What's a good pet for a nine year old?

Question

My nephew wants to get a pet but im not sure what kind will be safe for him and one he can take care of.

Answer 1

Get something easy to take care of, such as a turtle or a fish... make sure that he has some help with it though!

Answer 2

When I was 10, by dad bought me a 3' corn (rat) snake. I fed him a mouse every week from the pet store and only had to change the potting soil bedding every month or so. I filled the water bowl every day and had a heat pad. Very easy to care for, doesn't need attention, and kids think they are the coolest. I'm also a girl, but I have always loved snakes and am thinking about making use of the 35gal tall I have in the garage. Don't get a baby though, they escape too easily. A mature rat or king will be less likely to get loose, and they are very docile animals. And don't worry about somanella, I have worked with reptiles all my life and have bad hand-washing habits and have never gotten sick from a reptile. I still don't wash my hands when I hold my iguana :) Rats also make wonderful pets, but need more care and lots of attention- I have three myself.

Answer 3

Since your nephew is only 9 I suggest something like a fish. 9 year olds are not very responsible to take care of anything yet and a fish will be an easier responsibility for their first pet. This is what I started my kids off at, and if they could show responsibility toward the fish then we moved on to a differant pet.(hamster)

Answer 4

Well, any kind is good but the easiest to take care of is a fish (even though they aren't fun lol). Any furry pet will take time to clean their cages (if they have a cage), groom them, train them (if needed), take them to a vet, etc. It will give him a biiiig responsibility, so make sure he is mature enough to handle it (or else you will be stuck taking care of it while he just plays with it). Guinea pigs are probably the best... they are very friendly and only take about 10 mins to clean their cage once a week.

Take him to a pet store and let him look around... ask him which animal he likes best. If it's an animal that seems easy to take care of and is friendly, then go for it!

Answer 5

Depends on how mature the 9 year old is. How about safe for the pet ? Does he lose interest in things in five minutes ? Might want to start out with something cheap, like a gold fish. And you can also ask the kid what he might be interested in. I had a cat when I was that age.

Answer 6

I just got back from Florida a little while ago, and there was a lady from an animal place that takes care of animals. Me and my cousin were there and we got to see all kinds of animals, we even got to hold an alligator, SERIOUSLY! Well anyway, she said the best pet is a snake, i know you don't believe me but she said it can live off of on serving for a month! But if u choose to get hima snake, you HAVE to check how big it is going to get, the biggest a little boy should have is about 1-2 feet long, if it is any bigger it will be too big for it's cage!

Answer 7

My children have had Hamsters. They have loved every one of them. The reason I say every one of them is because they only live 2-5 years. They have both cried when each one passed. It has taught them how to deal with death. I'm not sure if your Nephew knows about that subject but if he does Hamsters are great! They are easy to keep and take care of. You can try taking him to the Pet Store and describe the care each animal requires and see which one he would feel most comfortable with. Good Luck!

Answer 8

okay some things wrong with hamsters,ginny pigs, and goldfish
-the first two bite[really hard--ive gotten bit]
-fish is boring and it might die and break his heart
so the best pet would be a frog
-don't bite
-fun to watch
-can be played with and held
one problem--food
you have to buy crikets and sometimes those get out of the cage--big mess
so i suggest you start off with an American Water Frog[i think that's what it's called]
a Dwarf American Water Frog stays about an inch long all it's life-can be put in a small take--BUT with a lid!!!
just an American Water Frog can grow about the size of a softball and will eat anything that fits in it's mouth
SO go with the dwarf frog
-ez matenience
-fun to watch
-cost like $3 each
-can go with fish that don't eat them
-feed with normal fish food
you can't pick them up but they are fun to watch
--i have had two for like a month now and they are still alive
really good pet for a little kid-just watch how much he feeds them
so if you want any more info just contact me-

Answer 9

Rats are really easy to take care of and they are really smart. They make good pets cause they like sitting on your sholder and all. The only thing bad is they only live for about 2 years.

Answer 10

Well tell him that if he takes care of a fish for one year he will be able to get a dog or a cat. But if he doesn't clean the fishbowl or feed the fish , then you know that he isn't responsible enough for a bigger fish!