What is the easiest pet to look after?

[juicychops]

I really want a pet for me and ds (2.2) but nothing that smells and is too much hard work

I would really love a hamster as i had loads when i was young but they arn't very toddler friendly!

So i was thinkin a fish as ds loves watching them.

Is that easy enough?

We have stick insects. They're fab. They almost seem to thrive on neglect. Once one escaped and lived wild in dd's bedroom. The others in the tank went to stay with relatives because we were going away for a week. I don't know how Stickery survived that week but she was certianly grateful when her home and food arrived again.

They eat privet and ivy leaves. Clean 'em out once a week if you're keen. Once a fortnight if you're slack.

Wasn't there someone here whose child had a pet walnut?

Can't afford to have one of those myself because DS is allergic to nuts, but they seem dead easy to take care of.

Mrs Muddle - no idea what we are going to do with them! I think the people we got them from sell theirs to the local pet shop.

what do you need to look after a tortoise, we have an old fish tank that is pretty big nearly a metre long, could one live in there?

not had much luck with the old tropical fish and they are a pain to clean out and ds has no interest in them unless they are eating each other!! lol

am pretty sure you can still buy them as they had two for sale in a pet store near us butthey were about £120.00!!

Definitely rats. Can't wait till DS is a bit older & we can get some again. Girl rats are more prone to tumours than boys (mammary tumours mainly). Also girls zippier & pee on you less. Boys are lazy & love to be cuddled. Very affectionate

vote for rabbits

pet walnut probably quite dull in the long run

stick insects argh too frightening

a tamogotchi

African Land Snails on Ebay Here I'm quite tempted actually. Budgies are very easy they can be very tame and have really funny personalities (well my 2 have anyway )

ps - for the poster with too many stick insects, you can sell them on ebay too (as live food)

You need a pet rock

Bubblerock, I hate the idea of caged birds. It seems so cruel (although I used to have a pet budgie when I was about 7 so my parents tell me)

goldfish

now I'll read thread

ok i'm asking this at the risk of sounding really really thick but are sea monkeys real and what do they llok like?

Goldfish in a bowl, don't keep it in direct sunlight, or it will turn green within days, ie too much cleaning necessary.

I see what you're saying oxo, but all household pets are kept outside of their natural environment and are only bred for the pet industry, my budgies get plenty of time out of their cage, they chatter away to each other, cuddle up, play with the things in their cage, your 3 fish swim round and round all day in the same piece of water. I don't think it is cruel to properly care for and love a pet of any breed.

we've just got a budgie and IMO they're very easy to look after.

once he's tamer he'll be having time outside his cage too so not cruel in the slightest. he chatters away and even calls to us when we go out the room and we've only had him since the weekend.

we also have dogs, cats, and fish, but birds are by far my favourite and I intend to get more just as soon as i can convince dh it's a good idea .

I wouldn't get a tortoise on the basis that they live for upwards of 100 years so if you need to get one you need to seriously think about what's going to happen to it when you're no longer around.

And there's no way we'd ever be getting rats - my dh says they're vermin, lol.

would also say that if you're going to get a bird it's adviseable to get one that can be tamed such as a budgie/cockatiel.

birds like canaries/finches are lovely to look at and canaries sing lovely but they're very skittish and generally not able to be finger tamed unless you can get a handreared baby.

budgies are easy to tame and don't bite hard at all. cockatiels can be lovely once tame and even enjoy being held etc but they can screech very loudly, and it's worth remembering that in the taming process a cockatiel can deliver quite a hard bite.

wouldn't get anything bigger than a cockatiel for a child