advise a child friendly intelligent pet?

Question

Stay in a flat,should not be a dog or cator reptiles,should be easy to maintain and clean,not distructive but very intelligent and child friendly.i have 3 girls(9yrs,6yrs,2yrs)
in our country wild life authority does not allow wild game like parrots or monkeys.
thanks all.

Answer 1

No matter what animal you pick, the 2 year old will still need a lot of supervision. Until about age 4 or 5 little ones have a tendency to be a little too affectionate (often accidentally squeezing little pets to death).

You ruled out dogs and herps, how about the standard cat? Some what common, but come in all kinds of colors, looks and fur lengths.

Ferrets can be good pets, however depending on what country you live in, may be considered 'wild life'. Also come can be a bit nippy and with a 2 year old, I wouldn't suggest one for another couple of years.

Hamsters & mice are a bit high strung in the rodent family, however rats are a bit more relaxed, easier to handle and smart. The also come in some cool colors, the hooded rat is very nice looking animal.

Rabbits also make great house pets. Many will litter box train, smart, and easy to handle. The important thing is to teach the girls the proper way to pick up and hold (NOT by the ears). Like cats, the come in many colors, shapes, sizes and fur lengths.

Of course there is always the old stand by... fish. Some are very intelligent, but the cost for a good setup may break the budget. Small tanks are fun, but the types of fish you would have wouldn't over as much interaction. Also the down side of no physical contact with the pet.

My suggestions would be: cat, bunny, rat in that order.

Answer 2

Poor kitty; look at things from her point of view: a big move, ne wsurroundings, a possibly active (though perfectly normal) toddler probably startled her from perhaps a nap, she reacts as any small animal would only to have a gigantic human grab her BY THE TAIL, which hurts, BTW, and on top of that she is eliminating all over the house. She seems to be reacting rather than attacking, so she is constantly on the defensive. To say that this cat is unhappy is an enormous understatement. Not all cats are adaptable, and for some, a single event (moving, being scared, being hurt) can emotionally traumatize an otherwise wonderful pet. See if there are any cat rescue groups that would be willing to take in your cat. She would probably do wonderfully in a house with no small children or a single (possibly older) owner.

Answer 3

DO NOT GET A FERRIT! they smell so horible and they are hard to keep clean! and if they escape then good luck finding them. if this is your kids first pet, then you should try something small and almost mantnince free like a fish. They don`t really last long and that will teach your kids that pets don`t last forever. So you should try fish for a while then move up to something more challenging in the care for it devision. I wouldn`t really go for a radent because untill they are trained or older they do tend to sleep alot during the day (Nocternal animals) and they do bite witch would probably scare your kids. But after the fish i do think that a small dog like a toy poodle (I have one), a yorkie, or a shitzu would be a good idea, plus the poodles and most other small dogs are non-allergetic which means they don`t shed and they don`t eat much (my dog can go through a small bag of food in about a mouth to two monthes) and don`t need much takeing care of and they tend to be cheap in the cost for food area.

Answer 4

go with a Guinea pig because I've had experiences with gerbils and hamsters (although I did find that gerbils are nicer than hamsters)...and they were often a pain to care for. They occasionally got loose in the house and managed to chew up several items, including one of my banquet dresses. A guinea pig is big enough to where you wouldnt have to worry about it running under furniture and losing sight of it for days. I wouldnt get a ferret because they are extremely smelly animals. A rabbit would be good but you definitely have to get it potty trained right away because if they are set loose in the house...they will leave pellets everywhere!

Whatever pet you decide for your kids, just know that it will still take some time for the pet to get accustomed to your kids, they wont just automatically become very friendly... Over time the bond between child and pet will become very close.

Good luck! and hope your kids make great pet owners!

Answer 5

Hamsters make horrible pets! They are nocturnal and like to bite.

Ferrets are more trouble than a cat and are still illegal in a lot of places.

Rabbits are nice and some can be very intelligent. Can also be litter box trained.

Mice and rats are good pets. Rats can be fairly intelligent.

Guinea pigs are friendly and intelligent.

Answer 6

Hamsters are great. The cage isn't too much work, especially if you have a "toilet" in there for them. To be sure they are tama and don't buy, handle them as much as possible when you first get it.
They really are smart. We renamed our last hamster to Einstein after about two months. They can be trained to do tricks and are great little friends for your daughters.

Answer 7

A ferret, they will be clean if you keep them clean (like any pet). They can stay in a cage during your busy times, but if the time is taken, they can be litterbox trained and they are very intelligent. (and sweet)

Answer 8

a ragdoll cat..Very friendly and intelligent. Known to lay around limp in your arms. Good with young children very laid back cat.

Answer 9

a budgie we had themn as kids and our little budgie would fly around our house and eat breakfast with us, he would sing to us , sit on our shoulder and one of them even talked ...we can buy them from the pet shop here in australia , or rats.. my niece had rats and she just adored them.