Good Pet for kids...any Ideas

I know you're looking for pets, but did you ever consider an herb garden or something along those lines? It teaches responsibility and can lead to teaching them about nutrition and cooking.

Hi B.~I just wanted to tell you that I'm actually getting ready to put my daughter's guinea pig on craigs list because she is getting ready to leave for Cosmetology school and she can't take her piggie with her. Roxi (the guinea) is about a year and 1/2 old, she doesn't bite, is very friendly, and we are giving her away, cage and all. She is a sweet heart and we need to find her a good home and someone who will be kind to her and take good care of her. If you are interested, and decide that this might be a good option for you, please feel free to contact me. Thanks, B.

My suggestion is a chinchilla. We have a chinchilla and we love her. My daughter is 6yrs old and we've had it about 1 1/2 yrs and my daughter loves her. We got her as an older chin but I've been told getting them younger is even better. You can get them at any normal pet store like Petco or and even many smaller ones. They are a little pricey but WELL worth it. They are kind of like Guinea pigs but with more personality. The are nocternal so they are awake an hour or two during the day. They are pretty clean considering they are caged animals. I clean her cage about once ever week or two depending on if i start smelling it. The cage can be small but they really like them larger so they can jump around. If you get them young you can pick them up. They don't bite and they eat pellets and alpha leaves. You give them treats we give ours two baby carrots and a raisin every evening. We can take her out about once or twice a day but not when the dog or cats are in. My animals ignore them and don't bother them when they are in the cage. From what i have seen of mine and my sisters we let her out each evening and she runs around the house and puts herself back in her hours in a bout an hour. If you would like more info please email me. thank you R.

Guinea pets make wonderful pets for children and having two is always a good thing for them. They really enjoy each other's company. They are hardy and happy little creatures that don't require much work. They "wheek" happily to see you and most enjoy being held. They don't try to get away and they don't bite. We have had them over the years and I just got 2 more for my 4 year old son and his 16 year old brother. Very low maintenance and not too small that the kids will hurt them when they hold them, although, of course, they still have to be gentle. I would discourage any kind of reptile yet, especially with a little one. They can carry the salmonella bacteria and kids can get really sick if they forget to wash their hands after playing with it. Hope you have a wonderful experience!

Guinea pigs are very smelly and nocturnal so they make lots of noise at night. My kids both have snakes and the care is minimal. They only eat once a week and the cage only needs to be cleaned every two but they are more for looking than touching. Good luck.

Hi, I have two boys that love pets. You name it, we've probably had it. I don't think I would get a lizard for a young child. They require a lot more care than say a guinea pig. Their body temperature needs to be maintained with heat lamps or pads. They can carry diseases and require handwashing after handeling. They can also be difficult for young children to handle. We have had guinea pigs. They are nice pets for young kids but be prepared to keep the cage clean or it will really smell bad - fast! Also, the long hair guinea pigs are harder to keep clean (and will probably need baths). A lot of people have an aversion to them, but one of the best small mammal pets my boys ever had (and are begging for again) are fancy rats. Fancy rats are not the white lab rats with pink eyes. They are much prettier. The things I liked better about the rats than other small mammels (mice, gerbils, hamsters) is that they are not noctornal (the sound of that wheel going at night can drive you crazy), they are pretty clean, they are easy to handle (and big enough so your little one can hold them easily), they are gentle and smart (my boys loved to make mazes for them). Hope this helps!

For age 5 and up Guinea pigs are wonderful. We have had piggies for years. They stay in their cage so they don't mess the house. They love to be handled and they are easy to feed. Low cost and they are so cute. The only problem is that their life span is only about five years. We fall in love with our piggies and cry when they die. For young children it is best if they sit and put the pig in their lap. This is the easiest way to hold a pig. You can comb their hair and give them a bath.
AF

Just be very careful with young children and small pets like guinea pigs. I'm a vet, and have seen far too many of these guys hurt (by accident) because little kids don't have the coordination or self-control to take care of them. If you do get one, please care for them like you would any other pets-- it's so sad that some people consider them disposable since they're small and usually not expensive. Good luck!

Well, in the time my daughter was born (three years ago), she has grown up with dogs, cats, ferrets (she calls them "fuzzy"), fish and hermit crabs. We no longer have the ferrets - they lived their long lives and are now gone. But, we still have two dogs (a pug and a chihuahua) and a cat. We also have fish that she loves to feed and watch (but, like you said, it's a lot of work for YOU). Just in the past two weeks or so, I got her her own little hermit crab cage and she now has two hermit crabs to care for. They are VERY easy to take care of (just checking to make sure they have water every day) and fresh food. We bought one of those little hermit crab houses for them to live in (despite what the pet store tells you, I have read that you DO NOT want to get any special lights for keeping the cage warm for them - as long as room temp is around 72 degrees it is fine, or if it is like our house, we have a heating pad under the cage to keep it a bit warm for them). Also, it is comforting to know that hermit crabs do not carry or transmit any known diseases and they are hypo-allergenic. Like I said...VERY EASY TO CARE FOR! My three year old daughter LOVES to watch "Crabby" and "Crabby Patty" and she reminds me to give them a bath every evening (which gets the crabs out and more mobile...it refreshes them). If you have any questions, please feel free to message me, I'd be happy to tell you more. :-) Good luck!

If your thinking of a reptile for your son leopard geckos are great. My son (10 at the time 11 now) received one a year ago and it has been great. He takes care of her all by himself and they are very easy. They only get about 10 in long and can be kept in a 10gal tank. Good luck!
E.

Guinea pigs and lizards are great but both carry salmonella. Handwashing is imperative. If I were you, I'd skip a pet for each of them because YOU will be the one caring for these creatures. If you really need a pet, get a couple of kittens and call it done.

We have 2 cats and a dog and love them all.

Cats are easy. They come litter box trained. They cost very little to feed. And, they are fun.

Hermit crabs maybe? They can be fun, and if you get read up on them they do live a long time, and if you get an appropriate set up for them they would be fun to watch! They also do no carry any salmonella (sp?), they can be considered hypoallergenic pets.
K.

This may sound weird to you, but we always had pet rats growing up and they're awesome. I'm talking about the white and black/tan/brown rats that you get from the pet store. They make really great pets. They always rode around on our shoulders and they can eat just about anything. We kept them in cages, but they're easy enough to take out and play with. They're also generally too big to get lost, if you exercise a little caution. We would take them to school with us too and inevitably another kid from the class brought one in of the other gender so we'd eventually be able to witness our rats give birth and learn about the miracle of life in that way. They can become very attached to their owner and actually demonstrate affection. I think they're great pets and as soon as my 18mo gets a little bit older, I plan on getting one for my kids. Hope this helped.

We have a guinea pig and an anole lizard. Lily the guinea pig was a birthday gift to my son who was 4 at the time. She was (we were told) 4 months old when we got her an very small. Two years later and she's huge...although she still fits in the same cage. The kids feed her fresh vegis and hay but the cleaning of the cage is still up to me. We've taken her out a few times because the kids are not able to get her...she's very fast &a little skiddish. They do like talking to her and feeding her. Jack, the lizard was a prize won at the fair last summer and am surprised it's still alive. He's not a play pet by any means. He hangs out in his cage all day jumping from his leaves to her basking place. The highlight of the day comes at feeding time (which is small crickets). His maintenance is low key...spray his leaves a few times a day with water to keep it humid, feed every day or every other day as many crickets as he'll eat, and change the bedding in his cage every so often. Good Luck.

I would not recommend any variety of small lizard for a 4 yr old. Most varieties move quite fast and are easily injured by the lack of motor skills 4 yo have (IE they squeeze too hard and cause internal injuries to small pets.) Guinea pigs are a great choice but it depends on your definition of "easy to take care of." With those ages YOU are the one that is going to end up doing most of the cage cleaning and whatnot. My kids did great with feeding and watering but I realized after the fact that at those ages they just don't have the ability to properly clean the cages and water bottles etc without adult help. Good luck and hope you find the perfect pet!

Hi B.,
Corn snakes and bearded dragons are GREAT and easy pets. Not too smelly. And if adopted when they are young, they love to just hang out on your shoulders. The only problem with a reptile is with your 11 month old. They can carry a form a salmonella. Washing hands after handling is a MUST!!
I know you want furry, but reptiles can open a whole new world to your family.

I was so happy to see a couple of other people recommend rats, too.... they're the best! Especially for younger children, because, unlike all other rodent pets (mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc.), rats aren't prey, so they don't have the same fight-or-flight instincts that lead either to the biting and other anti-social behavior you see with those other small mammals. They're also pack animals, with a family structure that is actually similar to dogs. This means that, like dogs, they will bond with humans as their pack leader. They are easily trained to do fun tricks, and they live a few years so you can really bond with them and learn from them, but ultimately the commitment is not like the 15+ years you're having to guarantee for a cat or dog. They're bigger than most other rodent pets, too, which makes them hardier. Your kids will still need to learn how to be gentle, but they are far less likely to do real damage to the animal than with some other pets you may be looking at.
Some people take issue with the tails, but honestly, you get used to them and at least they're clean.
anyway, I always had rats growing up, and they really are great pets. so smart!
but I do agree with the folks who warned you that you're the one who's going to be doing the cage cleaning. I cleaned my rats' cages, but I was older than your kids are. I'm betting you'll be doing most of the work.
good luck!

Hi,

I have birds and my children and grandchildren love them also. If you choose a bird email me and let me know, I go to a pet store that are very good with bird and helping people get to know and love Birds. I have three and my sister have 19. They make great pets.

If you get a small critter, PLEASE don't leave it up to the kids. I had guinea pigs as a kid but my mom really did the work. I still have guinea pigs, but they are a lot more work than people think.

If you get a small animal, please rescue. Look on Petfinder. There are a lot of homeless critters in our area.

Don't go with what the pet stores say is appropriate. They're looking for $$. Visit sites like www.guinealynx.info instead. Go to www.cavycages.com for inexpensive, appropriately sized cages you can make yourself.

Also, guinea pigs are herd animals. They do best in pairs - but you should get them in single-sexed pairs. Rescues may already have bonded pairs to choose from so you're not thinking you have Minnie and May and really have Minnie and Mickey.

If you go for a lizard, be aware that they have special needs, too. Like a heat lamp. As an adult, I inadvertently killed my lizard. Not a good starter pet.

I have had good luck with the vets at Wheaton Animal for our small critters. Vets may say they see exotics, but many don't know much about them when it comes down to it.

Frankly, small doesn't equal less work. It may really be best to stick to the dog til the kids are older. Teach them to be responsible for her first. Help take her on walks, feed/water. Or give them plants to care for.

I would also say no to a lizard for a small child; not only do you have to wash hands constantly, but most small lizards have very sensitive tails and kids can tend to not be gentle. The tails can rip off, etc....and they are not entirely fun. Guinea pigs are a lot of work with cleaning the cage, etc...but more furry and fun probably. Not sure how they interact with dogs though. We have two cats - they are great - they are very EASY. They are independent, but playful, use the litter box, clean themselves, and can curl up with you!! Plus, cats are more able to take care of themselves while around kids....older cats that may be good with kids may be easier than trying to take on a wild little kitty, who may bite, etc...but training cats is fairly easy (mine know 'no,' 'do you want to eat,' 'sit,' 'come,' 'outside,' 'garage,' etc.). They are great!!