DD9 wants a pet..UPDATE we adopted a Lionhead Bunny bringing him home in 3 wks! YAY

[blessedby3]

I have had hamsters (lots of them growing up) and got oldest dd one when she was about 9. I have also owned a guinea pig (but only for about a week). My BIL begged us to take the guinea pig as the one they got from the pet shop had babies and he needed to get rid of the babies (after it was older). We took one and that thing would squeal and holler through the night and made a HUGE mess with the bedding/shavings that we had in the cage. It would throw the stuff out of the cage and it would make a huge mess on dd's carpet. I found all the little animals to be too much trouble (and the smell from the urine and poo to be nasty) so we have a small dog and cat instead. They at least go to the bathroom outside and I dont have to have it in the house.
Good luck to you with whatever animal you pick. They are a lot of work for the mom though

 

[Bethmsu]

I have had rabbits for years and I strongly suggest that you look into the house rabbit society if want to go in that direction. My rabbit has no cage and roams freely through the house. She eats a diet that consists of 90% fresh greens. She is litter box trained and we have had to make a few preparations/adjustments to accomidate her. She is about as much work as a cat...I assume? I have no cat! Less than my dog but much more than a Hamster. But if you are willing, they are soooo worth it! I love having a rabbit!

 

[thomas998]

We have two dogs and a chinchilla. I have had another chinchilla (got sick at 4 years, vet thought some sort of stomach obstruction, quit eating and died).

Chinchillas do not have nails. They also do not have parasites or fleas, and with the exception of the dust, they are great for people with allergies.

Not having nails could be a big benefit... I recall having a pet rabbit when I was a kid. I remember holding it and then something scared it and it clawed the daylights out of me... I can still remember running in to where my parents where with long bleeding cuts down my arms from the nails on the hind legs of the rabbit. I wouldn't have a rabbit unless it was in a stew... nasty critters.

 

[chuckabone]

I would say rabbitts. My DD's both got rabbits for Christmas last year, while they were a bit skittish at first, they are now both wonderful pets. So wonderful that we kept a bunny from the first litter. I did not follow other advice, and held our baby from the day it was born and now you could do anything with him. He eats out of our hand, snuggles, you can even turn him upside down and rub his belly. We also got harnesses to put on them. My one dd takes hers for a walk all the time. (warning: this may not work with a older bunny). Ours are actually in the wire dog crates. Found one at a yard sale for 5 bucks.
They have a tray for the poop and you just slide out and dump. Bunny poop is great for fertilizer.
You do not have to spend a ton of money for them, a huge bag of shavings, a large bag of feed and a bale of hay will last a longggg time. I do not go to Petco or a pet store. Go to a feed store like Tractor Supply, I get 50lbs of feed for like 10-11 bucks a bag of shavings like you would use for a horse stall is 4.99 We buy a bale of hay at a farm for 3.00. Lasts a good long time. Why people would pay pet store prices is beyond me.
Find a rabbit breeder, get a baby bunny. The other nice part is bunnies eat lots of greens, grab some grass and throw in there, we feed ours lettuce, celery scraps, spinach etc.. all the time.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[HM]

We had two sets of gerbils before we got our rabbit and we 'weekend sat' for a guinea pig a couple times. As much as I like our rabbit, I wish we had bought another set of gerbils. They are so much easier to care for and cheaper to keep. Our rabbit needs bedding changed every few days or it get stinky fast and is a picky eater so we end up throwing half her food out because she won't touch it. She hates carrots and spinach and will eat parsley and some lettuces. She also can't be let out of her cage to run around without us being around her, as she'll chew on furniture and will relieve herself in corners if we don't watch her carefully. She is great for petting and holding, unlike a gerbil, so that is her most redeeming characteristic. As for the guinea pigs, the pen they were kept in was huge and took up a lot of floor space. They didn't like being held much and need cleanup about the same as the rabbit.

Gerbils were fun to watch, they did let us hold them some, and their cages only needed weekly cleanings. The other thing about them as opposed to the rabbit or guinea pig is length of life. Gerbil live about 3 year (ours ranged from close to 3 to 3 1/2 years) while the rabbit can live for around 10 if all goes well. It's a long term commitment. I don't know about guinea pigs, but I suspect it's somewhere in between.
'

 

[mrseace711]

I have found with all the information I am being given here any of these animals will cost us a good penny to start off... Cages and the pets themselves are going to cost us the most... lol I had no idea what I was getting myself into when DH and I said "Yes" a pet is the ONLY gift she wants and has wanted for sometime. And she just made the honor roll I think a pet would be rewarding for her. Again she has our homes original master bedroom with half bath so she has plenty of room and then some for an additional roommate or 2, she also has hardwood floors for easy clean up. DD9 was not interested in cats =/ of course because that would have made my job easy And as much as we would all love a cuddly puppy we would not be home during the day to love. Last night I thought forsure a Chincilla then this morning after reading more comments I am back to what about 2 Guinea Pigs or Bunny so much great info here. DD would have them ALL but love the one that gives her the most love back. I read about the Chincillas being nocturnal, but have not found much info on Chincillas and children. Would a Chinchilla be willing to just sit with DD while she reads or does homework? Guinea Pigs I have read are willing to be more of a lap pet. I have also read Bunnies can be litter trained which is a plus =) DD will have lots of evening hours to play with her pet and allow floor time since homework is normally done in aftercare at school she usually comes home with "Im bored" and goes to her room to doodle or follows me around 'helping' with dinner. We are a NO TV during the week house and limited weekend TV time 2-4 hours max which includes family movie night every couple of Saturdays Lots of free time for pet loving.

 

[mrseace711]

We would love to be able to take our furry pet on a harness for our family walks!! Can a chincilla be harnessed and walked like the bunny? The Petstore told us a Guinea Pig could?

I know bunnies can be litter trained can guinea pigs or chinchillas?

 

[mrseace711]

If the gerbil or hamster were not so small and had such short life-spans we would go that route If the rat was not so scary and DD would have touched one we would go with the rat based on all the great info we found and ease of care.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Bunnies also need spayed/neutered because they get reproductive cancer quite easily. Also, do not use pine shavings; use recycled paper litter. The pine shavings are very bad for their lungs. I absolutely love my Lionhead bunnies but they do require alot of cleanup. (My little Ollie is in my avatar. )

 

[Bethmsu]

If you have a friend thats a vet give them a call or call a local vet and just ask a few questions about the animal you decide. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong but there is a lot of conflicting information on here and it sounds like you want to make a educated choice about a new member of the family!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We love long haired teddy bear hamsters (current little friend in signature). They are a lot of fun and make nice little pets!

 

[JamesMom]

Thanks for this post. My DS8 has been waiting a hamster/gerbil whatever for a long time now. Reading this has made my decision--NO! lol.
We already have a fish tank which I clean & feed and I dog that I have to constant remind DS to walk, water & feed. So I understand that if we get a pet for him, it's really work for me. It sounds like we'll be visiting these furry friends at the pet store only as they sound like a lot of work.

 

[mrseace711]

Bunnies also need spayed/neutered because they get reproductive cancer quite easily. Also, do not use pine shavings; use recycled paper litter. The pine shavings are very bad for their lungs. I absolutely love my Lionhead bunnies but they do require alot of cleanup. (My little Ollie is in my avatar. )

Ollie is the cutest!!!

If you have a friend thats a vet give them a call or call a local vet and just ask a few questions about the animal you decide. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong but there is a lot of conflicting information on here and it sounds like you want to make a educated choice about a new member of the family!

I have a friend that is a Vet assitant I had not even thought to ask her! Thank you I am facebooking her now best way of communication

We love long haired teddy bear hamsters (current little friend in signature). They are a lot of fun and make nice little pets!

Awww your teddy bear is adorable!!

 

[yesiamcrazy]

We have 3 rabbits (was 4). I don't recommend them. Some are super sweet, but some are mean and grouchy. All are messy and stink! I have to clean the cages twice a week just for it to be bearable.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

We have 3 rabbits (was 4). I don't recommend them. Some are super sweet, but some are mean and grouchy. All are messy and stink! I have to clean the cages twice a week just for it to be bearable.

I totally agree with you! Our Lionhead in the avatar is so very sweet but we've had him since he was 8 weeks old. Our other Lionhead, who we adopted at 4 months old, is super grumpy!

 

[Mrs. Bob Loblaw]

I love my pet rabbit, but I wouldn't recommend them as pets for most people. First, while they can live in cages, they do need a lot of time to run around, several hours each day. They're also big chewers - ours has chewed on many cords and can split one with just one or two bites, so you have to bunny proof all cords and her area. My bunny has also pulled up and chewed the carpet in 4 different spots and managed to chew up a corner of our couch and pull out the stuffing. We now know how she was sneak-chewing, but it can cause an impaction in their stomachs that requires surgery. Also, bunnies need to be spayed or neutered. If you get a male bunny, his hormones will kick into overdrive around 6 months and he might pee all over and have other behavioral issues. A female needs to be spayed because 80% of all females bunnies get cancer if they aren't spayed. It cost us just a little over $600 for our bun. Also, while food and litter doesn't have to cost a ton, they need a variety of vegetables. Ours eats around a cup a day. They also need lots hay at all times and other things to chew on - their teeth will grow all their lives, so chewing helps wear them down. If their teeth get too long, they'll need vet care to take care of the problem, so it's much easier to give them what they need for proper dental health. Lastly, most bunnies hate to be picked up. They're prey animals and are always on the lookout for a predator. Being picked up makes them feel insecure. They can also twist around and break their backs if they aren't handled properly.

If you do get a bunny and choose not to keep it, please look into a bunny rescue. It's really sad that many bunnies are released to the wild every year, but they are pets and cannot survive on their own.

 

[mrseace711]

So no Bunny?? DD wants a cuddler... Not many Chincilla owners? How about shedding?

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We have a rabbit and I love her alot, but I absolutely DO NOT recommend a rabbit for a child, that is why our rabbit was given over to the House Rabbit Society for adoption, because the teen boy that had her didn't want to take care of her. They are expensive pets. While they don't need shots like cats and dogs, they do need to be spayed or neutered by a rabbit specialist, they also need regular check ups. We have to drive 2 1/2 hours for our rabbit to see her vet.

Pellets, hay, and greens can be costly and they should NEVER have those rabbit treats sold at Pet stores. In fact, if you are going to get a rabbit, please adopt, do not buy one from the pet stores, don't enable pet stores to sell rabbits. The House Rabbit Society is working hard to try to get pet stores to stop selling rabbits, because there are so many that need homes in their facilities.

A rabbit should NEVER be housed in a wire bottom cage, that will really harm their feet, I know firsthand but won't go into details here, it was not pretty. It cost us about $100 to build something suitable for our 1 rabbit to live in and she loves her condo, it is 6feet by 2 1/5 feet and sits in our den. Never leave a rabbit outside alone, they are prey animals, and are very vulnerable. She is potty trained and we haven't had an issue with smell, that I have noticed, maybe we just change it often enough we don't smell it.

She is definitely moody, like a woman with PMS. Mable has almost bitten my finger tip off when I was trying to give her veggie snack one night.

I would never just own one rabbit at a time again, they are very social animals and do better in pairs, but Mable prefers to be alone.

There is ALOT more info I could share, and I would be happy to if you want to send me a PM

Suzanne

 

[ktlm]

So no Bunny?? DD wants a cuddler... Not many Chincilla owners? How about shedding?

You need to do a whole lot of research online and otherwise about any of these animals, and you should also have your daughter read up on them before you make any decisions. She needs to understand that it is very possible that none of these breeds would be a cuddler. You also need to think about how these animals are going to hold up and react to the other smaller kids in the house if they try to mess with them.

A Guinea would probably be the cuddliest of the three by nature, but as set out above, they smell and there is no getting around that. Also, you will not want them in your DD's bedroom or anywhere near where anyone sleeps because they are up all night.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/guinea_pigs/tips/guinea_pigs_as_pets.html

http://www.pethealthandcare.com/guinea-pigs.html

Chincillas are not cuddlers by nature, but with lots of time and training, you can make them cuddlers. I don't know how much time it takes or if being away from them 8-10 hours a day is going to cause a problem with that. Chincillas also tend to be up all night. Also realize that if you get them trained to be a cuddler, you have to be careful about overheating them too. Here is some info on Chincillas as pets to start you off:

http://www.chinchillasource.com/chinchillasaspets.html

http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/ChinCareBooklet.pdf

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/chinchillas/p/Chinchillas.htm



Here is some info on rabbits:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2511

I would really do my research on rabbits and breeds if that is your choice, because I think there is a good chance with a rabbit that you will not get a cuddler or maybe not to the extent that your daughter is expecting. Most rabbits (with some exceptions) do not like to be picked up. Some really like to sit next to you and let you pet them and hug them as long as their feet are on the floor, but even most of the ones that like that do not care to be on your lap. They want to be on the ground while you are petting and cuddling them. There are a good number of rabbits that don't even do that. I don't know if some breeds are better cuddlers than others, lops maybe? I do know that my best friend got a rabbit because she wanted a "cuddler" and it did not turn out so good. She got it as a baby, and it would let her cuddle it then, but once it got a little older the instincts kicked in and that rabbit hated being picked up and would claw anyone who picked up. It would sometimes let you pet it, but if it did not want to be touched it would grunt at you and if you didn't stop nip at you. That thing was supposed to be little too, and it kept growing and growing. It turned into one big cranky rabbit.

I know you said no dogs, but personally if it were me, I'd go for a pair of cute cuddly dogs that will keep each other company during the day, and provide companionship for your daughter when she gets home. (A Havanese would basically camp out on your daughter's lap- they like to be with you or on top of you at all times). You can have a doggy door so they can get in and out during the day. I think you will find that dogs actually turn out to be a lot less work than any of these breeds. Plus, you also talked about possibly getting a dog in the future, know that if you get one of these animals, that could turn into a problem- you will have to deal with things like how to get the old animal enough out of cage time, while protecting it from the dog etc.

Good luck whatever you decide. I know my dog was my best friend when I was a kid, so I think pets are such a benefit to a household.

 

[blessedby3]

We have 3 rabbits (was 4). I don't recommend them. Some are super sweet, but some are mean and grouchy. All are messy and stink! I have to clean the cages twice a week just for it to be bearable.

When I was about 10, growing up in FL, I have vivid memories of our neighbors bunny biting off the finger of a child visiting their home They had to get the finger and the kid was rushed to the hospital for it to be sewn back on. Im sure not all bunnies would do this....but it left a scar on me and I have never wanted a bunny because of it. I wont even hold them