Ok, the rat idea is off. Someone talk to me about Leopard Gecko's

[Chickenshavenolips]

DH has put his foot down with regard the rats, as even talking about them makes him shudder (the big wuss). So, plan B is a leopard gecko. Has anyone got one? Are they good pets for children? Pros and cons please

Replace DH.

Get rats.

Sorted

Apparently very hard to look after (environment control, feeding live insects ect)

gecko care sheet

Alas, while I like your thinking, replacing DH not an option. Currently.

Sorry not very hard to look after, after all. But patently NOT as cute & cuddly as ratties

ps - friend had a lizard fed on live insects. Live insects escaped.......

Is it the small furry mammal thing or the tail he doesn't like?

And leopard geckos cost arounf £30-35 each to buy, starter kits from £70

..and can be very hard to find vets experienced in exotics.....

TBH, DH is just not an animal lover. He doesn't like the feel of little bones and squirminess I think it might be the scampering that small rodents do that has him shuddering and doing a cats bum face. We can't have a cat or a dog, we do have a budgie (that DH hates, although the feeling is mutual) and 7 chickens. I'd like to get DS2 (6) an indoor pet that he can interact with.

My sister has a gecko. He really doesn't do very much. From my visits to her it's more akin to having a fish in a tank that you can look at but not really interact with. Rats on the other hand you can play with, train and they will get to know you. As a teenager mine used to ride around on my shoulder freaking my mum out!

I think I have to go back to my first suggestion

No, seriously - even if DH is not required to touch, feel, do whatever to a pet, would he not have it in the house? Hidden from his view?

Are there any that he would consider, or is the Gecko thing unknown to him as yet?

Geckos are not really great pets, they move fast, they get broken easily and they need specialist care - if you are happy with all that then get a recommendation for a good reptile shop in your area (usually best to steer clear of chains) and go and ask all the quetions you can think of.

TBH though, rats are fab pets, one of the best small pets for children - I am a rabbit person myself but still think they are better than even rabbits! Your dh won't have to handle them will he? My ds keeps his rats in his room, is that an option? That way dh wouldn't even see them most of the time!

He is less squeamish about lizardy things, but will still only observe from a distance. He has made it quite clear that any rodents in the house would result in him screaming like a hysterical school girl

How could anybody not like

[[http://www.pets747.com/uploaded_images/pet-rats-717589.jpg me?]

I agree with Bella

Exchange DH for ratties!

try again:

me

fwiw, my poor mother was seriously phobic about small furries.

By the time I was on hammy no.15 (complete with breeding programmes I used to draw up while I should have been listening in English Comprehension), she was really quite okay about them

Is it the small furry mammal thing or the tail he doesn't like?

hammies

hammies

hammies

my mum couldnt bear to hold our hammies and now she wants them at theirs when the blondes go on holiday and she spoils loves them and plays daily with them

I am feeling that you may not be getting much support for you gecko plan here Chickens!

Perhaps DH could go to screamy girl therapy?

For me the problem with geckos is they are hard for children to handle making htem less than ideal. I am having trouble coming up with a better one though... how about snakes? some can be quite good pets if handled properly - although they are still quite specialist they don't tend to move quite so fast!

I have kept a few lizards over the years, and the leopards were the best - relatively tame (not like an iguana). BUT they are not like mammals (as everyone is saying) - not really the kind of pet that you can handle a lot - they get stressed and if touched too hard they can lose their tails.
Lovely lizards, BUT, get a rat They are fab!

See! Even the gecko owners say get a rat!