Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Small pets

Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your pet, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Which small pet?

21 replies

scrappydappydoo · 03/10/2015 20:26

DD2 wants a pet - we've had goldfish but she wants something to cuddle. I am beyond clueless. I never had pets when I was little so don't know what to do.. We have space in a conservatory but concerned it will get cold in winter?
So can you recommend a good beginner pet that is cuddly, friendly, easy to look after, fairly cheap, and doesn't need much room. Would a guinea pig or rabbit fit the bill? Help!!!

OP posts:
ellenjames · 03/10/2015 20:31

We have rats and guinea pigs and they are fabGrin

TheoriginalLEM · 03/10/2015 20:32

will be cold in winter and dangerously hot in the summer.

was going to suggest a rat, but what about a bearded dragon? relatively easy to look after and don't mind being handled.

Stylingwax · 03/10/2015 20:34

Gerbil. Easy to handle, require less space than a rabbit or Guinea pig. You have to get a pair (same sex) or they get lonely but they are friendly and good fun.

ellenjames · 03/10/2015 20:34

Yep I have a beardie and a snake too all are fab pets

LexieSinclair · 03/10/2015 20:38

Hamsters are good? I would be careful what I keep in a conservatory though because of what LEM said.

4yoniD · 03/10/2015 20:45

rats or guinea pigs. Not too big, not too small and squirmy, mostly nice natured. All however need fairly big cages, but not as big as a rabbit. GPs are a minimum of 1m20 cage. My 2 are in a 1m40cm. You would need 2 of whichever (or more). Possibly Degus, but I have never had them so can't comment.

GPs will squeak endearingly for food constantly but rats are more amusing in other ways. My rat was a lot more attached to me than the GPs are, but my GPs are above-averagely pathetic (they take panicking to whole new levels)

TimonAndPumbaa · 03/10/2015 20:52

Don't get rabbits if you want something cheap and easy to care for! They're really expensive and take up a lot of time! I'd recommend gerbils. We had them (you have to buy a pair as they like company) when the dc were little and found them more intelligent and friendly than hamsters. They were cheap and easy. But not very 'cuddly' I suppose.

FernieB · 03/10/2015 21:00

A conservatory is too hot in summer and too cold in winter for any animal to be kept in. If you're short on space how about a couple of gerbils or a hamster? Not sure how cuddly they are though, but their cages don't take up as much room as a Guinea pig or rabbit.

How old is your DD? Most kids want cuddly pets but rescues are full of pets that children became bored with. Don't get a pet unless you want one too as you'll be doing the work. If you're not really keen and your DD gets bored (usually after a few weeks when the novelty wears off) will you resent having to carry on caring for an animal?

Rabbits are not at all cuddly, need a lot of space and a bunny companion. Guinea pigs also need to be kept in pairs, but are more cuddly. They need a lot of cleaning out. My pigs are cleaned out almost daily. They (and rabbits) need daily access to a run or an area of the house to run around in. They need fresh hay, veggies, dry food and water daily. I reckon it costs around £10 per week to keep my pigs. Rabbits need annual injections and also should be neutered to avoid cancers and hormonal behaviour which can be aggressive/anti-social (male buns spraying urine!).

If you go for a small furry animal, the initial set up costs can be high. Most cages sold in pet shops are really too small and don't provide adequate room. You also need to think about what you will do when you go away. Also Guinea pigs and rabbits can live up to ten years so it is a big commitment.

Any small furry needs regular cleaning out and a lot more time each day than fish. I have some fish and they are currently thriving on 10 minutes cleaning them out once a week - they really are low maintenance in comparison to the furries.

FernieB · 03/10/2015 21:04

Sorry, didn't mean to sound so negativeBlush. I would look at gerbils - they may not be so cuddly but are always busy and can be interesting to watch.

Tanfastic · 03/10/2015 21:11

I say gerbils too. We got two for ds just over a year ago and they are very easy to look after. Make sure you get a proper gerbilarium rather than a hamster cage (no plastic) as they chew for fun. They are awake in the day a bit and they are fun to watch (especially when they do their housekeeping after a clean out).

Incidentally they are also very clean, hardly smell and don't need cleaning out that often. I do mine once every three or four weeks.

Definitely get a pair together. However one of ours died a couple of months ago (I was gutted!) and we were worried about the other one but he seems absolutely fine.

mrstweefromtweesville · 03/10/2015 21:13

Long haired Syrian hamster. Big, hairy, great personalities. Not the horrid little Russian kind.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/10/2015 21:19

I've only ever had guinea-pigs and mice (out of the rodenty types) and a cat.

Guinea pigs don't fit into the cheap,easy to keep, takes up little space catergory at all.

Neither do rabbits (they are equilivant time and effort wise to a dog)

Rats can have large cages in height with a smaller footprint. They like to climb and have hammocks.
Guinea pigs like floor level and are messy (hay everywhere) greedy chatty little things.

But yes, children do get bored of them and (call me cynical) but hmmmmm strange how many children are allergic to the piggies on Gumtree (usually 1 year old boars)

My DD is fine with our smooth and Abby coated pigs. Allergic to Rex and Teddy coats.
She gets on with it, we know she can't hold our boar near her face, she gets a rash.

You need to go through all the pros and cons.
And you will be looking after the animal . It wlll be your responsibilty.
Legally and Morally unless your child is an adult.

In your situation, I'd say look beyond the rabbits and rodents.
Do you like cats at all?

LexieSinclair · 03/10/2015 21:24

Yes, cats are so easy! I have a cat and a hamster and have had rabbits before...cats are the easiest by far IMO.

strawberrypenguin · 03/10/2015 21:25

Rats. Really people friendly and like play/ ride around on shoulders (get girls, they are livelier and smell less) make sure they don't get too cold/ hot though. Ideally you should have a pair.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/10/2015 21:25

Actually, my DH and I bought a Rescue cat when we bought our house and she tolerated the DC well (she was getting on when they arrived) . She lived to 17yo.

When my DD uttered the imortal "I want a Pet" phrase she was thinking of hamsters because her friend had one.

I steered DD to guinea-pigs because I kept them from age 9 -22yo.
DD was 9yo when we got our boar pair.
All my pigs are Rescue.

If she hadn't wanted pigs, I'd have gone for rats.

Original poster
scrappydappydoo · 03/10/2015 23:18

Hmmm this isn't as easy as I thought. I think we might leave it not sure I'm responsible enough! Although I might see if we can pet sit for friends to test pet ownership out. Lots of things to consider - thanks :)

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 03/10/2015 23:38

Besides the "Which Pet" and "Where to keep them"

Where to get them?
What will you do when you go on holiday?
Do you recognise the signs of them being ill?
Do you know where your nearest vet is that specialises in your type of animal? (All vets will have treated all animals , but might not specialise)

Do you have the space to keep their food and bedding? And their waste?
Our piggies create a load of waste from paper and bedding.

What will happen if your child (like my DD) is allergic?

And when the animal dies. You will be left with a lone pet (unless you have a solitary pet like a hamster).
Guineas don't do 'alone' so we've had overlapping layers of new piggies along the way.
We have three at the moment which is a good mix (neutered boar+2 sows)

I detest the way guinea pigs are kept in a sterile looking cage with nothing to do except wait for their next meal Sad

And Yes, I do want to buy them, of course I do. But if I take them home to my Pigshed , it just means another lot of piggies will be bred to replace them.

RattieofCatan · 04/10/2015 21:55

Rats. They are brilliant and extremely sweet. Like a lot of rodents they need to be in at least pairs.

70 raises a load of good points though that you really need to think about, it can be bloody difficult finding a good sitter for rodents and rabbits. A lot of them can be expensive too. We have 7 rats and it's rare for a month to go by where we haven't been to the vet. Usually it's the same three rats to be fair (two with bad lungs and one accident prone one!) but it's something you need to budget for, people think rodents are easy to care for (including hamsters) and don't need very trips often but they can do and are not 'easy' as such, lovely and rewarding, but not easy.

Cockbollocks · 15/10/2015 11:03

Rats, fab pets. They do need large cages though and please find a breeder, not a pet shop. Like dogs, meet the parents, handle the babies etc etc

CFSsucks · 05/11/2015 22:22

Anther vote for rats. Love my babies. So friendly and lively.

coffeeisnectar · 05/11/2015 22:27

Do one of the workshops at pets at home for rabbits or small furry animals. They are brilliant for learning all you need to know.

I'd recommend a cat. Lots less work than a rabbit!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread