Rabbits have great personalities. They can be litter box trained and they're big enough for your daughter to hold and cuddle with it.
Best small pet for a 10 year old girl?
11/07/2011
Quote:
I concur.
Originally posted by
Eva Schwaltz
None of these. I was really happy when we got our first cat when I was 8. I think they make for the best pets.
THe rest of these are sort of.. fake pets.
11/07/2011
Rats or piggies! Piggies are nice because they cant jump and are less run-away-y than rats are. Plus there are many varieties of piggies including long haired ones. I have rats and enjoy them a lot but they might be too skittish for a child's pet.
11/07/2011
As far as I know rabbits and rats are the most social and most intelligent. Besides, they're both cute. Rabbits obviously require a bit of a bigger environment, but if space isn't an issue, I say let the kid decide between the two.
Definitely make sure it's a pet you're okay with as you'll wind up doing at LEAST some (if not all, depending on the kid) of the care of it while they do the playing with it.
Definitely make sure it's a pet you're okay with as you'll wind up doing at LEAST some (if not all, depending on the kid) of the care of it while they do the playing with it.
11/07/2011
I'm a little biased, but would definitely recommend hamsters. When I picked mine out it was actually a little too young to be sold, so it ended up being very people friendly. Never bit anyone! Sweetest little thing you ever saw, loved riding in pockets and stealing bits of cereal. :3
11/07/2011
I had hamsters as a kid and they were awesome. They pee when scared so be gentle of course. And make sure you can keep them in an open area because those buggers run fast. Otherwise they are awesome friends. You can get them a ball and always extend their cages and just have a blast.
11/07/2011
I still think a fish is the way to go first.
11/07/2011
Quote:
i agree!
Originally posted by
Beck
I still think a fish is the way to go first.
11/07/2011
Our family was really big on animals, and at one time or another had all of those you listed, except for a gerbil. Space is something to keep in mind since rabbits and guinea pigs need more room. The rat we had was smart and really sweet (we had a bird cage for her instead of a tank because she liked to climb) and I would say my favorite out of the above choices. While we usually got female pets for their temperament, be aware that unless you get them very young, you might end up with a few surprises. Both a guinea pig and a mouse we got from a pet store turned out to be already pregnant. While both times it was an really interesting to watch the births and babies developing, finding homes was a hassle.
11/07/2011
My first pet was a hamster, and I think it was great for me at a young age!
11/07/2011
Cat, unless there's an allergy. little maintenance, can be left alone and lovable enough. don't get me wrong, i have cats and love them, but they are aloof creatures.
Of the choices, rat. I had a rat when I was young and aside from cleaning the cage she was a great pet. they only live a few years, but at 10-15 she should know about death.
Of the choices, rat. I had a rat when I was young and aside from cleaning the cage she was a great pet. they only live a few years, but at 10-15 she should know about death.
11/08/2011
All of these are wonderful pets for children. I chose guinea pig just because...I always wanted one when I was a kid! I had mice, rats, snakes, turtles, lizards, birds...but never a guinea pig. Turns out, that was a good thing because I later found out I was allergic to them when I visited a friend who had one. Allergic to guinea pigs! Who knew?
11/08/2011
I voted for a rabbit because my friends all had guinea pigs and let me tell you, they die fast and break hearts. =( Of the list, I would go with a rabbit.
But seriously, I cast my vote for a budgie. It's not on the list, and you can't love and hug a bird, but they're fun to play with if you're not afraid of birds... they're quite smart and social little birds, nothing like a parrot can be, but fun and relatively low maintenance compared to a rodent variation which will get stinky if the cage isn't cleaned very regularly. Birds you can get away with weekly and even every couple of weeks for a full cage cleaning (food and water trays more often of course) so it's a lot less maintenance for a kid. And they handle 'kid got bored of me' easier than a dog or cat would.
But seriously, I cast my vote for a budgie. It's not on the list, and you can't love and hug a bird, but they're fun to play with if you're not afraid of birds... they're quite smart and social little birds, nothing like a parrot can be, but fun and relatively low maintenance compared to a rodent variation which will get stinky if the cage isn't cleaned very regularly. Birds you can get away with weekly and even every couple of weeks for a full cage cleaning (food and water trays more often of course) so it's a lot less maintenance for a kid. And they handle 'kid got bored of me' easier than a dog or cat would.
11/08/2011
A kitten ...
11/08/2011
I voted rabbit. They can be very sweet pets. My friend had a rabbit and it would hop around the living room and then occasionally jump on her lap for petting. So cute!
I really like guinea pigs, but they are VERY social creatures, and really need another guinea pig companion; so you'd be getting two pets.
I really like guinea pigs, but they are VERY social creatures, and really need another guinea pig companion; so you'd be getting two pets.
11/08/2011
My mom and brother have rats, and i like them well enough-My all under 10 nieces and nephews play with them- But i prefer rabbits.. hamsters are also okay, but they breed like crazy.. and you can't have two teddy bears together- and they're the cutest.
11/08/2011
Quote:
Good thing that ferrets aren't one of your choices -- they're the stinkiest pet in the world!
Originally posted by
Ash1141
Taking into consideration cleanliness, non aggression, social behaviors, etc. Would prefer no ferrets or exotic type animals (chinchillas, sugar gliders, etc)
11/08/2011
Quote:
Yep. Our Vet won't spay or neuter a rabbit unless you have two (when they are babies, they are very hard to "sex" or tell which gender they are.) She insists the anesthesia and tubing procedure is very dangerous for them, unless it's really necessary for their health to be operated on.
Originally posted by
Rarity
Is that so? All the rabbit rescues here highly recommend spaying and neutering and won't adopt out rabbits unless those conditions are met.
Also, Endotracheal tube placement is very difficult on rabbits, due to their anatomy. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.
The overall health outcome for the rabbit, with and without the procedure needs to be taken into account. By rabbit standards, spaying and neutering dogs and cats is a walk in the park. Our vet believes strongly in fixing dogs and cats, but feels the health of animals who will NOT have access to partners and who do not become aggressive (like most rabbits, if you only have one) needs to be taken into account with surgical and anesthetic procedures.
He's an elderly rabbit now (he's at least 10 years old, maybe older, he was a "Rescue Bunny") and I wouldn't put him in danger at his age.
We have had our Vet for nearly 20 years, through 5 dogs, a multitude of "exotics" (from an iguana, to myriad rodents and reptiles to a female rabbit a number of years ago) my daughter worked for them, when she was a pre-veterinary student, I trust this practice implicitly.
11/08/2011
I've always wanted a rabbit but if they live outside I think they get forgotten! Get a cat, they are so easy to take care of!! I'm a college student and I can manage my cat just fine, and I never even had to litter box train him! He went straight to it when I brought him home and made sure he knew where it was.
11/08/2011
Quote:
I have basically no knowledge of veterinary science, but from I've read from multiple sources it seems as if female rabbits are put at risk for uterine cancer if they're not spayed by a certain age. According to this source, the number is at 80%.
Originally posted by
P'Gell
Yep. Our Vet won't spay or neuter a rabbit unless you have two (when they are babies, they are very hard to "sex" or tell which gender they are.) She insists the anesthesia and tubing procedure is very dangerous for them, unless
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more
Yep. Our Vet won't spay or neuter a rabbit unless you have two (when they are babies, they are very hard to "sex" or tell which gender they are.) She insists the anesthesia and tubing procedure is very dangerous for them, unless it's really necessary for their health to be operated on.
Also, Endotracheal tube placement is very difficult on rabbits, due to their anatomy. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.
The overall health outcome for the rabbit, with and without the procedure needs to be taken into account. By rabbit standards, spaying and neutering dogs and cats is a walk in the park. Our vet believes strongly in fixing dogs and cats, but feels the health of animals who will NOT have access to partners and who do not become aggressive (like most rabbits, if you only have one) needs to be taken into account with surgical and anesthetic procedures.
He's an elderly rabbit now (he's at least 10 years old, maybe older, he was a "Rescue Bunny") and I wouldn't put him in danger at his age.
We have had our Vet for nearly 20 years, through 5 dogs, a multitude of "exotics" (from an iguana, to myriad rodents and reptiles to a female rabbit a number of years ago) my daughter worked for them, when she was a pre-veterinary student, I trust this practice implicitly. less
Also, Endotracheal tube placement is very difficult on rabbits, due to their anatomy. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done.
The overall health outcome for the rabbit, with and without the procedure needs to be taken into account. By rabbit standards, spaying and neutering dogs and cats is a walk in the park. Our vet believes strongly in fixing dogs and cats, but feels the health of animals who will NOT have access to partners and who do not become aggressive (like most rabbits, if you only have one) needs to be taken into account with surgical and anesthetic procedures.
He's an elderly rabbit now (he's at least 10 years old, maybe older, he was a "Rescue Bunny") and I wouldn't put him in danger at his age.
We have had our Vet for nearly 20 years, through 5 dogs, a multitude of "exotics" (from an iguana, to myriad rodents and reptiles to a female rabbit a number of years ago) my daughter worked for them, when she was a pre-veterinary student, I trust this practice implicitly. less
This conflict in information is a bit worrisome.
11/08/2011
Total posts: 50
Unique posters: 38
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