Pet choice help for a small garden and allergy family...Chickens? Bearded Dragon? Something else?!

[YoshiIsCute]

NC for this but am a long time poster, looking for some help or perhaps a reality check that we are seeking the impossible?!

My DS (primary age) is desperate for a pet. He's a solo child and I think it would be lovely for him to have a companion and to learn responsibility etc.

Here's the situation though.....

DH is not that keen on a pet at all as he doesn't want the commitment and he definitely doesn't want anything that would require daily walks or create a lot of mess/smell.

We go away a couple of times a year, sometimes for up to 3 weeks at a time. We live in a terraced house with a small garden inc grass, flower beds and a patio area. I work from home so when we aren't travelling, I'm around most of the day.

Any pet would need to be small, relatively low maintenance, able to be left for a few days at a time (or longer periods as long as we can get a friend or neighbor to pop in and feed them), and not stink.

An indoor/outdoor cat would probably have been the best bet but alas, we are all allergic to cats. DH has also said any rodent pet is completely out of the question.

After lots of research, the only options I've found that might suit are Hens (with the Eglu coop) or a Bearded Dragon.

I also considered Guinea Pigs, but I think they don't like to be left alone for more than 12 - 24 hours so what do you do with them when you go away?

If anyone has any insight into the suitability of any of these pets or other suggestions, I would so appreciate it!

We have a horsefield tortoise and my 4 year old is obsessed with him.

I wouldn't necessarily describe as low maintenance as you do need to become a bit of an expert on how to look after them, which lights they need and suitable habitats etc. But once you have this sorted they really are pretty low maintenance if that makes sense.

We often leave him with eager family members checking in to feed.

What about fish? Interesting to watch. Introduces a bit of responsibility - cleaning and feeding.

low cost and low maintenance…

Beardie - needs a large enclosure, not very cuddly (Rankin's dragons are similar but smaller)
Leopard gecko much better but make sure you know how to look after them
Ditto corn snakes
Giant African Land Snails (GALS) - good, low maintenance
White tree frogs - great pets, very interesting
Stick insects
There are some good Facebook groups with up to date information on how to look after them correctly (husbandry changes all the time). Try the "Advancing Husbandry" pages (I think that's what they are called).

Don't get a budgie or parakeet, as pp suggested. They are social animals and get very depressed if alone too much. It is also very difficult to get anyone to look after them properly if you have to be away . Not to mention vet care - most vets don't know much about birds and avian vets are few and far between. Most parrot/bird owners learn to deal with minor bird ailments themselves as a result.(I have a parrot). I also live in London and foxes are really everywhere. If you get hens, they will find out very quickly.

Guinea pigs are great. Highly sociable - buy two girls and a hitch that easy to clean. I got a wooden one but tiled it and then grouted it upstairs so it brushes and washes clean. The downstairs ramp going down into the garden. The kids fight over who cleans them out and the stuff we buy goes straight in the compost.

water topped up, daily - could be left for a weekend. Great for veg peelings and highly love a cuddle but live outside. We are happy to do our friends and they do ours - they don’t bite, don’t burrow and don’t cause any grief.

Hamster? I really don't like GP their feet freak me out

Hey there! I totally understand your dilemma. I have a bearded dragon myself, and they're great pets for smaller spaces. They're low-maintenance, don't require daily walks, and don't produce much odor. Plus, they're fascinating to watch and can be left alone for a few days with proper care. Check out this guide at https://dragonfreak.com/ for more info on caring for them!

Thank you all so so much for your help! After a lot of research and many many chats to win DH over, we’ve decided on Gerbils! He’d originally said no rodents, but I’ve managed to get him onboard with gerbils since they have a shorter life span and don’t smell much (hopefully?!)

Ive found a couple of options for small animal boarding and small animal pet sitters locally for when we are away for longer periods, and a couple of friends who are willing to help if we’re away for a few days.

There’s a small animal rescue near us so we’re talking to them at the moment and hope to bring them home in the next few weeks. DS is very very very excited!