Which pet is the least work? ( not fish)

[TickledOnion]

DDs 8 & 10 desperately want a pet. They claim they will loo after it, feed it, clean it etc. I suspect I will end up doing it all. I’ve said no to a dog as it’s too much work and no to a cat as I’m allergic.
Are guinea pigs hard work? Is there anything else I could consider? Or shall I just say no?

[Toddlerteaplease]

Cars are awesome and very low maintenance.

[VenusClapTrap]

@TickledOnion

Thanks everyone. It was useful seeing all the responses. I think I’m going to say no. I like other people’s pets but I’ve never had one and don’t think I want the extra responsibility.

Good decision op.

[Widdendream77]

We have giant African land snails and they are so easy and our little girl loves them definitely the easiest pet we’ve ever had.

[vanillandhoney]

Honestly? It sounds like you shouldn't get any pet.

If you're allergic to cats you're likely to be allergic to other furries and you don't seem to want to do any real animal care aside from the basics, which just isn't enough.

Your children don't need a pet - they can have them when they have their own place and have to be responsible for all the upkeep involved!

[oakleaffy]

@VenusClapTrap
So true about Guinea pigs and rabbits suffering appallingly.
Neighbours had them and they thumped so hard at night it disturbed people living nearby
They kicked and scratched, hated being handled and were impossible to re home.
Two were eventually set free in woodland but for domestic rabbits, they would be fox food by dawn.
Not to mention fly strike.

Rabbits and guinea pigs are really not suitable for young children..
plus there was a person on MN who admitted to torturing a hamster as a child, and feeling no empathy.

That thread seems to have been deleted.

[EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire]

Guinea pigs live around 4-6 years, sometimes even longer. So I wouldn't get guinea pigs unless you believe your kids will still be interested by the time they're 14-16 and possibly older.

[oakleaffy]

Cats aren’t easy!
They need litter box emptying, and certain types pine dreadfully if their people go on holiday
We had family cats and the worry about them quite spoiled the holiday- we missed them so much.

[copperoliver]

Can you get a hypoallergenic cat. ? X

[oakleaffy]

Gerbils are easy, but any adult will have to realise that they are responsible for feeding and watering and general care.
Two female gerbils- DS had them in a large aquarium in his room, they lived til the age of 4 but. Guinea pigs and rabbits are much more work.
Please don’t get either of these as they need daily cleaning out, hate being handled and maggots set in If the poor animals aren’t cleaned out daily.
Fly strike is horrendous.
Too many bunnies left after novelty wears off.
Pets are often “ nine day wonders” with children.
Bunnies kick hard- neighbours all re homed theirs as kids lost interest.
Saying no is better unless YOU want to be carer of said animal for the rest of its life.

[missmuppit]

A rat. Or rats as they like to live in a community. They are inquisitive, trainable, affectionate and very clean.

[NewCatMummy]

Giant African land snails are very easy. Please don’t get a reptile- they are not easy to look after properly and need correct lighting, humidity, food etc. Stick insects fairly easy but need to be cleaned out weekly, snails you can just pick out the old food and put in fresh and clean them out properly every month or so.

[quarentini]

Giant African snails

[Twizbe]

Budgies!

I had one as a teenager and they are fab. If you get them from a breeder and spend time with them they can talk and interact really well. Plus they are super easy to care for.

You need to change the sand sheet every other day and a full clean out once a week. They feed themselves and you can leave them overnight if you need.

We let ours fly around all day and only shut him in for bed time.

You do need to be careful of open windows but that isn't too hard

[krustykittens]

Just say no, OP. If your kids are still animal lovers when they leave home, they can get their own pets.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

None, which is what you've chosen so that's great.

Snakes are very low maintenance and not social so they don't care if you ignore them.

Pets like piggies and rabbits are very social and I hate seeing them ignored when people lose interest.

[TryTry123]

Hamster, I had one when l was about 8. I cleaned and fed it, as it was 'my' hamster. I had asked for it. They are nocturnal so will sleep all day. We kept it in the sitting room and took it out at about 7pm. My mum claimed he would watch TV sitting in her hands! He did escape for a while and built a nest in the piano but no big deal really. He was super cute.

[CVGap]

A snail. From the garden. Easy to feed. Easy to clean and replace sticks etc. Easy to return if they don't look after it.

[BeachLane]

A friend of mine has befriended a neighbour with a dog and she and her kids walk the dog a couple of times a week and sometimes borrow it for a few hours or look after it if the neighbour's away. Seems to work well as they get to spend time with a pet without having to make the big commitment to ownership, and presumably it's helpful for the neighbour too.

[movingonup20]

Hamsters are quite easy and have the added "advantage" of a short lifespan as they will tire of it quickly. Cheap to care for too

[Fleamaker123]

I think most pets are hard work if you don't really want them. We've always had guinea pigs, I agree with @BiarritzCrackers they are fabulous little pets with individual characters.

[Flaunch]

Looking after guinea pigs properly is hard work. They are not easy pets at all. Same goes for rabbits.

[TickledOnion]

Thanks everyone. It was useful seeing all the responses. I think I’m going to say no. I like other people’s pets but I’ve never had one and don’t think I want the extra responsibility.

[MazDazzle]

My DD begged for two guinea pigs and promised she’d take care of them. We gave in and bought her two. What a mistake! They cost a lot in terms of time and money. They eat a huge amount of food and seem to poop out twice as much. My DD was not able to take care of them herself and years later the responsibility has fallen on me. I’ve tried rehoming them, but no one is interested. They are very nervous and don’t particularly like being handled.

We have two cats: one is friendly and affectionate, the other scratches everyone and doesn’t like to be held.

If I were you, I wouldn’t bother!

[frustratedstep]

We have a tortoise. He's so sweet, got a great character, the kids love him and he's super easy to look after!

[TheSpottedZebra]

Please don’t get a pet unless you actively want one. It’s not fair on any animal to be cared for grudgingly, either by a child who has got bored or a parent who dislikes it.

Honestly this. It's ok to say no to a pet. Getting a pet and giving it the barest minimum will result in an unfriendly, poorly socialised pet that you get nothing from anyway. Apart from perhaps bitten. You need to want one, and want to put the work in.