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/...t/fpc_home.asp

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

Good luck! Let us know what you decide!