the information you can before you add a pet to your family.

One more thing I’d like to add; there are so many pet rescues that have pets just waiting to go to their forever homes. They don’t just have dogs and cats; many have a variety of animals. Some pet stores will even have small animals, birds, fish or reptiles that have been relinquished by their owners, which are also for adoption. Open your heart, open your home and most of all love and enjoy your pets.

Do you have a pet? How did you choose which one to get for your family?