Are there any fun small pets?

[Laura Corin]

We got a dog - Hobbes had been longing for one for years. She's been with us for two years and fits in beautifully. But.... she's very low key: not fun for Hobbes to play with. The most she ever does with him is run in circles around him then go off sniffing. He's tried to train her to play fetch, but she's not interested in treats (not much interest in food in general) so he hasn't been able to. He's disappointed. She doesn't play with toys, play tug of war, anything.

 

I really don't want a second more lively dog. Blondie is my ideal in fact: she welcomes us home, accompanies us on walks and sits on our laps. Are there any small pets that actually like to be handled and would be fun for Hobbes to own?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[Lolly]

Well, my kids want a hedgehog, sugar gliders, and a snake. I think I could go for the sugar gliders. My dog could go for them too. As a snack. I'm afraid small pets in a house with a dog might not work so well.:tongue_smilie:

[Night Elf]

Though it squicks some people out, my dd12 and I adore our rats. It took me 2 weeks to get used to our first one but they are really sweet and fun. Ours don't really play on wheels and such like hamsters, but we like that we can hold them.

[RoughCollie]

I recommend the Chia Pet. That's as small as I'll go.

[kokotg]

I looked into this awhile back (although we ultimately decided we had enough BIG pets already), and it seemed to me like rats were the way to go, as far as interactiveness and intelligence.

[kokotg]

oh, also...has he tried any organized activities with the dog that might get her interacting more? Obedience or agility or something?

[zaichiki]

How 'bout a cockatiel? If you handle them regularly they really bond well with people. Ours sings along with my kids when they play music for him on their instruments. He also repeats phrases, his name, and loves to sit on shoulders.

[hsbaby]

We had 2 rats. Once I got over the "ick" factor, I loved them. They love to be held. If you handle them enough they will just hang out on your shoulder. Oh, and it's adorable watching them eat with their little hands. They also do not bite like hamsters do ( I really dislike hamsters!). Good luck:)

[Rebel]

Cockatiels are great, but remember that birds are long-term pets. Cockatiels can easily live 18 years.

[hillfarm]

Be careful with things like sugar gliders, which are nocturnal, unless you are a family of night owls. They prefer to be active all night long and then sleep during the day. And during those night-time hours, they can be very active and make quite a racket, which may make it difficult for some family members to get any sleep.

[mytwomonkeys]

we have mice & they're so much fun. when they die, we'll buy rats...they're supposed to be incredibly social and smart.

[TrixieB]

I recommend the Chia Pet. That's as small as I'll go.

There is a Garfield chia pet... :D

[Laura Corin]

Though it squicks some people out, my dd12 and I adore our rats. It took me 2 weeks to get used to our first one but they are really sweet and fun. Ours don't really play on wheels and such like hamsters, but we like that we can hold them.

 

What makes them fun? What do you do with them or what do they do?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[awtl]

I suggest a cockatiel. They are such fun, friendly little birds. If you get them hand raised, they are fantastic pets.

[Night Elf]

What makes them fun? What do you do with them or what do they do?

 

Right now we only have 1. Our other 2 passed away and we can't decide if we want to continue owning any other pets besides our dogs. Rats are very social and generally do better with at least 2. That said, we like letting them out to run around. We keep them confined to one room and supervise them the entire time since we have larger loose pets in our home. They love to be held and touched. We love to feed them treats because watching them eat is too cute. We never tried teaching them tricks but the books we own say they can be trained.

 

Cleaning out their cage isn't a blast but it is still easier than cleaning out a cat pan. And they are much less maintenance than dogs. At one time, we had 3 rats, 3 cats, and 2 dogs all at the same time. The rats were the easiest to care for. :)

[Laura Corin]

I suggest a cockatiel. They are such fun, friendly little birds. If you get them hand raised, they are fantastic pets.

 

So I'm not left with it after Hobbes leaves home.

 

Laura

[kalanamak]

Rat. Brought up well, they are gentle and much smarter than gerbils, mice, etc. I appreciated the fact Ratty did all her business in one little corner, and quick scoop in the morning kept her cage very fresh. Get a girl, less stinky, and my sister, who had several, says feed them no meat.

 

My girl used to nap in my oversized pocket whle I studied. She "knew" us, and was quiet (guinea pigs call every time they hear a footstep, and she didn't run on a squeaky wheel or chew loudly all night). A gerbil is more "exciting", and a pair of them snuggle together and run about.

 

Many boys I've known have had a reptile of some sort. I keep hoping to get organized for a fishtank.

[kalanamak]

What makes them fun? What do you do with them or what do they do?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

Sinff about, look wise and curious, ride on your shoulder, sleep in your pocket, gently take what food if handed to them--really, I expected mine to talk.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

We don't have a rat but I do think they're neat. Our pet store has one as their pet that we play with when we go in. The one concern I had was that they're nocturnal but the ladies at the pet store say that while they are naturally nocturnal they quickly and easily confrom to the family's schedule and will b/c active in the day as opposed to night.

 

if that helps.

[SonshineLearner]

btw, perhaps some of the other training like... clicker training would work.. :)

 

Small fun pets... I can't think of any.. I liked my squirrel :)

[In the Rain]

Sniff about, look wise and curious, ride on your shoulder, sleep in your pocket, gently take what food if handed to them--really, I expected mine to talk.

 

:iagree: well, except for the talking part. :lol: I always had a pair when I taught ps. They would sit on shoulders, amble around on (and in) desks. They are curious about everything and anything.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

:iagree: well, except for the talking part. :lol: I always had a pair when I taught ps. They would sit on shoulders, amble around on (and in) desks. They are curious about everything and anything.

 

Don't you just love prepositions? :001_wub: What kind of world would it be if we didn't have those?

 

Sorry . . . back to regularly scheduled programming . . .

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I"m told ferrets are real fun to interact with. A properly raised ferret will not bit, but it's always a possibility. I know of one ferret who lived in a very stressful environment (think conjugal violence on an ongoing basis..), that ferret was a biter. Another one who was raised in a calm environment never did bite.

Ferrets do a lot of things. Climb, play with a ball, they are amazingly flexible, and do tricks that are amazing.

But that's pretty much all I know about them.

[beaners]

:iagree: well, except for the talking part. :lol: I always had a pair when I taught ps. They would sit on shoulders, amble around on (and in) desks. They are curious about everything and anything.

 

Mine didn't talk, but I've had several over the years who knew their names. I'd make sure you get them young, and preferably from a place where they have been handled since birth.

 

I didn't see what kind of dog you have, but if it's a terrier or something else with a high prey drive small animals might not work well.

[Kebo]

I wish I could loan you my border terrier -- he'd play ball and tug-of-war until he dropped!

 

As for small pets, I or my family have had:

 

fire-bellied toads and fish (never again!)

parakeet (I'm sure some are great, but ours was a grumpy biter)

cockatiels (these were fun; one of them talked a bit. Bites are a risk)

mustached parakeet and yellow-naped Amazon (these were mine and they were great, but the kids couldn't handle them)

guinea pig (many folks love them, but I was bored by mine as a kid)

chinchilla (he was a sweetie! I'd definitely consider one if the kids wanted one)

 

and currently, 3 female rats. The kids love them. We did return the first one to her breeder because of biting, but the currents rats have wonderful temperaments. It's fun to feed them table food, they enjoy crawling around on your lap or in your jacket, and their interactions are entertaining to watch. We all like to watch after they have their cage cleaned, because they run around and explore their "new" cage, then they raid the pile of lab blocks and steal them to hide in their favorite corners. Often they will steal each others blocks, and you can watch them running past each other with the loot. They do make a mess, and there is an odor even with the females, but they are well-loved in our house.

FWIW, our breeder would not adopt out a single rat; she was adamant that there be two or more for company.

 

 

If we hadn't gotten rats for the boys, the backup choice was a bearded dragon. They are adorable at the pet store peering out at people, and I've heard they are quite docile.

[Laura Corin]

btw, perhaps some of the other training like... clicker training would work.. :)

 

Small fun pets... I can't think of any.. I liked my squirrel :)

 

I thought that the clicker replaced the treats.... have I misunderstood?

 

Laura

[Ferdie]

and currently, 3 female rats. The kids love them. We did return the first one to her breeder because of biting, but the currents rats have wonderful temperaments.

 

 

 

We had to return our pet rat to the breeder for biting also. It was a single male, and he bit everyone that held/touched him.

 

We have a ferret now that we love - single, female that doesn't bite.

[Cindyz]

Ferrets are awesome!!! They have the sweetest personalities, you can train them to do all sorts of tricks, they come when you call them, you can train them to poop and pee in a litter box, they are cute and they are fun! You do need to keep their bedding clean and give them a bath about once a week or so but it's no biggie. I loved, loved, loved my ferrets.

[jasar31629]

Though it squicks some people out, my dd12 and I adore our rats. It took me 2 weeks to get used to our first one but they are really sweet and fun. Ours don't really play on wheels and such like hamsters, but we like that we can hold them.

:iagree:

 

We had to come around the the idea of rats too but now we ADORE ours! They sit with dd and let her snuggle them unlike our previous hamsters/guineas. We loved our other small pets but these little ratties are so much more sociable and kid-friendly.

[Annie Laurie]

My dd and I have wanted a rat for a long time, and this thread makes me wish we could get one! I have 3 cats, a chi, and 5 kids though, so no rat right now.

 

They do require a lot of play time and are very social, and you have to have the right cage. They need more space than hamsters and gerbils.

 

I would get a gerbil over a hamster. Gerbils are diurnal, hamsters are nocturnal. And gerbils are more social. I had tons of hamsters as a kid but they really weren't that much fun.

[StephanieZ]

CHINCHILLAS!!!!!!!!!

 

Way cool. Very interactive, interesting, active, cute, playful. . . Incredibly soft & pet-able. Check them out!

[6packofun]

Ditto to rats! They are very friendly and fun!

 

We also have a bearded dragon who is a sweetie. You need to handle pets often to get them to be "fun", however. So choose something you WILL take out and gently play with.:)

[zaichiki]

So I'm not left with it after Hobbes leaves home.

 

Laura

 

 

Just keep in mind that you'll have to deal with the loss (an animal with a short lifespan). If he bonds with it closely it's going to be hard.

 

ETA: We have had a lot of animals and we've lost a few over the years.

[Nakia]

Another vote for rats! We had two females that were absolutely a joy! They came when called, loved being bathed, sat in our laps for hours, and were so gentle. My girls would crawl on all fours in the house while the rats happily sat on their backs. It was so cute! We made the mistake of getting ours at a chain pet store, and they developed horrible tumors and only lived a year. If we ever decide to get another pair of rats, we will definitely get them from a breeder.

[jewellsmommy]

I"m told ferrets are real fun to interact with. A properly raised ferret will not bit, but it's always a possibility. I know of one ferret who lived in a very stressful environment (think conjugal violence on an ongoing basis..), that ferret was a biter. Another one who was raised in a calm environment never did bite.

Ferrets do a lot of things. Climb, play with a ball, they are amazingly flexible, and do tricks that are amazing.

But that's pretty much all I know about them.

 

 

Ferrets would definitely be fun and they are sturdy animals. Mine have been dropped, twisted, bent in half, stuffed in barbie cars, worn as hats, you name it!

 

However, they are high maintenance. They have to be be played with every day, especially if you only have one. They have fast metabolisms and so the litter must be changed often. The plus is they are litter trainable and only poop in corners.

[Cindyg]

I think mice are a lot of fun in the "natural habitat/aquarium pet" category. They are active, curious, playful, cute, and interesting. If you go to the trouble of putting something new in their cage, they really make it worth your trouble by playing with it. They also interact with you. We feed ours by hand (through the wires), and they are very aware of our coming and going.

 

Disadvantages of mice:

 

They are nocturnal.

Cage has to be cleaned out weekly.

They're rodents, not puppies, and don't tame easily.

Other pets may try to eat them.

 

My son has a lot of fun designing their "habitat" each week after we clean their cage. It's full of underground tunnels and climby things.

 

Picture here.

Edited December 27, 2010 by Cindyg

[KatherineNaomi]

Not sure how you feel about bugs as pets but we love our Giant African Millipede. It's very interesting to watch and by far the easiest pet we've ever had.

 

Giant African Millipede by KatherineNaomi, on Flickr

[jewellsmommy]

Not sure how you feel about bugs as pets but we love our Giant African Millipede. It's very interesting to watch and by far the easiest pet we've ever had.

 

Giant African Millipede by KatherineNaomi, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

AAAAAHHHH!:eek::eek:

 

I don't mean to demean your pet, but that thing looks horrifying!

 

 

Rats, snakes and lizards are fine. But, I could never do scorpions, tarantulas, hissing roaches, or insect like creatures! More power to those of you that can!

Edited December 27, 2010 by jewellsmommy

[jewellsmommy]

CHINCHILLAS!!!!!!!!!

 

Way cool. Very interactive, interesting, active, cute, playful. . . Incredibly soft & pet-able. Check them out!

 

 

Correct me if i am wrong, but I had always heard that chinchillas were more timid and also couldn't handle too much handling or they would be stripped of their natural oils easily...or something like that?

[jewellsmommy]

Well, my kids want a hedgehog, sugar gliders, and a snake. I think I could go for the sugar gliders. My dog could go for them too. As a snack. I'm afraid small pets in a house with a dog might not work so well.:tongue_smilie:

 

My friend had a hedgehog and I babysat it a few times. I am sure that some people love them, but I never had good experiences with it. It bit their son many times and him and his mom would get a reaction in their skin whenever they were poked, which was often. It was hard to keep social. They are very nocturnal and unlike other nocturnal pets that will adapt a slightly more human schedule, hedgehogs don't seem to do this. He also had to have a dedicated heater in the winter, as he could not get below 70 degrees. I hate to sound so down on them, because I am sure there are good ones out there. This one was not clean at all. He pooped indiscriminately, everywhere and then rolled in it and it would get stuck in the quills. Quite nasty.

[Lolly]

My friend had a hedgehog and I babysat it a few times. I am sure that some people love them, but I never had good experiences with it. It bit their son many times and him and his mom would get a reaction in their skin whenever they were poked, which was often. It was hard to keep social. They are very nocturnal and unlike other nocturnal pets that will adapt a slightly more human schedule, hedgehogs don't seem to do this. He also had to have a dedicated heater in the winter, as he could not get below 70 degrees. I hate to sound so down on them, because I am sure there are good ones out there. This one was not clean at all. He pooped indiscriminately, everywhere and then rolled in it and it would get stuck in the quills. Quite nasty.

 

:lol:Nocturnal. I think that is why dd wants one. She wants something that will keep the same hours she does. She is probably getting lonely. Me, I have no plans to get one. Dd is a senior this year. I am currently wondering why so many of my friends with senior aged kids have gotten them puppies for Christmas. Dh says it is to replace the kid that is moving out in 6 months.:lol: Dd insists she is getting one when she gets a place of her own. More power to her. (She has researched them and feels they fit her well. She is nocturnal herself and likes to keep very warm (Raynaud's syndrom). She also likes that they are allergic to the same trees that she is??? Anyway, their special bedding material is one she thinks she can tolerate. I'll let her know about the poop rolling. That might make her think twice.

[jewellsmommy]

:lol:Nocturnal. I think that is why dd wants one. She wants something that will keep the same hours she does. She is probably getting lonely. Me, I have no plans to get one. Dd is a senior this year. I am currently wondering why so many of my friends with senior aged kids have gotten them puppies for Christmas. Dh says it is to replace the kid that is moving out in 6 months.:lol: Dd insists she is getting one when she gets a place of her own. More power to her. (She has researched them and feels they fit her well. She is nocturnal herself and likes to keep very warm (Raynaud's syndrom). She also likes that they are allergic to the same trees that she is??? Anyway, their special bedding material is one she thinks she can tolerate. I'll let her know about the poop rolling. That might make her think twice.

 

Hey, if the pet fits! Hopefully, for her sake, the nastiness was unique to this hedgehog. Maybe a girl hedgehog will be cleaner. Aren't most women cleaner anyway :D. They do make the cutest noise as they slurp up their mealworms. Maybe have her visit a breeder first and spend some quality time with one.

 

One of the times we babysat, it was sitting in its tinkle and dh was trying to get it to move. It kept hissing at him, and as I came into the room there is my dh trying to roll the hedgehog with a spoon :001_huh:. He was afraid to pick it up because of all the hissing and popping and hundred quills pointed at him. Plus, he said he didn't want to put his hands in the tinkle in order to pick it up :lol:.

[Laurie4b]

We got a dog - Hobbes had been longing for one for years. She's been with us for two years and fits in beautifully. But.... she's very low key: not fun for Hobbes to play with. The most she ever does with him is run in circles around him then go off sniffing. He's tried to train her to play fetch, but she's not interested in treats (not much interest in food in general) so he hasn't been able to. He's disappointed. She doesn't play with toys, play tug of war, anything.

 

I really don't want a second more lively dog. Blondie is my ideal in fact: she welcomes us home, accompanies us on walks and sits on our laps. Are there any small pets that actually like to be handled and would be fun for Hobbes to own?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

Rats are good pets (not kidding) . My one hesitation is that our dog killed ours biting it through the cage, so it might not be good for the rat to be in a house with a dog. Perhaps a bird?

[vettechmomof2]

rodents:

 

rats would be good. fit your criteria. easy to train and normally enjoy handling by owners. short life span and can develop tumors starting around 6 months.

 

chinchillas are longer lived 8-15 years. NEED a much larger exercise area. not too difficult to care for but can be more nervous.

 

non rodents:

 

rabbits can be trained, need a larger area(depending on the size of the rabbit), can be walked, shown,etc. longer lifespan again though.

 

ferrets would be okay, but much longer life span of 3-9 years. can develop tumors, need to be vaccinated. odorous. lots of fun to play with and can be walked on a leash, trained,etc.

 

most reptiles, birds or amphibians would have a much longer life span then you are looking for.

 

My vote is def. for rats. I always preferred males and then gotten them neutered to reduce smell. But most people prefer females. Males tend to be a bit more lazy.:tongue_smilie:

[Free Indeed]

As if you need another vote for rats. :D We really like ours. We named him Squeaky (hey she is 7 ;) ) and he is great. I did not do enough research so I only bought 1, I was scared to get another now though- 6 months later. I am not sure how they would get along. He seems to be great by himself, but there is no lack of socialization. Next time, I will get 2.

[Free Indeed]

 

My vote is def. for rats. I always preferred males and then gotten them neutered to reduce smell. But most people prefer females. Males tend to be a bit more lazy.:tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree: We love our laid back rat. My friend has females and they are more "jumpy", then again it may be just the temperament.

[Tree House Academy]

Rats. ...Two to 3 years lifespan.

 

This is the part that would get me. My kids can't bond with something with such a short life span. It almost seems like a recipe for heartbreak!

 

Does Hobbes like to play with a pet or does he like to sit and love on a pet? My youngest ds loves our cats because they will sit and let him love on them for hours.

 

Rabbits are good...but they sure can stink! Especially the males. I can't imagine keeping mine in the house.

[vettechmomof2]

This is the part that would get me. My kids can't bond with something with such a short life span. It almost seems like a recipe for heartbreak!

 

Does Hobbes like to play with a pet or does he like to sit and love on a pet? My youngest ds loves our cats because they will sit and let him love on them for hours.

 

Rabbits are good...but they sure can stink! Especially the males. I can't imagine keeping mine in the house.

 

Our male rabbit smells better than one of our females. he never marks and always uses his litterbox. But we clean the litterboxes daily for all three of our rabbits.

In our family we have no issues with bonding with a pet early. We also foster animals though so can be used to trying to get them out in a short time. Although or present foster dog has been here since June 5th :crying:

[Laura Corin]

 

Does Hobbes like to play with a pet or does he like to sit and love on a pet? My youngest ds loves our cats because they will sit and let him love on them for hours.

 

Blondie doesn't really play. She'll sit on his lap and accept his caresses but she's not fun...

 

Laura