Like I said, my mom was a single parent who btw worked and was not on social assistance, she paid all the bills ALONE..no family nearby to help out. she got a lousy 150 bucks a month or something for child support from my biological father. My mom is deathly allergic to cats *and* dogs and has a sneezing fit around Juneau but loves him anyway. Your sister could get one of those ghastly looking hairless cats or one of those crested whatsits...those ugly/cute dogs. or a pet fish? reptile? I believe if you have time for children, you have the time for a small pet. or a Chia pet??? hehe. I could not imagine not having an animal in my life, yuck!