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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not buy DD a pet I'm scared of?

121 replies

Fink · 17/02/2016 16:38

DD (6) wants some sort of lizard as a pet, a bearded dragon to be precise. Bless her, she is trying to be considerate as I am allergic to pet hair (as is she) so we can't have any of the more normal pets (her first choices were guinea pig or rabbit, both of which I would have been fine with were it not for the allergy). However, I am freaked out by the things.

You have to feed them live insects, which I wouldn't look forward to (to say the least). You have to handle them for a considerable amount of time each day. I am really not a reptile lover. Not exactly phobic, but really not a fan.

My current thinking is that I would get her one, if she still wants it, when she's old enough to look after it without me having to handle it (I have no clear idea of what sort of age this would be). I could cope with having it in the house so long as I didn't actually have to touch it. Due to space restrictions, we would probably have to keep the vivarium in my office/study, which I wouldn't be overjoyed about but I can imagine putting up with.

AIBU?

OP posts:

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pocketsaviour · 17/02/2016 17:18

Have you considered rats, OP? Might be worth a try to see if it sets off your allergies. They are so intelligent and really fun.

OhYouLuckyDuck · 17/02/2016 17:19

somewhere that's our experience as well. We started out with one, then had ten and at the last count we had nearly 200.

zeetea · 17/02/2016 17:20

I came here to advise against stick insects if you're not an insect fan - my younger brother had them, left the lid open by mistake one night so obviously they made a run for it. We were still finding them years later, either in the house plants or dropping onto our heads - some of them huge, blurgh.

I wouldn't agree to something I was scared of, I'm thinking of the horror of being asked to get a tarantula I think at 6 something easy for you to keep care of is idea - fish or a tortoise is a nice idea/

wheelofapps · 17/02/2016 17:21

Don't.
She is waaaaay too young.
We have 2 GP's, 2 Rabbits and a dog.

Guess who looks after them all?

Twitterqueen · 17/02/2016 17:33

Oh God. Stick insects. My brothers had them. And they did as Zeetea's brother did - let them out.

The bastards don't make any noise, so you'd turn around and find one on your shoulder, just looking at you! AAAAAGGGGHHHH

You can get hairless dogs you know. Would they be OK? Despite the fact that they're fuck ugly, they're dogs so they would be lovely really.

IJustLostTheGame · 17/02/2016 17:52

Leaf insects?
I had loads as a kid, they ate bramble leaves.
I would vetoe rats. I had rats and they were the worst for DH's allergies.
Shame, they were truly great.

SnakesandKnives · 17/02/2016 17:54

tortoise is a good idea - didnt think of that! and good point re: nocturnalness of hedgehogs.

i do think the majority are right that whatever you get, unless you have a truly unusual daughter, you WILL end up caring for it.

re: allergies. my OH had a lot of the same issues - at the point of having to leave an outdoor showjumping competition due to severity of reaction. We now have a horse and, following about a year of acclimatising whilst taking Benadryl, she doesn't have to take anything at all now....not something i guess you can really do with a 6 year old but these are allergic reactions a good proportion of sufferers can possibly completely get rid of through exposure and a bit of drug use......again you prob know this already but thought it worth mentioning as she obviously loves animals and I would hate to miss out on cuddling furry things!

ComeonSummer1 · 17/02/2016 18:00

Omg op just don't.

She's 6! She can't be in any way responsible for anything and it will be you doing all the work. Voice of bitter experience.

Wait until she's older and then see.

thetemptationofchocolate · 17/02/2016 18:02

You can get hairless guinea pigs. They might be quite cute. But they shouldn't be kept on their own, you'd need two.

ImperialBlether · 17/02/2016 18:04

You could get one of those little bald dogs that Rachel had in Friends!

hiddenhome2 · 17/02/2016 18:05

Hissing cockroaches make excellent pets. They're more like large beetles. They don't bite or sting and they eat fruit and vegetables. They're easy to handle and like the warmth of your hand, so are happy to just sit. They're very amiable. They don't carry any diseases as they're tropical roaches as opposed to domestic ones.

If you're in the northeast, you can have some of mine as they've had babies

Keletubbie · 17/02/2016 18:06

Another vote for skinny pigs. They cost many times more than normal Guinea pigs and they have to live indoors but they're gorgeously weird looking - like a squeaking scrotum.

SnuffleGruntSnorter · 17/02/2016 18:10

I think an axolotl would be quite easy to look after and more interesting than a fish.

Have you checked you're allergic to hamsters?

If you go down the hedgehog route be careful, a close friend who is a vet keeps one and despite a lot of time spent trying to socialise it, it still gets frightened and spikes her. I've been spiked, it's not too painful but not exactly nice for a child's pet.

Do you have £££ for a hypoallergenic cat?!

GerundTheBehemoth · 17/02/2016 18:12

Pretty sure that's a little bald cat, Imperial!

GerundTheBehemoth · 17/02/2016 18:17

Is a budgie an option? Quite easy to care for, though they need lots and lots of interaction and play (or a budgie friend), and ideally some time out of their cage each day.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 17/02/2016 18:17

How about a budgie. Mind you you'd love that tweeting shit during a crucial moment in Corrie ie who got Norris pregnant
Failing a budgie. How about a Tarantula.
Or a terrapin. They're ever so cute.

SmallGreenBouncyBall · 17/02/2016 18:18

and wrt allergens
you can be allergic to reptiles as well. and to the environment/bedding.

BoneyBackJefferson · 17/02/2016 18:22

Its been said but I think that its worth repeating.

Whatever pet you get her will be your pet, you will do all the looking after, cleaning, feeding, exercising.

If your scared of it it unfair on you and the pet.

Ericaequites · 17/02/2016 18:23

Mini beasts are not good pets. I am terrified of large insects and spiders. A turtle can go outside in a run in good weather, but can also carry salmonella.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 17/02/2016 18:34

Aww hidden. please can we see a pic of the babies. Do their mums care for them or are they independent from birth.

cleaty · 17/02/2016 18:34

Most goldfish are very badly treated. They need much bigger tanks than they are normally given and as a result most who are pets have stunted growth.

tictactoad · 17/02/2016 18:36

Totally NU.

Tell her she can go for it when she has her own place.

Nowthereistwo · 17/02/2016 18:37

We have an axolotl. Had him for at least 8 years.

They can live a long time ( up to 12+ yrs) and need to be fed meat. Earth worms are the most complete food. we dig them up from garden and feed him by hand which is cool.

As pp says. It's all about keeping the water right.

cleaty · 17/02/2016 18:39

Hairless guinea pigs are a good idea.

shutupandshop · 17/02/2016 18:39

I love the hairless piggy

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