My mother grew up on a ranch, so animals were not pets. They had barn cats that kept the mice under control, and a herding dog that moved the cattle. But no pets for the sake of having pets. After my grandparents retired and moved to town, my grandmother had Persian cats, a pomeranian and canaries, though.

My dad, OTOH, always had a pet or two growing up. They weren't "family" pets, as his was a rather disfunctional family. They were pets he found, because he liked animals. Once, someone gave him a wire haired fox terrier. Once he had a coyote as a pet!

We always had a dog growing up. But only one at a time, and it was a pet "for the kids." After all of us kids grew up and left home, neither one of my parents ever got another pet. My mom isn't an animal person, she prefers plants and grandkids. But my dad loves animals, I never understood why he didn't get a pet. I bought him birds once for Father's Day, he made me take them back. And my sister and I have tried to give him dozens of dogs over the years.

My sister and I both have eight dogs, and are involved with rescues and shelters. But my brother has never owned a pet.