What kind of pet for DDs?

[Jane91]

I grew up in a totally non-pet home (Dad with terrible allergies). My one pet caretaking experience was traumatic. At 10 yo I petsat a neighbors hamster while they were on vacation, only to wake up and discover that the hamster had given birth in the night and she and all her babies were dead.

However, I would eventually like to give my kids a pet because I think the experience of care-taking for something smaller than than yourself is very valuable for a child. Eventually we will have a dog (due to DH's preferences, but I am trying to put that off as long as possible, like another 6-8 years or so!).

What kind of animal (not fish or reptile) and when would you recommend (2 yo/3 yo maybe??) we start?

Background: currently twin infant DDs (may be adding a third but unsure). Nanny providing daycare during the day, both parents working FT (my job is really more than FT). Both parents are cat allergic. Single family home with some yard space, but no fences permitted.

A friend was suggesting rabbits at around 3 yo? I would not be interested in free-ranging rabbits inside the home -- too much $$$ spent on installing new baseboards! Are hutches outside in summer, and garage in winter acceptable (if adequate exercise time is provided) or are they considered cruel?

[2xand2y]

I would be very careful with rabbits. Both DH and I are allergic to cats and when we visited a friend with a rabbit discovered that we are allergic to them too. We had a DD (age 7) who doesn't seem to be allergic to cats (yet- my allergies developed during puberty) but she has pretty severe reactions to rabbits.

This is going to sounds nuts but maybe chickens would work. The friendlier breeds often enjoy cuddling and will follow you around the yard. You could keep 3 or 4 in a chicken tractor (small portable coop) and have their wings clipped so they could play outside with you. And, you would get eggs!

[AllyRae]

We have fire bellied toads, and all 3 of my kids love them (1, 3, and 6 years old...they all love the frogs). I'm also thinking of setting up a terrarium with hermit crabs and a couple other things.

Our pet store also has little birds that my 3 year old loves when she goes in there.

[2xand2y]

We have FBTs! Someone posted on Freecycle for a tank set up like a "rainforest". When I arrived for pick up I was informed that if contained "frogs" and I would need to feed them. Now I have a weekly cricket bill *sigh*. They are very fun to watch eat and in the beginning the kids liked playing "find the frogs", but they are over it now. We've had them a year. I think its time to re-free-cycle them.

I've read they are somewhat poisonous and cause nausea and vomiting. None of us have ever touched one so I don't know first hand.

[Oubliette8]

I can't think of any small furry pets that I would recommend for 2-3 year olds. Most smaller pets are too delicate for such young children. Rabbits dont tend to be as cuddly as they look, most much prefer to be left alone- something like a cat. They are also fairly easily injured, and can be frightened by the sudden movements of a child or unintentional rough handling. Hamsters, Gerbils, and mice are all much to small for a child of that age to handle properly, even with help. And they can be nippy, which is much less of a problem with children who are old enough to know how to handle them. Rats or Guinea Pigs aren't a bad choice, but they do require much more space and care than many people expect. They would also need to be strictly supervised, and I'd still worry that they could be injured accidentally. Ferrets are not appropriate for small children either, their long backs are easily injured.

I don't think birds would be a good choice either. Most birds bite at some point, that's just the way birds are. Bird owners deal with it, but explaining to a 2 yr old why Tweety just pinched his finger would be hard. Also, birds have extremely long life spans. Parakeets live for 10-20 years. And they are small and very delicate. All birds need specialized care and feeding.

I might consider a caged bird to look at only. Finches or canaries are in this category. Most will breed indiscriminately though, which you need to deal with. I'd also recommend buying the biggest cage you could afford- they make large flight cages that are 3 or 4 ft long. And they still have long life spans.

Which I suppose leaves fish, reptiles, amphibians and non-traditional pets. Hermit crabs are popular with kids, but they need some specialized care or they die pretty easily. Its not too hard, but more work than most folks expect. You don't want fish or reptiles. I would recommend a betta for a fish. Keeping them in a tiny bowl is common, but not best. However, those little several gallon tanks are EXCELLENT for them. Those tanks aren't much good for any other fish, but nice for bettas. They're not hard to care for, and are colorful. Reptiles aren't a bad choice either. They do need some specialized care, but once you have the initial set up, you mostly just watch them- no handling required. Many kids like leopard geckos or green anoles. Crested geckos are an interesting option, their diet consists mostly of fruit (you can use baby food) Amphibians, folks have already touched on firebelly toads. Amphibians tend to need more care than reptiles though- frequent water changes etc.

I re-read your question, and I see you asked about ages. I guess, I wouldn't recommend anything other than a family dog or cat, or a fish or other "watchable" pet for kids at 2-3. I would wait a few years. I think 5-7 might be a good age, although a little older wouldn't hurt. At that age most small pocket pets are ok so long as the child is supervised when handling them- they have the motor and impulse control to be able to handle them, but will still need direct supervision and guidance. Then I would make it a joint decision- since you will be mostly caring for the pets, you should get a big say, but your child should also have something they want. Getting them a rat when their heart is set on a hamster isn't going to make them want to care for it, you know?

As for your rabbit question, I don't think a hutch kept rabbit is very good idea. First, its hard to make sure they get adequate exercise (unless you have a set up where you can fence off a secure area for them to have free access too) Second, a pet kept outside is less likely to be seen as part of the family, and will receive considerably less attention than a pet that lives in the house. They are also more exposed to heat,cold, predators, parasites, and escape. And, in my experience rabbits need a fair amount of handling and attention to be good pets.

[Magelet]

honestly? I don't beleive children should have pets. I think it is far better for the animal and the family for families to have pets. Children don't "learn responsiblity" by having pets. Mom or dad gets really really sick of cleaning the bunny's cage/feeding the guinea pig/walking the dog. Kid grows up and the pet lives at home with the parents when the kid goes off to college/adult life.

I grew up with pets, I had a hamster, and a rabbit as "personal pets", family birds and a family dog. We got the hamster when I was five (my sister got one at three). hamsters are not great pets for kids. I loved that little hamster like crazy, but they're not super friendly, and my parents did ALL the caretaking for it pretty much. Same with the rabbit. The other problem with the rabbit was I got him when I was 11. Well, rabbits like about 8 years. So I go off to college where obviously he can't come, and my parents have to take care of him, but not surprisingly he got little attention. Actually, he didn't get sufficient attention once I hit high school. I didn't have time. Since he's in serious old age, finding a new home if we wanted would be unlikely. (he died of old age 6 months after I left)

The family pets on the other hand, worked better. My parents knew they would be doing most of the caretaking, so it wasn't as big a problem. (we were supposed to help but they knew we wouldn't much.) There were lots of people to play with them so they got more attention. And when I left home and when my sister goes off to college, well, he's still mom's dog too, it's not like she's taking care of our pet.

We recently adopted a cat (my DP and I) and it's only now, at 20, living on my own that I feel responsible enough to take care of a pet.

I would really recomend a family pet. Either a guinea pig or a dog. (I think guinea pigs are of all the small mammalian pets perhaps the best suited for young family life)

[Jane91]

Thanks. I think we need to give this a whole lot of thought (which was why I'm starting to think about things now). I agree that the animals would have to be the responsibility of the adults (really, I think that's true no matter the age of the children, the buck stops with the adult to ensure the humane and appropriate treatment of any pet in the home).