HELP present crisis 10 year old girl, wants something different than we thought..WYD

[Aweektilltheseason]

Last year she was desperate for nintendo sun and moon thing and a ninentendo console.

She fixed on this too late so she got something else, perfect to get her that this year but she says she has gone off tech and is fixed on a real pet. there is no way this year we are going to get her a pet....

MAYBE next year or for her bday but will need lots more time and thought.

So...what about the hideously expensive ( but still cheaper than the Nintendo and games) Fur Real Tiger! It does look good, interactive etc however I know she will eventually get more use out of the nintendo esp on car journeys etc...

She has a younger sister who may pick up the tiger if pushed aside by older but we already have the fingerling for them both.

I got Tyler the tiger for my dd from Santa. It looks amazing and she is so excited. I would say go for it👍

Hi there... my DD10 is also animal mad!! We foster puppies until they find homes so are very aware of the number of homeless animals and the lack of funding for them.

Have you considered sponsoring her a pet? Your local SPCA or rescue centre may allow you to do this... choose a pet and you can go and walk him/her, take them treats, buy bedding and blankets, play with them etc. until they find a home.

Alternatively have a look at this site www.bluecross.org.uk/sponsor-pet So many animals to choose from in terms of sponsorship

Just an idea!

I'd go for the Nintendo plus animal care game. Nintendo dogs or cats is great. She will gets hours of fun out of it. And you can add other games. My children loved their Nintendo for years.

Riding lessons? Some riding schools also do a "own a pony for a day" experience involving feeding, grooming, mucking out plus a riding lesson or hack.

Nintendogs was a big hit with dd and her friends around that age.

Dolphin island mentioned above was pretty good too.

She's also enjoyed harvest moon, one of the farm games where you have to take care of various animals. Grand Bazzar seemed the best of the ones we've had.

She isn't really horsey she is utterly cat mad, mad! But she loves dogs too, thats a really really good idea to see if we can look after or sponsor a dog at the local rescue.

Nintendo has a lot more play value than a fur real animal I would say.

A visit to a cat cafe then?

I think you would have been better to just ask for reviews / opinions on the fur real tiger. That way you would have answers to your actual question

Yes Zoomer, but there has been some good replies now. I may ask that on the busier boards, the problem is its quite advanced now that tiger thing! argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Nintendogs for the Nintendo.

Crisis averted.

I have bought my dd the fureal pets in the past and they have been a total waste on money (great for a few days and then the novelty wears off). Both of my dd’s are getting the 2ds with Pokemon sun and moon games, dd1 already has a 3ds but it’s on its last legs, it has been used so much and has been a god send whilst stuck in traffic or travelling on holidays.

If you live anywhere near longleat I would recommend it, they do animal experiences, feeding etc.., I’m sure other wild life parks do the same. I also did ‘adopt a penguin’ for my daughter one year and go get her the Melissa and Doug giant penguin to go with the paperwork, it also came with free ticket to the sealife centre.

the thing is, if you want a real pet, a cuddly toy, however nice, is just not going to even vaguely have the same appeal.

So stick to the pets are not gifts line and give her the nintendo and she will be delighted on the day as all children are really.

Of course you can give pets as a Christmas present. DS’s triops tank is still flourishing on a diet of sunlight and neglect after nearly 2 years.

More seriously, there’s a flourishing market in second hand DS games so if you did go for a DS you could get her one of the virtual pets games cheaply without too much risk if she didn’t like it (my DD loved them at that age).

I wouldn’t get the Fur Real Tiger for a 10yo I think she’d get bored with it quite fast.
What about adopting her an animal that she can updates on throughout the year and get her a tamagotchi or something to go along with it.

i would get her a ds with a pet game, id also get her a soft plush animal, we got our ds a wild republic sloth last year and it still sleeps at the top end of the bed with him, it hasnt been relegated to the bottom of the bed yet

This any good?

https://www.aldi.co.uk/max-the-dog-with-carrier/p/081307186324400

Don't see the big deal in getting a pet for Xmas if you were going to get one anyway? Xmas is an ok time given family are at home and free to train it. I understand saying no if you don't actually want one but I've never understood the blanket rule of not giving for Xmas. If you are committed to getting one anyway, why not do it for Xmas. I know loads of families who've done this with no problem at all

Defo avoid fur real pets - not a substitute at all!

Not sure if you Saw it but the fur real tiger was on a tv show tonight with children testing them.
It didn't go down very well at all. Lost interest quickly.
I did exactly the same last year with an expensive interactive toy and it has never been looked at.

The small fur real has been played with much more.
Maybe a small fur real (£10 in B&M). A zoo keeper experience and an animal game for the nitendo.

We have a dog one but useless with names! Or a tablet she can download games on. Mine are both animal mad and have lots of animal keeper type games.

My DD is 10 and while she would be thrilled to open the tiger on Christmas morning the novelty would wear off very quickly.

My DS (8) is OBSESSED with orca’s. Obviously he can’t have one as a pet or even go and see one so we adopted him one a couple of years ago and he loves it! We chose one the same age as him and they mailed him out an adoption certificate, information, stickers and photos and he has a fluffy orca with the same name that he’s slept with every night for the last 3 years. He gets an email update every month that tells him if his orca has been sighted and new pictures if it has. We renew the adoption every year for his birthday

I’d also recommend a keeper for a day experience, both mine have done them, they got to give a Galapagos tortoise a sponge bath

MrsDr you are very mean I am sure you would find room for one somewhere

We just got the tiger for dd too! It took a whole roll of wrapping paper to wrap it up!

DD played the Nintendo dog game (old version on a second hand DS) for months when she was ten.