pet for three-year-old?

[stafl]

I'm looking for suggestions.
We already have a dog and an aquarium full of guppies. But DD insists she wants her very own pet.
I have a 30 gal glass cage that used to house a sheltopusik (legless lizard), that would be perfect for several smaller or one medium sized cold-blooded animal. I am certain I have smaller cages somewhere in my basement as well, as I used to raise mice to feed the lizard, and before that I had several pet rats.
I don't want a hamster or gerbil, would prefer something that is active during the day and that doesn't require or want to be held very much if at all. Three is too young for a cuddly pet that she might accidentally hurt, IMO.
I don't want something that eats mice (DH never would have put up with my lizard if I hadn't had him years before we were married). And I don't want anything that would outgrow the 30gal aquarium, either.

We are taking a trip to the big pet store later today or tomorrow, and will probably get some books about the care and feeding of whatever critters she takes a shine to.
We will definitely research any animal's needs *before* bringing one home.
I'm thinking maybe hermit crabs or a frog or something along those lines.
I'm even open to sea monkeys or an ant farm - do they still sell those?
any suggestions? any BTDT stories you'd care to share?
TIA

[Copper]

Good luck and have fun in your search. I don't know much about hermit crabs, but I think their food kind of smells. We had two many years ago but they kind of creep me out.
My dd is 3 but we have had pets since she was born she was raised with 100# dog, a lovebird (who recently died at the age of 14).
We now have "Dora" the bunny, a dog, and a beta (fish) though recently we acquired one of those "feeder mice" you mentioned. I can't believe we paid a dollar for a mouse and like $25.00 for everything to house/feed it.
It is cute though, light beige and white and was a young one. She llikes to hold it too and I cannot believe how "even tempered" it is, not like the hamsters and gerbils I had when I was a kid. Our bunny is one of the smaller dwarf/mutt ones she has been a lot of fun, but a lot of work too (house bunny-litter trained). Though I have to say our dd has always been good and gentle with animals, it gets to be a lot of work sometimes!

[Marsupialmom]

Three year olds want a lot of things they are not ready for. Since this envolves another living being I would say NO WAY!

Actually I would say when you are five or six.

I would work on teaching the responciblity of taking care of things by planting flowers/garden and with the pets you already have.

[stafl]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

Three year olds want a lot of things they are not ready for. Since this envolves another living being I would say NO WAY!

Actually I would say when you are five or six.

I would work on teaching the responciblity of taking care of things by planting flowers/garden and with the pets you already have.

she's been doing that for well over a year now and is very responsible for her age. besides, I'm well aware of the fact that I will be the one taking care of the thing (maybe I want it as much for myself as for her, since my lizard died of old age a while back). I see nothing wrong with getting her a pet she can call her own. Not for her to hold and play with, but for her to feed and watch and learn about. Please explain why you think this is such a bad idea? I'm not talking about catching some poor critter out in the wild and bringing into our home to slowly die (like I did when I was little).

Copper - what do hermit crabs eat?
Bunnies and birds are out of the question - I'm severely allergic, and would prefer something that won't make DD want to pick it up and hold it. After a friend's child squeezed her hamster to death, I've been very leery of letting that happen in my house.

[Copper]

Let me preface this by saying the hermit crab-thing was after having a few drinks with dh about 14 years ago and stopping in the cute pet store on the way home; then when I sobered up from that lovely afternoon I realized they kind of scared me (silly I know!)
So I am out of the loop of care, but with our recent mouse purchase saw some crabs and I smelled something...."off" and the lady told me it was their food (container of them there we were looking at) but she said that they have a "food" that is less smelly too. They were little, I did not pay attention maybe tiny pellets or something. Though their habitat was cute, one was actually on a plastic palm tree in his habitat, kinda happy with the mouse purchase at this point. We bought her a mouse ball (she has been named Daisy) and it is so cute.
Honestly though, I think it is cool you had a lizard. What about something like a bearded dragon? I think they are awesome and I thought I was told they are good natured and a much better pet than an inguana. Just my .02!

[girlndocs]

google hermit crab care before you decide to get one. they are often marketed as being low maintenance -- this is an out and out lie.

i recently deep-sixed my plans to get a hermit crab after i took the time to look up their proper care.

[Babytime]

We're considering getting a guinea pig. We had one before DD was born and he was very gentle, relatively easy to care for and fun! Two of her friends got guinea pigs when they were almost two years old and they love them! They are both now three and are great helpers with their pets and very gently and loving towards them.

We currently have a dog and a frog.

[stafl]

update!

Yesterday we went to the pet store. She really liked the guinea pigs, and we may get one in a few years, but not just yet.
Anyway, we did get a dwarf african frog that is currently in our fishtank getting fat off the guppy babies! Jenny named him "Spotty because he has spots on him"

[bec]

I got my dd a fishtank (10 gal) last Christmas. We have some zebras, and a platy in there right now (we seem to have a high attrition rate for some reason I haven't figured out yet. Could be poor quality fish from the store). She loves her fish and feeds her fish twice a day (under very close supervision. She doesn't actually have access to their food).

I had guinnea pigs when I was a kid, and loved them (I was a bit older). We taught them tricks, would have races with them up the stairs (my brother owned one too). Oh, and we also let them breed (don't let the male stay in the same cage as the babies, though. It gets gruesome).

I don't know about the care and feeding of hermit crabs, but a kiosk at the mall around here sells them with painted shells. All sorts of different designs. They were pretty hysterical.

Congrats on your new frog! I always had pets as a kid, and I think they're a great way to teach a child empathy, compassion and responsibility.


Bec

[milk_maker]

Sorry this is a little late, but I bought my step sisters each a turtle when they were four years old. Just a little yellow-bellied slider. This pet taught them a lot of responsiblities because they HAD to wash their hands after playing with them. I just went to the local pet store and told them they were for "educational purposes" and they sold them to me. I had an aquarium already so they went in there with a couple of rocks to climb up on and a plant that I put in a pot and set in the aquarium. Oh, and I also put a heat lamp there too. They flourished and the girls finally gave them away to a friend a few years back because they were just getting too big and their friend has a pond in her yard they can enjoy. They had those turtles for ten or eleven years...wow...I feel so old...lol.

ETA - rats are the BEST pets...but she shoud be a little older. I can't wait until my unborn baby is old enough for a pet rat. They're so much fun.

[lula]

Yeh, a frog!

That is exactly what I would have suggested! My dd has three tree frogs. (I have forgotten their actual scientific names...) They are fabulous. The only complaint that I have is that now I am also raising crickets. I think pets are fabulous for young kids. I think it helps develop empathy, teaches about nature, life, improves powers of observation, ok I could go on forever!

My dd brings her frogs out occasionally to give them new things to climb on, etc. They love climbing on her hair and after one nearly jumped into her mouth she has learned to control the laughter while holding her frogs.

Have fun!