Do more pets help

[Mouse]

I remember my aunt getting a blue roan cocker spaniel that was for a while, bullied by her older cat, a magnificent British Blue. At mealtimes her cat would cuff the dog and make him fall over, yelping. But a few months on they decided to play tag around her house. I remember her cat swishing its tail and hissing like a rattler at the top of the stairs and the puppydog barking, running up the stairs in gleeful chase. Their fun game lasted a long time, afterwhich they became best of friends. Bodeilla, get a puppydog.

 

[Scootch]

 

[BadGuy]

a dog gets you outdoors more
go to the dog leash free park ... people usually talk with each other while the dogs run and play

 

[Coolio]

I would go for a dog and a bird. But the kinds of birds you can teach to say funny phrases. That would be fun!

 

[jaguarundi]

I have a dog and two and three quarter cats ( one has only 3 legs). My dog gets on fine with the cats, he regards them as ' his' in some way, I think, and if another cat comes into our garden and upsets one of them, he will run it out of town, so to speak. All of my cats snuggle up to him from time to time, and my girl cat in particular, adores him.

I have to take my dog for walks and it gets me out of the house in the fresh air. Whilst I would not say that it has made me any close friends, I do stop and chat or just say Bonjour to other dog owners which on many days is the only interaction I have with any person in real life.

But the choice is the OP's. Dogs are more demanding if time is the isdue, but I love all my pets, I could never choose to have one or the others.

 

[Katerina]

I've owned dogs and cats. They have very different requirements when it comes to attention. Cats are much more independent and do things on their own terms where as dogs are full of enthusiasm and wanting to please so need more from their owners. Our previous dogs got on fine when we had a cat as they grew up around each other, unfortunately our latest dog Jazz hasn't so her attitude to cats isn't great (she wants to go after them). We've had a couple of springers (just the one now) and yeah they have a LOT of energy..she took about 7 years to calm down lol (also her epilepsy might have been part of it).

 

[RainbowWalker]

I really like cats & dogs and would love to have one (no matter which one) but unfortunately "pets are not allowed" where I live ... So maybe after I moved to another flat one day, this would be great. I think we all know how great an impact they do have on people's moods and well-being. Nearby is an old-age home/retirement home and once a week it is visited by a group of people from the local animal shelter who bring several dogs & cats with them. I've heard the effect on the old people would be astonishing, no doubt about it.

 

[tc00]

Rainbowwalker, Very true about the effects on pets on people in old-age home/nursing homes. Some of these poor folks had pets and were forced to give them up when shoved into these places. Nursing homes are terribly sad places, most folks are so lonely and visitors not so common. So many selfish people in the world. Have you ever thought of volunteering at an animal shelter? That way you could have interaction with dogs and cats, even though you can't have your own right now. I can't imagine how I would cope without my dogs and cats. I'd be much worse without them.


"Intensely selfish people are always very decided as to what they wish. They do not waste their energies in considering the good of others.” ~ Ouida (An English novelist)

 

[JHK]

I'm not a cat person. I love dogs, but I can't have one because I need to get me straightened out before looking after a pet. I'd definitely go dog over cat, but I don't know if they are the answer to fixing problems 100%.
I guess so long as the animal is always taken care of. I see too much of them suffering to make us feel better. Not saying that is the case here at all, but.... you know.

 

[mari1969]

I'm still thinking about my new cat. I'm working out the finances. I have to pay extra for another pet deposit. I might be able to do it because the class I registered for was only 1 credit hour. A third less the cost. So good news. She's still available. I might try to get her today.

We would like to have news about you new girl.