Making the choice to have a dog or cat is a huge step. As pet owners, most of us treat our pets like our children. If we don\’t have children, then for most of us, our pets are our children.

I bet we have all known people who have chose to get a dog before children just to see if they can handle that commitment. Well, pets can end up being with you a lot longer. Well, unless the run away or you choose you can\’t handle the responsibility that comes with having a pet.

A dog can be a longer in house commitment. Cats and some dogs can live onwards of 20+ years. So realistically, you are responsible for their feeding, pet sitters when you are on vacations, doctor visits and much more.

Children on the other hand do leave. Not really but they go off to college, eventually they get married and start their own family. Usually leaving behind the dog that they wanted so much and you are left caring for the pet long after the kids are gone.

So looking back on the thought of a pet to see how you would handle the responsibility of children might make you second-guess that choice right? We like our pets unconditionally and they bring us fantastic companionship. But had we thought about the long-term responsibility we were going to have with a pet, we might have thought twice.

I have grown to like our cats and they are a fantastic comfort to me in this silent house. Small did I know when my daughter begged and pleaded for a pet that she would not take them when she went out. She has gone on to college, likes her carefree life, and I am hiring someone to watch them so I can take a vacation.

I never realized it until now. It\’s amusing to me remembering when my daughter was becoming increasingly independent and getting ready to venture out on her own. I felt sadness that she would be leaving soon, but now realizing I have the cats to keep me company is a blessing.

Loving our pets like we loved our children, feeding them, caring for them and just being pleased to see them is all they desire. Cats are extremely independent like those fifteen year olds we had running in and out of the house at one time. Take time to delight in your pets like you did your kids and they will return the gift for years after those kiddos have flown the coop.

Which brings us to the original questions; are you ready for a pet. I reckon the better question should be are the parents. This lifelong commitment is one that you will carry long after your children are gone but is also a commitment that can continue to give like in those silent times and that\’s the best thing of all.

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