Author Topic: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.  (Read 8538 times)

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Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« on: April 13, 2010, 12:20:12 PM »

Offline connerhenry43

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Looking for any feedback/advice. I want to get a pet for my daughter who loves animals. We want something small,
caged (or a fish). Something that is not going to die within 2 weeks. We want something low maintenance that will not cost us an arm or a leg. It does not have to be furry or cute, as I think my daughter will be delighted to have a pet of her own.

Dogs and cats are not an option.

My daughter loves animals, but like most 3 year olds, can be emotional if she is tired or is not getting her way. My wife is worried that my daughter may do something emotional with the pet, but I do not think that would happen, as I know she would love the pet, whatever we get for her.

I will be appreciative of any advice my fellow Celtic fans can throw my way.
"Maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider, huh?"

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2010, 12:24:04 PM »

Offline Redz

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We had a couple of turtles that my daughters loved.  They're pretty easy to maintain, but they're dirty little bacteria carrying creatures, and cleaning the tank can be a little gross.
Yup

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2010, 12:40:14 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Too bad cats and dogs are not an option because I think I would suggest one from this family:




Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2010, 12:40:34 PM »

Offline incoherent

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Get a ferret, more work then keeping a fish tank clean but about 100x more fun.

Some don't know that ferrets are very intelligent. I taught mine to roll over, stand up, lay down, and very nice to everyone that I brought him around.  He was potty trained both inside his cage and outside the cage. 

When people come over and see a ferret doing tricks like a dog and going to the bathroom like a cat they are pretty impressed. 





Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2010, 12:28:09 PM »

Offline Overrated

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I would suggest a kitten but since that's not an option I'd say a fish would be very easy to take care of. Something like a goldfish in a bowl (not a tank) will be low maintenance, and children can be perfectly happy with that. I remember as a kid I had some fish and it was the coolest thing to sit and watch them swim around, not to mention feeding them was fun too.

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2010, 12:34:32 PM »

Offline MattG12

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I had hermit crabs when I was younger and they were awesome... Sometimes I'd take them out of their cage thing and let them crawl around on the floor... that was cool. They switch shells as they grow... so you could get a bunch of different size shells... one day she might wake up thinking a crab is in one shell and it ends up being in a different one.






Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2010, 01:02:38 PM »

Offline Edgar

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We had a couple of turtles that my daughters loved.  They're pretty easy to maintain, but they're dirty little bacteria carrying creatures, and cleaning the tank can be a little gross.

Or Betty.
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Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2010, 01:04:42 PM »

Offline EJPLAYA

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Let's rephrase that. You're thinking about getting a pet for YOU and your WIFE.

If your daughter is 3, then this is your pet no matter how much you think it will be hers. After the first day or two every bit of cleanup and feeding, etc will be done by you two. One thing we learned the hard way was that cute little puppy that all my kids wanted is no longer that fun anymore. They whine about feeding it. Whine about walking it. Whine about cleaning up after it. It's my wife's dog and every once in a huge while the kids will play with it for 2-3 minutes.

I love the idea of a hermit crab. Nothing too tough to take care of. Will likely entertain the daughter for a little while. Then when you get rid of it you won't feel bad. Good luck!

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2010, 01:05:51 PM »

Offline indeedproceed

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Children who own dogs are more socially well adjusted, more trusting, and better communicators.

Its science. Not kidding.

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like that is always lethal." - Evan 'The God' Turner

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2010, 01:33:54 PM »

Offline dooyork

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I recommend hamsters: they are cute, they live for about 2 years, they're easy to take care of.

I would say just get one, however, because if you put more than one in a cage they might fight, especially if you have two men, and if you have one of each you will end up with a litter of about 10 hamster babies.  If that happens, you very well may have the misfortune of witnessing the mother eating one of the babies, if one of them comes out runty or stillborn. 

In January of 2005, I transported 11 hamsters, in a total of about 6 cages, from New York to a small town in the middle of the country, inside the cab of a U-Haul truck.  Before I even left the city, an argument erupted in one of the cages, and two hamsters came to blows.  I foolishly reached my hand into the cage to separate them, and the larger of the two -- his name was Xerxes or something like that -- sank his teeth into the tip of my pinky finger, and when I yanked my hand back, he didn't let go, he was dangling from my hand.  I still have two tiny scars from the assault from where his top and bottom teeth were.  He was strong, like a solid chunk of muscle the size of a knish, and his coat was of a coarse, black and gray hair.
Double rainbow all the way

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2010, 01:34:40 PM »

Offline KungPoweChicken

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Looking for any feedback/advice. I want to get a pet for my daughter who loves animals. We want something small,
caged (or a fish). Something that is not going to die within 2 weeks. We want something low maintenance that will not cost us an arm or a leg. It does not have to be furry or cute, as I think my daughter will be delighted to have a pet of her own.

Dogs and cats are not an option.

My daughter loves animals, but like most 3 year olds, can be emotional if she is tired or is not getting her way. My wife is worried that my daughter may do something emotional with the pet, but I do not think that would happen, as I know she would love the pet, whatever we get for her.

I will be appreciative of any advice my fellow Celtic fans can throw my way.


Sure, you can get the pet "for her." But I hope you know that it will be you who will be taking care of it. Other than the straight forward dog or cat, there's not much out there, unless you want a fish or a small reptile (both of which are just strange pets and really have no business being in the homes of humans).  

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2010, 01:34:54 PM »

Offline dooyork

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correcton: the hamster road trip was January 2001.
Double rainbow all the way

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2010, 01:38:34 PM »

Online Neurotic Guy

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We are not pet people, but when my eldest daughter was young she (like yours) was a huge animal fan.  We did fish, hermit crabs, turtles, lizards, frogs, and fish again (many).  

When she was 12, we got a rabbit - a Holland Lop-eared.  Cute, furry and silent. She adores him and he is still alive 7 1/2 years later.  We kept him in a hutch outside for a couple of years and when we moved 5 years ago, his hutch went into the garage where he's been since.  My daughter (now in college) used to take him out for walks (with a leash!) and he'd romp around the yard -- never wandered away and was never difficult to gather up even when out without the leash.  My daughter was always out with him and only worry was that he not get swooped up by hawks.  

Downside:  We have had a few medical issues that have cost us some $$ -- but overall, not too bad.  He's had rashes and what not, and a couple of times broken toes, which were surgically removed (won't be breaking those again).  Litter and food is not too expensive.  Hutch can be 50 to $100-ish.
Biggest downside: Cleaning and feeding.  Fortunately, my elder daughter was so invested and responsible for him that she cleaned him and his cage and replaced food and water every night -- literally.   Since she is in college, my wife does it.  Frankly, they clean him more than is necessary, but food and clean is a 10 minute ritual that should be conidered (obviously your 3-year old can't do it).  He uses a litter box, but goes so many times in a day that invariable some poop gets around the cage a bit, and litter/poop falls thru the cage grate and on the floor -- needs to be swept.  A convenience that I couldn't convince my wife/daughter to invest in is a simple tray that sits under the cage part of the hutch and catches the poop.  Doesn't eliminate the sweeping completely, but a good time saver.  I'll be willing to bet that most folks do not clean their rabbit daily -- my wife and daughter go a little more than necessary.
BTW: When on vacation, there are people out there who will come to the house for $15 a day to clean and feed.

 

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2010, 01:55:15 PM »

Offline connerhenry43

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Let's rephrase that. You're thinking about getting a pet for YOU and your WIFE.

If your daughter is 3, then this is your pet no matter how much you think it will be hers. After the first day or two every bit of cleanup and feeding, etc will be done by you two. One thing we learned the hard way was that cute little puppy that all my kids wanted is no longer that fun anymore. They whine about feeding it. Whine about walking it. Whine about cleaning up after it. It's my wife's dog and every once in a huge while the kids will play with it for 2-3 minutes.

I love the idea of a hermit crab. Nothing too tough to take care of. Will likely entertain the daughter for a little while. Then when you get rid of it you won't feel bad. Good luck!

i hear you! that is why all the stuff is in there about how it has to be low-maintenance! i realize this will be mostly on me, so i need it to be as easy as possible.

thank you all for your feedback. I do appreciate it.
"Maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider, huh?"

Re: Thinging about getting a pet for my three year old.
« Reply #14 on: April 14, 2010, 02:00:54 PM »

Offline Edgar

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Children who own dogs are more socially well adjusted, more trusting, and better communicators.
Its science. Not kidding.

thank you


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