Ideal pet for a 6 yr old

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It's my ds's birthday (6th) coming up and we've said he can get a pet. We've had fish previously and I'm not too keen on hamsters as I worry it will get lost. We were thinking of a pet rat. Is this a good idea? Is there a better one? We have a 1yo too.

I’ve never had a rat but have heard they are good pets. We have guinea pigs. I would recommend them. My daughter pretty much looks after them herself (she is 9) but they are easy to handle & easy to care for.

Or cats are quite easy too. Pretty much look after themselves as long as you feed them and give them a fuss. Quite independent animals.

@Emma1962 thank you for the reply! We were set on a guinea pig but then dh got spooked about ring worm. I like the idea of something we can keep in a cage and get out for interacting. I'm quite nervous around animals so not sure about a cat, although I know my ds would love one!

Bearded dragons are fab

Hmmmm we’ve not had any ringworm issues. We’ve had them about 6 months now and they are lovely creatures. Any pet comes with some negatives but we love our girls. We were originally looking at getting rabbits but they don’t like to be handled and are more high maintenance so we got put off.
We have a cat too. He’s really easy to look after but getting old.
I’ve also recently been talked into getting a dog. Don’t do that. It’s like another child but more troublesome 🤣

@soloula I like the sound of a bearded dragon. I think my ds is keen on fluffy and cuddly pets but will suggest this too.

Gerbils. They like being handled, are clean and are usually about in the day (unlike hamsters which are active at night). You can also leave them if you are going away for the weekend.

Rats supposedly need quite a lot of attention and stimulation, I read an hour a day is good for them.

Also gerbils only need cleaning out once a month

@Emma1962 my dh and I didn't have any pets growing up so any mention of ring worm or fleas and we're a bit hesitant. Guinea pigs do seem really lovely pets though. I worry a cat would have a bit of a hard time with our 1 yo!

@toucancancan are gerbils easy to handle? I worry with the smaller pets they'd make a run for it when ds is holding it.

Rats are gorgeous pets, I can't reccomend them enough.
They are so affectionate and lots of fun.

I also think you can't go wrong with a guinea pig. They are a lot less nippy than hamsters, awake during the day and big enough so I'm that if it did get out of the cage in the house it would be easy enough to catch!

@IHaveBrilloHair tell me more! We like the idea of being able to interact with them and teach them tricks. Are they high maintenance?

Rats are the best, I’ve had 13 over my life. If you get them from a reputable breeder and they are handled from young they are fantastic. Really friendly, love being near you and interested in what you’re doing. When they’re older they’re not skittish like hamsters and some will even sit and just cuddle you (in particular boys!). They have to be kept in pairs or more though.

Yes, gerbils are, they enjoy regular handling. They let you pick them up, and you can cup them in your hand, or they sit on your lap and eat a sunflower seed. We shut the door and let them go about the room or climb up and down stairs. They're really very sweet.

@jellyandiscream do you keep yours inside? My friend has some that she keeps outside as she says they're too smelly to keep inside.

Guinea pigs are easy although personally I find them a little boring. They need fresh veg and hay every day as well as dry food (and water obviously). We clean them out weekly but you can smell them. Ours is outside for summer which I prefer. As a first pet probably ideal. Be warned they can live a long time! We got rescue piggies which might be worth considering? The kids are sometimes keen but it's up to the adults really to ensure that they are well looked after.

Rats are the best I've had so many over the years. They come to their names and you can teach them tricks. I still miss them sitting with me in the evenings when I watched tv.

I’d get a cat. My children had all the pets going when they were growing up and the best was a cat. They really bond with children are very easy to take care of and like a lot of handling. Hamsters kept dying on us! Rabbits bit and guinea pigs hated being handled. I’ve heard that Rats are great but bit smelly and best in pairs.

Rats are amazing for kids, they don't tend to bite they're incredibly clean, easy to train to do tricks, they love their humans and can be incredibly affectionate. My boys make me laugh every day although they do suffer terminal stupidity Honestly they're amazing small less effort dogs! You do need 2 preferably 3 though as they get depressed without rat company.

P.s you can litter train rats

These are Migi, Iruma and Asbo (Asmodeus but a well earned nickname) missing is Geralt. They're all brothers I've had them since birth from an oops litter from a rescue. They are some of the sweetest rats I've ever had in my life and my 7 year old has been handling them since they were tiny he adores them and they adore him.

Rats are the most amazing pets! Join a Facebook page like Rat care uk to get more info. They are like little puppies, so excited to see you and so entertaining and hilarious! Have a look at the National Fancy Rat Society for reputable breeders and watch Isamurat videos on YouTube for tips on whether to buy and info for if you do. I can't recommend them highly enough, DD (10) has been keeping them for three years and has never lost interest.

I've had all sorts of rodents and reptiles and in my experience guinea pigs are the easiest of the bunch for kids.

They have a great balance of cuddliness and independence. Rats are amazing and my favourite but in comparison to pigs they are smarter and require more stimulation/active bonding time.

Gerbils (which I have at the moment) are fast, tiny, escape easily and are more fragile and they chew absolutely everything. Guinea pigs are sturdier and will be easier to take care of if they get sick, easier for a child to hold and tend to (including cutting it's nails etc), they can hardly jump and although they can be fast, they're big and easy to catch.

Hamsters are adorable but most of them like to be left alone and are not necessarily very fun for a child to interact with. Degus and chinchillas require a decent knowledge/experience and space. Rabbits are a horrible choice for most young kids for many reasons I won't get into now.

With most small rodents the males are cuddlier, calmer and less territorial in my experience.

I really love bearded dragons and all the ones I've had or taken care of have been very sweet and attached to humans but in the end, of course a reptile doesn't provide the same "warm and fuzzy" experience some kids might crave. If you think your kid would enjoy it regardless, they are a great option. Reptiles do require a lot of research and sometimes an expensive setup because their habitat pretty much determines their entire well-being and has to be perfect. For example for most rodents you can make do with things you have at home like cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls, old pots etc. With reptiles you really have to plan their habitat very carefully. You also have to be not squeamish with live bugs and worms etc.

I'd like to also like to mention turtles and tortoises. Water turtles especially can require a huge tank (based on species) but they are really fun and can really bond with humans and a be an absolute joy to watch.

So it all depends on your budget, experience, willingness to research and of course your child. Something else to bear in mind is life span, do you want to make a commitment for 15 years? On the other hand, will your child be able to cope with losing a gerbil or a hamster every 2-3 years? Do you have any vets around you who specialize in small animals or reptiles? Alot of vets dont know heads from tails with some animals sadly.

Of course this is all sweeping generalisations and you might get a rat that sleeps all day or a guinea big who hates being touched! You never know with animals really. And just because an animal might be easiest doesn't mean it's the best choice for everyone either, I fell in love with the little sticking out ears of my first ratties the moment I saw them and not even the whole world could have convinced me to get other pets.