Wanting to Purchase a Pet

I had pet rats as a kid. THey are not like sewer rats--they are bred to be pets. THey are very smart, and can learn tricks. I had one that would fetch! The thing that weirds some people out are their tails, but that never bothered me. They were very gentle and friendly.

I am probably going against the major sentiment here, but I would advise against getting the kids a pet yet. 3 and 5 are still very young, they don't understand or always remember how and why to be gentle, and they can't really help with much. They can maybe feed the pet, but you will be left to clean the cage and all that not-fun stuff. Don't get me wrong, I think pets are great for kids, teaching caring and responsibility, but I think it would be best for everyone to wait a few years. You don't want to traumatize an animal, you don't want the kids to get bitten because they are being typical kids, or to always be after them to be gentle. You probably don't want to be left with the majority of the upkeep of the pet, and you don't want to give the kids any idea that pets are disposable by getting rid of it after a few months if it doesn't work.

Pets are wonderful however, I would not buy a gerbil or hamster they bite and are not very cuddly. A better alternative is a guinea pig they are really nice and about as messy as a gerbil. The even better option even though it has a weird stigma is a rat. They train really well. Love to cuddle, and are smart so kids can have a lot of fun playing with them. People just get weirded out by it. As a child I have had all of these different types of pets.

Initially, most people cringe when I mention it but rats are wonderful pets. They are affectionate, responsive and so much cleaner than the other rodents you mentioned---this means one of the things they do is defecate and urinate in roughly the same area of their cage and don't mess it up as much and in turn the odor is better managed just by the nature of the rat. Many pet stores have them but most people are surprised to know that they are found at the shelters too.

Here's a link to a reputable website regarding choosing a rat as a pet:

http://www.petplace.com/search.aspx?c=0&q=rats

Best wishes!

Have you considered a dwarf bunny? They are very lovable and I always thought more personable toward people, whereas gerbils and hamsters seem to just run around wherever you put them. A bunny seems to make a better connection. As long as the cage is cleaned regularly, they are great. Also (and a lot of people don't think of these), maybe a chinchilla. They are the softest animal around and so very sweet. My daughter had one, and it was quiet and never smelled. It's lots of fun to watch them bathe in their lava dust bath -- they flip around and shake and have a great time -- your kids would love that! You never have to worry about washing them, because water damages their fur. They also prefer cool air, since they are from the higher altitudes of the Andes Mountains, so if you have a drafty area in the house, he'd probably feel right at home! I recommend reading up on chinchillas -- the more you learn, the more you'll want one. Granted, they're not cheap like hamsters (you'll probably spend between $100 and $150 for a more common breed, plus cage and accessories), but they have a much longer life span (15-20 years) and, again, make a much better pet connection with your children! Go here to learn more: http://members.aol.com/sirchin/chininfo.htm.

We have had LOTS of fish I'm a fish person ~ they are great. We also had a hamster, it was small and played more at night and died too soon because of their short life spans and we got it from a friend so it was already old. We had rats, when they are properly handeled when young they are great loved them, but when they are not handeled enough (as with any of these hamster,gerbal,geenie pig) they can bite and they have sharp little teeth and strong jaws. We also did hermit crabs, which are alot of fun and very easy ~ but the info out there for them isn't all correct so do your research. (also let me know if your interested and I will pass on what I know) anyway, they are great. We just baby sat a geenie pig and although I love there temperment and size they are just so lovable, they do stink. Dosnt take long after you clean the cage for them to stink it up.
Good Luck,
S.

hamsters and gerbils are both nocturnal so we bought guinea pigs instead. They are wonderful and easy to care for. They are very friendly but you would have to be careful about such little kids holding them. The pet stores recommend kids be 8 before getting such pets.

My husband found a Russian tourtoise crossing the road at work one day last summer and brought it home. Since then it has been my son's(4) best friend. It is so cute watching them together. We keep him in a cage in my son's room and have no problem with any smell. Once a month we clean it. If you teach your kids about washing their hands after toucking and playing with it they should be fine, but really they should wash their haves after playing with any animal. Cheeto, the turtle, eats everyday but he eats veggies and fruits and Dillon thinks it is so great that they get to eat the same things. I think this is a great pet for this age.

guinea pigs are also a good choice

My best friend just got pets for her almost 5 yr old and though I'm not sure if I would like them she says so far they've been great. They are rats. She said they are really sweet and clean and freindly. Anyway, just thought I'd pass it on.

A.,

I think it's great that you want to teach your girls to be compassionate and caring people. Caring for animals teaches kindness, nurturing, and responsibility.

I would first suggest you skip the pet store and head to the Humane Society in your area. They usually have a great selection of small pets and their health will be much better than those you'll buy at a pet store.

When I was in my twenties I got a hamster from Petco and it was so sick (from the breeding, transport, and sitting in the store) that it died within two weeks. Prior to his death he was a mean SOB. Every time I tried to touch him he bit me. If you go to the humane society they have been throughly examined by a vet and cared for be experienced staff rather than teenagers with little experience at a pet store. You'll also know a little more about their temperament. If they are shy or great with kids, etc.

I would suggest looking at a guinea pig, rat, or hamster. They can be great pets.

As with any animal if you take proper care of it, cleaning it's cage regularly, and feeding it healthy food you shouldn't have any problems with odor.

Good luck!

I love critters. At your girls age you may want to wait to get a critter. It depends on how gentle your girls are. Also it depends on how committed you are at having to care for another "kid" because they can take as much work. I may sound a little preachy but I use to work in a pet store and we would adopt out critters and get returns because it was just too much work. It wont teach your kids responsibility if you give a pet away because you don't like it or get tired of caring for it. That being said, if you still feel like it is the right time for your family I could suggest a couple of critters. When I worked at the pet store I knew a lot of people that liked rats. They seem to have sweet tempers. I have never owned one because I am allergic to them. My personal favorite is the guinea pig. They are so sweet. I've had several and I would love to hold them on my lap and watch tv, while they would chew on some veggie of the day. They also talk to you with whistles. Miss Pig would hear me in the kitchen and if she heard me in the fridge she would rattle her cage and whistle until I would give her something.
There should be books about the different critters at the library that can also give you a better idea about what you may want. Good luck

I had guinea pigs as a young child, and loved them. They are generally gentle and cuddly, and not quite as fast on their feet as mice, hamsters, etc. We kept them in rabbit hutches, both the kind that were open to the ground (so droppings could fall out and be raked up) and those with a newspaper-lined tray that could slide out for cleaning. Guinea pigs love alfalfa bedding, carrots (and salad leftovers), and make the sweetest noises. As someone else recommended, I'd check at an animal shelter first.

I would suggest a fish to start out with. Holding a small pet isn't really the easiest thing to do. I can't imagine my 4 year old being able to handle a gerbil or rat (I've had both, and yes, we ended up with a lot of rats!) They're just too small, too wiggly, and too fast. They will squirm out of a timid child's hands in half a second.
Let me tell you what happened to my gerbil. I was 8 and very responsible, but Cinnamon got out of his cage. My brother's bed had rested on the air duct floor register, and had split the slats apart. He saw Cinnamon run down the air duct on the second floor. Then he must have slid all the way down to the basement through the air ducts, because a few days later, the house started to smell really really bad. My parents had to take apart some part of the heating/cooling system, where Cinnamon had encountered a spinning metal fan. All my mom would tell me is that I owe her big time and that there were maggots.
Fish can be wonderful. They can teach children how to care for something besides themselves. Fish need to be fed, and their bowl needs to be cleaned. Both of those things are easy enough that your kids can help if you plan carefully. And when your children inevitably don't want to take care of it every once-in-a-while, it's not going to be something really difficult for you to work into your busy schedule.
Dogs and cats are the most popular for a reason. They're small enough to live in your house, but big enough to not get lost or squished in your house.

I'd skip the hamster/gerbil idea until they are older. We had a couple of hamsters a few years back and they were just too small to play with and my youngest nearly squeezed the life out of one. Plus, they bite often when scared. I would recommend a guinea pig. They are bigger, daytime animals (hamsters are nocternal and thus grumpier in the daytime), and LOVE attention. They can be turned loose in the house (supervised, I wouldn't just let it run free always), they like to be held and petted. They typically live for about 3-5 years, but the one I had as a kid lived for 9 years. I've also heard that rats make good pets, if you aren't grossed out by those long naked tails! Enjoy your pets, they really enhance your life and that of your children.

Make sure that when you purchase a hamster that it has been handled before you take it home. I bought my son a hamster from a pet store and I couldn't get it to quit biting him and me. I ended takeing it back. Female hamsters are the worst for biting problems. Guinnie Pigs are a calmer animal and if the bedding is changed every other day they don't smell that bad.

My husband is a pet lover and we have gone through the pets. We have had hamsters, fish, frogs, turtles, cats and big dogs. When I worked at a preschool we had rats and guinea pigs. If I were to get anything I would get a guinea pig. Rats are so stinky and they bite. Hamsters are creepy and squish with small children. Fish and frogs are a lot of work cleaning the tank. Turtles are good but carry salmonella so they really shouldn't be handled by small children. Cats are the greatest but you will have to wait and big dogs are just tanks! Guinea pigs are good for petting, fairly sturdy and like a clean pen.

Hi,
I have three rats. My kids love them and they are easy to care for. The males are calmer than the females and then there's of corse, no chance of pregnancy. (grin) If you do get a rat I recommend getting them from a breeder. This may sound funny to you but the difference in the temperment and health of the rats will be amazing. You can pad lock the cage shut if unauthorized access to it is becoming a problem. I buy mine from Amy at Camarattery.com.

The best pet we ever had when we lived in an apartment was a rat. They're cute, clean and like to sit on kids shoulders.

Hi A., in my experience as a young girl, birds were the easiest to take care of and try to train (I had both hamsters and birds over time). My oldest daughter is 9 and has had a hamster that I ended up taking care of and having to remind her constantly to take it out and hold it. If you don't hold those animals frequently some start to get mean and they are hard to re-train. She desperately wants another but I may try to convince her to get a parakeet. They can get messy but they sell fabric "catches" for lack of a better word... They have elastic on them and you put it around the bottom 1/4 of the cage and it catches all the bird seed coming down. Good luck to you!

Hi!

We have had hamsters since almost 18 year old was 6 or 7. Our first one was the school's hamster and we took him for the summer and ended up keeping him. Hamsters have always been good for our family. Fairly easy to care for and if held from a young age, gentle. The one my 8 year old has is very sweet, but does bite if he is really hungry (sometimes Anna doesn't feed him on time) We clean the cage out once a week and I encourage Anna to play with him and feed and water him daily. Hope this helps

A.

We have two Red Eared Sliders. They are aquatic turtles. They live in aquariums. They are a lot of fun and are easy to take care of. My kids love watching them swim. They do eat other fish though so they pretty much live alone or with other turtles. They only cost around $12-$14 each. You can find out more about them from your neighborhood pet store.

When my husband and I were first married and living in an apartment, we purchased a parakeet. That was such a fun pet! He had a wonderful personality, was easy to clean up after, and when we had kids a couple of years later, he was wonderful with them. You can have their wings clipped and they won't fly away, and you could train it to sit on your girl's fingers. Good luck!

Hamsters & gerbils smell bad. Frankly, the only pet I can think of that doesn't smell is a fish. But you can't cuddle with a fish. A pet rock!?!? What about toy pets? Or those video game pets? Birds smell bad and are messy. Hermit crabs smell bad. Rabbits smell bad. Mabye a reptile? A frog? Any of the rodent pets smell bad. Based on your stipulations, I'm not sure YOU are ready for a pet. I agree, though --- I think pets are good for kids to learn empathy. Adopt a senior citizen. Get a Chia pet. I love horses, but can't have a real horse. So, I collect Breyer horses. We have a dog. Pets are a big responsibility. I would wait until your kids are older and ask for a pet.

Well just about any pet will smell. Don't get a hamster or a gerbil. They get too wild and most likely will bite. I would research a guinea pig they are much more docile than the former animals and easier to handle. I think you will be surprised by them.

If you are thinking of a small animal I would suggest a rat. I know that many people are disgusted by the thought, but they are very intelligent animals that can be a lot of fun to have around. They are not any dirtier than a hamster or gerbil, perhaps even cleaner actually. They also DO NOT BITE! Hamsters and gerbils DO! Be certain that if you purchase a rat and you want more than one, it is better to get 2 of the same sex as they multiply like rabbits otherwise. Good luck to you.

You are such a great Mom to encourage pets!! We have had an entire zoo over the years, and funny enough, I (mom, here) liked the Madagascar Giant Hissing Cockroach the best!! Low maintenance, will play and doesn't smell. Was a huge hit at school, too. Any whoooo.....I know for some that may sound gross, so I would definitely recommend a sweet little parakeet or even a lizard or some sort. Hamsters and gerbils and guinea pigs tend to bite and are great escape artists, not to mention they smell terrible unless you clean the cage every 2-3 days. It gets to be a pain after awhile. Parakeets can be finger trained, are easy on the feeding end and their cages need only be cleaned out out every few days. Ours has even learned different cute whistles, like cat-calls, hurry up and cuckoo! She will talk to us in whistles! They love to be with family, too. Ours is in the kitchen on the island, and every time we come in the room she whistles to say hi and she loves to sing with the water. Lizards are ok, too, but we are always buying crickets for it. Good luck and have fun with your new friend!!

I completely agree with Tyra! Small animals like hamsters are not good for small children unless you are experienced with them. We have one and she is the sweetest! My girls ages 2 and 4 love feeding her by hand and will hold her even and she has never bitten(we bought her last year when she was eight weeks old). However, I have had hamsters since I was small, so I knew what to teach them and how to buy one. I have also had hermit crabs. They are easy to maintain and fun to hold. They are great for a first pet as one must give them fresh water and check the food supply everyday, but they don't get unsociable from lack of handling. Read up thoroughly on whatever animal you choose and get lots of info so you can enjoy them to the fullest!

A., gerbils and hamsters are wonderful, cuddly little pets, but their life expectancy is only around 2 years! I found this out the hard way! A friend gave my daughter a hamster and we got all of the equipment from the pet store that we didn't already have, came home and fell in love with our hamster. She was fabulous! A real character, we all fell in love with our little Annie! Then one day when she was about a year and a half old we found her dead in her cage. That was when the pet store told us the info about their life expectancy. It was very traumatic, as all pet deaths are, but had I known I would have told our friends NO! Then I would have picked out a pet that would live a lot longer than that for her.
Birds live for a long time, and rats live longer than hamsters and gerbils do. Rats really are cool pets. My friend has one that she takes to school with her. It's name is Fluffy! (I don't know where she came up with the name as the rat is anything but fluffy!) The rat is so loving and cuddly! He will go and steal a cracker out of her hand and go hide it in his cage where he hides all of his treats until he eats them. I didn't think I would like rats but he is so awesome I would definitely get one for my daughter or grandkids! Birds can live for a really long time depending on the breed that you get.
Good luck with finding the right pet for your family! It makes my daughter feel very proud and responsible that she takes care of our animals.

Hi A., I have had everything from "normal" to a skunk & 4ft. iguana growing up, so was anxious to bring pets into my kids life too. 5 yrs old is too young for a "small" pet. The 3 yr. old would either sqeeze it to death or drop it & catching a hamster/gerbal is very hard! They can't handle the cleaning/feeding/h20, etc. that little critters require (eat & poop a LOT!)Friends just addopted guinea pigs from a family that got them for their 6 yr old. I got this marvelous little pet for my then 7yr old son & he helped teach his 4 yr. old sister the "rules" & she loved her little jobs. Guinea pigs are wonderful!They are larger & can handle being carried & loved on.All animals will bite if they fear for their safety & that is the other reason to hold off.The only thing that comes to mind that would be fun at their age is possibly Hermit Crabs.I've scene them with very fun painted shells sold at stands in the mall.Low level of care,a bit of personality & a good start w/o jeaprodizing either your kids safety or the animals.

I have guinnea pigs that you can have.

A pet rabbit might be good. I once knew a family that had a dwarf rabbit that had free reign of the house , used a litter box, and just acted like a cat or dog. Bunnies are soft and huggable. That might be a good bet for you. I thnk the only problem they had was that the rabbit liked to chew stuff! Birds are ok, but they are still messsy and aren't huggable. Same for fish. Hamsters are nocturnal, as are rats. Some hamsters really can bite, too. So, there you have it. -A little bit of wisdom from a grandma that has had multiple experiences with kids and pets.

We love our guineas pigs They require more care than parakeets and snakes and gerbils, but less than dogs and cats. The mess is confined to one place, and there's no smell if you clean out their pee area everyday.

Guinea pigs are very social, so we keep ours in the kitchen (large house) where all the kids and guests can pet them and coo at them all day. You need to be willing to give them additional food several times per day, including fresh fruits/vegs. They purr! They stretch like a happy cat/dog when you rub their backsides. The leap for joy and scramble around.

If this sounds good, get a guinea pig book from the library to learn more. We adore them.

We got my daughters dwarf hamsters for their birthdays when they turned 4 and 1. They were extremely mean and weren't very enjoyable because we could never get them tame and couldn't even hold them without them trying to bite our fingers off. I heard that the dwarf hamsters are much more aggressive than the "normal" sized hamsters After they passed away, I found an adult teddy bear hamster that someone was giving away on Craig's list because they were moving and couldn't take him with them. I'm very careful with them holding him (my kids are 5, 2 and 11 months- the rule is they can't pet him or hold him unless Mommy or Daddy is right there). He has been a joy now. The kids love to help feed him, give him water, and clean his cage. They also love to play with him when he's running in his ball and they will chase each other around the house (even the hamster will chase them- so cute). It was nice because he was already tame when we got him; that can be the hard part with young kids. Good luck :)

I would agree with all of the other posts on here...try a guinea pig! They are really smart and usually very sweet. Also, they are bigger and not as fragile as the smaller rodents. I had a guinea pig as my first pet, and she even charmed my dad, who was NOT an animal lover. From what other people have said on here, the rat sounds like a good choice too. I never owned one myself. I did have a rabbit, and it seems that rabbits have about as wide a range in temperament as cats do. They can be very mean or very sweet, but you never know what it will be like when you get one as a baby. Definitely check out your local animal shelter to look for an older pet of any kind before you run to pick out a baby at a pet store. With an older animal, you can get a good feel for its temperament and decide if it will blend well with your family. Good luck!

We got a dwarf hamster for my 6 year old's birthday. He wanted his own pet and we had been pet sitting one that was really cute and friendly.

We've also pet sat guinea pigs and they can be cute but stinky.

The pet store people let my son hold a bunch of different dwarf hamsters in order to find the one that was friendliest (and wouldn't jump out of his hands).

Because it's small it also doesn't take up much room at all. The cage is easy for my son to pick up and move around. And it was relatively inexpensive. $67 for the hamster, the cage, bedding, food, water bowl. That was in April and we still haven't had to buy him anything else yet because he uses up just a little at a time.

We all like the little guy and I was pretty squemish about small rodents before.

Short of getting a fish (when can smell if the bowl is dirty) I would say there isn't much you can get. We are babysitting a guinea pig and if you keep their cages clean they are so easy, social, live long lives and are sweet. They don't take up much room and if the children are gentle they love to be cuddled and talked to.
They are much more responsive then a rabbit, hamster or gerbil. They don't eat a whole lot, just need to really know how to care for one.
I say do research on Guinea pigs, they are cute and fun. We have dog and cats already but babysitting this guinea pig has been a good experience.

Hi A.,

I just wanted to add as long as you clean the cage at least once a week, they will not stink (whether you get hamsters, gerbils, rats, or guinea pigs). We have had a few hamsters and as long as your children wash their hands before they handle them (because the hamsters will smell food and other items) they usually will not bite. However, they are quick and if they get dropped it will be hard to find them. We have had guinea pigs in the past and they are great. Very cuddly and loveable, plus the live a little longer then hamsters.

We had pet rats growing up. They were the best little pets we ever had. They are friendly, smart and clean. We had one that would come when we called. We could let her run around the house and she would come right back to us. They were easy to maintain, the cage needed cleaned about once a week and they needed fed everyday. Ours all loved to snuggle and would sit and watch tv with us for a long time.

We always had females because we were told the males stink.

They are great pets and I will get them for my children if they want small pets.

Looking for a small animal hamsters and gerbils are great to watch and you can hold them they are just very quick and have a tendency to get out of the cages a lot. I suggest a guinea pig they are cute they love to talk to you by thier little squilly noise but you can also hold them they don't get out of their cages, you do need to make sure the cage is cleaned probably once a week if there is only one so the smell doesn't get to bad about every three to four days if more than one. We have them and my kids love them and they are just to cute. Good luck in your pet hunting.

Hi,

My advice is to get a Rat or a Parakeet. They are smart animals and are a lot of fun. They can be trained. We have both and I will never go to another small pet again. I do not recommend a Gerbil or Hamster. They tend to be biters.

Hi A.,
I would not recommend a hamster or gerbil as they are not terribly social and do not like to be handled. They are fine to watch run around in the cage. We actually had rats. I know it sounds awful at first but they were so social and sweet and really cute. We only had the ones with the big brown eyes and cute spotted coloring. The problem is, they are very social and either need a cage mate or a lot of attention, or both. They are also a lot of work as they need their cage cleaned frequently. They also have short life spans. Our oldest made it to 2 1/2. However, they are probably closer to a dog or cat in terms of human interaction.
After our last one died we decided not to continue owning rats because they are a lot of work and we also have 2 dogs and 2 cats. But they were enjoyable while we had them.
Good Luck,
B.

Personally, I would not do a gerbil or hamster. They are cute, and I've had both, but their life spans are only a few years, so it could be a sad moment with your little ones. And they are nocturnal, so at night their running in the wheel was highly annoying. I have several pets and the easiest pet I have is my box turtle. I feed him once a week, mostly fruit and veggies, but I also let the kids dig for worms to feed him and they love that! We just took him to my 7yo class for pet day and the kids all loved it because it was unusual. Only drawback, you can't cuddle a turtle.