My two Wonderful children (7 and 5) are currently saving their hard earned shekels for a kitty.
They have been kitty crazy since forever and I made a deal with them that they have to save up X amount to go towards a rescue kitty and they have to take turns cleaning out the litter box.
Also, this is the deal breaker, my son has never had allergy problems, has some kind of summer allergy thing hit him big time. His first allergy appointment is in three weeks ( hey, I tried for an earlier date…) and if he is not allergic to cats, then the systems are a go for a kitty.
I think I shall name the cat as I don’t want to be calling after Mr. Pickles or Dark Magician for 12-18 years. Unnerstand?
I have to agree with the cat suggestion . They are a very low maintenance pet , and much more cuddly than hamsters , gerbils and that sort . Bunnies are nice , but the cages ate a pain to clean out , and if you keep the cage in the house , they are messy , kicking litter out of the cage . I bought a rabbit last Fall , and I think I kept him 2 weeks because of this . My neighbors daughter had just come back from Iraq and fell in love with him , she lives in an apartment amd can only have ‘caged’ pets , so I asked if she wanted him . They are very happy together .
Guinea pigs are nice , but again , I don’t like dealing with tha cage clean up . Litter boxes are much easier .
Again, all good stuff - thank you. We had a cat that died at age 15 a few months ago, so up till now had been assuming that my son - who loved our cat but has been asking for a smaller animal - might prefer a small mammal, bird or lizard.
But I love cats, and have had them in the house ever since I can remember.
I think out of the small mammals, a rat, a guinea pig or a gerbil are the best choices. Hamsters are cute, but they tend to bite. I’ve not owned a guinea pig or a rat myself, but I had a part-time job for several years as a pet sitter, and all the cavies and rats I took care of were a pleasure. I’ve owned chinchillas too, but I’m not sure how good pets they would be for kids - they do live longer than rats, hamsters, etc. though.
Parakeets can also bite. I had one as a kid, and I got nailed pretty good a few times when he didn’t want to go back in his cage. That’s the only pet I’ve ever had that drew blood!
Yes, I had hamsters for years (literally, about 20 years worth of hamsters) before I got gerbils after my last one died. While many people find hamsters cuter than gerbils, they tend to be more tempermental (some will say evil, but I still like them!). Though I haven’t been bitten in many, many years by one, that’s mostly luck with some experience. Also, they sleep all day and are up all night, so he won’t see it that often. Gerbils and rats tend to be up and about during the day more, napping off and on.
I have found that gerbils, while easy to care for and a lot of fun to watch, are not that cuddly. They are cute and soft and friendly, but mine HATE to be held still. They do like to run on me, though, and when I put my hand in the tank they climb right up my arm if I’m wearing long sleeves. If he wants something he can hold, a rat would probably be better. I haven’t owned one yet, but my fiance and I are going to get a pair as soon as we move in together (hijack - two weeks!). From my experience with them, they mind being held less, and some I have known love to sit on their people and be pet. They are more cuddly than gerbils.
Bunnies are good, but can be smelly. They also like to hop around rooms, and you’d have to bunny proof some good hopping space for it. Guinea pigs are a gamble, some are very skittish, no matter how long you have them. I’m not sure why this is, so someone who has more piggy experience will have to chime in. They do make fun noises - my sister had one that would whistle whenever the refriderator was opened, he could hear/smell it from several rooms away. Also, they are really cute and when they are friendly, they make good pets.
So, I guess you can add me to the list of rattie fans. Also, rememer that you can get rats (and other rodents) at shelters as well. They usually even have babies as well, as most rodents are such prolific breeders. Professional breeders are a good place to look for any rodent, too, and they are often less expensive and more helpful than pet stores.
My kids have parakeets, and I think that’s a darn good choice for a first pet. A couple of things going for them:
They’re cheap – both as to getting set up, and their ongoing needs.
They’re low-maintenance – Seed and water every morning, the occasional cage cleaning (in our case, perhaps too occasional).
They can be friendly and fun – Depends on the bird, and they’re more likely to be sociable with you if you only have one parakeet. Otherwise they tend to fixate on each other and exclude you.
They can certainly be handled and petted by a well-mannered kid.
They live a long time, especially compared to some rodents.
I imagine it’s easier to get someone to watch a bird for a week when you go on vacation than some of the other pets mentioned.
They don’t smell.
I would definitely try to get a bird from a breeder, rather than a pet store. A breeder can often hand-tame one for you from birth. We got a parakeet like this for $20 from a breeder, though I don’t know if that’s typical.
Yes, gerbs are very interactive, but they aren’t good “lap pets.” They are friendly and extremely curious and cuter than almost anything (to me), but you can’t really hold them and stroke them without making them upset. Allowing them to climb on you is fun and funny, though it makes me so nervous for their safety.
I absolutely adore guinea pigs, and heartily recommend them. In general, they’re not the brightest species (compared to rats; man those buggers are brilliant!), but they make up for it by having really sweet personalities.
If you go the guinea pig route, though, I definitely recommend getting two of them. Piggies are very social animals and they love having another pig around. Obviously there are some exceptions (naturally loner pigs) and you can’t guarantee that if you buy one guinea pig at place A and another at place B that they’ll get along (littermates are usually the way to go). Stay with two boys or two girls.
My last pig was a loner pig. But back when I started high school, my mom gave me Lucy (an adorable white and red pig). She was sweet, but seemed a bit lonely. Mom picked up Ethel (a grey agouti (the color pigs have in the wild)) and we put them in the same cage (supervised and ready to separate them if they began fighting). Boy oh boy! Lucy was so freaking excited! She was running around and “popcorning”* and squeaking happily. Ethel was frozen and terrified. They bonded really quickly though and were an absolutely adorable pair.
I’ve had pigs for 9 years, so if you want any information on care, upkeep, etc, just ask.
“Popcorning” is something pigs do when they’re really happy. They jump up in the air and wriggle all around, so it looks like they’re a popcorn kernel popping.
Guinea pigs are usually a bit skittish about being picked up (they are prey animals in the wild, after all), but once you get them scooped up and held safely against you, they enjoy just sitting there and being petted. That’s what I love. I had hamsters when I was little but you couldn’t freaking hold the things without practically juggling it with how much they continually squirm out of your hands. If you sit down with a guinea pig in your lap, they’re pretty much cool to sit and hang out while you pet them.
They need to have a larger sized cage than what 99% of pet stores store them in (and definitely don’t keep them in aquariums!) Cavy Cages is an excellent website showing you how to build your own cage. It’s easy and cheaper than buying a too-small cage from a petstore and you can customize them.
I have never seen 2 guinea pigs with the same personality. Each one is a bit different. For me, Lucy was very bright, smart and bold while Ethel was shy and timid but very sweet. Trixie was a loner and honestly, a bit of a bitch but did like getting attention and being held.
Another vote here for a tarantula. You can’t really cuddle them, but many of them can be handled easily enough. A Chilean rose hair is the usual starter tarantula, and they require very little care.
Wow this is all great - thank you all again. I appreciate the time you have taken to present the facts and not simple bias - although I appreciate the plugs, too!
I need to have a talk with my son and get a sense for where his head is - I want to be able to narrow the list down to 2 - 3 acceptable animals and give him say in the final choice. Right now, it sounds like a rat, a parakeet or a cat - although guinea pigs, rabbits and a few others certainly seem to be in the running.
He has had his class’ gerbil for 2 weeks at a time - we just gave her to a classmate over the weekend. He liked the gerbil, but there was definitely an issue with not being able to handle it and cuddle. My son is not the type of “kill an animal with kindness” but simple, basic handling should be considered - so at this point, I am inclined to rule out gerbils and hamsters.
I don’t have much to add that hasn’t already been said. Hamsters can be mean and nippy, guinea pigs are cute but not very smart, rabbits can be destructive, smelly, and high-maintenance (counterbalancing their cuteness)… but rats are cute, smart, interactive, fun, and of course soft and cuddly. I’ve never owned any of the above, but I’m a sucker for small furry animals, and I take copious notes on friends’ pets.
I am a major cat lover, though, and a sweet adult cat from a shelter might be your best choice for a cuddly, friendly, low-maintenance pet. Kittens are great fun, but adult cats have a lot harder time getting adopted to good homes, and you and your son can provide a really stable and loving environment for a wonderful animal.
Crickets. I’d get them at the pet store, about a dozen at a time, and I had a cricket keeper thingy where I could keep them at home and feed them. Watching him (well, he could have been female for all I really know) hunt was fun because he was so dang cute.
I’ve thought about another gecko, though I really think I’d rather have a pair of rats. I do have a betta, but I’ve always always always had cats and, when I moved in with my parents for a while, dogs. It’s been something like six months since I moved up here and I really miss the animal company! I don’t really want a dog in this apartment, though, since we’re upstairs and I have some mobility issues that make repeated daily trips up and down the stairs potentially difficult. He’s allergic to cats or my mother would have given me her kitty – not that she doesn’t love her, but with two large dogs around the cat is perpetually pissed off.
I just have to convince my SO that rats are nice creatures. When I first ran the idea past him he immediately thought of sewer rats. Honestly.
I really want one, that’s why. But I’m a little worried about the live food. I can be a mite clumsy sometimes, and I can totally see me dropping the crickets all over the rug and having the little buggars escaping to all corners of the house.
Oh, and rats are nice creatures. Just ask Amazon Floozy Goddess, she has a couple I believe, one is named Bettina and they are the sweetest things you ever saw. She has little leashes for them.
I do want to say to the OP having a tarantula as a pet is not a bad idea at all. They had one in my sixth grade class and it effectively took away my instinctive fear of spiders, and now I think they’re cute.
I have an 8-year-old and a hamster. I hate the hamster. He’s a bitey little bastard. Not lovable at all. He’s in a cage that my husband has to clean because I won’t go near it. The little guy can feed and water him and that’s about it. Another thing to consider about hamsters is that they aren’t supposed to live long. I think I have the only immortal hamster in the world. He’s too mean to die. So, you might want to consider your little guy’s ability to deal with the death of a pet, even if it is a bitey bastard of a hamster. Okay, sorry. I’ll save my hatred for hamsters for a pit thread (just kidding). I noticed that a lot of people recommended rats. I don’t have much personal experience with them, but I did have a friend with a pet rat and it was a smart, sweet, affectionate little animal.
My personal preference is for kitties though. They’re pretty easy to care for. Feed and water them in the morning and in the evening, scoop out their poop boxes once a day, and give them a nice cuddle every now and then.
That’s not entirely fair. Temperaments vary between various hamster breeds, just like other domestic animals. For instance, piebald hamsters tend to be more irritable, while cream hamsters tend to be extremely mellow. Plus, male hamsters tend to be more docile than females.
It’s true that hamsters in general aren’t cuddly, although I did meet one that went to sleep in my hand without any fuss (his owner seemed to carry him around in his pocket most of the day, so I suspect he was extremely habituated to handling).
She was running around and “popcorning”* and squeaking happily. Ethel was frozen and terrified. 
They bonded really quickly though and were an absolutely adorable pair.