Adding a pet to the family

People who had a pet as a child usually have no shortage of stories — and warm memories — to tell about the experience. Movies, television shows and other media are filled with adorable images of children and their pets: Dogs waiting outside school windows, birds helping lonely little girls to talk, happy children playing with kittens. It's enough to make every parent run to the pet store and buy their child some sort of animal today. But timing and picking the appropriate pet for the family are key.