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I think the forum is a perfectly good place to ask for pet recommendations.
I would love a cat. My daughter would love a cat. My wife.....not so much.
She has had cats, and likes them perfectly well, but she doesn't want:
A cat scratching the furniture (yes, we *could* get it declawed, and of course provide scratching posts, etc.)
A cat peeing on the floor (yes, females are probably less likely to do so)
Cat fur flying all over and getting on clothes (yes there are some essentially non-shedding cats)
But try reasoning with my wife, and find out just how hard it can be to change someone's mind. :-(
So I'm sure we'll go the gerbil, guinea pig, bird route ourselves.
Then when my daughter moves out (in 12 years), I'm going to give her a kitten as a housewarming gift. ;-)
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C'mon, be a GREAT dad and get them a pony  !
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Uhhhh, I'll avoid the obvious comment. 
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Daughter's Beta fish just died the other night. She did the burial via toilet. Wanted to be alone.
We got a cat 2 years ago after years of begging for pet. Turned out to be a pretty good cat from the shelter, but nothing like a dog.
My 11year old daughter still misses our Lab that died 5 years ago. We are just too active to have another dog so a cat was the choice.
gg
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Thanks for all the great suggestions and advice. I'm not sure what we will do yet but this info will be helpful.
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The UnDoug wrote:
I think the forum is a perfectly good place to ask for pet recommendations.
I would love a cat. My daughter would love a cat. My wife.....not so much.
She has had cats, and likes them perfectly well, but she doesn't want:
A cat scratching the furniture (yes, we *could* get it declawed, and of course provide scratching posts, etc.)
A cat peeing on the floor (yes, females are probably less likely to do so)
Cat fur flying all over and getting on clothes (yes there are some essentially non-shedding cats)
well then, my little dog doesn't scratch furniture, pee on the floor, or shed. of course, the first two took training and a dog is more work but mine certainly is cuddily. i'm just sayin'...
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I don't get the 'fish are too complicated for kids' comment.
For young kids there's a thing known as parental involvement.
And I raised and bred fish and plants and sold them to local retailers through jr. and sr. high school, all on my own. (no guppies)
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I'm a huge fan of guinea pigs for kids--I find them to be more snuggly than most cage mammal pets (sorry hamster fans!) and they are USUALLY very docile. They are also very vocal, but that can be fun. If allergies are an issue though, people who are allergic to GPs can be dangerously so. They typically live 5-8 years (I had one as a patient that got to be 10 before his heart disease took him) I had a GP that I got talked into, and was pleasantly surprised to find he had a lot of personality. He'd even play with my beagle, who had no clue about the whole predator-prey thing.
GPS do better in a cage with a solid bottom--fish tanks don't allow for enough air circulation for these guys. Feed them a good diet though, and they have few issues.
I personally like rats too, but they creep a lot of people out 
Jackie
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Jackie, mine are VERY cuddly -- but then, that's pretty much a result of my little eugenics experiment... I've ended up with ultra-friendly animals that literally want to play with you. (How much of this is nature and how much nurture is a good question -- some of it is for sure genetics, but also you can't discount the social/maternal contribution to the behavior of the pups -- the mom definitely teaches her pups by example.) I haven't had a bite in over two years, and then only from something that wasn't something of mine (e.g., a pet store animal).
Which brings up another point, always (when possible) buy from a reputable breeder, rather than a pet store. The likelihood that you will end up with a well-bred, well-socialized animal is generally better that way.
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I have 7 and 9 years old sister and we have a dog and a cat, they feed and water them twice daily and put them in and out as needed. I usually clean up the pee/poop most in our furniture if it's in the house. And they are the pooper scooper for the back yard. They also bathe the dog with dad's help. They are definitely old enough to help, the 9 yr old with everything and the 4 yr old with feeding them.
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