PeacefulChaos Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 When it comes to pets in cages, are they all pretty much the same? The kids occasionally talk of wanting another pet, but I highly doubt we will get one any time soon as they don't seem too keen on cage cleaning duties, which would be their responsibility. In any case, what animals are there, even? Guinea pigs and rabbits are like the only two things that come to mind. And what all is involved in having an animal like this? (A caged one) I want to make sure I'm giving them all the facts. I'm sure they will probably change their minds about wanting one... And even if they didn't, they'd have to wait quite awhile so we'd know it wasn't a passing fancy. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Look into bearded dragons. Besides being very sociable and oh so cute, they are low maintenance. They live in a glass aquarium (no water) with sand. They don't go to the bathroom much (1x/day at most) and their sand acts like kitty litter so it clumps. Then you can just scoop it out. The downside is that they eat live crickets and mealworms (as well as fruits and veggies) though if we don't have any ours will also eat the "lizard chow" type food from the pet store. I never thought I'd be able to deal with it but you get used to it quickly :) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Well, first off, I would not get a pet of any sort and truly expect to never take care of it yourself. I understand it'd be the kids' responsibility, but it's the rare (I mean, super-rare) kid who can handle every aspect of care, 100% of the time. So make sure YOU are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that pet has a good home. :001_smile: That said, I'm partial to gerbils. They are awake during the day, unlike hamsters, who are nocturnal. YOu do need two, but that makes them more interesting in my book. There are several kinds of hamsters, and also rats and mice. There are ferrets. There are reptiles. There are frogs. And, of course, you could consider fish (and I REALLY wouldn't expect kids to care for them!). I think gerbils are the easiest, or rats. Mice stink up their cages really quickly. Ferrets take a lot of care, but they are really neat--they can bite pretty bad, though, as can rabbits. Guineas need two to be happy, and a large cage. Oh, and I know you can buy prairie dogs--but that kinda breaks my heart. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 My son has had hedgehogs. I really like them. They don't stink and they are amusing. Not much in the way of noise, either. We've had bearded dragons in the past. The upside is that their upkeep is pretty easy and they can be funny, but you do need to invest more in infrastructure for them than other animals. You will want to feed them live food (look up NY Worm for delivery service of all live animal foods, way cheaper than pet store, and you never have to run out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 We have had all sorts of caged pets including guinea pigs, hamsters, and lizards. By far the easiest, quietest, and least stinky has been our leopard gecko. He just needs a tank, a warming light, and place to hide. The kids love that he has no teeth (so he doesn't nip like our hamsters,) and I love that he doesn't need expensive chew toys, wheels, litter, or bedding - his tank can be lined with newspaper, paper towels, or an inexpensive reusable mat from the pet store. He loves to be held, and he isn't up running all night on a wheel. The one downside is that they have a 20-30 year life expectancy, so it is definitely a long-term commitment. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Check life span too. A first pet with a shorter life span is something I quite like. Then they are either ready for another, can look at longer lived companions too or have decided they are done. Pet rats average out around two years (21.5 months), enjoy being handled, don't need live food and don't smell. Mice do smell. ETA: posting at the same time..life span! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 One thing to consider about small pets is lifespan. Hamsters and gerbils generally only live 2-3 years. Guinea pigs can live about seven years. I think rats are about the same as guinea pigs but I am not sure. We have sugar gliders because they can live up to 20 years and are heat tolerant. If I lived in a colder non-hurricane prone area I probably would have gotten chinchillas since they have long lifespans too. I obviously regard a long lifespan as a benefit, you may regard a shorter lifespan as a benefit. Either way it is helpful to know what you are getting into. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Oh gosh, no, they're not alike at all.hamsters are adorable but they're nocturnal. They're the only ones that usually need to be kept alone. most other smalls NEED to be kept in pairs or more. (same sex or altered of course). we have rats & have had hammies in the past (both syrians and dwarf). Rats live 2-3 years, and are more like dogs. They're smart, funny, with individual personalities, can be taught tricks, know their names & will happily come out to play in the day.Guinea pigs live 5-8 years but I've heard of them living to 10.Rabbits 10-14. Rabbits are wonderful but fragile.Chinichillas can live 22 years.chins & hedgies are complicated ime.Vets for exotics are expensive. They have unique health care issues. I hate the 'novelty' factor of certain pets. We never had any hedgies in rescue here till a few years ago when they became popular. But people grow bored of them or aren't willing to provide the proper care & they end up homeless...do your research carefully. This should be a commitment for the duration of the pet's life.There are rescues for almost all species - please don't buy from a pet store. If you get serious about a certain species, get involved in the breed clubs & find a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders usually run rescues on the side - that's part of what makes them reputable LOLwith all of them, the bigger the housing the better. Pretty much anything sold/recommended in chain stores will be too small. Bunnies love to be house bunnies which means bunny proofing large areas & toilet training.attaching a pic of my lovely boy David 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Rat tricks :) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 If you're thinking of bunnies, the best resource out there is http://rabbit.org/ Great info on keeping them as pets & what they need & specifically answers issues about children & bunnies http://rabbit.org/faq-children-and-rabbits/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Birds are also kept in cages. Or, are you only talking about mammals? I love our bird - parakeet...but it's mine. Cockatiels are nice birds for kids because you can teach them stuff. But, my rule of thumb is: the bigger the bird, the bigger the mess. Parakeets don't make so much of a mess compared to cockatiels. They also don't live as long either. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Well, first off, I would not get a pet of any sort and truly expect to never take care of it yourself. I understand it'd be the kids' responsibility, but it's the rare (I mean, super-rare) kid who can handle every aspect of care, 100% of the time. So make sure YOU are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that pet has a good home. :001_smile: Yup.. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 My ds wants a Leopard Gekko. This will be a first for us - we've never done reptiles before. (I signed him up for a Lizards and Snakes class...was that poor judgement?) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 We have a pair of bonded bunnies and they are awesome but a lot of work. They need a lot of space (no small cages) and they like to hang out with people. They are oldest dd's bunnies and she has to clean the litter box out daily, pick up stray hay and poop daily, play with them, and feed/water them. Their exercise pen takes up more than half her floor space. They are not pets you can put in a cage and not think about several times a day. I also agree with not expecting your dc to do all the care. Oldest does most of the care with the bunnies but she's 15, and we still help out now and then when she is busy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Parakeet cages are a lot easier to clean imo compared to hamsters. We layer newspaper or put a cloth rag at the bottom of the cage to catch droppings and spilled seed, etc. then just throw one layer away every couple of days. The most mess comes from flying feathers and seeds spilled outside of the cage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Our rats come out to play during the day and night. I don't really like rats or any other rodents, and this was made clear to everyone that was within shouting distance. DH cleans the cage every week; DD feeds and plays with them; I clean the surrounding area every day (food and poop fly out from the cage, so clearly not potty trained yet). I don't expect her to clean as my level of cleanliness is absurdedly high. Those rats are the cutest and smartest despite what I may feel towards rats in general. They bring DD a lot of happiness and pride, and I hope we are not such a nuisance to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Well, first off, I would not get a pet of any sort and truly expect to never take care of it yourself. I understand it'd be the kids' responsibility, but it's the rare (I mean, super-rare) kid who can handle every aspect of care, 100% of the time. So make sure YOU are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that pet has a good home. :001_smile: THIS!!!!! Don't get ANY pet that YOU don't want to care for. If you will resent doing the work, or don't want to engage in a DAILY nag campaign to make the kids do it once the novelty wears off, just don't do it. They won't want to care for the pet any more than they want to do any other household chore. I have a dog. I love my dog. He's MY dog because I feed him. I'm up first. I see him and don't want him to wait to eat or go out. He's like a toddler. He doesn't need anything until he sees 'mommy.' There is a 95% chance that you will have some level of responsibility for this pet. Don't do it if you don't like those odds. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 pet insects are great. here is how it works here. the child catches a Katydid or Cricket and puts it into an aquarium in their room. they then research what it eats and make a habitat for the insect in the aquarium. Here is the best bit: After 3 days they release it back into the garden. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 We have had all sorts of caged pets including guinea pigs, hamsters, and lizards. By far the easiest, quietest, and least stinky has been our leopard gecko. He just needs a tank, a warming light, and place to hide. The kids love that he has no teeth (so he doesn't nip like our hamsters,) and I love that he doesn't need expensive chew toys, wheels, litter, or bedding - his tank can be lined with newspaper, paper towels, or an inexpensive reusable mat from the pet store. He loves to be held, and he isn't up running all night on a wheel. The one downside is that they have a 20-30 year life expectancy, so it is definitely a long-term commitment. We have an 8yo leopard gecko, and she's fun and easy. Biggest issue is that we have to buy crickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My ds wants a Leopard Gekko. This will be a first for us - we've never done reptiles before. (I signed him up for a Lizards and Snakes class...was that poor judgement?) When we meet up, have him ask my daughter about our leopard gecko! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popmom Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My daughter currently has 4 rats. She started out with 2 who aged. One has died and the other is "elderly". She has just this past weekend started gradually introducing the new baby rats to her older rat. They are all males. She always wants males because A) they are lazier than females and B) they don't get tumors as often as females. My daughter is 17, and totally takes care of them herself. The only time I have ever been involved is we have had to take them to the vet a couple of times (I'll elaborate on that) and the burial of the one who passed away last fall. Life span usually 2 years. The are very playful and affectionate. None of our rats bite. The rat who died last fall had Mycoplasma pulmonis. It is very common. I have read that almost all rats carry/are infected with it, but only some will show symptoms/have problems. It is not curable, but can be treated. Avoid any rat that has red discharge from the eyes or nose--this is a definite indication of a sickly rat. So that is one reason we have seen the vet with a rat. He gave us steroid drops once and antibiotics another time. My daughter totally took responsiblity for treating the rat herself, but that would be impossible for a younger child. The other time we saw a vet was because they got lice. Don't panic! Not the kind of lice that people get. Only rats. They get it from their bedding. You have to freeze the bedding for a time before putting it in with the rats. My daughter forgot to freeze the bedding one time...so, lice. I don't know if this applies to other small pets like gerbils. Anyway, it was easily treated with one of those "squirt between the shoulder blades" medicines. Not a huge deal. Their only other health problem is that they had "bumblefoot" (sores on feet) when we first got them. The previous owner didn't clean the cage often enough, and bumblefoot is the result. It is treated with a topical abx ointment. Also, I know someone said they don't smell, but I can smell ours. Ours are kept in an open area, and it's only the immediate area that I can smell, but still--it's something to consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Rats are great if the children are willing and wanting to have a pet that they will interact with a lot. They really do learn tricks, and you can make mazes for them. They play with the kid's toys too. They aren't as delicate as gerbils or the smaller hamsters. Rat cages get a full clean once a week, and their blankies get changed out every 2-3 days. They are very treat motivated, and it is fun to give them whatever you happen to be snacking on. They will come to you by name or noise...eventually, they are less of a risk if they escape. Ours run around without any problems. Ferrets are great fun, BUT they are very high maintenance. The litter box fills up fast, and they need lots of play time, a big commitment. Litter needs to be changed daily. Ferrets are like dogs. They know their names and will come if you call them or squeak a toy. They tend to steal things and hide them. Expect to do regular vet trips like you would a dog or cat. They need rabies vax. Marshall Farms ferrets tend to have adrenal gland issues that can get costly. I love ferrets, but I don't count them as a cage type pet because their needs are more in line with a cat or dog. Mice smell badly. They are not as treat motivated as rats. Gerbils are fast if they get loose and don't tend to listen to you if you call for them. They are good if you don't think the kids will want to handle them as much. Gerbils and hamsters can have those fun habitats with all the tubes. But, those habitats are harder to clean. I'm not a rabbit person, so can't advise there. I only have iguana experience as far as lizards go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My daughter currently has 4 rats. She started out with 2 who aged. One has died and the other is "elderly". She has just this past weekend started gradually introducing the new baby rats to her older rat. They are all males. She always wants males because A) they are lazier than females and B) they don't get tumors as often as females. My daughter is 17, and totally takes care of them herself. The only time I have ever been involved is we have had to take them to the vet a couple of times (I'll elaborate on that) and the burial of the one who passed away last fall. Life span usually 2 years. The are very playful and affectionate. None of our rats bite. The rat who died last fall had Mycoplasma pulmonis. It is very common. I have read that almost all rats carry/are infected with it, but only some will show symptoms/have problems. It is not curable, but can be treated. Avoid any rat that has red discharge from the eyes or nose--this is a definite indication of a sickly rat. So that is one reason we have seen the vet with a rat. He gave us steroid drops once and antibiotics another time. My daughter totally took responsiblity for treating the rat herself, but that would be impossible for a younger child. The other time we saw a vet was because they got lice. Don't panic! Not the kind of lice that people get. Only rats. They get it from their bedding. You have to freeze the bedding for a time before putting it in with the rats. My daughter forgot to freeze the bedding one time...so, lice. I don't know if this applies to other small pets like gerbils. Anyway, it was easily treated with one of those "squirt between the shoulder blades" medicines. Not a huge deal. Their only other health problem is that they had "bumblefoot" (sores on feet) when we first got them. The previous owner didn't clean the cage often enough, and bumblefoot is the result. It is treated with a topical abx ointment. Also, I know someone said they don't smell, but I can smell ours. Ours are kept in an open area, and it's only the immediate area that I can smell, but still--it's something to consider. Our boy rats have a slight smell, but dd's girl rats do not. They make a washless foam shampoo for rodents. We use that on the boys about once a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I will say that cleaning the rat cages (and ds's mouse cage) are the only chores that nagging is not needed for. Dd is trying to convince us that she will be able to handle a ferret, so she doesn't dare fight us with the girl rat's cleaning and feeding etc. Ds who is horrible about chores, does not make a peep about cleaning his mouse cage. Dd and Ds share duty for the boy rats. Every other chore is a whole different story. :glare: We told them that if they do not take care of the rodents and I have to do it, then I will do it, but when its time comes and it passes there will be no replacement. I have been very proud of the way they care for them. I remind here and there to double check food and water, but our rats (or mouse) have never been without. Ds started with 3 mice. Two have died, and Parmesan is not far off. That is why we went ahead and got the boy rats when an opportunity presented itself. Ds's mouse cage is the fun kind with the tubes, and he disassembles the tubes and washes them down with vinegar water with very little assistance from me. The boy rat cage is a multi-level ferret cage. We keep paper type litter on the bottom and rattie blankies on the other levels. The girl rats have a large flat guinea pig run that is divided. We keep a litter section and the other section is blankies. The blankets are really easy to just throw in the washer. They go stinky in the litter part a good majority of the time. The other random "rattle-doos" (as dd calls them) get plucked up with baby wipes in between cleanings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My absolute favorite of the caged pets we've had were the Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I know, but it's true. They're quiet, they don't smell, they only live about a year, they don't reproduce at normal room temperatures, they never escaped from the cage, they were slow moving enough that if one got dropped while being handled it was easy to catch, they don't mind being handled but don't NEED to be played with, and they don't bite. We used wheat bran for the substrate in their habitat (which was a "Kritter Keeper") and they ate that and a few vegetable peels and were very happy and healthy. I can't remember what we did for water (it's been a few years)...I think we got the gel water stuff from the pet shop that they have for watering crickets without drowning them. They're also a fun conversation piece, as they're interesting to look at, and make a cool hissing noise when handled (if you don't handle them a lot--they stop hissing if they get used to you, but they'll start up again if you leave them alone for a few days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 DareI mention a snake? Quiet, eats once a week or less, poops once a week or less, and fairly inexpensive (a year's worth of frozen mice for DD's corn snake is about $50, and the frozen rats for the ball python aren't much more) once you have Em set up. Both of our snakes came from homeschool families where the teen had gone to college (and in one case, was leaving the country) and he oarent wasn't willing to keep caring for it, and they both came with their full set-up, so we didn't have a lot of cost to get them started. The corn is fun to watch, but a little harder to hold since she's more active, the Ball will just hang out with DD and do schoolwork. He's a very chilled out snake. DD does most of the care herself, and has since age 7 when she got the corn snake. Usually when we travel, the Pwt sitter just needs to check their thermostat on the tank heater and refill water dishes-normally, they don't even need to eat. The cats and frogs are much more trouble. They are honestly far easier than any other pet we've had, yet have a lot of personality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 My absolute favorite of the caged pets we've had were the Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I know, but it's true. They're quiet, they don't smell, they only live about a year, they don't reproduce at normal room temperatures, they never escaped from the cage, they were slow moving enough that if one got dropped while being handled it was easy to catch, they don't mind being handled but don't NEED to be played with, and they don't bite. We used wheat bran for the substrate in their habitat (which was a "Kritter Keeper") and they ate that and a few vegetable peels and were very happy and healthy. I can't remember what we did for water (it's been a few years)...I think we got the gel water stuff from the pet shop that they have for watering crickets without drowning them. They're also a fun conversation piece, as they're interesting to look at, and make a cool hissing noise when handled (if you don't handle them a lot--they stop hissing if they get used to you, but they'll start up again if you leave them alone for a few days). :willy_nilly: :svengo: :ohmy: I know some may feel that way about my rats, but I could not invite roaches of any kind into my house! Those big flying ones tend to get in in the spring and summer and I am so like, "aaagh there is a roach in the house, quick let's pack up and move." To each her own, right? :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Oh gosh, don't get a mammal! I'm sure people bond with other pets too - but the grief everyone feels when holding a little dying guinea pig in your arms is just not worth the joy of pet-ownership. You want a pet without personality - a fish ? A stick insect ? Hermit crab ? Sadly, many tears have been shed here over cicadas, crickets, and grasshoppers. Ds is very sensitive about his insects. We had a memorial for Gary the aquatic moon snail. He was a very special nail though. When we bought him, he was riding on the back of a newt. He was a cool little guy. The tank is just not the same without him. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 We had a monarch with an injured wing once that dd fed nectar from a tissue. She assured me it danced when she played music in her bedroom. It was a sad day when it died. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderchica Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I have a pair of bonded rabbits. They are much more like dogs than anything else. A lot more work than I thought. They are very sweet but need lots of room and time outside of their cage. They are not easy to rehome if it doesn't work out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 :willy_nilly: :svengo: :ohmy: I know some may feel that way about my rats, but I could not invite roaches of any kind into my house! Those big flying ones tend to get in in the spring and summer and I am so like, "aaagh there is a roach in the house, quick let's pack up and move." To each her own, right? :lol: I know, I'm a complete nut job. I lived in Georgia for a dozen years or so, and I know the big flying monsters of which you speak. Eew, ick, nasty, get it out of here! Retch. It took ds a while to talk me into the hissers, but they really were a completely different animal. Please note, however, that we only had them ONCE. We now have a dog we like very much, and I'm very glad ds has grown out of the bug-mania stage. Autism-level obsessiveness sometimes breeds desperation in the mama. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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