For all their sakes, there needs to be strong supervision when children are interacting with pets.

Pets can be a real distraction. And the house needs to smell good.

It disturbed me quite a bit when young children had to get on the evacuation buses and leave their pets behind, ... Pets are a part of your family, at least in my opinion. I have five dogs of my own and they're my family. I can't imagine having to leave them behind.

I had a cat I could not see,
Because it stayed in back of me.
It was a very loyal pet-
It's sad we never really met.

I had a nice pet
Who I never met,
Remember it always stayed behind me.
And I'm sure it was a cat, too.

We're playing on the concept of pets as children. Pets are viewed as family members. They've moved out of the back yard, into the house, into the bedrooms, into the beds and under the sheets.

Often at shelters, we hear, 'I told my child she could get a pet, but she will have to take care of him.' That is an unrealistic expectation and often results in the pet being returned days, weeks, or months later. It is hard for pets to go in and out of a home. They bond with their humans and when they find themselves at a shelter, they become stressed at being taken away from home and the people they love. When an 'easy-way-out' decision is made to give up a pet, we are teaching our children that animals can be given away, turned away, and gotten rid of at the drop of a hat. If you are considering getting a cat or kitten, go into it fully aware that the adults in the home will have to help with the care of the pet.