OT - Pet suggestions for a 6 year old?

mickeywho? · Apr 17, 2007

My little guy is turning 6 next month and reminded me last night that I had once said that age 6 is a good age for getting a dog! Our family is not ready for a dog - we'd love one in a couple of years but not right now - I know puppies can be a lot of work so I really do want to wait until we're all ready.
We have had a hamster, it passed away last fall (a friend passed it along after her kids got tired of taking care of it - and it was a cute little thing but my kids really didn't get a chance to play too much with her since she only came out at night) He has a fish tank which he loves ... with a never ending assortment of fish, snails, aquatic frogs etc. So I thought we'd aim for the furry sort again. Any suggestions? The animal would be sharing the family/play room with us so nothing too smelly.

dhardawa · Apr 17, 2007

Don't laugh, but a pair of rats would be perfect. They are phenominal pets. Unlike hamsters, they actually want to get out and play with you. They don't bite and don't carry diseases. They are highly social (part of the reason you should always get a pair) and very loving. We have eight right now (I wanted three... number three had 14 babies two days after I got her) and I love every one of them dearly. My daughter is 7 and has been around rats since she was 3. It is just second nature to her.

Dana

Merriwind · Apr 17, 2007

We are big cat fans. We got Cinderella when DD just turned four. S/he was about 18 months old, which was perfect. S/he wasn't a tiny little kitten that we had to worry about DD squishing or hurting or getting lost or whatever, but s/he was young enough to still be very kittenish. She was a great companion for DD--and all of us, but cats are pretty independent and don't need a ton of care. Cinderella was FIV positive, so we knew her life wouldn't be very long. We did have her for 4+ wonderful years before she got sick...

We were pet-less for three months and then visited our local cat shelter. We were ready for a younger kitten this time. Nubi was almost five months old when we got her/him. (We always adopt male cats and turn them into girls.) She is so playful and loving. She adores us and is a wonderful playmate and companion.

Cats are great additions to the family, but don't require the sort of work that a dog does. Just food, water and scooping the litter box daily. Feline Pine scoopable cat litter is basically sawdust, completely flushable and makes having a cat even easier.

Good luck!

Barbers2005 · Apr 17, 2007

Cats are great pets for kids- they like to play but aren't too high maintenance. We have two cats and a puppy, and dd5 just wouldn't be able to be the primary caregiver for the dog because she needs to be played with, brushed, bathed, walked- way more than dd would do. The cats, on the other hand- dd gives them food once a day, plays with them a bit, and they're set (I change the catbox, though). I would recommend getting a grown cat from a shelter instead of a kitten, because you will have some idea what kind of temperament the animal has. I love both my cats, but we got the first one as a kitten, and she's not really a people cat (likes to bite ankles too much for my taste). The second cat we adopted full grown so we knew right from the start she was super friendly- just what we were looking for.

bartleby1 · Apr 17, 2007

How about a rabbit? I had a rabbit in college and when I first got married. I kept him indoors in a cage but let him out of his cage to run around when I was home. They do like to chew on things (especially electrical wires!) so you have to do some rabbit proofing in your house, but they make can make nice pets.

Kailani6 · Apr 20, 2007

dhardawa said:
Don't laugh, but a pair of rats would be perfect. They are phenominal pets. Unlike hamsters, they actually want to get out and play with you. They don't bite and don't carry diseases. They are highly social (part of the reason you should always get a pair) and very loving. We have eight right now (I wanted three... number three had 14 babies two days after I got her) and I love every one of them dearly. My daughter is 7 and has been around rats since she was 3. It is just second nature to her.

Dana

Ooh I was going to say the same thing!!
I have had rats off and on since 1994. They are so lovable and extremely intelligent. My DD7 has been around them for a long time as well and she loves them! My niece had guinea pigs and hamsters and I like rats much better. They are bigger than mice, hamsters and gerbils so they are easier to handle. The boys are gentler and make better "lap pets" but they are a little bit stinkier then the females. I have never had a smell problem though as long as you keep the cage clean. The last cage I got was a ferret 3 decker and what is nice about that is the top levels were plastic so you could wipe it down with a wet paper towel and rats tend to go in one particular corner anyway so they are pretty easy to clean up after. (Believe it or not you can litter train rats!)

I'll try and post some pictures later when I get home. (dhardawa I'd love to see pics of your babies!
Good luck!!

~Farley

dhardawa · Apr 20, 2007

Kailani6 said:
Ooh I was going to say the same thing!!
I have had rats off and on since 1994. They are so lovable and extremely intelligent. My DD7 has been around them for a long time as well and she loves them! My niece had guinea pigs and hamsters and I like rats much better. They are bigger than mice, hamsters and gerbils so they are easier to handle. The boys are gentler and make better "lap pets" but they are a little bit stinkier then the females. I have never had a smell problem though as long as you keep the cage clean. The last cage I got was a ferret 3 decker and what is nice about that is the top levels were plastic so you could wipe it down with a wet paper towel and rats tend to go in one particular corner anyway so they are pretty easy to clean up after. (Believe it or not you can litter train rats!)

I'll try and post some pictures later when I get home. (dhardawa I'd love to see pics of your babies!
Good luck!!

~Farley

My babies aren't very little anymore, but I will dig up some baby pictures when I get home tonight. They were SO tiny. It is hard for me to believe the "babies" I have now are the same ones in those pictures. They looked like coctail weenies when they were born. They will be four months old on May 2!

jcc0621 · Apr 20, 2007

How about a box turtle or some fish.

LegoMom3 · Apr 20, 2007

I'm going to put in a plug for gerbils! (if you're looking for something in a cage...if not my #1 vote is for a cat!).

My 5-yr. old son has two female gerbils. They are friendly, inquisitive, and unlike hamsters, they are not neccessarily nocturnal (they have on/off sleep and awake patterns, like nap for a couple of hours then up for a couple of hours). My son's gerbils are in his bedroom and never keep him up at night. They aren't very smelly at all because being desert animals, they don't drink much and thus don't pee much (the cause of most odor in a caged pet). We had a hamster once, too, but a) he did sleep all day, and b) he was never really interested in what was going on outside his cage or in being handled much.

We love our gerbils!!

dhardawa · Apr 20, 2007

karliebug · Apr 20, 2007

I think that guinea pigs make wonderful first pets. They are bigger than hamsters or gerbils so they are much easier for little kids to handle gently. They are generally very docile and not likely to nip. They squeal and whistle and are really loving. We have had them and I also had them in my first grade classroom. I really recommend them and they are much less creepy than rats (Just my opinion-LOL)

valleygirl · Apr 20, 2007

We've had gerbils, hamsters, turtles, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats and dogs. I've since sworn off caged pets. My choice in this situation would be a cat. I find them much more affectionate and less work than caged animals.

jamesmommy · Apr 20, 2007

dhardawa said:
Don't laugh, but a pair of rats would be perfect. They are phenominal pets. Unlike hamsters, they actually want to get out and play with you. They don't bite and don't carry diseases. They are highly social (part of the reason you should always get a pair) and very loving. We have eight right now (I wanted three... number three had 14 babies two days after I got her) and I love every one of them dearly. My daughter is 7 and has been around rats since she was 3. It is just second nature to her.

Dana

My vote is for rats as well. They are very intelligent and affectionate pets. We don't have any at present, but have in the past, and when ds4 is ready for a pet of "his own" (yes, I know better, lol), rats will be at the top of the list.

Amie

jennifer293 · Apr 20, 2007

I got a bunch of rats out in my field..how many do you want?? :rotfl2:

I cannot handle those critters..they remind me too much of the pesky little creatures that get in my attic and make crazy noises in the winter. :scared1:

I had a ferret when I was little and I had another one when I got married because I was not allowed to have pets in my apartment (I hid him in my closet when they did maintenance) they are sooooo much fun. You do have to keep them bathed and you do have to buy the ones that are descented, but I loved them. They are litter boxed trained and are pretty much just like a cat. They sleep a lot too. Once you get them wound up though they are pretty hyper. I used to take mine to town shopping and I just kept him in my backpack and he slept the whole time as long as I was walking. GREAT PET!!!!

PrincessSuzanne · Apr 20, 2007

bartleby1 said:
How about a rabbit? I had a rabbit in college and when I first got married. I kept him indoors in a cage but let him out of his cage to run around when I was home. They do like to chew on things (especially electrical wires!) so you have to do some rabbit proofing in your house, but they make can make nice pets.

Rabbits are not good animals for a six year old. I have had many over the years, yes even had one at six years old and of course mom had to care for it. Rabbits are alot of responsibility. I have 2 right now that are 3 years old and they are great, but alot of responsibility. They are highly intelligent animals and need to have someone that can help develop that intelligence. There is alot more that I won't go into, because they do require alot of work and I am an adult now. Thay can also be very expensive.

Another vote for a cat, a shelter cat, they are very appreciative to a good home. I have 3 cats that came from the shelter and all 3 of them are very loving. I have raised kittens that a relative gave me when the were you, but in time they ended running away, but my kitties from the shelter never venture too far away from their mommy and daddy.

I think a rat, hamster, or guinea pig would be a great pet and would teach responsibility, but not as much as a rabbit(for them to be happy you would want a bonded pair)

Visit your local shelter and see which pet takes a liking to your family, that is what I did when I got my kitties.

Good Luck

Suzanne princess:

crisi · Apr 20, 2007

Instead of a puppy, how about a dog? A lot of grown dogs need homes, frequently come trained and housebroken and would be a lot less work for you.

jjenniboo · Apr 20, 2007

I would say a rat or cat. I had a rat as a teen and loved him !! Very smart, cuddly, and easy to care for. I currently have a cat and my DD4 loves this cat more then anything. She greets him before any family member and says goodnight to him first. :cutie:

DisneyAprilFool · Apr 20, 2007

Every animal has its pros and cons. My only suggestion is that you MAKE SURE 110% that this is a pet for YOU and not your son. Will your son enjoy the family pet? Yes. But will he be in any way, shape or form responsible for it? No. It will ALL fall in your lap. And while it sounds okay- it can suck being the one cleaning out the rat cage every week and making sure everyone has clean food/water, etc.

So please, please, please- make sure it is a pet YOU WANT and your son will fall in love with it as well

susykt4 · Apr 21, 2007

I love ferrets but would have to vote against getting one for a 6-yr-old. Maybe when he's 12.

Another vote for a cat!

OT - Pet suggestions for a 6 year old?

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