Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Tampa, FL

This chameleon was my son's pet for about four hours the other day. He caught it and put it in his screened "bughouse." It was hot that day, though, and I have no idea what's on the menu for a chameleon, so we let the little critter go.

My son has been asking several times a day for, oh, about a year, to get a pet. He usually asks for a dog, but sometimes he asks for a cat. Sometimes two cats. He tries on various scenarios for size.

"Mommy, would an armadillo be a good pet?"

"No, sweetie. That's a wild animal."

"What about a duck?"

"Well, the ducks on our lake are wild too."

So he returns to dogs and cats. I've told him we'll wait until after one of his next birthdays. If it's not after this next one (he turns 6 in October), I don't think I can continue this conversation for yet another year.

What's the best way to pick a pet? What kinds of rules do you set for your children having pets? (I was planning to wait until he could take care of a dog by himself.) Is there a good "practice pet" before taking the plunge with a dog?