Gift for DC who wants a pet - that isn't a pet!

[Tigofigo]

Title says it all, really.

Not ready to get DC a pet but they have been asking for one for more than a year now... Ideally a physical gift rather than an experience.

Honestly just get them a hamster, they are easy pets and really cute

Bit of an irresponsible thing to say when you don't know why an actual animal is out of the question... a hamster still needs time, care, food, health care etc!

I was going to suggest an animal experience at a zoo/wildlife park, or an animal adoption. Some come with a Teddy bear or activity pack.

Sea monkeys

Are they old enough for a Tamagotchi type thing?

Do they still sell furby's they learn and develop new skills the more you interact with them.

Little Live pets toys are cute and fun like

Cubby bear
Mamma surprise is a Guinea pig

There's a walking pig one
A fish
A Budgie one

There's loads I believe the fish one actually goes in water x

Just a thought is there a dog chelater near you as perhaps you could take her to walk a dog once a week. Invisibly a dog that is calm and good with children etc

Shelter*

Or walk dogs for older neighbours? I've heard of cat cafes aswel have a look if there are any near you so she could play with the cats there

What about an ant farm? Not so much pets but interesting to watch! Or a worm one.

Or these kits where you receive caterpillars or eggs, hatch out butterflies/snails/grasshoppers and then release them 8n to the wild

https://www.insectlore.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnNacBhDvARIsABnDa6XhT72yY9yEgebjG63DYqt-ORhempfRrBivyHWa7l--ceAsAe4-XUaAq7EALwwwcB

DD used to have one of these and carried it round a lot: www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/fashion-and-dolls/little-live-pets/little-live-pets-lil-hamster-house/p/200135 They also do a bird version.

Robo Fish are fun too.

How about visiting a cat cafe? Not so much as a gift, but if your child is wanting some interaction with pets this can be a fun day out.

Washimals? DGD loves them.

How old is s/he? Lots of possible options but will depend on age and what exactly you mean by a pet alternative:
Adopt an animal through WWF/ guide dogs or similar
Zookeeper experience day at local zoo/ wildlife park,
Tamagotchi or virtual pet for phone/ tablet
Robot/ little live pets toy.
Little Friends or similar game for Nintendo Switch
Sea monkeys/ troops/ ant farm
Arrangement with a neighbour/ family friend to help care for their dog

Thanks, lots of ideas!

Pet rescue and cat cafe type places you have to be a certain age to help / attend so they're out.

We will already get an animal experience, but wanted a physical toy too.

We may get a hamster but I want to wait until they're a bit older. Never had a pet before and I have no idea what I'm doing!

Tamigotchi

Looking at some of the ideas, I like the hamster house - think tamagotchi could be good to learn about responsibility but is quite far removed from an actual cute pet. DC is 7 but slightly behind in some areas of development. They are autistic so perhaps they would get some regulation from a real pet. I do worry about having anything that will further complicate our busy lives or potentially get hurt though.

Maybe we'll get a real pet for their birthday... Are hamsters really that easy?

I don't think hamsters are a good pet for a child, they are nocturnal so asleep all day and scuffling about all night. They also bite if they aren't well socialised and gently handled. And there is a distinct rodenty smelll, not as strong as mice and rats, but still there.

I would suggest a couple of guinea pigs rather than a hamster, they are a lot more robust and, in my experience, friendly.

But if your instinct is to not get a pet, for the animals sake, listen to your gut. Its not fair otherwise.

A cat is a good low maintenance pet, just needs feeding twice a day and a comfy place to sleep. It will play and sleep.

Hamsters are cute but the cage cleaning is a PIA and they tend to hide a lot.

If you have an autistic DC then think about sensory issues before getting a hamster. They're noisy especially at night - they need a hamster wheel in the cage and you can hear them. Hamsters are also nocturnal so that's when the wheel gets the most use. Plus they need cleaning out, plus they escape and chew things.
They aren't easy. They also die after a few years which is another issue with small children.
If your DC games there are lots of pet sims with cute looking virtual pets which they can look after and get enjoyment from.
Or borrow my doggie or volunteering with the local shelter to walk dogs.
Don't rush into a small pet without a lot of research.

There’s a brand called ‘pets alive’ that do all sorts of ‘cute’ electronic pets.

We had hamsters as kids when we wanted a pet. If I’m honest, my mum ended up getting stuck with the clearing up (they can be smelly if you don’t change the bedding/sawdust regularly) and while we did play with them, I think they were just ‘there’ most of the time.

We have fish but even those aren’t as easy to (properly) maintain as you might think!

Hamsters are not easy. For starters, they need huge cages - all the cages sold in Pets at Home are far too small. If they don’t have enough space they can become frustrated and aggressive. Tbh all rodents are high maintenance and expensive to feed/keep. As and when you are ready for a pet, honestly consider a cat. I’ve had all the small furries over the years as well as cats and dogs and hands down, cats are the easiest and most low-maintenance. You have to budget for insurance, flea/worm treatment and food, but they more or less look after themselves and are very good at seeking out their human slaves when they want something.

I know you said no pets but IF in the future you do decide to get a pet I really recommend rats. They are very clean and so easy to tame. When I was younger mine used to sit on my shoulder, they don't jump and aren't wiggly etc

Toy wise what about the Guinea pig thing in a cage that gives birth?

Cats are less hard work than hamsters. But are a longer commitment.

I would say turn part of the garden over to encouraging wildlife . Say a very small garden pond , hedgehog hotels etc . you could have so much fun planning and building together .