Pet help???

[lukenick1]

Hi there.....we just lost our sweet hamster the other day. I know it will be hard to replace him, he was one of a kind, very gentle dwarf hamster. Anyway, due to allergies we cannot have a dog or a cat but would love the next best thing. We would love a pet that won't bite and will be fun to play with and cuddle. Does anyone have a suggestion? We have 2 boys ages 7 &9.
Thanks

 

[stout]

I know this sounds strange, but years ago I had a pet hedgehog . . . named, Stout, which is where my screen-name comes from. Stout was an African pygmy hedgehog. She was very gentle, did cuddle (yes, I know that sounds like an oxymoron), and would follow you around the house or the yard like a little dog. She was easy to take care of. She lived for 8 years.

 

[treeface]

Sorry to hear about your hamster, i know how hard it can be to lose a pet. In addition to our dogs and cats, my son who is 8 has a guinea pig. This seems to be a perfect pet for him, as she is big enough that he can take her out and play with her and not be too concerned about hurting her, while still be small enough to be content in her cage when he isn't playing with her.

 

[chyam]

How about a rabbit...they make good pets and can also be litter box trained...I also think their life expectancy is a little longer than a guinea pig.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our best pets were rats (I enjoyed them more than the dog!). They are very smart and friendly, and like to be handled. Where hamsters are trying to get away, rats just want to be with you. My youngest dds' used to just walk around with them on their shoulders. They are very social, so you should get 2. One problem I found with the females was mammory tumors (we had to put ours down eventually). Males are actually calmer than females, but will "mark" their territory. If we every get them again, we will get alterned males.

When running around, ours, not once, pooped outside the cage, and only peed if they were out for an extended period of time, and couldn't help it.

 

[dfchelbay]

What about a poodle? I know it's a dog, but it doesn't carry the dander that causes the allergic reaction. Poodle hair is the closest type of hair to human hair. Maybe you can ask the allergy doctor his/her thoughts on a poodle.

 

[vsimeone]

When I was a classroom teacher, I had a chinchilla as a classroom pet. They are so gentle and can live for about 15 years. He would ride around on my shoulder every day after school when I went to the office to get my mail. During the day, he was often in a really large hamster type ball rolling around my classroom. He, of course, spent summers at my house.

A couple years ago, my daughter got a chinchilla for a pet while she was in college. She remember how much she loved my chinchilla (Chile) and now she has one (Chia) who is just as sweet.

Best wishes with your decision!

 

[nancycg56]

Maybe a guinea pig? My kids had them when we lived in a apartment with no room for a dog and we loved them. They could run around the house and the kids could cuddle them. Just make sure you get the smooth coat kind. My DD was allergic the crazy hair kind but not the smooth coat.

I would love a guinea pig now but my Jack Russell sees everything smaller than him as prey and it just wouldn't be pretty

 

[gem21]

I love guinea pigs and rabbits (as you can see), but if you are allergic to cats and dogs, I would have to say I would NOT recommend them...

Guinea pigs are notorious for bringing out allergies in people, and sometimes not right away either. My bunnies shed like crazy (especially spring/fall), plus they aren't really suited for children (ie: do not like being picked up)

All pets will bite if provoked, while I've been bit several times, there has never been a time that I could have avoided it. (Like when I was ten and had just eaten chicken wings and went to pick up my hamster...).

If you liked hamsters so much, why not get another one? If not... maybe something along the same lines. I don't like rats, but I've heard they are great pets and very smart. Degus make pretty good pets too I've heard.

 

[zumbergc]

have you thought about a hair dog, it has hair that grows like people hair.
Dogs like a poodle, schnauzer, yorkie are hair dogs.

Cats that may be cause less allergy problems, european burmese, siamese cats.

Of course take the offending person with you, and see how things go. See if you can go in the play room, like if you goto a shelter. It is more difficult to find a Siamese in a shelter/rescue situation, but they can be found.

Same is true for the dog as rescues. Although if you wanted to see if you were allergic. You could go to a house of a breeder of the type of dog/cat you are looking at. If you could handle that house, might be a good sign.

 

[ilovebassets]

We took care of my brother in law's guinea pig once for a couple of months when he went on a big trip. It was a disaster from an allergy standpoint although she was a very cute pet.

If your kids have animal allergies, I would not get a guinea pig.

 

[mad hatter fan]

I am very allergic to cats and rabbits, but we got a golden doodle backcross (3/4 poodle, 1/4 golden retriever) which doesn't shed and he doesn't bother my allergies at all.

 

[lukenick1]

Thanks for all the great suggestions....
well we ended up with another dwarf hamster and so far she is sweet and has not bitten. She is very tiny. I was considering a guinea pig but am convinced my asthma son would be allergic to one. I am allergic, as a matter of fact, just a scratch from one gave me hives at the scratch sight. True sign of an allergy. However I got scratched by a Schnauzer/Maltese dog today with no hives. Hubby will not let us get a dog Maybe I should just go against him and get one anyway....he he he

 

[Jey12]

Glad you found another hamster! Hope the kids love it! Guinea pigs are not good for allergy prone families. I agree with the PP that they are one of the top small pets that bring out allergies. Rabbits for me are in the same boat as guinea pigs. They tend to kick up a lot of dust and the constant hay in the cage can also trigger allergies you weren't aware of. If the hamster doesn't work out I second the rat vote. If you can get past the tail they are the best kids pet hands down. They can learn their names, tricks and are very repsonsive to their humans. I have always had tons of fun pet sitting rats that belonged to friends. DH said no way because of the tail so we have guinea pigs.

As for the dogs, if you'll allow me to climb up on my soapbox for a second. If you know someone in your home is for sure allergic to dog dander do not get one, period. People will say certain breeds do not have the dander, shed, etc... This may be true to a point but is not 100%. Any dog with a hair in a follicle will shed. Any dog with skin will have dander. The new fad of Doodles that say by crossing a golden or lab with a poodle makes the dog now hypoallergenic is not true. Even if the dog is only 25% lab, that still means that 25% of that dog will shed and have the hair type of a lab. Meaning you will be allergic to at least 25% of that dog. They are no different than any other mixed breed of dog you might find in the paper or a shelter. I could say my dog is 25% blue heeler and 75% german shepherd, but at the end of the day she is still a mutt and I love her. Often a person gets a puppy they have been told they won't be allergic to and they won't develop allergy symptoms until the dog is around a year of age, and you have totally bonded with one another. Now you have a year old dog that is no longer puppy cute and needs a new home and now because you're sneezing your head off. Don't put yourself or the dog through that please. Ok stepping off of soap box.

Again I'm happy you found another pet to love and take care of. I think learning this concept especially in young children is a very important lesson they carry throughout their entire life.

 

[lukenick1]

Glad you found another hamster! Hope the kids love it! Guinea pigs are not good for allergy prone families. I agree with the PP that they are one of the top small pets that bring out allergies. Rabbits for me are in the same boat as guinea pigs. They tend to kick up a lot of dust and the constant hay in the cage can also trigger allergies you weren't aware of. If the hamster doesn't work out I second the rat vote. If you can get past the tail they are the best kids pet hands down. They can learn their names, tricks and are very repsonsive to their humans. I have always had tons of fun pet sitting rats that belonged to friends. DH said no way because of the tail so we have guinea pigs.

As for the dogs, if you'll allow me to climb up on my soapbox for a second. If you know someone in your home is for sure allergic to dog dander do not get one, period. People will say certain breeds do not have the dander, shed, etc... This may be true to a point but is not 100%. Any dog with a hair in a follicle will shed. Any dog with skin will have dander. The new fad of Doodles that say by crossing a golden or lab with a poodle makes the dog now hypoallergenic is not true. Even if the dog is only 25% lab, that still means that 25% of that dog will shed and have the hair type of a lab. Meaning you will be allergic to at least 25% of that dog. They are no different than any other mixed breed of dog you might find in the paper or a shelter. I could say my dog is 25% blue heeler and 75% german shepherd, but at the end of the day she is still a mutt and I love her. Often a person gets a puppy they have been told they won't be allergic to and they won't develop allergy symptoms until the dog is around a year of age, and you have totally bonded with one another. Now you have a year old dog that is no longer puppy cute and needs a new home and now because you're sneezing your head off. Don't put yourself or the dog through that please. Ok stepping off of soap box.

Again I'm happy you found another pet to love and take care of. I think learning this concept especially in young children is a very important lesson they carry throughout their entire life.

Thank you.....you are so right. Its bad enough my poor son has to take asthma meds daily as it is, I would not want him to suffer anymore. It's every kids dream to have a dog but there are other pets that will have to fill in that void. Hmmmm a rat. My mom's roomate used to have one and although cute and smart I'm still very grossed out by them. Plus I bet we would be allergic to them too. They have the same hair as a guinea pig it seems. Our little dwarf hamster is very tiny and curious, we can hold her without getting bitten but she will not stay still in our hands. Wish she had more personality. She just kind of ignores us and wants to explore but at least my son is happy. I'm still considering a hedgehog. Maybe in the future. We will go to a breeders house to check them out first.
I also know for sure we would be allergic to a bunny too

 

[Jey12]

Hedgehogs are cool. There's just no way around that. Another idea when you think your boys are responsible enough might be a lizard. They have very special needs such as temperature and diet, but from my experience they can be fun pets. Iguanas you can even buy a harness and leash for and take outside on nice days. I know rats creep a lot of people out and if they do you just can't help that. I also am allergic to being scratched by them to a certain extent. Anytime I'm around one I'll toss a towel around my neck and wear long sleeves. Otherwise I will break out in hives where they might accidentally scratch me. I agree and I would be heartbroken if my child couldn't have a dog. Dogs are fun, happy and love you no matter what. It's hard to say no to that for your kid, but being miserable isn't any fun either. Best of luck and as long as the kids are happy then a hamster is perfect!

 

[doggydoc]

Our best pets were rats (I enjoyed them more than the dog!). They are very smart and friendly, and like to be handled. Where hamsters are trying to get away, rats just want to be with you. My youngest dds' used to just walk around with them on their shoulders. They are very social, so you should get 2. One problem I found with the females was mammory tumors (we had to put ours down eventually). Males are actually calmer than females, but will "mark" their territory. If we every get them again, we will get alterned males.

When running around, ours, not once, pooped outside the cage, and only peed if they were out for an extended period of time, and couldn't help it.

Rats do make excellent pets. They are smart, affectionate and believe it or not clean. They never bite and fairly easy to care for. A couple years ago my DD was a Zombie cheerleader for Halloween and one of her rats rode on her shoulder the entire evening while she trick or treated. It was a huge hit in the neighborhood.

Long before becoming a Veterinarian I worked in a pet store, I used to dread when customers would ask to see a hamster. I would practically beg them to choose a rat or mouse beacuse I knew I was going to get bitten when I put my hand in the hamster cage.

Couple pieces of advice: 1)Don't get the albino rats from the the local mega petstore, they are usually MUCH more prone to genetic defects and health problems. Do a search online for rat breeders, you will be amazed at how many are out there. 2) For any pocket pet, or small mammal, that drinks from a static water source (bottle) please always provide them with filtered or bottled water. You may have seen reports about how municipal water sources can be transiently contaminated. This doesn't effect peope or larger animals because of size difference and the fact that we may only consume the toxic water briefly. When filling a water bottle, if you happen to hit one of those days when the water is contaminated, your pet is possibly drinking that for several days. I also recommend changing your cat or dog's water at least daily.

 

[aprhj]

My son and husband both have dog allergies, but we have a dog, a Standard Poodle. Neither of them react to her so we are lucky. Every dog sheds, even Poodles, but Poodles only shed once. They loose their baby hair and grow in adult hair around 1 year old. Many people will not react to the puppy hair, but a few do react to the adult hair, that's why I said we got lucky. If you do ever decide to go with getting a dog, I caution you from one of the doodle mixes. My son and husband both reacted to an adult doodle we were around for a while, and with the coat change, you never know what the reaction will be when that adult coat comes in. Going with a pure bread breed will allow you to see what the breed brings to the table not what you might get if you put two breed genes into a pot and then mix. The other essential item is finding a good, honest, reliable breeder. That can be a difficult task in itself when many are just after $$

 

[kacaju]

see this is why you need to research ANY pet you bring into your house!! My niece just lost her hampster and they ended up coming home with a guinea pig instead of another hampster. My niece has allergies and my SIL was just complaining that her allergies are acting up!!
DN plays with the G.P. all day long. It would kill her if they need to get rid of it due to allergies.

 

[r&kmommy]

As for the dogs, if you'll allow me to climb up on my soapbox for a second. If you know someone in your home is for sure allergic to dog dander do not get one, period. People will say certain breeds do not have the dander, shed, etc... This may be true to a point but is not 100%. Any dog with a hair in a follicle will shed. Any dog with skin will have dander. The new fad of Doodles that say by crossing a golden or lab with a poodle makes the dog now hypoallergenic is not true.
.

Respectfully disagree - our dog is 100% hypoallergenic. He does not shed and he does not have a speck of dander. He is a coton de tulear, a cousin of the bichon friese. My son and I are allergic, we can't even be in the same room with most dogs for too long or we start getting sniffly. We can pet a dog but must wash our hands after. My dog doesn't leave behind any "feeling" on your hands when you pet him. This breed was recommended to us by our pediatrician, whose brother is an allergist lol (who also recommeds the bichon, as 100% hypoallergenic - poodles are the next best thing though he 'rates' them around 80% hypo.)

Agree 110% about doodles though. First generation Doodles (purebreed poodle mated with purebreed golden or lab) are the least likely to be allergenic but the odds are still 50/50 that you will get one that has the poodle dominant hair/fur/skin. Subsequent generations (doodles mated with doodles) can vary HUGELY as you could get a lab/golden dominant fur/hair dog mating with another lab/golden dominant fur/hair dog and then who knows what kind of dander/hair/fur you'll have.

Anyway, I'm glad you got another hamster - they're SO cute We also have a guinea pig, (that we are allergic to, if we pet her we have to wash our hands afterwards, but being in the room with her doesn't affect us at all) and she's a cuddle bug too

(eta - I should say he did shed 2 times... lost his baby coat and his adolescent coat. But he shouldn't shed any more. And it wasn't messy - it was in his bed and if he rolled around on the couch or rug, but it wasn't flying around in furballs LOL! Maybe because he has hair and gets brushed every other day? Anyway, just wanted to say that he wasn't 1000% shed-free )