I want a little pet for my 5 year old son who loves animals. He is very caring and is not afraid to be 'hands on' with them at all. I want something a little better than a goldfish, so I thought about a hamster because this can be kept in his room - what do you think ?
Answers:
hi what about a Guinea pig, you can get cages for in doors and once your up and running they don't cost that much and they love being handled.
mebbe a lil kitten or a puppy. turtles or hamsters or birds are fine too.
hampsters stink , i'd get him a rabbit keep it outside in the garden ,and its not to small to be handled
they are cute but are noisy at night and can also give a rather nasty nip, but they are also fun to watch, also they only live 12-18 months. x
How about a tiger?
No really what about a cat. Hamsters take a bit of looking after, cats are easier to keep. Just an idea.
I was gonna say hamster myself.Also gerbil or if you want one that does backflips try a chipmonk just to be different,they do more than a hamster.
it deoends hamsters can bite and if it bit would he hoold it again? i learnt my lesson at 6 when i got one and it bit, wont touch one still.. my sons 3 and he has a kitten he loves it to bit, also we have a bird he talks to the bird. ask him what he would like and you decide if its possible.. but all pets need lots of care and attention.
Well, a good animal to start with a five-year-old may not be a hamster, only because hamsters can be quite aggressive at times, I know, I've owned 5, and may bite him if he squeezes it too hard or even pets it in the wrong place. If you are adamant about not wanting a goldfish, I'd recommend a turtle, a regular turtle you can buy at the pet store. Turtles can handle a lot of picking up and playing and, heaven forbid, the turtle should get out, you can find it and grab it, quite easily. ^_^, hope this helped!
Get a guinea pig. They make lovely pets, and make funny noises. and are quite easy to look after
A little kitten would be a good idea I think.
Go with the guinea pig. they do not stink as much can be handled with supervision. Fun to watch.
rats make great pets and they dont sleep all day like a hamster, they love to be handled and entertained. they do like to live in pairs though.
Gerbils are really fast, hamsters are quite boring because they sleep all day and wake up at night, mice stink. I think a guinea pig would be perfect, you can get a small one. And you can get indoor cages for them.
I had a hamster and a small rabbt when I was little and a beta. and by the way hamsters do not stink if you keep thier cage clean!
NO
NO
NO
DONT GET A HAMSTER
my neice who is 4 just got one and it wont let her hold it. everytime she trys it bites her. Same with my cousins hamster. they bite. even the people in the pet store will tell you its to young of an age for a hamster. they told us not to get it but we did anyway and it bites.
i would go with a puppy. or a degu. which is a cross between a hamster and a rat. they dont bite that much and they are really good pets. the only time the ones we have ever bite is if you do something to hurt them.
Any decision you make, I'd like to remind you to save yourself some $$ and hit up a shelter or humane society first.
Some humane societies even take and have hamsters and guinea pigs too!
I have to say hamsters do pong a little regardless of how often you clean them out, they are also nocturnal and like to sleep all day but keep you awake all night in there wheels lol, my sister had gerbils they were really cute and there cage didn't seem to smell as much as the hamster cage, she even kept them in the house in a house cage, at the nursery where i work we have giant African land snails and they are fantastic i have to say, though you cant exactly sit and pet them all day long, but are low maintenance and fascinating to watch.
I had hamsters,gerbils and rabbits when my kids were little but rabbits needed a lot of care and were very smelly.
Hamsters are the least trouble and are easy to care for-as long as they are handled on a daily basis they are unlikely to bite but if neglected they will not like to be handled.Gerbils are also easy to care for but be aware both are nocturnal and tend to make a lot of noise at night!
Turtles need special care and arent terribly interactive.
A kitten will of course become a cat-but probably is the most fun!We bought a cat each for our kids and they are still with us and much loved.Downside is they need to be house trained (and can be a bit smelly to start with) and will likely wreck the furniture.but they offer a lot back.
a guinea pig would be lovely and they like to be kept indoors. I think they're great animals - very sweet natured and don't bite and not stinky =D
hamsters are ok but they stink so i wouldnt keep it in his room
a small rabbit would be nice u can house train them, and are more fun than a hamster
Before you get any kind of pet, make sure you understand that you will probably be ultimately responsible for this animal's care, not your son. He's not old enough to handle cage cleaning, which is necessary for most small animals and he may not be ready to deal with daily feedings and the like. Hopefully this is already obvious and I didn't even need to say it, but just in case.
You say your son is not afraid to be "hands on". This can be both good and bad. Not all small animals are crazy about being handled and some may squirm or bite when they don't want to be held. Small animals can also be very delicate and can get seriously injured if imporperly held. Some of the usual pet rodents could make good pets, though hamsters are nocturnal so your son may not be awake during the animal's more active times. It might be best if you set up sessions where you pick up the animal and put it on your son's lap so you avoid any improper handling and resulting biting. You can also supervise their interaction this way and help teach your son about being gentle with his pet.
Talk it over some with your son. Get a sense of what kind of pet he might like, as there's no sense in getting him a pet that he's not interested in. Do some research and consider presenting him with a few options to choose from.
Good luck!
I think its great to get pets for your children IF they are responsible enough to remember to feed the animals and not to hurt them or be too rough. Kids tend to be pretty rough towards animals so I suggest that you teach him the responsibilities. When I was about 5, my mom and daddy got me a rabbit, I named her Jennifer (I was a weird child lol) but just always ask him if he is feeding the hamster and giving her or him water and a clean and healthy environment. Getting me a pet when I was young really made me into a responsible person. Just please make sure that the pet is getting cared for!
You didn't say how much room you have or if you live in the country or in the city. How about a lizard, frog, turtle, hermit crabs. For warm and fuzzies, try a bunny, hamster, guinea pig, gerbil, kitten, puppy. Theres also a chick or duckling.
I'd sit down with your son and do some research on the web and look at all the pros and cons to see which would be best to start out with. Then start checking around to see what you can find.
I would go for a pet rat. I had hampsters, gerbils, and a rabbit. The rat was by for the best of the rodent family. They are very mellow, clean, and tough. They are very social and enjoy being handled. It is best to get 2 (preferably male, females can get moody) that way they entertain each other when you can't.
I grew up with an aunt who had all kinds of critters. I now myself own two ball pythons, a tarantula (which I would not recommend for a child at all), mice, fish cats %26 more. My daughter is almost 4 and she handles my small pythons great! They can bite, like a hampster or mouse or even a cat or dog, and they do like to wrap theirselves around things, but if you are not afraid of handling them, I would definately recommend one. Start with a very young one though.
If you are queasy about the thought of a snake, perhaps a lizard. Anoles are great for children, though they really can't be handled much because they are very active and may take off, iguanas tend to whip their tail quite a bit if frightened so that one may be out for a while. Bearded Dragons are wonderful though, as well as Chameleons. Leopard Geckos can be wonderful pets, but if spooked may loose their tails, they will grow them back somewhat but it will be stubby and not look the same.
Mice are also great pets. I've found the fancy or colored ones to be the best pets. I had a pet small fancy mouse that would sit on my shoulder and on my belly and watch tv with me. Cutest little thing. I now have a very friendly full grown colored mouse who is just great! You can probably get a pet store to allow you to handle them first to see which one you like best and which one seems best with being handled.
On another note, if you'd like to try your hand at fish, Oscars are great! They will require bigger tanks as they grow but as they grow will also usually allow you to pet them! Your son can feed them fish food, pellets or even minnows (goldfish are not recommened).
I know some of you may think I have creepy pets, but they are all wonderful and I've never had a problem in my life with the pets I have chosen. All the pets I have mentioned I have owned and have let my children handle if I felt they were ready whihc it sounds like yours is. :-)
Hamsters are very suitable except that they play at night so would probably wake up your son.
Also their life expectancy is low so he would be very upset when it died.
A hamster would be really good. if you're going to get a hamster get a golden hamster as they are much friendlier. Rabbits are really good pets aswell. If you wanted a rabbit for a five year old it would be good to get a small breed (like a netherland dwarf)
I don't think a hamster is good for a child, as the hamster is likely to be active when your son is in bed. A hamster will bite if handled roughly, or if disturbed from its sleep - as a human would be! I have a hamster, and this suits me as I'm not at home until late in the evening - he lives in my kitchen, as the noise he makes would keep me awake at night! This could also mean that your son misses bedtimes, as he is playing with the hammy until late. Though, contrary to what some others say, hamsters only 'stink' if they are not cleaned out regularly.
A Guinea Pig is a good pet, as they don't mind being handled in the day and are easy to hold. This also applies to rabbits. I would avoid anything too small, as the animal can easily escape and can be hard to catch!
Whatever pet you choose, make sure that YOU are prepared to oversee looking after it and that you want it yourself. From experience, children do lose interest quickly - especially if the animal needs attention but their friends are calling them. Many children will choose their friends, leaving you to do the work with the animal.
Personally I don't think you should get your son ANY pet. A 5 year old cannot care for a pet. End of story. If you want a pet, go for a family pet. Whilst this may not be true for all children, it is VERY likely your son will loose interest in his pet after a short amount of time. Then what will happen? Will the poor thing be left in a cage tucked away and never be handled, left at the bottom of the garden in a tiny filthy hutch?
Think long and hard about this decision before you make it, and be prepared to care for the animal when your son gets fed up with it.
I would go for a rat there friendly and make lovely pets
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