my cat of 12 years recently died of cancer while i was off at school, and my parents are thinking of getting a new pet. I don;t really want one yet, but anybody ahve any suggestions on what;s a good one to get?
Sorry to hear about your cat.
A lot of your decision will depend on who the primary caretaker will be. If you’ll be at school for a while, it sounds like your parents will be caring for whatever you decide to get. Do they have any preferences?
Cats are generally easier to care for, since it’s pretty much food, keeping a litter box clean, and vet care. They can be trained - I’ve gotten cats to sit, do minor tricks, etc., but it takes a lot of patience - more than with a dog.
Dogs are more work, but offer greater rewards, IMHO. It’s easier to train them, and they can do a much wider array of tricks, and they are usually more social than cats. However, you really need to put time and effort into working with them in order to make a good pet out of them. There’s also the added task of letting them out several times daily. If you get a puppy, you’ll need to be very patient and expect a certain amount of destructive teething behavior, which you won’t have with a cat.
Much will depend on who will be caring for your pet, and what their schedule is like. In a home where no one is around for a good part of the day, and you have no yard to leave a dog in if necessary, a cat would be a better choice, especially if you’ve already had one.
[soapbox]
Whatever you decide, you should seriously consider getting your next pet from the local pound or shelter. If you get a dog, older dogs are already past the teething stage, and are often already housebroken. The animals at the pound, especially older ones (cats or dogs), don’t have much of a chance to get adopted, and usually wind up being killed within a week. More people really need to give these animals a second chance. I’ve gotten dogs from the pound, and they are the most loving animals you could imagine. I like to think that they know you’ve given them a second chance, abd they’ll always be thankful for that.
[/soapbox]