Can You Please Help Us Choose a Pet?

[katydidthat]

My son wants something cuddly.  Not a fish, not a bird (although I would like a bird).

We live in a tiny teeny 2 BR unit ... it is not big enough for a cat or a dog.  

It would be nice if it could like happily in a large bird cage ... as I have one.  

NOT MICE OR RATS.  

TVMIA

[amalan11]

Thats true.I have one lady who got out twice and went visiting neighbours ..thats why I got the new cage.As long as you have a secure cage its ok.

I was a bit worried re your smell concern as they do have a distinct smell .they are litter trained and very clean but a strong body odour close up,not bad but strong

[katydidthat]

What kind of odour, Amalan?  Musky?  It's the pooh/wee smell that bothers me ... I'm allergic to smells like that ... 

Are they affectionate?  Do they like cuddles?  Would they live happily in a large bird cage?  

[syrupsmummy]

I think rabbit is a good idea.

I had a house trained rabbits before. It's easy to train if you look after it  from a kitten.

You can use cat litter box and cat litter for a rabbit. You put litter box on the corner of rabbit cage and check if bunny use the litter box. If not place the litter box on the corner the rabbit used as a toilet. Rabbits are clean animal and use one corner as a toilet. Once it starts to use litter box as a toilet all the time you can let it out is a room with a littler box.

If you like cuddly bunny you need to handle the rabbit everyday. It's easy when  it's a kitten. If you don't pick the rabbit up daily they start to resist being picked up as it grows.

You can't stop a rabbit chew things. So you can only let it out when someone is around if you can't make your house rabbit proof.

When I had a house trained bunny. I open her hatch in the morning so she could get out. She had free access to her hatch to get some food and drink when she was in the house. And  I let her out to backyard during day and called her back late afternoon. She was allowed to hop around in the house till my bed time. She went back to hatch by herself when I told her it's bed time.

BTW the bunny chewed PS2 controller code off when I was playing game and didn't give her attention. She hopped on couch and bumped her head on me to get a pat and attention. I gave her quick pat and got back to the game. She didn't like that. She chewed the code off for revenge. She chewed phone code once too. Naughty bunny. But she was the best bunny I had.

[katydidthat]

That sounds so cute, Syrups ... 

[latina4621]

The pet rabbit we had she was a funny character also a bit naughty, she chewed the phone lines a few times, also   would get under the bed and chewed the lamp cord,  and in the mornings before my OH went to work she would hop up on to his legs then sit on his lap and  bite holes in his work pants,  I just said to him if they said anything at work to say  you got battery acid on your pants. :^O

she was very clean always used the litter tray

[purple.cow]

Definitely a guinea pig..........they are easy to feed............and look after............an ideal first pet.

At least until something comes by and frightens the poor little bugger to death on the spot.

Had that happen to my guinea pig when I was a kid. Broke my heart it did. Well t least for all of five minutes until I got bribed to shut up bawling with 5rand.

Ya see, I was a mercenary little businessman so and so even at aged 4 😛

[freakiness]

We need to talk a little more ... 

Does anyone know anything about dwarf rabbits?  

My daughters first rabbit was a dwarf.

I can't remember the breed but gorgeous silver grey colour with darker points.

He was pocket size when she got him.

[purple.cow]

Buy the boy a rabbit.

Then ya get to eat it a couple or so months later when the shine wears off and he doesn't want to look after it 😄

You can get away with eating cute furry bunnies, but for some starnge reason there's always a public outcry if ya eat you're pet cat or dog in this country. Go figure 😐

[purple.cow]

My daughters first rabbit was a dwarf.

I can't remember the breed but gorgeous silver grey colour with darker points.

He was pocket size when she got him.

Nah, ya don't want to get one of them dwarf ones ... can't get a good mael for the entire family out of one of them, no good at all 😉

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

My sister had dwarf bunnies, they were cute, but susceptible (as are all rabbits) to myxo and  umm is it calicivirus

Palm squirrels are about 800 bucks

Personally I'd go for a budgie. I think everyone should have a pet budgie at least once in their life. They are chatty little things, love to sit on your shoulder and follow you around. They all have their own little personalities

The new crystal kitty litter is amazing at hiding smells and lasts for ages. I have a litter tray with the hood and door. I had to take the door off because madame didn't like it. She was used to just a tray. I had the dolomite type clumping litter but there was always a bit of an odour, then I tried the crystals and there is no smell at all.

I want a squirrel 🙂