Looking for a Good Pet

Hi, I worked at at pet store for 4 years and I have owned everything! Guinie pigs are good but be very choosy, some do not like to be held at all and they could scratch (sometimes more than a rabbit) also they cannot close their eyes very fast and 2 year olds like to touch :), they usually only close their eyes to sleep. My kids are 7, 3 and 1. Rabbits are good, but I would not get a young one for a first pet, get a older calm one, I had one that was a doll and loved to be loved (all the time) by my kids, unfortunatly her cage was gotten into outside :( and she is no longer with us. Hampsters are too small for a younger child and like to get loose, lol, my kids have three and I find them all over the place. also the younger kids like to squish them. Let me know if you have any questions about any and all animals :)
C.

I'm 52 years old and have 2 grownup kids. I would wait until he is around 4 years old to get any sort of pet. He would proably enjoy a toy fish tank that plays music ,lights up and the fishes swims around.

Rats are the best pets for kids.

D. J.

I can't imagine why anyone would think a rabbit would not be a good pet. They're quiet, it's easy to clean up any messes, and if you get one young, it will adjust to your family just as well as any dog or cat. We raise rabbits, chickens and goats for both meat and as pets, and I would say congrats on finding a good pet for your child. But I wouldn't get a dwarf or mini, stick to the larger animals, just in case your little guy isn't as gentle as the animal would like. Good Luck and God Bless.

A rat. I know it sounds weird, but I got my first rat when I was about 3 or 4. Rats are very gentle and rarely bite like hamsters do. They live about 3 years and are fun to watch and hold. They are not the dirty sewer rats that we all think are gross, they are clean animals and can be good pets for little kids. Make sure to watch him though, because little kids don't understand yet that these little animals are alive and can't be played with like a toy. Good luck!

well bunnies stink if you can handle that and bite when necessary. When my 4 kids was young we had/still have Turtles, Stick bugs, Beta fish (requires a small bowl), Hamsters, Guinea pigs, Hedgehog - interesting animal that looks like a porcupine, etc. The stick bugs are the coolest!

This may help

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/information/references.htm

OR

http://www.petco.com/CareSheets/CareSheets.aspx?Nav=154

How ironic that after I read your post I got my weekly e-mail from AmericanBaby.com and it was about pets. Here is what it said:

All about your Baby
Your child is 1 year and 29 weeks old!

Do you think your child is ready for a pet? If so, what type of animal is best for a curious toddler? No matter how gentle your child may be, toddlers are quick to pull tails and tug fur. Choose a sturdy animal that can handle your child's rough play. Also, make sure the animal you are considering has a gentle and patient temperament. If you get frustrated with your child, so will the family pet!

Take our quiz, and we'll recommend the right pet for you.
Here is the quiz link, hope it works:

http://www.americanbaby.com/ab/quiz.jhtml?sssdmh=dm15.891...

Just copy and paste it on your address bar. Hope it helps. :)

P.S. It might make you sign of for the site in order to view it so I sorry if that is the case.

Good Morning S.~
How funny that I read your post that you are looking for a pet.
When My oldest son was 2 he had a dwarf bunny that we kept in a cage and let out on ocassion.
We have a medium haired reddish brown and white guinea pig that we want to give to someone that might be interested. He lives in a medium size traveling dog kennel. He is a great treat to have. He likes to be held and he talks once in a while. He also likes to get bathes. His name is Bear. He is full grown. He is really easy to care for. We do let him out a few times a week to run around.
We are needing to find him a new home since we have recently got a couple of puppies. With all the necessitites of having 2 pups we are finding ourselves not having time for BEAR anymore. He comes with the kennel, bedding, food, salt lick, and water bottle.
Is Bear an animal you might be interested in? The biggy question is however what state are you in?

Let me Know~
Ang

It's wonderful that you want your son to interact with animals! They're great learning tools and your son will grow to appreciate & love them instead of fearing them. However, I wouldn't suggest a small animal other than fish. 2 year olds can't comprehend the needs of these small creatures or understand their body language while playing with them. They can easily (unintentionally) hurt the animal as mentioned before, and what animal wants their hair pulled out in chunks? Secondly, you're the one that has to take care of them. I know you mentioned that a fish isn't something you're interested in but I think its the best fit for a youngster. They're inexpensive, easy to care for, and your son can help decide what types of materials to use to set its home up. You can change things around when you clean the bowl so as to teach him different colors, shapes, pictures, etc. Good luck in finding that special pet for you & your little one.

We have done hamsters in the past but recently while on vacation ours got out of the cage and well passed away....(I dont have to tell you how bad that smelled when we finally found him! poor little thing) However what about a...

1) Guinea Pigs
Pros: generally quite tame, easy to handle and rarely bite. They also get to know your routines and become quite responsive, which keeps kids interested. They also tend to be active throughout the day and night, so are more likely to be awake some of the same hours as children. Cons: though fairly sturdy, they do require gentle handling. Should be kept in pairs and need a large living space, and need to be fed fresh healthy foods to help meet their vitamin C needs.

Hi Shawandra,
In my experience small animals that require interaction just get squeezed and they bite, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs etc. not so great for a two year old. Although rats make wonderful pets and do not bite, not sure how you feel about rats though. I would suggest sticking to the observable animals. Fish, Lizards, Frogs, stuff like that. We had a tortoise when my son was that age and it worked out perfectly. He didn't bother her much and enjoyed watching her when she was out of her cage. They really are funny animals! My son also really enjoyed having fish. It ended up being his first word. If you get the right equipment, they really aren't that hard to take care of. I used to work in a pet store so feel free to message me with any questions :) Good luck!

A turtle maybe? They require very little care... changing their cage every few weeks, watering every day or two, and feeding every 3-4 days (and they eat vegetables so whatever you have on hand works). They are not messy at all. They can be left to crawl around the house if you want to. They even make a good bathtub toy (not to actually take a bath with)... if you choose not to put water in their cage that they can swim in, then they need to swim in a sink or tub once a week or so.... and kids love to watch it.
I had one when I was younger that I absolutely loved. It was the easiest pet in the world. And I had a billion people at my house that took it out all the time, fed it, played with it, etc. and it was fine. The only thing your child would have to be careful about is putting it on it's back... they will die if left that way too long.

Eventhough you don't want a fish, it would be the best place t start with such a young child. They can feed it, and it's so low maintanance. My daughter had a beta and they live a long time and your child could pick out the one they want and you could even keep in in there room.
If you're insistant that you don't want a fish, how about a hamster? They are a lot more work, but they are cute. If you get an older one, your child may even be able to hold it. But I have four kids and we've had every pet imaginable. The excitement dies down and then you're stuck taking care of it. So if you're short on time you may consider waiting till the child is old enought to take on some of the responsability.
We've had rats, fish, birds, dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, etc. The fish by far was the easiest, and I became quite fond on him. Good luck.

I, too, didn't think of a bird as a good pet. However, my brother gave my daughter a cockateil when my granddaughter was around 2 and she loved it. True, she couldn't hold it. But the bird landed on her shoulder, her head, her back and Monet giggled and giggled as she twisted around to see the bird, Peachy, who just kept hopping around. And Monet could help provide food and water. She became attached to Peachy who died several years ago and periodically tellus she misses Peachy.

A plus is that a bird is easier to take care of than most other pets. I've had hamsters, guinea pigs, and of course cats and dogs. I'd choose a bird over any of them. This is quite something for me to say because I grew up afraid of birds and still cringe when one flies by my face.

I got my son (he is three now) a hampster.......it is just a little teddy bear hampster....I taught him how to feed, water etc.....We got a little roller ball for the hampster so my son can watch him, (Buzz Lightyear) run arround....it works well.

Try a Hamster. Kids love em.

I read an artical somewhere that Leopard Geckos are great pets for kids. I don't know first hand but the artical said that they are friendly and social and tend to be fairly clean. It's not a bird or a fish... You might want to check out a pet shop and ask about them.

Did you ever get a guniea pig? I love them. I had two who were supposed to both be male (oops!) and ended up with babies. I would get another one but my dog has a really large prey drive and the last one I had she killed. I cried so hard and I felt partially at fault. I heard the guniea pig squeaking and my daughter was screaming but she does that all the time (you know, the never ending MOM! you hear) so I ignored her until I finally heard the panic. By the time I got there she was gone. I still feel horribly guilty for that. Anyway, I hope you found the perfect pet for your apartment.

My son had a dog since he was born but the dog passed away unexpectadly. We have been fighting about the dog thing because I am not a dog person and I loved the dog we had I also have a 3 year old a 2 year old and my baby is due any day so I want to get him a pet that is easy to take care of. We have decided on a turtle. They have one at his daycare and he loves it I talked to the daycare provider about how it behaves and how they take care of it. It is so hard because he is three and he is learning how to take care of his things so this is his pet. It needs to be something he can enjoy. My sister in law got her daughter a guinea pig and did really well. My son did not want one we let him pick from the two because they had the best reviews. Good luck

What ever pet you choose, I hope you know that you will probably end up being the one to take care of it. My son who us now 9 years old has had stick bug for years. They live in a fish 5 gallon fish tank, eat blackberry vines/water, there is no smell and they haven't bitten him. They are pretty cool creatures. The only down thing is they do reproduce, alot. Of course on the upscale of that, they make great gifts. My kids do have 1 outside cat, 1 outside dog and 6 chicken w/2 roosters. And my husband and I have ended up taking care of them all. When I was growing up we had everything. Horse, chickens, pigs, goats, cats, dogs but we had to take care of them ourselves. If you decide to get a pet just take into consideration that it might die and then you will have to try and explain that to him. Get one that could live for along time. I have had my bird for over 15 years. If you want some stick bugs to try out, let me know via message.

My 4 year old has a guinea pig and loves it. We live in an apartment too and I did not want a rodent-(mice,rats, hamsters, anything like that). The guy at the pet store suggested a guinea pig as they are part of the rabbit family and very nice. They are a little skidish at first but he likes my son. We even got another one to keep the first one company. They are a little stinky, but anything in a cage is. They live a while, so prepare for the commitment but they don't bite and are not aggressive. Good luck!