Small Pet suggestions????

[1parakeet]

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Okay, so this may just be a little phase I am going through, but!

My birthday is comming up and my mother has been asking me what I really want. Now, what I would really like is another dog. . . But I know that that is not going to happen. Mom says that she is willing to spend money and get a me a "really good" gift.

I've been feeling depressed lately and I know that I have been wanting another pet. My brother and I were walking around Petco yesterday and I was thinking,

"Maybe if I can find a low maintinence, "allergy free", small pet, she just might go for it!"

See, my problems is that material things don't make me happy. I mean yeah, it would be nice to have a new laptop, but I can't really "love" a laptop. I can't play with it like I can a pet, and I can't even chill out with it, like I can with a pet. Lily, right now, is sitting on my leg and chilling out. Can a new computer do that???

So, basically, I would like ANY suggestions for small pets. And I mean ANY! I was even thinking about a tarantula yesterday. . .I'm open to ALL ideas!

So yeah. Any and all comments and/or suggestions are welcome!

Thanks.

(And, for the record, I am not just some person that is like, "oh I want a guinea pig! So cute!" if I think about getting another pet, I do my research. SO please don't think that I am an irresponsible pet person.)

 

[magni]

Look up Italian Greyhounds, I have then and they are great short hair and good if you have allergy's and no work involved for grooming. They are a house dog and a lap dog. Also the min pin is good to. I wish you luck, I hope you get what you want

 

[Riley's mom]

Bunnies and guinea pigs make great little pets. Dwarf bunnies stay fairly small. Good luck!

 

[BraveheartDogs]

A rat! Rats are the BEST.

 

[1parakeet]

A rat! Rats are the BEST.

Oh yes, they really are!!!

But, I am allergic to them, unfortunately. . . So I need a pet that doesn't really give off allergies. Maybe a reptile?

 

[brazilianangel]

I like turtles especially red eared slider turtles, Geckos are nice too

 

[southerninak]

OH , If I could I would have a chameleon ! I love their eyes !

 

[Greycloud]

If you are allergic to rats, which would have been my first suggestion, you will have to go with a reptile. I wonder if you are just allergic to the bedding. There are also hairless rats, which are adorable!
I would go with a bearded dragon or vieled chameleon. Now their setups can be expensive. But they handtame great. Both ned live food. The beardie can switch to fresh veggies as it matures. Good luck.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Oh yes, they really are!!!

But, I am allergic to them, unfortunately. . . So I need a pet that doesn't really give off allergies. Maybe a reptile?

Well, I don't have reptiles but if I was I would get a bearded dragon, very cool.

 

[BamaBirdMom]

Oh yes, they really are!!!

But, I am allergic to them, unfortunately. . . So I need a pet that doesn't really give off allergies. Maybe a reptile?

There are HAIRLESS rats! allery free!!

Or I suggest a Ball Python. Easy to care for, usually don't strike, and easy to clean up after.

 

[Birdasaurus]

I'm going to guess mice give you the same allergies? Because they make really good pets too

 

[Stevo]

I have to recommend a Frilled neck dragon Great personalities, can be trained to eat out of your fingers, get to a good size (up to 3ft) and aren't all that aggressive. Oh yeah; they only poop once a day Easy to clean up after!! lol.

Here's a thread to mine, if you haven't seen it - http://forums.avianavenue.com/other...ay/13035-video-chopper-eating-my-fingers.html

 

[Sharpie]

I'd second the ball python suggestion, assuming you're willing and able to make the 40+ year commitment. They're really GOOD snakes. My dad has two and I really like them, much more docile and social than the corn and rat snakes I've interacted with. They're also fairly easy to care for and move along with you when you have to for work, school, etc because you don't need a huge setup to care for them properly, add that to not needing UVB lights and they're far easier than many other reptiles.

 

[Hypancistrus]

If you need something that is low-maintenance, a snake is your best bet. Any lizard is going to be expensive to maintain properly and probably will be more high-maintenance than you'd want. If you really want a lizard, the best one for beginners is probably a leopard gecko or a crested gecko. They both tame easily. Leos need heat, but are good eaters and tend to be very healthy. Cresties can eat powdered crested gecko diet, negating the need for insects. Neither one really needs UV light, and cresties probably won't even need heat if your house stays in the mid-70's on average.

But lizards will need to be fed several times a week, where a snake needs feeding once every week or so. I would not personally reccomend a ball python as a persons first snake. Our BP's regularly go off feed for weeks at a time. There's nothing wrong with them- it's just a species trait. But the first time this happened to my BP, I was panicked over it. It's scary for a new keeper when your snake won't eat. And he was my 5th or 6th snake, so I wasn't new to snakes at all. BP's in my experience also tend to be very demanding in their care- if humidity or temps are even a bit off, they will stop eating, have trouble shedding, etc.

My reccomendation would be a corn snake. They are colorful, stay small, can be handled often (not true for BP's, generally speaking), and are hearty eaters. They will never need rats of any size- just adult mice. They are in my opinion an ideal first snake.

Other species you could look into that would be okay as first snakes are Mexican Black Kingsnakes and African housesnakes.

That being said, realize that cornsnakes can live 15-20 years or more if well-cared for. This is longer than the average dog or cats lifespan. Make sure you are considering the long term committment you are making to the snake before you buy.

 

[1parakeet]

I have to recommend a Frilled neck dragon Great personalities, can be trained to eat out of your fingers, get to a good size (up to 3ft) and aren't all that aggressive. Oh yeah; they only poop once a day Easy to clean up after!! lol.

Here's a thread to mine, if you haven't seen it - http://forums.avianavenue.com/other...ay/13035-video-chopper-eating-my-fingers.html

Aww!!! He's really cute!!! But i'm not sure if frilled neck dragons are legal in the US. . . I also don't think I am looking for something that get three feet long. . . Interesting idea though. Thanks for the suggestion. I will look more into it.

Also, (Although I don't have it quoted) the corn snake sounds really interesting. Especially if they don't get very big. That was something keeping me off of snakes; that they can get up to multiple feet long. . .

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I will do some research!

 

[TikiBird]

I was going to suggest hairless rat too.

Why not another budgie?
Why not a cockatiel?

How low maintenance are you looking for?
Reptiles seem like alot of work to me. Maybe I'm just not a natural reptile person.
I have bad luck with fish too though.

Gerbils make great pets, in my experience better than mice.

 

[1parakeet]

Hmm. . . yeah. I hairless rat might work. . . But I don't know if it is the fur or the bedding. . . Probably the fur more than the bedding.

 

[BamaBirdMom]

[MARQUEE][/MARQUEE]

Hmm. . . yeah. I hairless rat might work. . . But I don't know if it is the fur or the bedding. . . Probably the fur more than the bedding.

I'd be willing to bet it's the bedding. Try using shredded paper towels and see what happens.

 

[prettyinpink]

Aww!!! He's really cute!!! But i'm not sure if frilled neck dragons are legal in the US. . . I also don't think I am looking for something that get three feet long. . . Interesting idea though. Thanks for the suggestion. I will look more into it.

Also, (Although I don't have it quoted) the corn snake sounds really interesting. Especially if they don't get very big. That was something keeping me off of snakes; that they can get up to multiple feet long. . .

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I will do some research!

Yes, they are legal in the states.
If you are looking for something 'allergy free' i really think a reptile is your best bet. That is if you're into them.

Bearded dragons will chill out on your lap, very tame.
Although with reptiles you have to remember they have live food, and it can get costly. Beardies are costly when they're young but when they get older don't eat very much.

 

[Gigi]

Skinny pigs are hairless guinea pigs. They are often referred to as being so ugly, they're cute.

Skinks are cute little lizards, some of them have really long tails compared to their bodies. My favorite thing to have like that is a Betta fish. In a five gallon tank right on my desk, he's my little desk buddy.

If I point a pen at his tank he chases it around, and if I make a face at him he makes a face right back!