Guinea pig/gerbil/hamster/lizard thing for 7 and 4 year old's first pet?

[FullySwindonian]

Tried a kitten but it pooped all per the house for the first 3 days and I couldn't deal with it so gave it back to my Mum. I'm not really a cat lover anyway, plus the flea potential worried me.

No chance of a puppy, I couldn't bear to leave a dog alone all day when I'm at work.

Any are creature rabbit, birds, tarantulas, etc I'd feel sad at them being cooped up.

My children adore animals and my daughter is constantly bringing in worms, snails, etc. so something needs to be done!

Ivenarrowed it down to small furry things as per the title, and possibly lizard type things as long as they can be handled regularly and safely by young children, won't have to feed them live mice or insects or similar, and are cheap as possible to purchase, house and feed.

It will probably be kept in my daughter's room so I'm wondering which of the above will also be least smelly and quiet.

Lastly, can you recommend the best place to buy? ie should I go to a pets at home type superstore or smaller independant pet shop for a more personal service?

Please help, as I have zero experience or knowledge of small pets and want to make the right decision!

Thankyou :)

May I suggest you don't have a lizard type thing, they are expensive to buy plus they need a vivarium kept at a specific heat and humidity and are fed live mealworms, grubs and grasshoppers.
Maybe a syrian hamster or a fancy rat but the rat will need a fairly large cage and a friend

Aren't hamsters nocturnal? And GPs are crepuscular. So I'd be worried about them keeping her awake.

I wouldn't get anything at the moment. The 4yo is too young to be able to safely handle a pet or to get involved in it's care. The 7yo will probably lose interest, especially if this is something that is being driven by you. And you don't sound desperately keen or clued up. I think there is a strong chance that any animal would have a bit of a miserable existence.

speaking from bitter experience I would not

I was going to suggest guinea pigs but after what you said about the kitten poop, i would wait.

Not a lizard-type thing as they need specialist care. Hamsters are nocturnal and make a racket all night.

Mice?

Failing that, just take them to farms etc a lot! Is there a dog locally that you could take for walks?

Sorry, he's almost 5.

All the extended family have pets - kittens, puppies, rabbits, etc so they're both already very comfortable handling small animals.

No, I don't drive so can't take them to petting farms regularly instead, Miranda.

MrsCakes, it's driven by the 7 year old who has desperately wanted a pet for two years now. She's constantly in the garden playing with worms, snails, ladybirds, and definately has an affinity for creatures so I'm confident she won't lose interest.
I'm not keen no, but it isn't about me. And I'm here to get clued up :)
Why are you so certain any animal would have 'a miserable existence' in our household?

For a small pet to live in the house, I'd go for gerbils. They're desert animals and don't wee that much so are less smelly than mice or hamsters, and need cleaning out less often. They're also active in the day - hamsters are nocturnal (I had one in my roomas a child and if kept me awake at night with the chewing and scrabbling noises). They need to dig and burrow though so will need a cage that allows them to.
I loved my gerbils as a child, but they weren't easy to handle, very skittish and just wanted to run about - so I watched them more than handled them. If your dcs will want to do lots of handling would you have space for guinea pigs? They'd be more cuddly and less likely to bite.

Sorry just seen guinea pigs is in your list of possibles too

Not a lizard. I agree with other posters.
I'm worried you know very little about these animals.
Mice stink!
Gerbils too whizzy to handle!
GP often nervous if not well handled.
Hamsters are nocturnal.
What about a rat? Goldfish? Sponsor a pet?

Rats are lovely pets! Get a couple of girl rats; they're brilliant with children. Less flight than mice and more enthusiastic than guinea pigs.

I have pretty much all the animals mentioned. Mice, hamsters, rats and gerbils are all likely to nip until well handled they are also quick. Guineas are great as they don't nip but you have to keep their cage clean if you don't want it to smell. I do mine every few days. Also they poo loads and quite happily do it on your lap!

I would suggest an easy pet like a giant African land snail. Very cheap to feed, not demanding of attention, quiet and slow. Stick insects might also suit you. You can also get butterfly kits and ant or worm farms which are really interesting. Or sea monkeys.

We've had guinea pigs before, when my dd was about 4. They were lovely but she soon lost interest. To look after them properly you need a large hutch, a run and fresh veg everyday. They need quite a lot of proper looking after.

We now have a Syrian hamster (although he's quite old now at nearly 3). He's been amazing. He's never bitten. He's really affectionate and is used to being handled. He hides in her hoodie pocket and she loves feeding him apple and cashew nuts. He started out in her room though - but we had to move him downstairs as he was really noisy at night.

We've also looked after a friends rats for a few weeks. They were SO much fun! We didn't want to give them back. They were so affectionate and fun. They liked to sit on our shoulders and dd liked to rub one's tummy. They would do anything for a Cheerio! Once we sat and watch one of them unravel a bobbin of string with his hands like a little sailor. Their cage was huge though but not the size of a room. They seemed quiet at night.

I'd recommend rats to anyone, but as an adult you'll have to take charge really.

Oh yes, I'd agree with Anomaly about the giant African land snail. DD's friend had one. It gave me the creeps tbh but was a very popular pet with its owner and her dbro (who how has snakes ). I'm sure your DD would love it - a souped-up version of what she does already! Doesn't run too fast , can be handled and easy to look after/feed.

I was going to suggest a giant African land snail too!

Or how about a turtle/terrapin type thing? I've had those and they are easy to keep and eat dried shrimp so no live food

I believe terrapins can bite/carry salmonella or something? Don't turtles need expert care?
I'm still really worried by the "tried a kitten" comment. You don't try pets. You do your research, decide what you want and have them for life. If you can't commit to this then maybe you shouldn't get a pet?

A giant snail would be a good start though. Not in the same attachment/commitment/responsibility league as a dog or cat

Nothing that you aren't prepared to take full responsibility for. Reptiles need an expensive set up and can get very sick of they aren't given the correct care, small furry things need plenty of space and regular cleaning out, handling etc. If you do decide to get a pet giant African land snails might be worth considering.

I agree with Wolfie

All pets are hard work.

Get a Furby.

What about starting small with something like a goldfish? They are fairly cheap to start up and maintain and are quiet. She won't be able to pet it but it will teach her what is involved in looking after a pet before you take a leap into the unknown of a bigger pet.

I live in a zoo pretty much. A dog, 3 cats, 1 rabbit, 3 mice, 3 large fish tanks and 4 chickens.

I had small furries from a very young age. I never lost interest. Hamsters are nocturnal, Gerbils very fast. This doesn't make them bad pets. But if your older girl wants something she can give a little cuddle then consider a pair of rats. Get a pair from a local breeder and it won't cost you much more than the pet shop and they will be healthier and friendly. Rats will very rarely bite or poo or wee outside of their cage. They will need a reasonable sized cage though to be truly happy and live a content life.

They can learn their names and a few simple tricks and make really lovely pets for kids. Mine would happily sit on my shoulder as I pootled around the house.

Male rats smell slightly more. But if cleaned once a week neither male or female would make a smell considerably bad.

They are cute too ;) but I am biased.

Thanks everyone, I've found another thread on the same subject with less affront