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Pets

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Original poster

Are you allowed to have a terrapin as a pet or are they a protected species?

26 replies

collision · 14/01/2006 10:09

ds (3.9) is desperated for a pet.

Big no-no to dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, all things furry really.

Fishes are a bit boring.

Then DH thought that maybe if we read up on it that he might be allowed a terrapin but we arent sure if shops sell them anymore or if they are protected. Does anyone know?

We are off to Pets At Home today and will buy a book if it is possible to see what they need.

Am not a pet person really.

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:11

They bite, I think - I have read articles about them getting big and fierce and being let loose or something...

Blandmum · 14/01/2006 10:12

I think they are protected, because importation causes lots of deaths. They do bit, and I seem to remeeber that some carry salmonella?

Fish are boring! We can't have furry pets (ds's asthma) so we have fish. YAWN!

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:14

Janh...we only wanted tiny baby ones ...not huge great King Kong ones!!

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:15

No, they grow!

Janh · 14/01/2006 10:16

read this!

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:16

Blimey...it would be like Jurrasic Terrapin Park in Cheshire!!

Forget that then.

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:17

What about a lizard or a snake?

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:18

Gulp.

maybe a small lizard? Do they grow?

Dont think I would like a snake.

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:21

lizards - it says skinks are a good starting point.

We have a corn snake - snakes can be as fun or as boring as you make them. They respond well to handling but you have to be v careful not to let them escape in the house - very hard to find again!

Janh · 14/01/2006 10:23

Ours is a corn snake, a lot like the orange one at the top here . When we were talking about getting one (it's DS2's really) DH was very wary but once he saw and handled it he was fine.

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:25

ds (3.9) is asking if you could do a link to some fishes please as he thinks that a snake or a lizard is a bit scary.

Ds is now worried that a pet might die!

OP posts:
Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:27

Ds is shouting, 'where are the fishes please?'

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:29

Some very fancy ones here !

We have 2 plain and simple ones, 1 orange and 1 yellow, in a small plastic tank with some gravel and a shipwreck and some weed and in fact they are not completely boring - after they have been fed they chase each other round the tankk!

Janh · 14/01/2006 10:29

Sorry for delay, c's DS

NotQuiteCockney · 14/01/2006 10:29

Goldfish are good. Or a simple tank with guppies and a catfish.

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:32

Thank you Jan.

ds is v happy and I think we might get him one.

OP posts:
Janh · 14/01/2006 10:33

CBBC pets page about goldfish - has print-off care sheet etc.

Janh · 14/01/2006 10:36

They are very pretty - I bet he will love them!

When you get them, don't get the flake food, it sinks and makes the water dirty very quickly; you can get tiny pellets which float for ages and don't seem to rot down even if they do sink (not that they get a chance to, if you drop them in one at a time - goldfish are greedy!)

Original poster
collision · 14/01/2006 10:37

thanks for the links.

We are off to the petshop now to discuss it.

OP posts:
Janh · 16/01/2006 11:34

Are you getting fishies then, collision?

nutcracker · 16/01/2006 11:35

My next door neighbour has monkeys

Janh · 16/01/2006 11:39

What kind? How many? Where?

nutcracker · 16/01/2006 13:22

Not sure what kind they are, other neighbour reckons they are quite small.

They have 2, male and femal and are hoping to breed mor apparently.
At the moment they are in a cage in the house, but he is going to move them into an outdoor cage thing soon i think.

I am not sure if it is legal, probably not. He brought turtles/terapins back from abroad a whil ago too.

lucy5 · 16/01/2006 13:24

Terrapins are very popular as pets here in Spain. we've got boring dogs and goldfish though.

Rhubarb · 16/01/2006 13:26

My nephew has a terrapin, they only grow if you overfeed them and place them in an oversized tank, if you keep them in a fairly small tank then they won't outgrow it. They can also be very tame, you can hold his on your hand. But you do need to clean them out regularly as they can stink!

Have you thought about an ant-farm?