Pet dilemma.....

precocious

precocious

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First, I like pets......

We have a dog, 2 birds and a rabbit......the bunny was a present I promised my daughter and she takes care of it (most the time with some probing).....my son's birthday is approaching and I know he wants a pet for himself........

Pros & Cons....

Hamster.....easy to care for....easy to lose in a house, hard to catch and not very durable around a big goofy dog.....

Guinea Pig.....a bit more durable than a hamster, I think it might be more 'intelligent' & 'responsive' than a hamster....not as easily lost in the house and easier to catch......what's the deal on the cage & clean up?

If it's like a rabbit (almost the same size)...there's a major issue.....the bunny's 'smart pills' (as we call them in our house, others call it poop) is not so bad....but the urine is the major odoriferous issue :argh:....how similar are the excremental issues between bunnies & Guinea pigs?:hmmmm:

Thanks in advance....:wink:
 
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small, smart dog, scotty for instance.
 
I'm really not up for another dog yet......I'm hoping to get a German Shepard or another Belgian Malinois......hopefully when the renovations are done and I'll have time to train her.......

But this pet would be my son's...and his to care for......

So what's the stink factor for a Guinea Pig? :noidea:
 
I am no longer a fan of Guinea Pigs. We have had 3 over the past 4 years, (because they like to live in pairs). I personally did not have enough time for them, but they may be right for someone else. The cage needs cleaned about every 3 days, and they kick their bedding all over the floor. All they do is sit in their cage, don't want to play with any toys or do anything but sit and eat. They are a bit more durable for the smaller children to hold, compared to a hampster.
 
precocious said:
I'm really not up for another dog yet......I'm hoping to get a German Shepard or another Belgian Malinois......hopefully when the renovations are done and I'll have time to train her.......

But this pet would be my son's...and his to care for......

So what's the stink factor for a Guinea Pig? :noidea:
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If you do not clean the cage every 3 days or so, you can smell it as soon as you walk in the door :ack: :ack: :ack:
 
In response to your edit comment:

Did you not see my post at 11:03am?? :confused:
 
Rats are very clean and smart. Can be taught tricks even.
 
I'd get fish personally. All I've ever heard from hamster owners is that they keep people up all night with scratching...they tried to throw a blanket over them with no success (over the cage...not trying to suffocate them). Two escaped from someone's cage, ate into their sofa, chewed through computer cords, etc. I'm a cat person, so what the heck do I know?
 
Never had a guinea pig, but have had hamsters. Hamsters are a big pain, no matter what you do, they always manage to escape from the cage. They are really messy & you have to clean the cage alot or it stinks. Plus they BITE!! We've had 4 of them & will never have any more.
 
Glue a black pipe cleaner on a rock and tell him "It is an exotic, sloth monkey."

He will think you are the coolest Mom on the block. :eyebrows:

As for the guinea pigs or hamsters - don't even think about either one of them.
 
That reminds me...my brother and I had pet rocks one year. We custom made homes for them out of a shoe box. Relatively easy to take care of...
 
A small fish tank in his room! He can select the fish, color of the stones for the bottom and any other items for in the tank such as a sunken treasure chest.
You can't go wrong with fish...a filter is a must.
 
We did the fish tank deal about 5 years ago (or so)......it needs to be reset up....no spot for it yet....however, it's hard to cuddle and hug a fish....KWIM....
 
WENEEDLIGHT said:
A pig or a weiner dog. :)
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He would love a weiner dog, my cousin has two and he absolutely enjoys them when we visit......even though I don't consider a weiner a 'real dog'....I personally want one however, according to my hubby, the weiner would count to the 'real dog' category and he says having 3 dogs is not an option......I'm saving the shepard spot for dog #2.....LOL....

:yikes: I hope you didn't mean a pot belly pig! :doh:
 
sun22beam said:
I'd get fish personally. All I've ever heard from hamster owners is that they keep people up all night with scratching...they tried to throw a blanket over them with no success (over the cage...not trying to suffocate them). Two escaped from someone's cage, ate into their sofa, chewed through computer cords, etc. I'm a cat person, so what the heck do I know?
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Growing up in th city....we used to have a few gerbils....actually we started off with two...and...oh well..... we had a few gerbils.....they were fun....but we lost a few in the apartment.....never found them.....


:shhh:We grew up in an apartment building.....
 
Ok here is what my zoo....um...house has for pets: a 4 year old Sheltie-Bessie;a new member 2 year old Golden Retriever..Max, another new member..a 6 year old Beagle...Hunter,and a 2 year old Malamute...Peaches....PLUS....:yesnod::loving:

2 pink eyed white rats, 1 guinea pig and a parakeet.

In my opinion...guinea pigs don't have stinky cages unless they don't get cleaned out on a regular basis.Hamsters on the other hand only have a 2 year life span..period.Hamsters do not bit unless they are provoked or scared.If you buy a hamster while it is young(really young),they can be handled so they don't bite.I have had rescue hamsters who were previouly abused and never sustained any bites from them.
Ok...mrsk02 gave her two cents on pets.Hope this helps you Preco.
 
Preco,yes hamsters are nocturnal and will run around on their little wheel all night.But if you decide to get a hamster,they have cages that have the plastic wheels that aren't as noisy as those darned metal ones.If you get a hamster,just place the cage in a warm room at night,where no one sleeps and you won't hear them running around in their cage doing what hamsters do at night.:yesnod:
 
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