I am lucky enough that I own both a dog and a cat, but when I was little that wasn't the case. I'm one of 6 children and when we would ask for a pet, our parents' clever response was "we have enough animals in the house".
If I had done some research, I might have had some reasons for why having a pet is a good idea. (Beyond wanting one more friend to play with)
Here's a slideshow called 27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health. Maybe you will have better luck convincing those in your life that getting a pet is actually good for you!
P.S. What do you think about the above collection of animals as pets? Are there any that you wouldn't consider a good pet?
