The perfect pet.

[kath00]

Hello !

I love pets. I had a rabbit and a bird (finch), but both of them died recently. :(

Now, I am looking for a more intelligent pet. A dog or a cat. :rolleyes:

To find the perfect pet is not an easy job. By the word "perfect", I mean the most adapted to my life style.

I live in suburbs, near the city, in a very clean and big house. I can't adopt a big dog because it needs big spaces... And a pet who looses a lot of hairs everywhere is not the best...

I can't always be with that pet, sometimes it will stay alone for hours...

I need a friendly pet because we are a family of two teens in the house.

What kind of pet is the best for me ? :confused: :confused: :confused:

A Chinchilla Persian cat ? A Maltese dog ?


Thank you for your personal advice,...

[Twisterdog]

It really depends on what you are looking for. First, you need to decide if you want a cat or a dog. In my opinion, cats are more suited to being an only pet, and are more independent. I don't like the idea of one dog, alone in the house all day. Dogs are pack animals, and enjoy having company at all times. There are exceptions, of course, but as a rule dogs are more socially-oriented than cats.

A cat will shed more than a maltese, that's for sure. But I don't know that a maltese would be happy by itself all day at home.

[Dogz]

I have thought about your question, and I have found a few answers.
I have a PUG, and my parents are at work all day, and I am at school. He stays in the house, so he dosen't get cold. He is just fine in the house by himself... I kinda think he might like it... since a pug is my breed of dog, maybe I am just egxaterating (sp), but I think a PUG would be the best for you. Also I can find a website where you do a quiz, and then it tells you what dog is best for you.

If you are more interested in cats, then I do not know. I love cats, but I'm not to good with cat breeds.
Good Luck!

[Dogz]

Even though I gave you advise, I agree with Twisterdog. A cat would do better.

[Karen]

Cats shed, that's for sure! So even though they are better at being left alone, maybe a dog would be better. Some breeds of dogs do not, poodles, maltese and some other dogs have hair that grows, not fir that sheds. They therefore need to be groomed, but you can learn to do it yourself.

An adult dog would be better than a puppy at being left alone for hours a day - are we talking 3 hours at a time, or 8-10 hours?

Every animal is different, pehaps you should play with a cat and play with a dog and compare which you liked better!

[RockyRoad]

I am sorry for your losses:(.

Hmmm... what about a cat? Cats shed, or at least my cat does. But they are very clean and do not require bathing or any of that kind of stuff.

What about a dog? Dogs do need to bathe, and just like cats they shed.

Tough, well it really depends on what you really would prefer.
Here are some links I found to maybe help you along
;)
http://www.pethealthcare.co.uk/cats/findperfectcat/fpc_home.asp

http://www.pethealthcare.co.uk/dogs/findperfectdog/fpd_home.asp

Good luck! Let us know what you decide!

[luckies4me]

You should get some rats!!!!! The same sex of course!:D

[Aspen and Misty]

YES GET SOME RATS!!! I have two they are great pets.

What about a Toy Poodle? They don't shed there small and with lots of toys intertain themselves.

Ash :D

[ChewmonkeyBC]

corgis or yorkis....Corgis are said to adapt to the enviroment best and I heard Yorkis as well!! Good Luck!!

Kay


FcR:)

[popcornbird]

First of all, so sorry to hear about your losses. :( If you want an intelligent pet, a pet that is friendly, and a pet that has a long life span, I would go for a parrot. Any kind of parrot, big or small, they make wonderful pets. The best part is you have experience with finches, so it won't be difficult for you to care for a bird. Parakeets are tiny and intelligent, but other birds, such as cockatiels, conures, cockatoos, african grey, macaws, lorikeets, etc. are extremely intelligent, friendly, and are the only animals that can learn to talk in the human voice. :) I have two cockatiels and I personally enjoy their great intelligence, friendliness, cuddliness, and all their funny tricks and activities more everyday. I have had them for 3 years and I could never ask for a better pet. Plus you never have the problem of litter box training, spraying, spaying/neutering, hair shedding, etc. with a feathered friend. Cockatiels can live for over 30 years and the larger parrots can live on over 100. If you don't want a bird, I would recommed a kitty cat. I have never had a cat, but many of my friends do, and I really love cats.............not as much as birds, but they are great pets. Good luck on deciding on your new pet! Parrots may get lonely if you leave them for long hours. To solve this problem, you may want to get two birds, or provide them with new entertaining toys everyday.

[Vermontcat]

Gee Popcornbird, you mentioned both of my pets! I have to agree parakeets are small, affordable and easy to keep. They sure do sing pretty and are nice company. But if you want a furry pet I would recommend getting a cat from the Humane Society that is maybe a year or older (past the hyper kitten stage anyway). I would suggest you get a short-haired variety that would shed less than a long-hair. You would still have to brush it and vacuum but overall a cat is an easy keeper compared to a dog that has to be walked in all kinds of weather. As long as you have toys for it to play with and give it attention when you are home a cat should fit into your house nicely.:)

[luckies4me]

Or you can adopt a Bengal cat thorugh my society. :)

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Originally posted by luckies4me
Or you can adopt a Bengal cat thorugh my society. :)

Whats a Bengal cat??

Kay

FcR:)

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Vermontcat
Gee Popcornbird, you mentioned both of my pets! I have to agree parakeets are small, affordable and easy to keep. They sure do sing pretty and are nice company. But if you want a furry pet I would recommend getting a cat from the Humane Society that is maybe a year or older (past the hyper kitten stage anyway). I would suggest you get a short-haired variety that would shed less than a long-hair. You would still have to brush it and vacuum but overall a cat is an easy keeper compared to a dog that has to be walked in all kinds of weather. As long as you have toys for it to play with and give it attention when you are home a cat should fit into your house nicely.:)

Oh no no no! :D I mentioned my two favorite animals! LOL! Looks like it turned out to be both of your pets by coincidence! :D LOL! Well, I really think a bird would be the best in your case. Not a finch, but a bird in the parrot family. Parakeets are very intelligent, but not as intelligent as other parrots. If you want a very intelligent pet, parrots are amongst the most intelligent animals out there! My cockatiels love to imitate us when we whistle. They bob their heads, dance while holding their shouldars up in pride, and start whistling in exactly the same way as we do. If you want a super intelligent pet, get an African Grey! The only thing about them is that they cost thousands of dollars for one! :eek: I think a conure would be great too. They are like intelligent little clowns, not too expensive, not too big, and don't shed fur. :) For the lesser priced parrots, cockatiels and conures are probably the most intelligent. And as I said, if not a bird, a cat................but they do shed! Good luck, and let us know what pet you decide on!

[wolf_Q]

I'd definitely recommend getting an older animal, no matter what kind you choose....it'd do better being left alone for a long time. It all depends on what issue is most important to you. If it is the shedding, then don't get a cat, or a dog that sheds....Two breeds of dogs that don't really shed are schnauzer and a poodle. I have both of them, lol, so of course I'm biased too. Schnauzers are great little dogs, but you have to keep up on the grooming. They are very intelligent, and easy to train. They tend to bark at "intruders" though, lol.

[jenluckenbach]

Originally posted by Karen
Cats shed, that's for sure! So even though they are better at being left alone, maybe a dog would be better. Some breeds of dogs do not, poodles, maltese and some other dogs have hair that grows, not fir that sheds. They therefore need to be groomed, but you can learn to do it yourself.

An adult dog would be better than a puppy at being left alone for hours a day - are we talking 3 hours at a time, or 8-10 hours?

Every animal is different, pehaps you should play with a cat and play with a dog and compare which you liked better!
I agree that cats SHED !!! , but I also agree that they are much better suited to being alone. I agree that there are breeds of dogs that tend to shed signifiacntly less all dog shed!) but those are the breeds of dogs that require REGULAR grooming. And if you honestly believe that you can learn to do it, all the more power to you. I have been a proffessional pet groomer for over 15 years, and I have seen first hand the product of trying to keep up with a dog whose hair does not stop growing. I won't go into the gory details here, because that was not your original question, but just be prepared to spend significant money on grooming your pet. They deserve it. And lastly, I agree that an adult would be more suited than a puppy, or kitten. And 2 is always better than one. Do some research and let us know what you deside.