# help my daughter make up her mind.



## hephev (Jan 12, 2010)

Our daughter would like a pet to call her own. We have cats, snakes, lizards, fish, gerbils at the moment and have had a dog, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, toads etc in the past. She is very good at helping with their cares and loves to look after them, she want to be a zoologist when she is older. She has asked for a pet for her room to call her own and would like some ideas about what might tbe suitable. Obviously we know we are ultimately responsible for their care and wellbeing but this will be her pet, not ours. She thought about a Pygmy Hog but these are nocturnal so might not be the right choice. What do you guys reckon? We are only at the research stage so any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

hephev said:


> Our daughter would like a pet to call her own. We have cats, snakes, lizards, fish, gerbils at the moment and have had a dog, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, toads etc in the past. She is very good at helping with their cares and loves to look after them, she want to be a zoologist when she is older. She has asked for a pet for her room to call her own and would like some ideas about what might tbe suitable. Obviously we know we are ultimately responsible for their care and wellbeing but this will be her pet, not ours. She thought about a Pygmy Hog but these are nocturnal so might not be the right choice. What do you guys reckon? We are only at the research stage so any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.


if she is keeping the animal in her room then a hedgie may not be a good choice yes they are nocternal and can be very noisy at night too lol 

what about harvest mice or something along them lines as they are active in the day 

not sure on anything else really as most of the exotic mammals tend to be nocturnal


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Would she want something she can handle lots or does she not really mind, Harvest mice are lovely i must admit, i have a group of 8 living in an exo-terra and they are so much fun to watch, constantly active and curious, you can even pick them up if you really want and they don't jump or panic


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## hephev (Jan 12, 2010)

She does like to handle the animals but is also really interested in the way they live and making sure they have the right enviroment etc so if she couldn't handle them it wouldn't matter if they were interesting to watch and care for.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sarah has said that hers can be handled 

i think harvest mice would be perfect for her as they are very active so she could have fun with their set up preparing it for them


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

*hi*



Emmaj said:


> sarah has said that hers can be handled
> 
> i think harvest mice would be perfect for her as they are very active so she could have fun with their set up preparing it for them


Iv had mice in the past and they do smell strong,i cleaned them out everyday and i mean a thurer clean and they still seemed too smell!
Are the harvest mice the same as this :hmm:


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## Hipparchia (Nov 14, 2009)

how about a guinea pig? : victory:


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

vogelport said:


> Iv had mice in the past and they do smell strong,i cleaned them out everyday and i mean a thurer clean and they still seemed too smell!
> Are the harvest mice the same as this :hmm:


 
best person to ask would be sarah as she currently has harvest mice


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## Stacey010884 (Mar 7, 2009)

Hipparchia said:


> how about a guinea pig? : victory:


I was thinking that myself. I mean I know you've had GPs in the past but they're sweet little animals. When you let them out to play in the bedroom it's fun to watch them run around and do their version of the bunny dance. They're very handlable which for me is part of the joy in animals, being able to handle them and bond with them like that. Also, how can you resist their cute little squeaks and garbling... they're so cute when they talk!

I think GPs make great first pets for children.


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

I agree, GPs were my first pets, they are so adorable, I love their little bum wiggle and noises! They are so gentle.


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

*ok*

thankyou : victory:



Emmaj said:


> best person to ask would be sarah as she currently has harvest mice


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

*hey*



x Sarah x said:


> Would she want something she can handle lots or does she not really mind, Harvest mice are lovely i must admit, i have a group of 8 living in an exo-terra and they are so much fun to watch, constantly active and curious, you can even pick them up if you really want and they don't jump or panic


So sarah do harvest mice smell like regular mice??

As iv found mice too smell very strong even when cleaned out daily??? 
Thankyou.


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## ambyglam (Nov 16, 2009)

they do not smell lik eregular mice do, neither do most exotice mice species!

How about a regular hamster...The last one I had was amazing...and she only had 3 feet!

Actually where mice are concerned I have a female mouse who is a great pet, very tame, and doesnt smell much at all, its mostly only males that smell, but I use cat litter instead of wood shavings on the bottom of her tank...I'd say mouse for the win every time!

the first mouse I had used to go play in the garden and then come cack in when it was time to come in, very intelligent and not as 'bitey' as other small mammals!


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

*Lol*



ambyglam said:


> they do not smell lik eregular mice do, neither do most exotice mice species!
> 
> How about a regular hamster...The last one I had was amazing...and she only had 3 feet!
> 
> ...


Hmmm that was my problem i think,i had all male mice!! :lol2:
Did your hamster ever bite you? Allot tend to be like that :hmm:


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## Pinkchi (Nov 23, 2009)

How much space does your daughter have in her room? Is it just the top of some drawers for a cage of some description or is there quite a bit of room?

I have 3 rabbits that live in our bedroom and have to say they are just wonderful. They can be litter trained, do not smell, interact well and are very intelligent. If you have the space they are fabulous pets, wouldn't be without mine.

Or has she thought about rats or chinchillas? Rats make wonderful pets as do chinchillas, although they can be quite noisy at night. Syrian hamsters I love to, though they will keep you awake unless kept in tank they can't chew and have a silent wheel.


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## Ratatouille (Sep 5, 2008)

I always think that Fancy rats make a fantastic first pet : victory:


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## vogelport (Feb 4, 2008)

*fancy rat*



Ratatouille said:


> I always think that Fancy rats make a fantastic first pet : victory:


was my first pet and still the best pet iv ever had!!
They are great and soooo intelligent!! :2thumb:


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I've noticed on here that no one has asked how old your daughter is!

I've found, in the past, that age makes a difference as to what pet is best for a child.
Even though our house was always full of animals that I looked after with 'help' from the kids once they got their own pet they soon tired of it. No matter how certain they were that they would look after it for it's whole life before they got them.

Having said that I think rats and hamsters, from breeders who handle a lot, are fantastic for kids aged over 7-8 yrs.
My hamsters dont' bite, I've not had one owner say they've been bitten without reason, say a child has handled it a bit roughly, never just for a sake of biting though.

Chins for an older child are good. Or chipmunks as well. both to be kept in pairs.
They are active and can be handled. I wouldn't advise them for under 10's at least though.

Teenagers seem to tire of pets a bit more once they find the 'opposite sex' at around 14-15 years old. I must say I find teenagers adore rats and tend to stay more involved with rats than any other rodent pet in my opinion.

Whatever age your daughter is as long as you are prepared to take over 'if' she tires of her new pet then there is no reason she can't have a 'bedroom pet'.


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## ChokolateLatte (Nov 9, 2009)

For young children I would say rats (well bred) or guinea pigs. I have a five year old and got rats for him to be able to handle and he loves them as they are big enough for little hands and generally the males tend to be very docile and human orientated.


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## hephev (Jan 12, 2010)

She is 11 years old, 12 in August. She has alot of space as her room is quite large. We have had house rabbits in the past but as we have cats now who have never met rabbits I'm not sure that would be a good idea. We know that we will have the ultimate responsibility for the animal even when she is engaged with it, let alone when she finds boys(oh god please no, I'm not ready, shes still my baby!!) so we have said no creepy crawlies!!!!! Rats are an excellent idea, we've had those before too. I will pass on all your ideas.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

Have you thought about budgies? Obviously feather as oppose to fur!


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

If she's got enough space for the housing, a pair of Ferrets could also work out quite nicely. They are nothing like people make out, and providing they're cared for properly they barely smell, if at all. My two smell less then the Cats, actually!


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I'd say rats are the best as well.

I've yet to find a child who tires of their rats.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Rats make lovely pets. Get a couple of well reared boys and your daughter will have loving,intelligent, squidgey pets that love a cuddle:flrt: When my daughter was young she had some and they used to collect her hair bobbles and hide them in their cage which made her giggle


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## LadySpikes (Jul 12, 2009)

I've got a aph right now, and she is such a loooovely little pet.
Really interesting to learn about and to care for. 
She loves being handled and being out and about with me ...
whenever I'm home shes in my pocket lol!

As for being noctunal ..all you need to do is turn the lights down and close the curtains to wake them up. 

A brilliant pet if you can make the commitment .. they need handling frequently to be kept tame. 

If you decided to consider an APH ..go to pygmy hogs uk for more info .. Its brilliant. 

Good luck with finding a perfect pet!


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## hephev (Jan 12, 2010)

She decided on An APH, She has called him Spikey and he is lovely. She has set aside money from her pocket money to feed him and is loving being a "hoggie mum". Thanks for all your ideas. Our son has also ended up with G pigs in his room!!!!


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## Callia (Aug 8, 2009)

What about a bearded dragon. My son got one for his birthday and he is the most fabulous pet. He has him in his room and as the lights go out at night he is very quiet then. He is easy to handle and such a character :2thumb: They do obviously need the right set up and temperature but I wouldnt say they are difficult to care for.


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## Cynders (Mar 31, 2009)

Funny everyone is talking about hamsters and rats and mice as there first pets but my first (that i can think of) was my mums garter snake :3 bitey wee :censor: it was, only reason i got to look after em permamently was cause it got into my dads fish tank and eat his fish :snake::snake::snake::lol2: not saying i would recomend that im just saying its funny how everyone elses were mice :3


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

Callia said:


> What about a bearded dragon. My son got one for his birthday and he is the most fabulous pet. He has him in his room and as the lights go out at night he is very quiet then. He is easy to handle and such a character :2thumb: They do obviously need the right set up and temperature but I wouldnt say they are difficult to care for.


As you can see he got a APH, and I think they wanted some sort of furry, of mammal, not a reptile. Not trying to be funny or nothing, just saying!



Cynders said:


> Funny everyone is talking about hamsters and rats and mice as there first pets but my first (that i can think of) was my mums garter snake :3 bitey wee ****er it was, only reason i got to look after em permamently was cause it got into my dads fish tank and eat his fish :snake::snake::snake::lol2: not saying i would recomend that im just saying its funny how everyone elses were mice :3


I have a few bones to pick with you:whistling2:
Firstly, instead of swearing, as there is young users, as young as 9, I'm only 12 myself, you can use the :censor: icon.
I personally don't find a snake getting in a fish tank, and eating fish out of the tank is funny.

Don't want to offend either of you, let's just keep this forum clean!
Cheers,
Tom8)


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## Cynders (Mar 31, 2009)

I have ammended my original post, long day at work, and as for the fish thing, im talking years back, like almost 15, so :3 but yeah your right appologies for my language. : victory:


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

Cynders said:


> I have ammended my original post, long day at work, and as for the fish thing, im talking years back, like almost 15, so :3 but yeah your right appologies for my language. : victory:


Aye' that's fine, no hard feelings, eh?


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## Cynders (Mar 31, 2009)

Tommy123 said:


> Aye' that's fine, no hard feelings, eh?


 course scotts are known for our hospitality =)


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## hephev (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks for the beardie idea but we already have two. As a family we do have lots of reptiles and other furries.She just wanted something to really call her own. As for the language issue, it's nice to hear a 12 year old who knows whats what. I know I would be dead proud ifyou were my kid.


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## Tommy123 (Sep 19, 2008)

hephev said:


> Thanks for the beardie idea but we already have two. As a family we do have lots of reptiles and other furries.She just wanted something to really call her own. As for the language issue, it's nice to hear a 12 year old who knows whats what. I know I would be dead proud ifyou were my kid.


Hey,
Thanks for the that  Just trying to help out, because there are 9 year olds on here, such as my brother. And if he started repeating it, my mum wouldn't me happy!:bash:

Cheers,
Tom8)


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## LadySpikes (Jul 12, 2009)

Tommy123 said:


> Hey,
> Thanks for the that  Just trying to help out, because there are 9 year olds on here, such as my brother. And if he started repeating it, my mum wouldn't me happy!:bash:
> 
> Cheers,
> Tom8)


 
Thats really responsible of you! Fair play 

Aww hope your APH and G-pigs are settling in well!
Did you join Pygmy hogs UK?
It great


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## benm767 (Feb 12, 2010)

hi she should get a bearded dragons as they arnt to big or to small and only have to clean them out 1 a month and are very good with kids


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## MRS.LooneyTune (Apr 14, 2009)

out of everything i would still say rats !
they are so loving and sociable!
my little girls give you kisses, and one of them knows her name


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## basilaxie (Mar 1, 2010)

I have had many a pet mostly furries lots of creepy crawlies and i agree with MRS looney tune i loved my rats (my mum didnt) but they needed a good home and she could never say no to a critter in need.

mine used to live in my room in a big 3 story cage (put plastic covers round the sides at the botton cause they kick sawdust everywhere forever hoovering) come out when i got home from school, run around my room, i trained them to do tricks like jumping from my bed to a chair and made little assult courses for them. they used to sit on my sholders like i was a piarate and they were parrots, they were so cool and if i had the room and not 2 cats i would get more.


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## vickysmith1 (Mar 6, 2010)

Its gotta be rats! ive always had females..at one point i had 6! best furries ive ever had..theyre so tame and friendly .I strongly recomend them: victory:


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## Raych (Mar 1, 2010)

Has she picked a one yet?
I have to say growing up my sister had a friend, she grew up with dogs. But her mother let her get chinchillas and rats, and her rats had accidental babies. She got them when she was roughly your daughters age, and still has one of the babies (its about 4-5 years old) now. She also has a small petting zoo :blush: And now has a daughter of her own. 
Even her younger sister of about 6/7 years was really into the rats and she was a lil' girly girl.


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## RepoUK (Jan 27, 2008)

hephev said:


> We have had house rabbits in the past but as we have cats now who have never met rabbits I'm not sure that would be a good idea.


Most cats will go for an *adult standard sized* rabbit once only. Having being thumped by the big back legs a few times they will then usually keep a respectful distance.

This does not apply to baby or dwarf type rabbits as most cats would probably kill and half eat those :whistling2:


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