Best pets with young children

[GizmosEveningBath]

I would really love for my DCs (4 and 8) to grow up with animals the way me and DH did but until now we have lived in rentals where no pets are allowed. DCs are really keen to get a pet. Cats seemed the obvious choice as I grew up with cats, however all our family cats were bought as kittens from the Friday Ad which looking back seems dodgy. We really wanted to rescue an adult cat but we had a bit of a mixed experience when we went to meet one at the rescue today. He was wonderfully friendly when we first came in but he is obviously incredibly stressed at being in an enclosure and bit me without any kind of warning (purring beforehand) when he caught sight of the fosterers own cat walking past. The rescue think that he will calm down in a home because he's an active cat that will enjoy playing with the children and our garden, however I dont want to chance it given our youngest is only 4 and I always recall our cats warning us when they had had enough. The rescue also didn't seem keen for DCs to meet the cat in advance as they worry that it won't work well with him in an enclosure. This was a cat with a pretty good background and I am wondering if maybe our home with DCs isn't a good fit for a cat that has been through the process of going to a rescue. Does anyone have experience of rescues and children? Am I better off leaving it a few years before getting a cat?

I have also considered Guinea pigs and we do have a space large enough for a decent indoor enclosure. I don't know if we were just lucky but we both have very good childhood experiences with pet Guinea pigs.

Dogs are sadly out of the question as my eldest was attacked by an ex neighbour's dog who managed to escape from it's garden, he other animals but still terrified of dogs. I'm working on it with the help of friends with lovely dogs, but it's going to take time.

*he loves other animals, please excuse the typos!

How about rabbits? They do need space indoors and preferably outdoors too and should be kept in pairs only.

Rabbits have always seemed very hit and miss to me, I've heard of some being wonderful with children but few and far between. They've never struck me as suitable for children (or good pets in general, from what I've read).

Guinea pigs are lovely to own and relatively low maintenence, we're getting some for DC this year.

Guinea pigs are brilliant children's pet (with appropriate adult supervision). Cute noises, happy to sit on lap / in a cuddle cup and munch on pepper slices. I've kept piggies for 30 years and only been nipped once.
I'd suggest looking for a local rescue - many are small and run from family homes - as they'll be sure of the sex (unlike pet shops!) & you may find a wellhandled pair of young adults easier for the kids to handle than skittish babies.
I have a Ferplast Plaza 140 + a 40cm extension for two sows. Boar can live in pairs and need more space than sows, sows can live in groups or with a neutered male. I do prefer having them indoors - I mostly had them outside due to DHs allergies but now we have a spare room I have them inside and it's easier to care for & interact with them in winter indoors.

Rabbits are awful pets for children, they're small prey animals, they're nervous, hate being picked up and are likely to be injured.

After having many different types of caged animals I'm sticking with my cats now, if you're doing it right, caged pets are so expensive with the upkeep and they take A LOT of time to look after.

Cats are a good do, rescues regularly have kittens to re-home though most home in pairs so be prepared to have two. I've had a lot of adult rescues, some have their own issues and anxieties but some are absolutely fine to be around kids, a rescue shouldn't and usually wouldn't home a nervous cat to a household with children anyway.

I'd ring a local rescue and see how they're fixed for cats, most of them are full to the brim right now.

Guinea Pigs are fantastic pets for children, lovely and cuddly. But they are loud. Every time I chop carrots in the kitchen it sets them off with their loud squeaking.

We have also had pet rats with our DD and she loved them, very playful.

I also have rabbits and think they are great for teenagers or adults. Most rabbits aren't cuddly and some can be pretty temperamental.

A pair of rabbits needs access to 60 sq ft, 24/7, & they need annual vaccines (around £60 each) which piggies don't need. I also use a flystrike preventative on the rabbits in summer.

I'd go for guinea pigs; preferably 2 non-pregnant females. Rabbits have powerful back legs, and can inflict a nasty scratch if being held.

My cat is a rescue. Only ever lived with adults and older children but she’s settled in with my toddler. They play with balls together 😂
Set boundaries for the children on when to leave the cat alone. Your 4 year old is old enough to understand that you don’t pull tails, kitty doesn’t want to play atm. Good for teaching responsibility too- fill the cat’s water bowl, let the cat outside etc
They just need a few weeks to settle.

Smaller animals can take more effort to care for- cleaning cage, entertaining etc but have the cute factor too!

It's so hard to give rabbit a good quality of life. I'd ban rabbits as pets if I could. Cleaning guinea pigs is hard work, but they are cute.
Occasionally cats can be unpredictable biters. I had one from a kitten and I thought they'd grow out of it. But she died at 17 and never did. But they're far from being the norm. I'd think a cat would be the easiest pet to look after and they're independent so as your children grow up and lose interest, they'd be the species that would be the least negatively affected.

Cat

We got a pair of kittens from local rescue. They say in spring they are overflowing with kittens usually as they take in pregnant strays.

Ours were born in the rescue centre, and we collected at 10 weeks old. We paid around £100 each which covered their microchip and first vaccines already, and a contribution towards their care the first few months ( and the spaying of the mother cat).

They are now nearly 4 years, and we have a 1 1/2 year old who they are very good with. He’s learnt already how to pet them gently, helps feed them and how to give them space.

Cats are also pretty easy in terms of day to day. No kennel or cage to clean. Ours have a litter tray but never use it now they are older. So it’s mainly just feeding. Cat flap means they let themselves out

Guinea pigs are a great choice for early pets.

From birth, I've always lived in households full of animals and had mixtures of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, fish, parrots, budgies etc. at various times. Whilst the vast majority of animals can become very comfortable with children, it's easier if the children are experienced with animals themselves first.

With regular handling, Guinea pigs can become calm and easy to handle. They do need require some work (cleaning out, brushing, nails clipping) which will allow your children to learn about being a responsible pet owner too.

Thank you all for your advice. I have heard lots of mixed things about keeping rabbits, usually positive comments are from people with older children/teens.

I'm glad people have had good experiences with rescues, I had a feeling that cat would settle down in a home environment given how sociable he was initially, but there is every chance it might not. I probably feel extra cautious around my DS given he has already scared of one type of animal.

Seems like Guinea pigs are the pets for us. Thank you for the cage recommendation @AwkwardPaws27

Please consider rescues too when you adopt Guinea pigs, many are dumped by heartless previous owners and looking for a home.

We've had a good experience with a rescue cat - as our children were only 5 and 2 when we wanted to rescue, they wouldn't let us have a kitten. We were shown a couple of females (under 2) who had been young Mums. The one we ended up choosing has such a lovely nature, although was definitely timid for the first couple of years. By the time my youngest was about 4, the cat was fine with her.
Guinea pigs are lovely and we were tempted, but with the regular pen/run cleaning they are more work than cats.

Quails are quite sweet - don't take up much space, make a nice sound, cheap to keep, and you get lovely eggs.

We all love quails! They have them at our local farm and they are lovely and chatty. I have seen a few foxes about on our road though, I have considered getting some ex battery hens before but the potential for fox attacks put me off.

I have had a look and there are a couple of local small animal rescues near me so the search continues. Thanks everyone