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Pets

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Original poster

Help me find a pet for my 7 year old!

48 replies

GColdtimer · 25/09/2013 12:21

DD is desperate for a pet. We don't want the responsiblity of a dog or a cat, we don't have room for a rabbit or guinea pigs (although I am not adverse to the idea of a house rabbit, but have done no research), I am not overly keen on small furry things such as hamsters but reaslise I might have to get over this aversion. Am also worried a hamster would keep her awake all night (the idea is its her pet and be her responsiblity so something for her room).

Any ideas? Oh, we hve two fish but they are a bit boring.

OP posts:

girliefriend · 26/09/2013 18:13

dd has a gerbil and agree its a really good pet, they don't need much - a small tank, some saw dust, a bit of food and water and they are happy! Also endlessly entertaining to watch them chomp their way through cardboard boxes and tubes.

Also are you sure about not having a cat, there are lots out there in need of good homes, they are fairly self sufficient and will give you lots of love

PortBlacksandGinLaneGinShop · 26/09/2013 18:14

I have had quite a few guinea pigs and found that they tend to drop dead suddenly and for seemingly no reason - it's not just me btw (i'm not some GP serial killer) - other friends and my vet have said similar (second only to sheep apparently in that respect). So if your DD is a sensitive soul - GPs might not be the best pet.

Takver · 26/09/2013 18:17

I was going to third the comment about cats. Obviously they are a responsibility in that they are longer lived, and there are vets bills to consider. But in terms of day-to-day work, I'd say they are less work than a small furry. At least when dd had the hamster home from school it seemed far more of a commitment! The other good thing with a cat, is that it will make it very plain to you if you are getting things wrong, IYKWIM (and if you really don't sort it, it will move out!)

bruffin · 26/09/2013 19:40

My ds and dh have cat allergy but dont seem to suffer with our shorthaired rescue cat. Dh is careful not to touch his face after stroking cat. We did go fir sjott hair because of allergies but apparently maine coons and norwegian forest cats are supposed to be low allergy.

MissBeehiving · 26/09/2013 19:49

Oh a leopard gecko for sure. We have cats, dogs, guineas, chickens and fish as well and have had rabbits and hamsters in the past and Gecks is very low maintenance. He is also eminently handleable and calm and robust enough for smaller children. He is actually very cute - even non reptile lovers like him. We love our gecko

Original poster

GColdtimer · 26/09/2013 19:49

Thanks, lots of food for thought there. Both girls would love a cat, and it's interesting to here they are actually less work than some small furries. Would have to talk dh round though....

OP posts:

MissBeehiving · 26/09/2013 19:52

Gecks went into class for show and tell last week with DS1 (9) last week, which didn't bother him at all.

TwerkingTaxCredit · 26/09/2013 19:54

Bearded dragons take up a lot of space and can be expensive to heat/light. Leopard geckos take up less space and only need a heat mat. They live a long time though up to 20 years. I don't think she can commit till she's 27. (Same for snakes)
Guinea pigs and rabbit are way too much work to expect a 7 year old to do most of it. A rats a good choice but are noisy at night.
Get the pet you want not her because I absolutely guarantee it will be up you looking after it in 6 months.

Takver · 26/09/2013 20:11

Interesting about the Maine Coon, bruffin - DH & I have always thought we'd love a MC cat at some point (currently have very elderly dog, so not a good time to introduce new animal, hence the cat-gap). Perhaps I need to find someone with lots of them & send DH round for some intensive cat-cuddling :)

girliefriend · 27/09/2013 09:24

Ahh get them a cat, they as really low maintenance (and kittens are really cute )

Agree our cat is less work than the gerbil (and the gerbil isn't much work thh!!)

girliefriend · 27/09/2013 09:27

Takver I think Cornish Rex is a low allergy cat and an all round lovely cat as well - they are quite bright as cats go and very sociable

SPsTwerkingNineToFive · 27/09/2013 09:29

A pet rock with googly eyes. Trust me, this site puts you off getting any pet as you find out everything about every possible pet. Nothing is easy.

Just get the googly eyed rock

Takver · 27/09/2013 09:33

Kittens, however, are NOT low maintenance AT ALL! Well matched adult cat from a good rescue is the way forward . . . .

BaggioTX · 18/10/2013 08:21

I highly recommend getting a cat...it's really low maintenance - here's an overview of your tasks (which are close to NOTHING):

Feed them 3 times a day
Clean the toilet daily
Bath twice a month
Take them to a vet when sick
Pet Insurance (maybe? Useful site if interested: petinsurancedirect.net/)

That's all!

And you get all the furry fun of having a cat prowling all over a place.

One thing I would say is that the fur does get a bit troublesome to deal with - especially if you have allergies, which is a definite no-no, goes without saying, but you definitely wanna keep closets and places where you put clothes off limits.

Good luck!!

Baggio

curlew · 18/10/2013 08:26

Guinea pigs. Best little pets ever. Tameable, easy to handle,responsive and vocal, actively like being cuddled, easy to look after, not nocturnal so quiet at night.

Oh, and you don't have to feed cats 3 times a day or bath them(!) so they are even easier than the previous posted says.

M1SSUNDERSTOOD · 31/12/2013 12:41

Chinchillas make good pets but are a big commitment as lifespan up to 20 years. They are nocturnal though which might not suit everyone. They need little care beyond volcanic sand for their daily dust bath which is so cute to watch as it's instinctive and they roll around in tub to clean themselves. Also wood to wear their teeth down like rabbits and maybe a bit of grooming as their fur is so dense. Their tale is lovely and bushy and it's funny watching them scarper about. Like rabbits they leave droppings (more like pellets) and are prone to chewing cables.

Madratlady · 31/12/2013 12:52

Rats are amazing pets but you really need a pair or trio and a big cage as they need as much space as possible. Really do your research before you get any. Females are more active but males are generally more chilled and happier to be handled, I love my boy rats and my girl rats but I do slightly prefer the boys.

They will be active at night as well as during the day though so they might still keep your dd awake.

badkitty · 31/12/2013 13:02

A cat will ruin your sofas, armchairs etc though. I wish I had realised this. Depends how nice your furniture is/how much you care about it.

minkersmum · 05/01/2014 13:02

I'd say cat or guinea pig.

My friend got two kittens last year and they are lovely. Very independant but one esp loves a cuddle. They do make a bit more work for her as they lie in her kids beds so need changing more frequently and also bring her 'presents' of dead or half dead mice!!

We have a guinea pig. He was on his own at a rescueBeforeBefore so he is a lone pig but lives indoors and is easy peasy. My 3 children love him. He needs hay, pellets and fresh veg daily and obviously water. I clean out his cage every 3-4 days and overall food shavings etc don't cost more than 3-4 quid a week.

He is a real character. Rushes over and climbs up on cage side when we go over to the cage etc.

Ours has been a joy to own. My kids were 3, 5 and 7 when we got him two years ago.

badkitty · 17/01/2022 12:17

Gerbils are lovely, very low maintenance (need to get them a decent size tank though not one of the tiny little PAH cages), interesting, curious and funny. Much more so than hamsters in my experience as they are busy during the day and quite social (ours love to come out and see what is going on/get treats). Under no circumstances

get a rabbit unless you are happy with a huge amount of cleaning out.

I haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this has been mentioned but is there any reason you wouldn't get a cat? Obviously the best pet by far (buy gerbils great if cat not an option).

badkitty · 17/01/2022 12:18

Sorry saw you don't want responsibility of a cat - in my experience they are much much less work than even the lowest maintenance small furries and they give so much back.

badkitty · 17/01/2022 12:19

Oh blimey this is an old thread. 7 Yr old probably at university now.

XelaM · 20/01/2022 02:54

Tortoise 🐢 is the best and easiest pet to take care of! They are also extremely fun to play with, but absolutely low maintenance after the initial investment into a tortoise table and lamp.

We have guinea pigs, budgies, a dog, a pony and we used to have hamsters and cats, but our tortoise 🐢 is my favourite out of all of them 😍

We are also currently looking after a few crested geckos 🦎 and they are also amazing and very easy pets. They only eat every few days (and nothing live or disgusting unlike snakes) and you can take them out to play with them. They don't even need heat lamps, so very cheap set-up. Very easy-maintenance pets.

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