Cats, Dogs, and Horses!

Playing with pets and horses can be a lot of fun. However ... I don't want them as part of the family. I would rather they be treated as the sheep, mini-goats, and chickens. As members of the household, they take up slots for family members. If I want a household of 2 Sims, each with a pet (familiar) and a horse, that only leaves room for two kids. By the same token, a magical family of 3, can't have a pet (familiar), and a horse each, because of being limited to 8 household slots. It's rather frustrating.