Best pet?

Guinea pig ?
Less flighty than a bunny and less bitey than a hamster.
You do need to consider who's going to clean the hutch and feed the animal of course and it will need to be trained to be handled. At 4 and 2 they would need supervising when handleing the gp

I think you would find the cleaning out of little
furry animals a chore and lots of supervised handling is essential to tame them successfully. I agree with nina that they can be bitey.
I would choose a cat, but I am biased. With a cat flap or indoor litter tray they pretty much look after themselves apart from feeding twice a day. Dried food can even be left down for a few days if you have to go away. Kittens can scratch when young, so how about a young adult rescue cat? Pedigrees are attractive but can be more challenging behaviour-wise than a moggy.

Yes cat sounds sensible.

We have had cats all our married life, whether we were both out at work or not. They look after themselves when left, in fact our lot probably sleep until someone comes home. They are good with children too.

I think cat,the most good choice for you.

Just be careful about cats ( we always had them) but they can be scratchy around young children and don't really want to be held by them.If chased they can lash out.
If you do go ahead, make sure ( by handling the cat yourself) that it is a docile one.I have always found that neutered male cats are a bit soppier than females.Also tell the children not to chase, pick up or pull tails.

What about a pair of budgies ? you can buy hand tame ones from good breeders and having 2 they would not get bored/lonely when you are all out all day , your son could help feed them and help clean the cage ,

You need to consider carefully the needs of the animal, not the child. A dog is out, they really need someone with them all day. Cats too, shouldn't be left alone all day. In my experience, guinea pigs dislike being handled and small children will surely drop them, causing injury. Ditto rabbits. Please don't get a rabbit which is going to be left stuck in a hutch outside all day. They are so vulnerable, and they need company too. Hamsters are nocturnal. Gerbils are friendly little things and enjoy being handled, but they can bite and are also in danger of being dropped. I think the suggestion of a pair of budgies is a good one. They can be left alone, and they are very entertaining. They don't smell, but the cage will need cleaning every day.

A pony! You can cuddle a shaggy pony. Have fun riding it. Learn a lot about looking after it. And best of all, there are always teenage girls who'll come and look after it for nothing in return for rides!

I thoroughly agree with RosieLeah - the pet's welfare is paramount, they're entirely dependent on us to care for them. IMO 4 and 2 is too young to get a pet for their benefit, of any kind. We got a cat when DH was 10 and I think that was plenty young enough. I once read a pet column where the suggestion was made that children shouldn't have a pet until they could write about what it needs and how to look after it. Sounds OTT but you get the idea.

I think kathryn's family will have chosen a pet by now...

It must be a pet that you want Kathryn since it'll be you who ends up looking after it. My DC had all sorts - dogs, cats, gerbils, rabbits, Guinea pig, stick insects, hens - and eventually a pony. But I didn't work full time - and it was me that ended up looking after all of them. Suited me as I loved having my own little zoo (I really wanted a snake). I would advise against anything that has to live in a hutch outside as they easily get forgotten, especially in bad weather.

Having said that, hens make surprisingly good outside pets. Properly handled they enjoy being held and stroked, 'talk' to you and come running when called (albeit for food).

For got to add the eggs! Hens lay lovely eggs - and eat a lot of your green kitchen waste making even lovelier eggs! I believe you can buy an Egloo which will house three hens.

I give up!

Has no one else noticed this thread was started in March?

Nope!

Yes, Ana, but the comments left are still relevant to anyone considering getting a pet.

We have had felines all our wedded life, regardless of whether we were both out at work or not. They care for themselves when left, in actuality our parcel presumably rest until the point when somebody gets back home. They are great with youngsters as well.

Could you cope with a cat bringing home live presents for you? If it has access it could even be a rat.

I personally think that your lives are too busy to consider introducing any animal because you would end up cleaning its cage, litter tray or whatever. Vet bills are another consideration- they are not cheap.

My 5year old he has 2 hamsters , they have to be kept in seperate craves as they fight , mummy followed advice given at pet shop and only got the one date but within an hour or two it was evident they needed to be seperate. Anyway he adores batman and superman as he called them and they have helped him with learning animal care and respect and the amount of dedication he needs to keep them safe and happy and healthy. Mummy does help him clean them out weekly but he has to do some of it too.

This is the best time of year to be considering a pet as children are off school and have plenty of time to be taught how to look after them correctly.