Suggestions for a Low Maintenance Pet for a 3 1/2 Year Old and 2 Busy Parents?

we got a beta fish for my daughter.. It was easy and she loved it.. Low maintance just feed once a day and change the water every so often.... (and they are cheap) You can get any bowl, the food last forever... It worked for us

Considering the age I would stay away from anything that requires daily handling to stay well adjusted. I was the manager of a Petco for quite a long time and I can't tell you how many young kids want animals only to lose interest. The parents would come in asking the same questions as you, only to return the hamster/rat/guinne pig a few months later because their child had drastically cut the time they would spend playing with it, making the animal anti-social, sometimes to the point of being a biter. A guinne pig especially is an investment in a companion, and will need lots of consistent interaction outside of the cage. After returning from a weekend trip even if it was well fed while you were gone, don't be suprised if it's nervouse and stand-offish for days. A rat would do a little better, and they are the most friendly of all the pet rodents, but even a rat will become anti-social if forgotten about for a few weeks and just given food. Hamsters tend to die of nervous diarreha during any change in circumstance, and can become biters much more easily than a rat. Honestly though I would stay away from anything fuzzy because of your daughter's age...so many kids just lose interest and then the parent tries returning the pet or ends up giving them away or just releaseing them.

I agree that a beta fish takes very little care, looks pretty, and needs almost nothing else for set up. A goldfish needs a bigger tank with a water filter and it is much more of an ordeal to clean the tank because goldfish have a high waste output. Beta fish actually breath air (they gulp it from the water surface) so there is no tank filter needed, and they naturally live in rice paddy's which means they are used to very shallow muddy water, so a large tank will kinda stress them out which is why they are commonly put in a small tank with a plastic plant or two. There are lots of little beta tanks with a light on top and your daughter can pick the color of the rocks, the plants, maybe a toy, and the color of her fish. They only need fed once a day, are not so sensitive to being ignored for a little while, and can be alot of fun for a kid. The investment is also alot smaller than even for a rat.

If a fish just won't do you might consider leopard gekkos. Iguana's need lots of different things like lights, fresh food, vitamins, and constant cleaning that make thyem a little intense for kids so young, and VERY expensive. Leopard gekkos only need sand, a 10 gallon tank, an undertank heater, a rock cave to hide in, and water and crickets. They generally like being handled, although they can become anti-social just like a rat if not handled enough. The difference is that even if a leopard gekko bites it will look scary but generally won't hurt because they have hard gums instead of teeth. They get about 5 inches long when full grown, so one or two in a ten gallon tank is just fine. I'm also suggesting them because they are desert animals, and are used to drought. That means, unlike for a rat or hamster, if your daughter forgets to feed or water the lizard for a little bit it will likely be just fine (although hopefully that won't happen often but she is young and that is reality). One of the things that can get tricky is just making sure she handles them correctly because if she tries to pick them up by the tail only, it can come off causing health issues for the lizard and scaring your daughter. You also have to buy crickets and/or live meal worms for the lizards, which can get tiresome if you don't live near a pet store or aren't willing to keep a small plastic cage of crickets and cricket feed in your house. Overall though as long as you have those two issues taken care of a leopard gekko might be the best choice if you absolutely don't want to go with a beta or wait until she's older. Older kids have alot more options since they can do alot more to help with a pet.

The easiest low maintenance pet is fresh water fish. We did this for my daughter. She is 3 and even feeds them herself. Good Luck.

Hi there. I have to say the best pet we have had is a hermit crab. We got them down at the shore (which you can get at any local pet shop - very low maintenance. I just make sure his sponge is wet and his food lasts for a few days. The only maintenace really is changing their sand. You could go away for a few days as long as they have a water source. I recommend a smaller hermit since they do have little pinchers but are generally afraid to come out but as you handle them they will get used to it......they usually run $3 - $5 - after all is said and done about $20 for tank, sand, food etc...well good luck to you!!!
L.

My friend has two children and lives it seems on Dr. Dolittle's Island. lol All of her pets are very low maintenance and so far have survived very curious 5 and 8 year old little boys. She also leaves them alone for long streches and the seem to do ok. She has: turtle, fish, frogs, hermit crab, hamster, parrot, salamanders, and a snake. Oh and a dog who is terrified of the rest of them but he needs let out every now and then ;-)

My son got an iguana for his 10th birthday. I was a little nervous at first about letting him handle it, until his dad (giver of the iguana) told me that the more they are handled, the more friendly they are. After about two months, he would put it on his shoulder, tell it to give him a kiss, and it would touch his cheek with its face. I have never seen a lizard that was so friendly. His brother and sister (they were not quite 3 at the time) were able to hold it and play with it, and it was really a friendly thing. Since they only need fed every other day or so (and you can put a large cabbage leaf in the cage if you're going to be gone for two days), they are low maintenance. They don't shed, they are relatively clean (Zach cleaned the cage every other Saturday), they don't smell, they don't make noise (no wheel, no barking, no scratching or chewing), and will live a really long time. Just don't use a food processor to cut up the food--it leaves chunks that the iguana can get into it's mouth, but can't swallow, and it will choke to death. Unfortunately, that's what happened to Iggy (our iguana) and Zach has still never let me forget that I murdered his lizard. Another thing, NEVER feed your iguana meat of any kind. Shredded veggies (carrots, cucumbers, and cabbage) and tofu are the preferred diet. Took me about half an hour to cut up that week's food. (till I got the "bright" idea of using my new food processor... big mistake) They really do make great pets, and are really smart and friendly. HOWEVER, they will be mean and bite if they are not handled when they are young. Make sure when you get one from the pet store that it is a young iguana. If you plan to leave it in it's cage, or want a pet that is completely confined, DO NOT GET AN IGUANA!!!!!!!!! If you don't want to socialize with your pet, get a fish. **Zach got a new iguana about 6 months after the other one died (named Squiggy). He has taken extraordinary care if it for the past 4 years, and it's really a decent pet. Very sociable, never bites, and able to handle younger kids pretty well. If he's had enough of them, he simply climbs the curtains to get away.

My son now wants a turtle & especially after he visited my friend who has one. My son is almost 3. We asked a pet store about caring for one & we want to add one to our family soon this year.

Ask at your local pet store that carried them. Our daughter wants a hamster, which are nocturnal. She did not want to hold it when we were at the pet store.

I hope this helps some.

How about a Guinea Pig? They are low maintenance, easy to care for and require daily handling to be happy!

i'm sure you may get a lot of this response but a goldfish is a perfect first pet. keep it on a high shelf....get cute little stones and decorations for the bowl/tank and your daughter will be so happy.

Fish are excellent pets for young children. I had four until we had to move and did not have the room for the 55 gallon fish tank we had so we had to give them away. I know that my sister in law has birds with my 4 year old nephew and that works very well for her. She goes away for the weekend 1-2 times a month. Rabbits are good as well. Mostly I would suggest a pet that you can leave a bowel of food for or something and some water and they can fend for themselves basically. I think my Rabbit was my favortie until we moved into an apartment that allowed no pets. My daughter is 2 and was able to help me with all of our pets. Hope this helps.

I will second the guinea pig suggestion. We have one they are friendly and very easy to care for.