First Pet Suggestion for My 3 Sons?!

Someone mentioned that birds carry many diseases, but these little rodents do as well. I'd do a lot of research on all that they carry before making a decision to expose my kids to them. If you're not up for a dog or cat, maybe it's not time for a pet yet....

I would get something bigger like a guinea pig, like some have suggested....and it would be a neat idea to buy them 2 or 3 and get the G-Force movie with it....although, at their ages, you have to expect you will be the primary caretaker of the cage, etc....

Hi V.,

I'd like to suggest a rat! They are clean, don't smell and don't bite. I've kept rats for years and compared to hamsters and guinea pigs - they are extremely smart. They 'bond' to you and can learn their names or little tricks. They don't bite like mice or hamsters either. Good luck! Oh - don't get male rats, they do smell!

Hamster and gerbil are too small, fast, fragile and they are escape artists. You'll be dealing with a first pet funeral before you know it. Guinea pigs are better, but they do better in groups (you'll need more than one, all same sex if possible else you'll be hip deep in them). Rabbits can be jumpy, can breed like, well rabbits and there's too much temptation to pull on the ears. Chinchillas are expensive and can live a long time, like 16 years, and need large cages. With any animal, you'll have to handle/exercise it/them daily, clean it's cage once or twice a week, provide proper nutrition for it (guinea pigs need vitamin C, rabbit's don't), proper bedding and proper chewing (all rodents teeth grow and they need something hard to chew to wear their teeth down), rabbits, guinea pigs and maybe chinchillas, too will need their claws clipped every so often (you can get them at pet shops) etc. Most rodents are nocturnal - they'll sleep all day, but run in their wheels all night. You work all day, have the kids to organize, bathe, feed, get ready for bed (homework with school in a few years). Why are you doing this to yourself? Have you seriously considered pet rocks?

rats rats rats are the best! just had to add my vote. :)

seriously, they're the only pet rodent that doesn't have strong prey instincts, which means they are exceptionally unlikely to bite (out of fear), and they live in family packs, like dogs, which is why they bond with their human(s) in a way that no other rodent does. they are much smarter than any of the other animals you mentioned, and thus much more trainable. you can even house break them! and, as someone else mentioned, the domestic rats ("fancy rats") that you buy at the pet store are only distant cousins to the wild rats that gross us all out. they are very clean and very sweet, and much smaller than the sewer rats that come to mind. someone mentioned that the males smell more than the females, which is true, but they're also generally bigger and hardier, which is a bonus with three young boys, and they tend to be mellower. so you may want to think about that. I never had an issue with my male rats' smell, but I kept the cages pretty clean -- which means cleaning the cage once a week or so. it's not that bad.

you will have to be careful with your two year old, since even though rats are pretty hardy, they still have small little bones that break. but that's true with any of the animals you're talking about.

one thing to know about ferrets (other than the smell), since a lot of people mentioned them, is that they take a lot (a lot!) of work to tame them, and when they're not properly tamed they really do bite. a lot. and it freaking hurts! I would be really careful about getting a ferret with small children. they're great pets for older kids and for adults, but they really aren't great with little kids. as least, that's my experience and my understanding.

good luck! I think pets are great if you're willing to take on the responsibility!

Hi V.,

I have had many types of rodents in my life and I have to say that as long as you are up for being the one to have to take care of the animal, it is a great idea for your boys to have a pet. They can help with many aspects of its care, but essentially it will be you who has to do the work.

With that being said, I like chinchillas. They are expensive to start out (with cage and food and dust bath and the animal itself....) but once the major expenses are taken care of, it's not to bad. I spend about $20 a month on food, bedding, and wood chews for mine. They also do not have short lifespans like other rodents.

They do not get a regular bath like most animals. Instead, you put a small amount of dust (from the pet store) in a shallow dish or a specially made bath house (the dish is more amusing to watch) and let them have at it. They will roll around in it and get themselves clean.

They also do not smell like most rodents. I clean "Roo's" cage once a week and have never had a problem with odor, which you can get with other types of rodents.

Roo is awake for a good part of the afternoon, unlike other rodents who are completely nocturnal. He usually wakes up about the time my kids are done with homework and dinner, and is ready to play. We take him out for about an hour and let him play in the hallway with all the doors closed and towels under them so that he can not get into the bedrooms and get lost.

They can jump if they want to, so I have to supervise playtime so that he does not jump the baby gate that we use. But he climbs all over all of us and even enjoys playing in empty boxes or with small stuffed animals or toilet paper rolls. He even loves to play with our dogs, but I don't let them play with him outside of his cage because I don't know what they would do to him.

I think my favorite thing about chinchilla's is that they have personality. I never imagined a rodent could have so much personality, but Roo never fails to keep us laughing.

Whatever you decide, just make sure that you are willing and able to take on a little more responsibility. Having pets is a great way to teach kids to take responsibility and compassion, but be prepared to do it yourself since your boys are young.

I hope this information helps a little. If you want to know more or have any questions about life with a chinchilla, don't hesitate to send me a message!

Hi,
As a rule, I think larger pets like dogs are better for little kids (or hermit crabs, as another poster said). As a vet, I've seen too many "pocket pets" come in with broken legs or other injuries from either being dropped or "loved to death" by little kids-- they don't mean to hurt them, they just don't understand yet how gentle they have to be. And unfortunately, many people feel that (potentially expensive) vet care isn't justified for animals that didn't cost that much, even though they suffer like any one of us would. If you do get any kind of pet, just make sure to research their needs first. Good luck with whatever you decide!
Kim

If I were you for a starter pet I would begin with a guinea pig. remember all pets with teeth bite and all of the rest of the animals run FAST. start with a young one and handle often! . get a book first! and read up on the animal. Chinchillas are really NOT made to be held constantly and the way to pickup and hold is a bit much for young people!
hope that helps! and remember in the end YOU will be taking care of it. since the joy and newness of a pet wears off!

Hamsters are nocturnal, so not much fun during the day. They'll stay up all night running in their wheel if you have one, and they're also pretty messy.

Believe it or not, rats make excellent pets. They're friendly and playful.

Good luck in choosing your pet!

I dont' have an opinion on a particular creature, but I heard soem advice and thought it was good. Here it is. I suggest that you schedule a meeting with a vet (not the pet store), and ask this question, but in particular let your boys tolk to the vet. Bringing a living creature into a home is a big responsibility, and to be fair to the animal and make sure it has a good life wiht you, you need to know the real work and costs and needs of it. And hear if your boys sound capable of being responsible for it. A rabbit or for instance is far different then a hamster. A hamster can get hurt and lost if he gets loose or gets put in the dryer or something. A rabbit is meant to live in a cage, but needs a good amount of free space to move around and play and should not live all day in small cage. Etc.

Our first pets for our kids were gerbils. They are super low maintenance; you just have to top their food and water up every few days and clean the cage out every couple of weeks. (Actually we have one of those cages where there are different compartments and they use one of the compartments exclusively as their bathroom so I just wipe that out every couple of days and I only have to clean the whole cage out about once a month).
They are really fun animals and very active, they like to chew cardboard and love things like kitchen roll tubes to play in and chew. You can handle them, but probably be careful about letting your 2 year old handle them because they are very quick and difficult to catch if they escape from small hands.
Gerbils like company and it is best to get two if you decide to get gerbils (it is also fun thinking of pairs of names for them).
Good luck,
L. P
www.YouCanWorkFromYourHome.com

Having had most of the pets listed at one time or anothe. My suggestions would be guinea pig, they are large and fun to watch,or a ferret, same reasons. Birds and reptiles carry way too many illnesses for me to ever get again, hamsters and gerbils are to fast, can multiply exponentially and can smell if you don't clean their cages. Same with rabbits, and some rabbits are not friendly.
I had a ferret, she was great, and she ate the same fruits and vegetables that I did, along with pellet food.

We had a couple of rabbits growing up, I am sure it is hit or miss with getting a calm one that doesn't mind being handled a lot, I have heard a lot of people have good luck with the Lops and mini lops. I would visit with the rabbits for quite a while before deciding which one(s) to take home. Also, do not get a hamster-they are nocturnal and a very frustrating pet to have for small children bc they are always sleeping. Also, in general, if you have only "one" of these kind of pets, I think they bond better with people but when there are 2 or more, they bond with each other and may not be as friendly/docile when removed from their friend..just a thought. Good luck!

K.

Chinchillas are fun, but they are VERY active. Teddy Bear hamsters are wonderful if they have been hand-raised so they like being held. Most of the pets you mentioned are notcturnal, too. If your boys are sound sleepers that should still be okay. Be sure the boys are ready to be extremely gentle with any of these pets. All have very small bones and can get squished easily. That said, I'm considering a small pet too, and I'd love to hear how things work out and what you select. It sounds like great fun to me :)

rodents are excellent first pets, despite being rather small and fragile and you have to supervise little people pretty vigorously to prevent squeezing and scaring. hamsters can be nice, but buy carefully......some are bitey and spooky, and they are of course nocturnal which can be aggravating. gerbils are the same, but diurnal. they are both small and fast and can be escape artists when little guys take 'em out to play so bathrooms are good places to play with them. your kids and hamsters will LOVE hamster balls so long as you can persuade your boys not to bowl with 'em! piggies are great, and their whiffling and burbling noises bring joy to all. again, pick carefully, we once had a beautiful pig who was so spooky we couldn't pick her up at all, which made for a less than satisfying experience. we've round rabbits surprisingly dull, but that could just be us. chinchillas are expensive but absolutely wonderful.
however, i have to put in a plug for my favorite, the wholly underrated domestic rat. ratties are so user-friendly, almost never bite, smart, trainable, affectionate and endlessly fascinating. your kids can build 'toy mazes' for them and be delighted to reward them for how fast they learn how to get through them. they'll ride on your shoulder with their ratty tails curled around your neck. being slightly larger and slower moving than hamsters or gerbils they're less likely to dart off and get lost. you might want a female, though, males can get a little smelly.
good luck and have fun with your new family member!
:) khairete
S.

I started my kids out with hermit crabs from Ocean City and added to them with crabs bought from local stores. They learned how to care for the crabs, how to feed them and clean their habitat. Then, after a few years, they got cats and we sold our crab habitat to another mother who was starting her kids out with pets. I recommend starting out small like this. It really worked for our family and the kids take care of the cats having learned the routine with smaller animals like the hermit crabs. Best of luck.

My 8 year old has a guinea pig, and they are a LOT of work. I'd stay away from them if I were you. They're cute, and can be child friendly, but they are messy! They require a huge cage, which they fling poop and bedding out of all day long. We have to clean his cage at least twice per week, and it's an ordeal. Even so, there's a five foot radius of poop and bedding all around the cage that needs to be vacuumed up every single day. You have to clip their toenails, feed them fresh fruits and veggies ALONG with their pellets AND special hay, and take them out every day for exercise if you don't have a cage that provides them with at least six square feet of space to run around, and they shouldn't be kept outside. They are also very vocal when something isn't to their liking, and can squeal VERY loudly.

My son adores his guinea pig, or else I'd find a new home for him immediately. We're in over our heads with this one. Frankly, I'd prefer a dog or cat!

I worked on genetics for hamsters and would recommend them over the others you mentioned. for one, the others you mentioned have stronger stink glands than a hammy. The rabbit is best kept in a hutch and that can be a lot of work. Gerbils have an odd defense mechanism which allows them to detach their tails when they arent handled properly- very frightening and bloody for a small child. The other thing you might want to consider is a ferret- lives in a cage, lives longer than your average hamster or gerbil or mouse... and is less likely to be a nocturnal problem. Lastly, if you dont mind nocturnal too much- sugar gliders are very sweet (also known as suger bears) and love to just hang out in a little boys front t-shirt pocket. Very sweet!

ONE MORE THING- if you get more than one hammy, get boys who are CLEARLY BOYS. Sometimes their testicles do not descend which makes a male appear female to a less experienced person. Thus- make sure there are very clear testicles or you may end up with a lots of babies! Just a thought. Just always freaky when "Barbie" and "Polly" end up having babies and "Barbie" has to be renamed "Bob"... too much to explain!

Hi V.,

If it's a small pet that your interested in, check out Small Angels Animal Rescue at http://www.smallangelsrescue.org/welcome.html or ###-###-####.

My vote is for a pair of guinea pigs. They're super fun, talkative, and generally like being held and petted.

Good luck,
amhy

Hey V.,
First let me say you've gotten a ton of GREAT advice! I whole-heartedly agree that rats and guinea pigs are wonderful first pets for children...even if you yourself may have a hard time with rats! They really are quite intelligent, clean and friendly.
I also agree with the one posting that suggested speaking with a veterinarian who has hands on, and working knowledge (not all of them do!) with pocket pets. I'm a registered veterinary technician with 15 years in the field and I can tell you the number one problem we see with these little guys is illness directly related to poor husbandry, or housing and feeding. While pet stores will have some information, not all of it is always correct.
I wish you all the best and have a wonderful holiday!

S.

V.,

Let me start off by saying - your going to think I'm crazy! You may want to look into getting a rat! We have had different hamsters and they are just mean and want to escape! I have met a ton of people that swear by rats! They are smart and trainable and get attached to their owners - they don't bite - like hamsters and guinnea pigs do. They are clean. I would get one for my son but my hubby is too creaped out by them! LOL Do some research on the internet - you may be surprised.

Good luck!

A. Haddigan
www.BabysitEase.com

What about a hermit crab? They are inexpensive, and easy to care for.
M.

We have had pet guinea pigs for years. They are cute pets that like to stay in their cage. Your two year old child may need you to help him "pet" the pig or hold it because pigs need to be well supported when held and their legs can break easily. we keep our piggies near the kitchen so they learn to squeak when it is feeding time. they are easy to care for since they like the same environment we do. I clean their cage twice a week. Ours like to be held in our lap but we never hold them for more than 5 minutes or they will go potty on us. Always be gentle with them. They are afraid of loud noises and aggressive behavior. The life span of a pig is about 5 years so it is always a sad day when they die. AF

We got my daughter a hamster when she turned 7, thinking she was old enough. She proceeded to squeeze it to death (accidentally, I think)!! It was quite traumatic. We hesitantly got a new one and it's been fine. I guess she learned her lesson. So my advice is, if you get a hamster make sure you tell the boys (even show them) how gently they need to be. And I wouldn't let the 2 year out of my sight if he's holding it! I wouldn't worry about it being nocturnal - my girls take the hamster out every day after school and play with him. I guess they just wake him up. Apparently he is adjusting his schedule - ha! I do have a friend with 2 rats and she loves them. Their tails just gross me out!! Good luck!

I think that Fancy Rats are the absolute best first pets for kids. We had them growing up and now my boys have them. Get a female though, not a male. They're the ones that are white with a hood of a different color on their head and shoulders, usually brown, black or light tan.

They are low maintenance, sweet tempered, love to ride on shoulders, easy to care for, will eat anything you eat, love to play with kids (climb around in their clothes etc.) and they're relatively clean as far as rodents (the hamster, gerbil, rat, guinea pig family) go. They're also not too big, but are big enough to not get lost as easily as, say, a hamster. They're a great pet for boys as boys get a certain amount of delight out of grossing people out (most people have the wrong idea about fancy rats but they're not sewer rats for goodness sake, they're bred especially as pets!) The average life span is about 3-4 years. Any good pet store will be able to give you a pamphlet on their recommended care which is very simple.

Good luck with your choice!

V.,
i tried fish, gerbils, and finally 2 guinea pigs and they have been perfect for my 2 and 4 yr old girls. I was concerned about the 2 yr old but was surprised how well they did (her and pig) :). The "pigs" just sit there. the gerbils would constantly get away and then started biting. I took them back to pet store after many tries. i clean cage like 2 times a wk sometimes 1. they sit on their laps and eat carrots which they LOVE. they will put the carrots in theyre mouth and pig will eat the other end and they just love them. there like little babies in a way. Never had a chinchilla but sounds neat.

Hi

I think that a Gerbil would probably be too fast so wouldn't really work when the kids wanted to get it out , esp the youngest , a hamster might work better but again they are rather small and a 2 yr old doesn't know how to be that gentle with such a small thing. I would go for the rabbitt , I had rabbitt's as a kid and loved them , they are very kid friendly , you can train them to be an indoor pet aswell if you want to (they will use a litter tray like cat's do) and they are easier for small kids to pick up and pet. Plus they have a longer life span so no explaining to kids in 2 yrs where their pet has gone!!

Good luck

I suggest no rabbits...I tried it thinking they would be great idea...nope! I have a three kids...two older ones I was getting pet for and the rabbits were not good idea, they stink inside and I had to finally put them outside. Then the kids never played with them. Not real sure what is a good pet for them...maybe a hamster would be better...we are just sticking to two dogs for now! good luck and have a good Christmas!