First of all, thanks for all of the great advice. If circumstances were different, a guinea pig would be a great idea. However, after thinking things through, I think I am going to stay with my original idea of a fish. It just makes more sense in my present situation. We have a good place at home to keep a small aquarium, and the cats cannot get to it. I also only intend to teach until we start our family, so this could be a job that only lasts for a year. Whatever pet I get will have to come home with me permanently at that point. Since we already have 3 cats and 2 dogs, I do not think that we need to take on anything that requires a lot of attention. It wouldn't be fair to the animal. Children are resilient, so they will learn to be okay with the fish. Again, thanks so much!