Help me choose a pet for my 6 year old

amother

Yellow ↓

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 1:44 am

My 6 year old loves animals and we're thinking of buying him one. What is our best option?

Hub and I don't particularly like animals so we need something that our son can look after and take care of. We would like something in the garden and not a lot.

Can anyone please tell us about rabbits and what they require. When we go to the farm he is really great with them. Before I consider it is this suitable for what we want?

What food do they eat? AMD how ofte Are they content staying in the hitch and how often do they need to be taken out. Will they escape the garden of we do let it out for a run?

How long do they survive for? And must we buy 2? I hear they like to be on pairs. Are they friendly to humans and get close to their owners?

Another question I have is, if we suspect there may be foxes on our area, is it unfair to have them stay in a hutch?

Please share your rabbit experiences or suggest a more suitable animal.

chani8

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 2:11 am

If you want very low maintenance and cuddly and sweet as can be, a cat is the way to go. Cats are the easiest pets and can be loyal and interactive. Bunnies are more primitive and dont promote connection.

A cat eats twice a day, no cage needed, no litter box if it lives in the garden. It needs a warm and safe place to sleep. You only need one.

It's best to adopt from a shelter for two reasons. The kitty is neutered already. And, you can observe behavior to choose a loving personality.

It requires some knowledge of how to bond a kitty to the family, though. So please, if you decide on a kitty, dont get one without more discussion.

Sadie ↓

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 3:52 am

The most important thing to remember is that if you get a pet for a kid, you the adult are still 100% responsible for its care. Don't come in with the idea that the child will learn responsibility on the cheshbon of this pet and then let it go neglected if the child doesn't live up to your expectations. I'm not saying that you personally would do this but I used to work in an animal shelter and it happens quite frequently that the parents get a pet for their child and then dump it when the child loses interest. It's cruel to the animal and a bad lesson in compassion for the child.
A rabbit is not a good pet for a child under 10. They can get very skittish and scared easily, and they need to be picked up and held very gently. Their bones can break if they're picked up too roughly. 6 is really too young to be taking care of a rabbit without a lot of supervision.
I agree with chani8 that a cat would be better. You can get an adult cat from a shelter that is already used to being outside (don't leave a kitten outside) When you get a new cat you should keep it in the house for a few days minimum so that it recognizes your home as its new territory. If you put it outside right away it might wander off and get lost. Even if the cat is mostly outdoors make sure it can come inside during bad weather.
The absolute best pet for a kid imho is a dog, but they are a huge amount of work and expense, so you have to really be committed.

anon for this

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 12:07 pm

I know the OP's situation is different because her 6-year-old is not ready to take on the responsibility of having a pet. But it is possible to have a pet thrive in a house where the parents don't love animals.

I know this because when my daughter was about 9 she asked for a hamster. I don't especially like most animals but I love my daughter and realized it was important to her. So I told her that she would have to be responsible for giving it food and water and cleaning the cage. Her friend had a hamster so she helped her take care of it for a while and knew what to expect.

She's had small pets for years now and they've done well (a couple have died but not due to neglect). Now my younger son has his own hamster that he takes care of himself. They are careful to feed the pets before they eat breakfast and make sure to tell me when we're running out of supplies so I can order or buy more.

I don't mind paying for pet supplies because they're my children's pets and therefore my financial responsibility. I did research the costs so I would know that to expect. We have pet stores nearby but I find better selection and prices online. I have declined to buy extras like some treats and pet costumes but my kids rarely ask for these.

Now they'd like a cat but as I said, I'm not a pet person and would not like having one walking around the house all the time (my kids take their pets out to play and exercise but most of the time they are in their cages).

watergirl ↓

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 12:46 pm

chani8 wrote:

On the one hand, I agree with this, on the other hand, I don't.

We've had every (non reptilian) pet, we are total animal lovers. Cats are the best! I love them and if my husband wasn't allergic, we would totally have them (I used to have 4 cats! Thats too many, btw). And like Chani pointed out, theres little to clean. The problem is that they arent always so into little kids - not as a rule, of course, but as a generality. One of my cats (the one I loved the most and had for 6 years until I married dh) was great with kids. But its hard to find. If this pet is "for" your son, I dont know if its the way to go. Usually dogs and cats tend to want to be around the mother of the house. I dont know why.

Rabbits are super soft and cute, but I have heard that they arent good pets. They dont love to be held, and a kid wants to play with a pet.

I am a HUGE fan of guinea pigs. They are super fun, love to be held and cuddle, and actually get to know their owner. They will eat carrots right out of your hand, and they are sturdy enough to be played with in that special 6 year old style. Trust me, I have a 6 year old boy - I know (and a 3 year old). YES - their cages smell, but if you change it once a week religiously, its totally under control. My daughter is the "owner" of the pig, and she takes great care of it. But I really think that this is a great starter "pocket pet", and your son can totally take on a lot of the responsibility.

mille

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 12:52 pm

Rabbits are not great pets. They aren't very social, even when socialized from birth, and they are very skittish. They are also kinda stinky. I am not sure if your intention would be to let it roam free in your backyard, but I'd also be wary about letting a rabbit live outside exclusively if you live in an area with actual seasons and not, say, Southern California where it's always temperate.

TBH I think you might need to re-think the idea. If you aren't into having a pet, too, it's not going to work out. That, or you are going to get some poor small animal that gets neglected because you don't really care and your kid isn't old enough to be responsible enough. Keep in mind with small animals, too (like hamsters etc), they don't live very long even when you care for them well. In a couple years, you'll be introducing your child to death in a very real, very personal way.

↑ watergirl

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 12:57 pm

I just re-read your questions, and now that I think about it, I agree with the other posters who dont recommend a pet for your family. If you and your husband dont like animals are will be relying on your child to take care of it, you are in for a crash and burn, and he is in for a heartbreak.

When my daughter first started to ask for her own pet - a bird, to be specific (she fell in love with a particular type of bird at the petting zoo), I made her research these birds for 3 full months before we would get it. She had to know all about it, and this bought us the time to see if her mind would change. She also had to prove to us that she would take care of it with out neglecting her other household chores. I had her show us that by doing what I asked the first time it was asked - and she wanted the pet badly enough that for those 3 months, then after, she really did her house jobs.

Here are my replies to your questions.

My 6 year old loves animals and we're thinking of buying him one. What is our best option? See my first post on this matter.

Hub and I don't particularly like animals so we need something that our son can look after and take care of. We would like something in the garden and not a lot. Where do you live, and whats the weather around there? I am assuming England. Its really not nice to the poor animal to keep it outside mainly, and makes it hard to bond with it...

Can anyone please tell us about rabbits and what they require. When we go to the farm he is really great with them. Before I consider it is this suitable for what we want? NO! They require tons of care.

What food do they eat? AMD how ofte Are they content staying in the hitch and how often do they need to be taken out. Will they escape the garden of we do let it out for a run? Alfalfa (timothy hey), and rabbit pellets. YES! They are meant to dig and will find a tiny hole and get out.

How long do they survive for? And must we buy 2? I hear they like to be on pairs. Are they friendly to humans and get close to their owners? Most animals in pairs will bond to each other, not to the "owner". Again, rabbits arent known for loving people.

Another question I have is, if we suspect there may be foxes on our area, is it unfair to have them stay in a hutch? YES. Why would you leave prey out for a fox to eat?

Please share your rabbit experiences or suggest a more suitable animal.

ra_mom

Fri, Mar 04 2016, 5:30 pm

Hamsters are clean, small and require little maintainence. They live about 1.5 - 2 years. We have had two, one after the other. Both lived a little over 2 years each. They are sweet and small but they still need to be well taken care of. Fresh food each day, wash out and refill water bottle each day, scoop out cage and replace with some fresh shavings each week, deep clean cage fully once a month.
I recommend a glass tank, with an add on second floor that you can clip on. Gives the hamster 2 floors to get around and easier to keep clean.
But I still wouldn't recommend if you won't do any supervising.

amother

↑ Yellow

Sun, Mar 06 2016, 2:32 am

Op- thanks for all the advice. I won't take an animal in that will get neglected, and that's why I'm doing research!

From all the replies it seems a rabbit idea is out. I happen to really not like cats, so that is out of the question. We also have a neighbour with a cat, so he does have a chance to be around one. Fish to me is just an accessory, there is no interaction, he really needs the satisfaction to touch and take carw of am animal. I find when he is holding and feeding a hamster, or rabbit his whole demeaner changes. He can be very uptight and tense, but being around animals really calm him, and that's why I want to get him his own pet.

Tell me more about Guinea pigs or hamsters. Can either of them stay outdoors? What is the maintenance and financial responsibilities?

Thanks!!

MrsDash

Sun, Mar 06 2016, 2:58 am

Hamsters mate to the point of overpopulation. They smell unless you are seriously on top of cleaning their cage frequently. Guinea pigs are cute, but then again, you have their cage that needs constant cleaning to pervent the odor. Then you have to worry about leaving these guys alone for a while in case there's some family vacation/trip. Not to mention that sadly the hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs have a very short lifespan. Up to 5 years.

I know you said you didn't like the idea, but honestly, in my experience having owned a wide variety of different animals from a great big tortoise to a goose to dogs, several species of birds, etc, etc I found cats to be needing the LEAST amount of time dedicated to cleaning and caring for.

They are very self sufficient. They bathe themselves. Eat and drink when hungry. Can roam the house and with proper training, won't wreck your furniture, however, the litter box can become a little bothersome to some, but it's so easy. At the end of the day, just take a scooper for the peeps and poos which with most litters are preclumped, and dump in a trash bag and you're done.

The shelter cats are probably your best bet. They are all up to date on shots and have been neutered/spayed and if you're lucky, some have been declawed. A big plus is their long lifespan. 15-20+ years.