Animals and Pets

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Atypical starter pet? (slrpnk.net)

submitted 3 months ago by Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net to c/animals@beehaw.org

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My boy is 6, and has been gassing for a pet for a long time. We want to get him something, but our parameters are pretty narrow:

Can't be a cat or dog (allergies)
No rodents/mustelids (wife: ew)
No snakes (wife: ew)
No birds (wife: ew)
No Arthropods (Wife: ew)

Reptiles/frogs/amphibians are ok in our books.

Ideally, I would like something he could physically handle on occasion but that's not a deal breaker.

Fish are cool, but kind of boring to a 6 year old maybe.

Crabs are cool, but seem kind of cryptic.

Would be amazing if it didn't break the bank and was somewhat easy to care for

Thoughts appreciated if you have any.

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[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Rabbits and guinea pigs can be fun, I'd toss out chinchillas as another interesting option though those might be harder to find.

How do the wife and kiddo feel about live feeding? Plenty of reptiles need things like mealworms and crickets in addition to their flakes or pellets. Turtles, at least types you'll find in pet stores, will typically get live feeder fish in addition to their pellets as well.

[–] autumn@beehaw.org 2 points 3 months ago

i was going to suggest guinea pigs, too! they might be too "rodent" for wife, but honestly they're a lot more like smaller, low-maintenance rabbits. they have personalities for sure, and as long as you handle them from a young age, they can be picked up and hang out on your lap while you watch tv or whatever.