Small pets...
As in, lizards, turtles, hamsters, etc.
CONSIDERING (all caps because I am really just beginning to think about this) this as a gift for my nearly 6 year old son for Xmas...
I know I'll be the one taking care of it for the most part, but other than that, is there anything I should consider? Do you/your kids have any small pets? Any you WOULD recommend? Or any you WOULD NOT recommend?
Thanks for any thoughts on small pets on this lovely Tuesday morning!
We have fish and a Firebelly Toad. The frog is pretty easy but there is no way on earth I would take care of it just because you have to feed it live crickets with a tweezers and I have HUGE issues with bugs. I know, what a wuss! Needless to say they are very hearty and my 5 year old and 11 year old take care of it. I probably would not get it if it were just my 5 year old.
Now that being said, I hear turtles are pretty easy to manage for younger kids. I would look into that. They are slow enough for him to handle and easier to feed. The lizards, frogs, and hamsters are fast, so if he wanted to hold and play with them they could get away and you have a new loose friend about the house. You might want to consider a Guinea Pig, they are super friendly and like to be handled.
Good luck!
any small furry creature bits, not hard but it bites, so take your child's reaction to pain into consideration, and if he'll still love them after they bite him when startled. Lizards run really quick but I think skinks are slower and friendlier, you'd have to google it. I think turtles are good but they get sick pretty quickly. A kitten seems easier and cleaner than those, although i'd rather the lizard=) i heard snakes are good pets.
I don't see a problem with getting pets as a gift for your own child, as long as you are willing to accept responsibility for care if your child does not do it, and as long as you are sure your child wants it.
We've had goldfish, and they're fun and easy, but they die quickly in our experience. You might want to consider the longevity of whatever it is you're considering and decide if you want to deal with a short (or extremely long) lifespan of various animals.
Has your son been asking for these and is interested?
Our son asked for a snake. We thought it would be a passing phase. But after 2 years he was still wanting one. So we let him get it and has had it for several years. My son is older though and takes care of it by himself.
Other moms either hate me b/c their son wants one or love me b/c their son can visit ours and they don't have to get one.
Just remember that turtles and lizards can carry samonella so your son would need to thoroughly was his hands every time he handled it.
I had turtles my entire childhood, and they are very easy, but I would go with a box turtle since you wouldn't have to mess with water (other than drinking water). If you get a slider turtle which is very popular, the tank will be much harder to clean. I've had one of those also. Also, turtles live forever, so you wouldn't have to deal with the death of a pet. With the other options you mentioned, you would. That isn't necessarily a bad thing since death is a part of life, but it's something to think about. Let us know what you decide! :)
only if your child has expressed an interest in them and understands the care and feeding of them...then yes. if not, no.
We have a dog. The boys have asked about Gerbils and Hamsters but I have explained to them that the life expectancy for them are about 2 years and they need even MORE care than a dog...so whew- only a dog!
GOOD LUCK!!! Happy Tuesday!!
My son has had a guinea pig since he was 6. It is a wonderful pet. They will sit on your lap, squeak when happy, and are big enough that you can pick them up easily. If they get out, you can easily get them without chasing them around the house. You also can teach them tricks, and they do respond to you once they get to know you. My son's guinea pig will squeak when my son enters his room, he gets all excited. It teaches responsibility, as well as give them a chore they do enjoy. Guinea pigs also have a longer life expectancy of 5 to even up to 8 years if handled well.
I would not recommend a hamster, gerbil or mouse. They are too small and not as easy to handle. As far lizards or turtles, if your son is into them, they might be a fun pet. However, he might get bored by them too quickly.
My favorite gift as a kid was a hamster I got for Christmas... I had wanted one for YEARS, and Santa finally brought me one :) It was the first of many!
Would I get MY kids a hamster? OH no!! BUT, I would love to get a turtle or a snake!!
My BFF got her daughter a guinea pig (her daughter's 11)... and she's about to give it away because her daughter isn't taking care of it, and it drives her nuts! At 11, she should know better...
When I bought my girls their beta fish (excuse me, Santa brought them), he gave them a book on betta's and how to care for them, so it's THEIR responsibility. I think small pets are a GREAT learning/teaching experience :)
I would get the supplies for the holiday and find a less hectic time to get the pet, ONLY if the child is interested and ONLY if the parent is willing to pick up the slack with that particular pet. SO...pick what you might want to end up with. I've had guinea pigs and hamsters off and on nearly my whole life, but they require care and feeding and gentle handling. I hate that whole concept that because it's small it doesn't need a vet or can be a "starter" something. Another thing to bear in mind with the small pets is they are considered exotics and exotics vets can be hard to find in some areas. You will need to have one to be a responsible owner and they can cost you $60 to walk in the door. I would also not recommend a pet that required things like heat lamps because that's just asking for trouble with a young child. I was an adult and I killed an anole though I really tried to do right by it.
That said, I think that hamsters and guinea pigs and fish can be good pets for families with parental care and supervision. If you go with a guinea pig, don't get a store cage. Build one (what little boy doesn't like a construction set?): cavycages.com. Cavymadness.com is also a good site for beginner info. I can't think of a hamster forum offhand. Russian dwarf hamsters can be social and guinea pigs generally do better in groups, too. Two of the same or a fixed pair. I would NOT recommend a rabbit. My sister has house bunnies and they are great, but not for a first pet for a kid, IMO.
Remember, too, that all sorts of critters are abandoned, so look at Petfinder or go to your local rescue/shelter for that new pet. A rescue can also tell you "this one is cute but skittish but this one will sit on your lap for an hour."
We have had 3 coral snakes, 4 small lizards ( don't remember what kind they were but they only got about 6in long) 2 turtles. My kids loved them!
As long as they are handled daily none of them became aggressive. The tank needs to be cleaned on a weekly basis. Sometimes keeping the humidity and correct temp can be a challenge. If you go with a reptile make sure you get an actual reptile tank and not just an old fish tank. They have the airway slots in the cage to help with proper air flow.
I would start with a turtle ( they are also messiest thou) because they will take the least amount of attention of the reptile its self and see how he does with it. If he does well with it then you can upgrade to other ones. For us out of all of them the lizards were the most challenging with the temp and humidity control and the daily handling so they didn't become aggressive. The snakes were by far all of our favorites.
Just remember to wash your hands after touching them!
My kid got aqua frogs when he turned 4. He loved taking care of them and watching them. They are really low maintenance....you feed them twice a week, change their water every 6 months and clean out their rocks and aquarium (which was double the size of a Rubik's cube) once a year. Easy peasy.
Only for your own children.. They will be great. Along with the pet, get a book about how to care for them and all of the accessories.
Find out the life expectancy of each.
Find out how to clean out their "homes" and see if these are things you think your child can handle.
An animal is a Good gift for a little boy.
We have hermit crabs and they are very boring. I wouldn't reccomend them.
When I was about 7 I woke up in the middle of the night on Christmas to find two hamsters chomping away on their food.
They were the coolest lil hamsters (Scooby and Scrappy). One would ride on my shoulder everywhere and the other one loved the travel ball. As an adult I bought one (in hopes to re-live that childhood feeling, lol) and that sucker was mean. I couldn't even reach in the cage to get his food dish without him trying to bite me.
I think since you will be involved in the care of it (either cleaning the cage or overseeing your son does the cleaning) you should get something you like and feel comfortable with.
Good Luck! =)
Right now we have
3 Cats (had four, but our eldest passed away last week.) and
5 dogs (Sweet as a button)
me and my dad are going to get a Long tailed lizard and a bearded lizard (they are co habitable) because we both find fascination with reptiles, and its going to be our Christmas presents to each other lol we're looking for tanks right now.
We've had Ferrets, which are nice for kids when really well socialized. We could walk them, they'd play with our hair and nibble (doesn't hurt at all, just startles you the first time) at fingers, and sit on our shoulders and just be generally cute.
I'm also wanting a russian dwarf hampster, but I think they have a tendency to bite
Whatever you are most comfortable taking care of and when you go to the pet store, make sure you hit it off with the pet and its not a business thing buying them. Play with it and see how well you hit it off. My recent pet store find and my dad is now considering it was a Chilian Taranchula :)