I really want to get my 3 y/o Daughter into fish. I’ve had about 10 different tanks over the last 15 years. I can’t get enough. I’ve even made a large canoe into a backyard “pond” But enough about me. I was making a list and budget for a 20 long tank to set up on payday. That’s selfish though, And expensive for a kid who will do zero with it. I’m almost decided on getting a hamster for her and use a large clear bin (about 50 gal) modified to do something cool for her. Also a fraction of the cost. Only con is hamsters only live for 2 or so years. Any parents out there? Cool ideas for interesting pets? Perhaps small, partially contained within a bin or aquarium.
A pony? Not sure about a hamster though, wouldn't those be just small enough for a little kid to get in to trouble with by, say, releasing it into the house?
I'd vote guinea pig over hamster. Not that hamsters aren't excellent, but they're smaller, and therefore easier to lose/squish/otherwise wreck. Guinea pigs aren't QUITE as cute, but I think they have more personality and they're bigger. I'm assuming dog/cat have been vetoed? They're classics for a reason, but they do need to be in the right kind of house. Rabbits can be good, but I think you'd want one of the miniature varieties for a kid that small. Chinchillas are lovely to pet when they sit still, but that's pretty rare. I'd say their personality is mostly "Whaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Ferrets are great. Smart and playful and snugly and... damn, there's not much wrong with a ferret. They can be smelly - either get a female or get a male who's had his scent glands removed. They're smart/social enough to pretty much need attention, though, so if this is a kind of trial pet to see if she's going to like animals, it might not be fair to get a ferret. And they will bite if mishandled, but most of the animals on this list will bite if mishandled (as they damn well should!).
Not pro or anti-ferret, but I have a friend who is a vet, and ferrets have a Logan's Run level 7 year timer built into them. Six and three quarter years old they'll be going fine, according to the doc, and three months later they drop dead.
Gerbils are slightly longer lived than hamsters but are social animals (averaging 4, can live up to 6). They're loving pets. If you're willing to invest in reptiles, there are geckos as well. With appropriate care they can reach 30.
Yeah, the death element is a tricky one for ANY pet. I wonder if it's actually easier to come to terms with losing a pet after a shorter life rather than a longer one? Like, maybe we should start kids with less emotionally connected, shorter-lived pets so they can understand death with an animal they didn't actually love that much or live with for that long? And then build them up to the biggies like dogs and cats? (and grandpas...) I don't know. It's brutal no matter how you look at it.
Doesn't guinea pigs/hamsters/rats and such have extremely low life spans? I had friends as a kid who had those sort of animals and they die rather frequently, even if they're treated right (especially rats easily get sick from what I've learned). As a kid I would not have dealt with dead pets in a good way! I never understood the charm of fishes myself and as a kid that would be the most boring animal possible. We had birds for a while and they were sort of the same because you couldn't pet them (the first bird flew up and sat on our fingers or shoulders, but the second one was terrified of humans and made the other one more vary of us as well). I just mean kids will probably want a pet they can actually interact with. I'd suggest a cat. They live longer than guinea pigs and hamsters and they don't need to be taken on walks every X hours like dogs. A kitten is playful and affectionate if treated right. Even though I grew up with animals from birth I'd say that 3 year sounds too young to get an animal of their own. If you go with hamsters/such I'd suggest waiting a few years.
A bit of back ground. Recently divorced, so I live in an apartment now. I have daughter about %50 of the time. Dogs and cats are not optional. I don’t want to give myself more chores to do. I’m fine with cage maintenance though. I’ve had geckos and a bearded dragon. Previous step daughter had 2 hamsters. I’m aware of the short life spans, and possibilities of escape. There not difficult to catch. However, I like the low startup costs, somewhat entertaining even for me.
Still not totally against zero pets. Maybe I’ll get a few plants like I somewhat jokingly said to a friend at work.
Not a parent, but I think for fish the go-to is usually betta fish, gold fish, and guppies, for their low maintenance. A betta requires the least amount of space, so you can easily clean the tank and she can feed him. Because she's only three, I'm not sure if you'd want her to actually handle a small furry pet. You might consider getting a monarch butterfly kit, where she can raise a caterpillar into a butterfly. You can release the butterfly together (and avoid long-term pet responsibilities or having to explain a pet death) and she gets to see/learn neat things.
But cats are perfect. Low maintenance. They groom themselves, know how to use a litter box, you can put out automatic feeders that last for weeks, and if you let them out they may not come back for a week. When they are wet they just look like big rats or hamsters. They hide most of the time so you may not even know they are there. Little girls really like them and they sleep together at night.
The bolded statement isn't true for all cats--and in fact hasn't been at all true for any of the 7 cats my family and I have owned. As to their maintenance: they can be very easy to care for, but they can also jump up on tables, counters, that decorative shelf with a priceless family heirloom...hack up hairballs, eat unattended food, jump on your lap when you're trying to type (okay, this one I love)...eat the goldfish... I absolutely love cats. I've always loved cats and chances are I always will, but unless you love them they can become a hassle, depending on that particular cat's personality. A caged animal can be better controlled and is typically happier being left alone vs. an animal that was bred for more human interaction.
We left our cats for up to a week in the house when we went on vacation and when we got back they hardly even acted like we had been gone. You can't do that with a dog. Cats are jerks and really do not care about you until THEY want the attention. There was a research study that came out that said that your cat is really thinking about eating you but they know they aren't big enough to over-power you (they still think like their cousins, the Lion). No, really, a cat if you take care of it is a perfect apartment pet for a 3 yr old girl. Our cats lived to be 16, 17, and 22. You'll even think of her as another daughter after about 6 months.
I decided tomorrow I’m gonna get a 10 gal tank to be planted, minimal livestock, some shrimp. Also, about 3 plants all being low light. Boring I know, I’m easy to entertain I guess. Other bit of background: I got daughter a Beta fish about 2 months ago, currently housed in a Rubbermaid bin. So I’ll just finish what was started, do it properly. My Daughters Moms house however, 3 dogs and a cat. All of whom regularly poop, pee on the carpet. They eat off the dinner table, fur everywhere. That’s unacceptable to me. I remember when I was about 10, my older sister wanted a dog, got it. After it wasn’t a puppy anymore, My bro and I had to take care of it. I’ll enjoy my minimal chores, thanks
The problem I immediately saw with a cat was the fact that your daughter is 3. I love cats, don't get me wrong, but a child can't really play with them without supervision because they can be moody buggers and if they're not in a playful mood when your daughter was over things could get hairy. Your description of her mother's house, as the daughter of a dog person, made my eyebrow twitch. Dogs who lay waste to carpets and eat off the dinner table are poorly trained. Fur they shed is down to genetics. I know we shouldn't spite an ex, but part of me wants to suggest a miniature schnauzer. They're low shed, low allergy, and are happy in an apartment setting. Yes they're a dog but your daughter needs to see what a well behaved dog looks like. Also, brushing a dog is really therapeutic for both animal and owner.
We're going to have to agree to disagree on that "research study." I'm not disagreeing with you that cats are, in general, low maintenance. They do, however, still require training and more maintenance than fish, hamsters, or other cage pet. The OP is looking for super low maintenance and something tells me he wouldn't appreciate a misbehaving cat, nor the training required to keep it from misbehaving. My current cat LOVES attention and would NOT be happy left alone for a week--she goes crazy for attention after one short work day and can't get enough when we wake up. She also won't stop jumping up on things she's not supposed to or eating unattended food. She was spoiled before we got her and we'd rather deal with retraining her over the craziness of raising a kitten (and yes, I've raised kittens before, so I know how hyper and crazy they can be). The retraining requires a lot of patience and love; if we didn't have the love, we wouldn't have the patience, especially after that time she had diarrhea that stuck to her tail and flung everywhere. Not all cats are alike, and if Capslock gets stuck with one whose personality doesn't fit with his, it can quickly become a disaster. @Capslock I'm glad you were able to make a decision! Maybe your daughter will inherit your love of fish (and shrimp) .
Our cats were there before the kids were born and everybody got along just fine. I think the OP has made it clear he just doesn't want a cat. But one more try...
It's right here from the internet so it must be true: https://sparkonit.com/2015/11/04/study-your-cat-wants-you-dead/
