# Exotic for 'small' house...



## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

Hi all- rare poster in this section!

I've just bought a house, well house boat, so having a big change of lifestyle- and pets.

Currently have too many tanks of dart frogs, plus a few lizards, snakes etc, but due to lack of room will be selling all, and building one 'special' dart frog tank in the living room.

I'm after a 'companion' in the boat- but not sure what.

The boat is small ish and minimalistic, bedroom, lounge, kitchen and bathroom. This means cant have a large cage, so would prefer something that can be free roaming- but not a cat!

Interested in fennecs, skunks, armadillos, or maybe a QUIET bird.

Needs to be relativily low odor due to space- dont want everything smelling of the animal.

Is their anything that realisticly fits the bill?

Would prefer something that shows affection towards its owner if possible...



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## UpLink (Dec 14, 2011)

Not of any help what so ever 

But that's so cool :2thumb:


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

UpLink said:


> Not of any help what so ever
> 
> But that's so cool :2thumb:


Thanks.

Is the easiest way for me to kinda get on the property ladder. I live in a expensive area, but in a low wage industry, so a marine mortgage was the only real way.

Cost £59450 (1yr old, but new), plus about £2k to get it craned and low loadered to me. Mean if move job, can move my house! 
On top of that their is a river licence, insurance etc, but you dont pay council tax, I get a free mooring with work, and cheaper living costs.

Has central heating, but also a log burner. Site I work on is 13 acres with woods, so free fuel! :2thumb:


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

Bump!

Anyone help with advice?


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Not very helpful but i really love skunks, im sure they could adapt to living in that sort of environment? obviously you'd need to do a lot of research on them to be 100% sure... Or maybe a racoon would be more sutiable? I'd leave it to others that have experience with living with these animals to make sure though aha


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

Very cool boat, but none of those animals would be suitable to live on it.


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

A duck! 

Nice boat, I would love to own one but my wife prefers a house that doesn't float


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

Thanks for replies.

Decided today reading more too small for skunks, racoons etc. Too small for a fennec? Armadillo?!


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

chrism said:


> Thanks for replies.
> 
> Decided today reading more too small for skunks, racoons etc. Too small for a fennec? Armadillo?!


Fennecs and armadillos are both massively unsuitable, I'm afraid. Both could do with heating, the 'dillo needs somewhere to dig, and fennecs are bloody mental....it would be bouncing off the walls!

*edit* and there's still not enough space for either.


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

mrcriss said:


> Fennecs and armadillos are both massively unsuitable, I'm afraid. Both could do with heating, the 'dillo needs somewhere to dig, and fennecs are bloody mental....it would be bouncing off the walls!
> 
> *edit* and there's still not enough space for either.


Ok thanks. 

Oh, and I do have central heating on board!


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Can't think of an exotic I'm afraid! 
I have, however, seen many, many people on the canals with dogs; perhaps that's an option? Obviously training would be paramount to keep it relatively calm whilst on board so it's not going to damage itself or anything, or launch itself into nearby water. And being able to make pit-stops for toileting and walkies!
It would take some consideration and planning but I'd imagine it's do-able; the amount of people I saw with dogs, and quite evidently living on the canals, it can't be impossible!


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

chrism said:


> Ok thanks.
> 
> Oh, and I do have central heating on board!


Was talking more about a hot spot for "basking" (which is prob not the right word, but you get the idea)


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## bob marley (Sep 27, 2012)

chow chow.........the most exotic looking dog IMO


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## Spot (Jun 15, 2011)

Not exotic, but how about a large house-rabbit or similar?

Uses a litter tray, can free-roam on the boat (provided all wires and whatnot are out of reach), veggie diet means non-stinky poop, will have a cuddle with you but won't be too demanding.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree with above poster, a dog might be a good idea. Particularly if you have an out doorsy job you can perhaps take him/her along with you. I know a few people that live on boats with dogs and they seem to adapt really well.


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## bob marley (Sep 27, 2012)

CHOW CHOW will also keep people from breaking into your boat because IMO they look like bears!:flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt::flrt:


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

At least with a dog, you can take it off the boat for walks......as for things kept on there all the time? There isn't that much floor space is there really?


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## 5plusmany (Sep 29, 2011)

I agree and think a dog would be best, or a large breed rabbit - the larger rabbits are generally quite slow and not too destructive, plus most can be harness trained quite easily :2thumb:


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## wiley198 (Jul 24, 2011)

We have three dogs here...a whippet, a border terrier and a pug. I think any one of those breeds would happily take to life on your boat. The pug especially...you could call it Tug...appropriate for life on a boat.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

Ferret? Although that doesn't realy fit your non-smelly specification! I think birds are quite posable, though species would depend on your defenition of quiet, as very few are completly silent all the time.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

What about rats? maybe not that exotic, and you probably wouldn't want them free-roaming unsupervised, but they can while you are in, and a cage would be easier to acomadate for them than for the original species mentioned.


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

We've got too many rats here already!! Got cats to control!!

Decided going to build 1 huge dart viv matched to the boats woodwork. 

Was tempted by a quiet- no screechy parrot, but not sure yet...


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

chrism said:


> We've got too many rats here already!! Got cats to control!!
> 
> Decided going to build 1 huge dart viv matched to the boats woodwork.
> 
> *Was tempted by a quiet- no screechy parrot, but not sure yet.*..


Where would it be able to fly on a boat?


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

How about a hand reared celestial parrotlett? Gorgeous super tiny parrots, not at all noisy and really full of character. I used to breed these and found they generally didn't bother to fly about much, just give them a basket of toys at one end of the sofa or coffee table and they'd play happily for hours. They're also really cuddly when in the mood and enjoy learning simple tricks.

However if you do decide to take on any bird you will have to think very carefully about your kitchen - you will have to eliminate anything with teflon that may cause PTFE poisoning.


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## chrism (Jul 5, 2007)

mrcriss said:


> Where would it be able to fly on a boat?


Boats not as small as you seem to have decided- bigger than several peoples flats I know. 
Plus, can take to work etc anyway.



9Red said:


> How about a hand reared celestial parrotlett? Gorgeous super tiny parrots, not at all noisy and really full of character. I used to breed these and found they generally didn't bother to fly about much, just give them a basket of toys at one end of the sofa or coffee table and they'd play happily for hours. They're also really cuddly when in the mood and enjoy learning simple tricks.
> 
> However if you do decide to take on any bird you will have to think very carefully about your kitchen - you will have to eliminate anything with teflon that may cause PTFE poisoning.


Sounds good- thanks.

Research time!

Chris


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

Just another suggestion to consider - how about a speyed jill ferret? Plenty in rescues needing good homes plus you can take it for walks : victory:


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

9Red said:


> Just another suggestion to consider - how about a speyed jill ferret? Plenty in rescues needing good homes plus you can take it for walks : victory:


wading in to be pedantic (again): its ferret*s*. highly social animals and so on and so forth.

its a good idea though!


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## Moony14 (Aug 20, 2011)

A beaver? :lol2:


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## jaykickboxer (Feb 11, 2008)

Get some exotic duck type things gotta be perfect for them


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## Zerox Z21 (Oct 10, 2012)

miss_ferret said:


> wading in to be pedantic (again): its ferret*s*. highly social animals and so on and so forth.
> 
> its a good idea though!


Is this necessary if it is given plenty of attention, like a dog ought to be? I do know they are bred from polecats which are typically solitary.
I don't keep ferrets or anything but generally social animals are OK alone provided they receive enough attention from the human owners.
Does seem a good idea though as is something nice and furry but small enough not to be too constricted (or get in the way like a larger dog might do). I personally don't really care for small dog breeds either.

As for flying room for birds, I don't really know myself but seem to remember hearing something about training for flying 'leashes' or something?
Not a problem with those cute looking parrotlets though - seem small enough that shut inside would be fine, and also not going to need as large a cage for the rest of the time. Just have to be careful to stop them flying out a window or something!

A guard goose might be cool!  You could tether it by a long string to a leg...


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## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

Zerox Z21 said:


> Is this necessary if it is given plenty of attention, like a dog ought to be? I do know they are bred from polecats which are typically solitary.
> I don't keep ferrets or anything but generally social animals are OK alone provided they receive enough attention from the human owners.
> Does seem a good idea though as is something nice and furry but small enough not to be too constricted (or get in the way like a larger dog might do). I personally don't really care for small dog breeds either.
> 
> ...


_Flying Leashes?? *Tethering Geese????*_ Are you for real?

If you tether a goose on a boat by it's leg, then one day you'll find it dangling off the side! It's getting knotted up in string etc that kills many a water bird.

Ferrets are social animals, and the way a ferret plays with another ferret is totally unlike the way it will play with a human.

Thing is, people keep dogs on boats because the dog is domesticated and wants to stick around it's human companion. Given the chance, exotics usually test the boundaries and try to escape. If you're on the water and the animal jumps off the side, surely there's a very good chance you'd never see it again?


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

Zerox Z21 said:


> Is this necessary if it is given plenty of attention, like a dog ought to be? I do know they are bred from polecats which are typically solitary.
> I don't keep ferrets or anything but generally social animals are OK alone provided they receive enough attention from the human owners.


yes companionship is necessary for ferrets, if you've ever seen ferrets play, you'll understand why. they like to play fight, we tend to get upset when bitten, and encouraging or allowing one to bite people is not good practice.

while they can interbreed and both are mustalids, ferrets are not polecats.

keeping 2 ferrets isnt much harder than keeping 1, and in many ways it makes life a lot easier for you and much better in general for the ferrets.


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## Zerox Z21 (Oct 10, 2012)

mrcriss said:


> _Flying Leashes?? *Tethering Geese????*_ Are you for real?
> 
> If you tether a goose on a boat by it's leg, then one day you'll find it dangling off the side! It's getting knotted up in string etc that kills many a water bird.
> 
> ...


The goose thing was a joke! And the flying leash thing...I just vaguely remember a mention of something like a string attached to a leg to stop them flying away, perhaps for training in falconry usually? I really have no idea, but I saw someone mention it and thought it might be worth repeating. I think I saw it mentioned in relation to getting a crow exercise/'walks' without it flying away.
Though a goose would be pretty cool, if you could get it to stick with the boat! A book called King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Lorenz mentions a flock of 'wild' geese that became largely tame and returned to the garden yearly.
On a similar but pointless note, swans (at least mute swans) are moody, nasty things 

Dogs can also usually swim  I know(?) that ferrets are descended just from polecats and were fairly simply domesticated for hunting reasons, so figured there was unlikely to be much difference from the wild polecat; dog's have a much longer domestication history that is also more specialised, bred as companions whereas it seems odd that such social behaviour is in ferrets presumably unintentionally. Maybe they were kept in groups in the past which favoured more social ones.
To be fair, that's why I ask. I'm no ferret expert!
At least ferrets are domesticated though, I think most exotic mammals, obviously being identical to their wild counterparts, will be inappropriate for reasons suggested; escape attempts or lack of necessary space.


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## 9Red (May 30, 2008)

Tips to Harness Train a Parrot - GoodBirdInc.com - YouTube

I've used these as well but had a heck of a job finding one to fit a parrotlett. To be honest you wouldn't need one with a handreared baby as they usually used climb about all over you anyway.


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## Zerox Z21 (Oct 10, 2012)

9Red said:


> Tips to Harness Train a Parrot - GoodBirdInc.com - YouTube
> 
> I've used these as well but had a heck of a job finding one to fit a parrotlett. To be honest you wouldn't need one with a handreared baby as they usually used climb about all over you anyway.


That's what I meant! Never seen before though. Seems more necessary for exercising larger birds; a parrotlet probably has sufficient flying room (if it desires) indoors anyway.


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## Spot (Jun 15, 2011)

Parrotlets are cute little things and if you get a hand-reared baby and spend plenty of quality time with it, it will be devoted to you for life.

I now someone who has one of these and it spends all day with her - sat on her shoulder, snoozing in a shirt pocket. He goes everywhere with her - even walking the dog. She's had him some years now and knows he will fly to her when called.

Being so tiny, he never gets in the way if she's working at a desk or something - he has a play-stand to occupy himself and she has the odd game of desk-top football with him!

If you've never kept birds before, look into the fumes thing - air-fresheners, some cleaning and cooking fumes are a no-no. It's not hard to arrange - just has to be borne in mind.


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## curleywhirly (Jun 18, 2012)

Deffinatly get a parrot!
Then 'accidently' hurt your eye so you get to wear a patch, maybe even cut your hand off and get a hook?


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