My kids want a new pet... suggestions?

[Mom31]

We have two cats- an indoor kitten( 6 month calico) who is about to be fixed and a outdoor/indoor fixed male cat about 3 years old who we love.

They want a new pet.

( they are kids of course they do)

I feel like I have my hands full just with the two kids and one indoor kitty- the outdoor kitty is really no work at all - he comes and goes and I feed him and set water out- he uses the bathroom outside.

My son has been asking for a dwarf teddy bear hampster for over a year- I do not want to get one at all- to me they are rodents- and well- I just don't want a rodent- it's just not for me.  I had a hampster growing up and then we had 3 pet rats and we used to let them climb all over us and stuff- which- yes I know- rats make great pets but even the thought of it now grosses me out...

I am looking for suggestions of a pet for them. We looked into turtles but they seem to be quite a bit of work, expensive for their habitat and carry disease.

I tried to convince them of a hermit crab- to no avail... they say they pinch.

I tried to say a fish- maybe a beta- they are a little interested- but really- I don't see it working with the kitten she is very playful and all over the place.

They want something they can handle and play with- I reminded them of the kitten- which of course is yesterdays news- they love her and play with her- but want something new.

I would love to get a dog but I truly do not think I could handle the responsibility right now- and the cost.

Anyway- any ideas on a low maintenance reasonable cost- pet that fits what we are looking for?

[Milk8shake]

My first instinct is that it doesn't sound like you should get another pet, if you have your hands full already.  Also, getting a pet, for the sake of something "new" doesn't really sound like the right reason to do it, to me.  A pet is a big responsibility, and a long term commitment.  

Having said that - how old are your kids?  Can they take on a bit of responsibility?  If they are of an appropriate age, perhaps you can do a sort of deal with them.  They have to take on care of the indoor kitty: food/water/kitty litter (under supervision) for a set period of time, in order to understand that a pet is a responsibility and not just a plaything.  If they can prove their commitment, then you can have a discussion about another pet?  They learn something, and maybe a bit gets taken off your plate?  

I'm thinking maybe a bird fits your bill?  Can be caged away from cats, not costly to buy or maintain, not much trouble to look after, can be handled by the children?   Otherwise, maybe a rabbit?  Do you guys have rabbits in the States?  I'm not sure if you would consider that a rodent also... 

[starrlamia]

agree with above. Inevitably you will be the one looking after the pet, so I wouldnt recommend getting one. However, bettas make great pets and you can train them to do all sorts of things. If you keep it in an appropriate environment (at least 2 gallons, heated tank, decorations and adequate water changes) they are very personable and will readily learn to eat from a spoon, follow your finger etc.

[onlyzombiecat]

How old are your kids?  How long do you want to have this pet?

Birds can live a long time and can be loud.

Hamsters will live a shorter amount of time.

Lizards or frogs might be interesting pets but may not be good for handling or playing with.

We have had fish who lived at least 5 years. I like fish but you don't really play with them or handle them.

My rodent hating mom was okay with my siblings and I having guinea pigs when I was young. Guinea pigs were pretty good pets and easy to care for.

I'm not sure what low cost, low maintenance pet there is that can be handled and played with that you haven't already eliminated. It doesn't really sound like this is a good time to add another pet to your household. It might be better to wait until your kids- and your kitten- are older to consider getting another pet.

I let dd have a hamster after a year of research and making a deal with her that she would take care of it. She didn't care for the hamster so I did. The hamster lived with us for 1 1/2 years before dying. I said no to any new pets after that because we have dogs and cats and getting another pet just because they are cute and new isn't worth it.

[Mom31]

we got two betas.

Works for me.

lol- I agree I do not need a pet- fish is what works for me- they are pretty and kids are feeding them.  My son is 9 and going to help clean the tank.
 

[crunchy_mommy]

Guess I am too late but for future reference, land snails are a great pet. We even got them for free, collected them from a rocky area outside after it rained. All they need is a shallow dish of water, a bit of lettuce or cucumber, and a cuttle bone for shell growth. Bonus is, you can take them out & "play" with them, unlike fish. And I keep telling DS that if he doesn't take care of his snails, we will have to release them back where we found them -- it's a good motivator, can't do that with most pets... though I don't want to teach him pets are disposable! He's only 3, so it's more of a "you need to show me you can take care of snails before we get another kind of pet" type of thing.

[starrlamia]

Originally Posted by Mom31 

we got two betas.

Works for me.

lol- I agree I do not need a pet- fish is what works for me- they are pretty and kids are feeding them.  My son is 9 and going to help clean the tank.
 

make sure they are in seperate tanks and each have a heater, also make sure they have at least 2 gallons each. These simple things that most people overlook can keep a betta happy and alive much longer!

[gillibean]

I second snails, they're cooler than you might think.  Super-easy to care for.  The really cool thing is that they will lay eggs on the glass of the aquarium so you can watch the eggs hatch into teeny baby snails and then watch them grow.  My kids loved being able to see their whole life cycle a few times a year.  

[queenjane]

If we get another pet it might be an aquatic frog (the little ones...i think they are called african dwarf frogs?) i read up on them and they seem really easy to keep. I almost went and got some but then i remembered...*I* will be the one taking care of them, and i really am sick of cleaning up after animals. We've had just about every kind when my oldest was younger, he always lost interest and the work fell to me. I usually ended up finding new homes that were more willing to do the work. The most entertaining was rats. The g. pigs made me itch. I liked the aquatic turtle but it took up a lot of space. I wont ever do hamsters again. Rabbits are like having a dog or something, they need a lot of out of cage time.

What i discovered is that "pocket pets" or anything in a cage/tank/etc usually needs a lot more care, space and knowledge than people think. So i would get the pet, THEN do the research and discover how much space they'd need...buy or build a bigger cage or tank then realize half my living room is overtaken by animal stuff. So far the "easiest" pet we've had is the older (10+ years) fully trained, well behaved and "child safe" (as much as can be expected) dog we adopted from a neighbor. I can send my daughter out to the yard to pick up poop and thats even easier than scooping out a litter box. Whats nice (although a little sad) is because he is an older dog its NOT a huge commitment (3-5 years probably, instead of 15.)

We had a cat as well and while he was also easy to care for (MUCH easier than any pocket pets we've had), im pretty much over having something poop in my house even if it is in a contained area/box...i haaate scooping the litter box. And while he wasnt a huge shedder, i no longer want to deal with cat hair everywhere. (The dog doesnt even shed!) So no more cats for us (esp not kittens...indoor cats can live 20 years!)

Dont forget that (depending on where you live) fostering an animal might be a good option....giving the kids the "newness" factor without the longterm commitment that will likely fall on you. The expenses are paid. And usually....foster homes are needed for just about every type of animal, from the usual cats/dogs (and puppies and kittens and pg or nursing mothers) to rabbits, gpigs, birds, fish, reptiles, rats etc etc. Petfinder is a good resource to find a local group. Most groups even need temp/emergency homes (maybe a foster home is getting an opening next week but this animal needs a place NOW.) Or if your kids are interested and you have the time you could volunteer to help at adoption days or other needs tasks for a rescue group...helping animals without having to actually take another one into your home.

Even though i love animals i've been pretty hardcore about now saying "no"....my daughter was so funny she thought that since she has the few dollars they were charging for a rat at the petstore, she could get one. I'm like uh....and how much for the cage? bedding? food? where are you going to put it? do you have any idea how to care for it???
 

[grahamsmom98]

OP, it's very easy.  Tell them:  No more pets.  You say they have little interest in their kitten.  Unless they are helping to care for it (are they feeding it, cleaning its litter box and interacting with the kitten everyday??), a new creature, of any kind is not in the picture.  If Mom has to take care of it, then what she says goes, discussion over.

By the way, birds DO take a lot of work in that their cage needs to be cleaned at least twice a week and fresh water and treats everyday (new water twice a day unless they drink from rodent tube water bottles).  They scatter seed and feathers (and, some species shed a dandruff-like oily powder) and not all of them are quiet (most are not).  They are sensitive to smells and cold.  We had cockatiels for years and finally adopted them out through a parrot rescue group.  I don't miss them at all (and, they were nice birds). 

Originally Posted by queenjane 

If we get another pet it might be an aquatic frog (the little ones...i think they are called african dwarf frogs?) i read up on them and they seem really easy to keep. I almost went and got some but then i remembered...*I* will be the one taking care of them, and i really am sick of cleaning up after animals. We've had just about every kind when my oldest was younger, he always lost interest and the work fell to me. I usually ended up finding new homes that were more willing to do the work. The most entertaining was rats. The g. pigs made me itch. I liked the aquatic turtle but it took up a lot of space. I wont ever do hamsters again. Rabbits are like having a dog or something, they need a lot of out of cage time.

What happened to the pets you couldn't find homes for?

If you do opt to get the little frogs, please don't release them in a local water source if you tire of them.   

[queenjane]

Originally Posted by grahamsmom98 

What happened to the pets you couldn't find homes for?

If you do opt to get the little frogs, please don't release them in a local water source if you tire of them.   

There were no pets we couldnt find homes for, so I'm confused. When i said i "usually" found homes for them...i meant that if they were rehomed before living out their life with us. I guess i didnt think you'd just jump to the conclusion "something else" happened to them. In the instances where there was a rehoming it was to a better situation than we could offer. The only time an animal was "released to the wild" was when my son came home from a visit with his dad with a toad...an outside/wild toad, the kind you find jumping around in the backyard. i let him keep it awhile and then we put it back outside where it came from. Geez.

Our cat was not rehomed. He was euthanized recently at age 12 due to illness (and with vet recommendation.) Our dog mostly stays with my mom (we live there half the week to take care of my mom, and leaving the dog there with my mom/sister give the little guy a break from the kids.) and will continue to stay with our family until his death. Both animals were rescues who found us, i did not seek them out to have a pet.

We havent had pocket pets in probably 3 years and wont be getting more in the foreseeable future. I'm just not interested in their upkeep which i know will fall on me.