I have a 3 yr old child, what pet would you advise we got for him Dont want dog or cat?

Answer 1

honestly a dog but you already said no try a bunny kids love them and it teaches them to care and be gental and to love for somthing good luck

Answer 2

As a rabbit owner I urge you not to get a bunny for such a small child. Rabbits are a great deal of work, and irregardles of what you see on TV they arent very cuddly. Their bodies are extremely fragile and their backs can be broken very easily. Also rabbits live between 5 and 12 years depending on the breed. That is a large commitment.

Any small animal will not want to be handled by an exitable toddler. For a child that young, I would suggest a fish. A cat or a dog is actually an ideal starter pet. They teach responsibility and they are the type of animal to tell you (in some way) that something is wrong (hungry/bathroom/sick etc.)

But please, do not buy a rabbit for a child that young.

Answer 3

This depends on your intention, something fun for the kid to handle? Or something just to watch?

Handle: Turtle, bunny, hamster, genie pig, gerbil, dove, snake, lizards

Look at: Fish (all kids love any kind), any kind of bird

I have a ball python right now with my 3 and 5 yr old children and they love holding him and petting him. It's ideal for us because we travel a lot being in Europe and he only needs to be fed about once a week, and poops about the same. They are very clean low maintenance animals to have in the house. We will be getting some large dogs in the future, but not till we move back to the States.

Answer 4

He is too young to have a pet. He won't be able to handle a hamster without hurting it as a three year old child won't have sufficient fine motor control.
Rabbits scratch and kick if handled poorly so again, not suitable. Best to wait until he is at least five and then I would try something small like a Syrian Hamster.
I worked in a pet shop for thirteen years and now I work with kids in a school. Believe me, I know my stuff!

Answer 5

I know that a lot of people suggested a rabbit, but some female rabbits can be VERY territorial. Also, rabbits can break their backs fairly easily. Honestly ferrets and chinchilla's might be okay. A fish would probably be best. Whatever you get, you need to provide constant supervision when your child is with the pet. Things can go wrong VERY quickly, and a 3-year-old cannot be expected to know how to treat a pet.

Answer 6

Why don't you want a dog?
Dogs and children are natural companions. Chose the breed and the breeder carefully and you will give the child something special which it will hold dear for the rest of its life.
There is no pet as special as a dog. The bond between man and dog goes back to the days of the hunter gatherer.

Answer 7

I'd go with something easy like a goldfish. Little kids are pretty rough on small animals so I wouldn't recommend anything the child could potentially harm like a hamster for instance. My little brother dropped a hamster on a hairbrush once and that hamster was never the same.

Answer 8

Fish are good but not much fun
Hamsters and gerbils are fun but will pee on him
Mice are too small and may bite
Most lizards are too delicate
Turtles/tortoises are cool and hardy but slow and become boring
Rabbits and Ginny Pigs are fun and furry but high maintenance
(a rabbit plus a 3yr old = lots of work for you)
Tarantulas are cool but die if droped very far (3" +)
Rats are fun and furry but thay need lots of room and attention
Ferrits are awesome but don't litter train well
Snakes are stellar if you don't mind feeding it


I think 3yrs old is a bit young to be getting him a pet, unless you can do all the work ans s/he just plays with it (remember s/he needs to be gental and clam while handeling a pet or may risk being bitten)

Answer 9

It is really quite young to be at 3yr child and be given a pet perhaps a soft toy of a pet. I could say a puppy not a DOG is the favourite.

Answer 10

Hamsters, rabbits and rat tend to bite if handled too roughly, and gerbils are very fast. I would always recommend a guinea pig as they are very very friendly and hardly ever bite. I have had over 30 in my life time, some rescued and ofetn ill and in need of treatment and I have never once been bitten, which is unuseual in the rodent world.

Answer 11

i wouldnt get your child any pet at all he needs to be old enough to take responsibility for a pet and at three thats impossilbe, however if you want a pet you will have to decide what animal would suit your tempermant and lifestyle.too many parents get pets for their kids and end up looking after them resenting the animal in the process.kids are hard enough to look after, pets are just as demanding, put the two together and its not a walk in the park.