...or do you want a pet for your child? Either way, here is some information to consider before you pile into the car for a trip to the pet store.

• Expectations-As a parent (or guardian) you need to set this standard before even thinking about what kind of pet to get. The expectation you have for the child, that is. If a parent wants their child to be completely in charge of the pet and its care with no intervention at all they can realistically purchase a pet for their kid when they are 18. No, I'm not kidding. Very, very few kids have the maturity and responsible nature needed to take care of a living thing all by themselves. If you want no part of the pet, then don't get one. Because even a responsible nine year old can't drive themselves to the vet or legally be considered the client at one, much less pay for its care. (Okay, if you have a little Doogie Houser in you home, more power to ya, but most of us don't have money making prodigies under our roofs!)

• Limitations-If you understand the above mentioned expectation issue and you're ready to help your child with a pet, the next step is to admit what you can or can't handle. If you're not an active family then you shouldn't get a dog who is labeled as 'energetic'. It's great to have goals, but be honest with yourself. If it's your goal for you kid to be more active but it's not really his, you're taking a big chance getting a puppy or dog who needs daily walks. Also, if you or anyone else in the house is terrified of snakes or any other kind of animal (I know a lady who can't be around anything smaller than a cat because of a fear of tiny creatures crawling into her clothes.) it is really in every one's best interest to keep those pets out of the house. However, dislike is one thing, fear another. The idea is that everyone in the home can be comfortable handling whatever pet you choose in the event that it becomes necessary for someone else to take care of the animal.
  

• Frustrations-I mentioned this in my last hub. If you have issues with intermittent noise, as I do, birds are not going to be for you. Many will chirp or tweet or say "Bad boy" or whatever over and over and over and over in exactly the same rhythm pattern for minutes or even hours. If you can't tune that kind of thing out, nix the bird from your list. I took in a cockatiel and he was actually really cool...except for waking up at 6am every morning tweeting the same note repetitively for hours. I am definitely and animal lover, but I honestly wanted to kill that bird some mornings, especially when I had been up all night with my baby and was just getting to sleep. Again, don't worry about what would be cool, worry about what is. Is it possible for you to deal with lots of shedding? Is it fair to get a cat when your husband hates them? And I don't necessarily mean fair to your spouse...that brings me to my next point.

• Stipulations-I don't know if that title works, but it's what I've got. The idea here is that you need to think about what the pet would ask of you, if it could talk. What would be a deal breaker for the animal to want to come home with you? Before you accuse me of being some driveling animal advocacy nut who anthropomorphizes inanimate objects, hear me out. It's always easier to understand someone by putting yourself in their shoes. If you want a situation with a pet to work out as best as possible, thinking this way--momentarily--will allow you to take things you didn't see at first into consideration. Would a cat want to live with someone who loathed it? Well, I have one who takes great pleasure in bothering whichever guest in the room likes cats the least...but I don't think she'd like being kicked at or having shoes thrown at her either.
  

What it comes down to, in reality, is not going out and making an impulse buy on the whims of a child, teenager or immature adult. Even bringing a fish into the home has it's issues. In our current culture of entitlement you must fight the knee jerk reaction to go get a gold retriever because your family loves the Air Buddy movies. Think through your decision, call a veterinary office and ask questions, read lots of books (and hub pages) and as friends and family you trust as well. The decision you make will affect your whole family as well as the pet you choose.