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Original poster

Best pet for a 5 year old (gerbil/hamster/guinea pig)?

14 replies

lilystyles · 11/10/2010 14:56

Would like to get DD her first pet but we have no idea about small pets for children. I was bitten by a hamster as a child so not keen on them.... but are gerbils/guinea pigs much different as pets? Obviously I know guinea pigs are bigger and need more food/space!

OP posts:
lazycow007 · 11/10/2010 20:18

I would think very carefully about getting a 5 yo a pet. After the initial few days they inevitably get bored with it and you have to clean them and feed them. My DD was bought a stick insect kit for her 5th Bday last year and i though oooh this would be a great test - yep she failed! Still have the damn things over a year on and I am left to change the leafs and clean the habitat. Maybe try your DD with something small like a wormery or butterfly/ladybird farm and see if she enjoys it then move on to a furry pet which requires more attention and care.
Sounds like it is you that wants to buy your DD a pet not that she is badgering you for one.
Maybe get one for you so you know you will have overall care for it and if she takes it on then great and you can pretend it was a great sacrifice on your part giving it to her {grin]

Good luck!

samlouboo · 13/10/2010 14:37

i have had up to 8 guinea pigs at a time,i got one for my son,who was then 4 and we loved it so much that we got more.we enjoy looking after them and he likes feeding and playing with them.plus they dont bite like hamsters xxx

HeftyNorks · 13/10/2010 14:41

Hamsters are fine IF you get one from a breeder rather than a pet shop. Breeders handle the babies from a young age and they come completely tame. I always get mine from breeders and they are very very tame. Have never been bitten ever by them.

Needanewname · 13/10/2010 14:43

Snake - honestly, they don't need walking, feed them once a day, clean them out properly every so oftern (obviously you need to scoop the poos out as and when they happen) they don't make a noise to go out, you can go away for the weekend and not have to get a snake sitter - perfect. Ok they're not very cuddly but they are lovely to handle and kids love watching them eat!!!

samlouboo · 13/10/2010 14:43

i wish i had got mine from a breeder,mine was from a pet shop and i couldnt handle it :(

EauRouge · 13/10/2010 14:59

I don't know about rodent pets but don't get a fish- too sciencey and not at all interactive. Quite dull for a 5 year old.

I agree with starting small, how about sea monkeys?

tabulahrasa · 20/11/2010 17:44

guinea pigs :)

much more child friendly than small things, can be picked up and cuddled, they don't bite and they're nice and interactive - they make lots of little noises at you, get excited when you give them treats, just much more fun for small children

Vallhala · 21/11/2010 09:47
  1. Realise that a 5 year old will quickly tire of any pet, be it a mouse or a zebra, and it will fall to you to clean, feed, water and, which many forget for some reason, to entertain the pet.
  1. On those grounds, forget your 5yo. Completely. Pretend that she doesn't exist.
  1. Now ask yourself if YOU want a pet, and if so if YOU are prepared to clean, feed, water and entertain it throughout it's life, as well as pay vet bills.
  1. If the answer is still yes, consider a pair of rats or a ferret. Ferrets, although slightly more demanding of your time, can live outdoors unless it's very cold, should be neutered anyway (especially females, which can easily die if unspayed and unbred), and thus don't smell much. They're eternal kittens, great fun but need daily handling and room in which to run and play. Can be taken out on a lead for walks. Will not bite if gently handled from an early age - best option is an assessed ferret from a reputable ferret rescue.

Trust me, we have a pet ferret, owned and handled for the past 5 years by 13yo DD2. He's adorable and she idolises him (and yes, walks him on a harness and lead!).

Rats are social creatures, hence you should have 2 - but obviously not a male and female! They don't smell, can be taken out on a lead/harness, can learn to come to call and make wonderful, entertaining companions... and they rarely bite, far, far less so than bloody hamsters! No downsides to rats AFAIAC, apart from the fact that I can no longer have any owing to owning killer cats.

ladyfirenze · 21/11/2010 20:32

absolutely agree with vallhala rats rats rats Grin

Meglet · 21/11/2010 20:37

I was only allowed a Guinea Pig at the age of 7 because my mum had always wanted one and she knew she would end up doing all the feeding and cleaning.

I still keep piggies 30 years on, they are lovely Smile.

Get whatever you like best and will be happiest looking after and paying the vets bills for. Your DD will be happy whatever it is.

Goingspare · 21/11/2010 20:52

What Valhalla and Meglet says - they're family pets/your pets first and foremost. We have guinea pigs because I like them. I've recently nursed one through his final illness, so remember that however keen your child is, you need to be comfortable with handling and caring for the animal yourself.

If you get guinea pigs, please get a pair. They are gentle souls, and rarely bite (gerbils are like hamsters, in my painful experience). They can last a good few years, so you need to be sure they're what you want, but they are very endearing.

BlodynBach · 15/01/2011 20:37

What do you feed a ferret?

RavenHairedPrincess · 16/01/2011 13:00

BlodynBach I currently have 8 ferrets and they are fed on a good quality ferret kibble such as JWB and Chudleys, it is always a good idea to mix several types of ferret food together so they don't get used to one brand and become picky.
You can also feed them on a raw diet of meat such as mince, chicken, rabbit and DOC's as well as Hearts and kidneys.

Mine have Kibble avalible all the time and fresh meat a few times a week.

Some people suggest cat biscuits for ferrets but it isn't recommended as Cat food hasn't got enough protein in it and also has a higher quantity of ash.

NeatFreak · 16/01/2011 13:10

We got dd a hamster for her 6th birthday but only because I really wanted one too so was happy to ake over caring for it if need be.
Dd has been a total star by feeding, watering and playing with it every day since (she'll be 7 in a week) and only needs a little help when cleaning the cage out. The original hamster died last summer and we immediately got another with long hair so she can brush him too and she is still caring for him really well.

Although hamsters are nocturnal, dd's comes out to play whenevr she opens the cage to feed him and doesn't get too grumpy (he does wake me up during the night by wrestling his water bottle, grr)

We also have a cat and they largely ignore each other Smile

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