Can you imagine how it would have been in the pioneer days to live with livestock in the house? Cows and pigs, sheep and chickens running around your kitchen, under your bed, fleas in your clothes and hair. Yuck!

I am not someone who will keep pets in a house. It's that whole livestock idea. I cringe when I read about pet owners who clean up bodily messes their animals have left in beds and floors and so on. I don't understand how it can be pleasant to live with your livestock. I'm sure most of the pioneers were glad when the warm weather came and the livestock could move outside.

Now we have electric and gas heating, we don't need the livestock to keep us warm or the other way around.

I do like pets however. Cats are my favourite. They look after themselves, don't drool or bark or require constant cage or tank cleaning. They also live just long enough, not too short as many small animals tend to do. I think cats are good pets for children. Cats don't mind some affection but they won't need daily attention. Outdoor cats are especially great at looking after themselves and just being there when you get home and want to spend some time with them. You don't need to spend a weekend grooming them or a big chunk of your day leading them around on a leash. Perfect!

Fish are nice too, but not as clean as cats. Ideal fish would be in a pond outdoors with the odd frog and garter snake. Not great for apartment dwellers but then people in apartments can usually catch their own pet rodents anyway. Just don't tell the kids where Hammy came from.