How Do People Have The Best Pets?????

[Shellybean02]

Note: We don't have agricultural property, just a small yard and flat. So as much as I would love to have them, bigger animals like big horse and cow breeds aren't an option either. Anyone who has had any pet at all in their lives, please let me know suggestions for my situation

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Hmm, that's a tough one. Why did your mom get rid of your chi? Is that the one you were working with?

Rats are a pretty interactive and cuddly pet, though they are awake at night. Mostly you'll hear them running in a wheel or moving around and you could potentially keep them in your room to avoid waking others up. They can be a but stinky though and are not for everyone (I love rats but the smell has kept me from getting any) I have friends that have them though and have never had issues with smell.

Gerbils are not cuddly but can be friendly and interactive. They are awake during the day so they shouldn't keep anyone awake and they really don't smell at all.

If your mom seems to get rid of pets with little notice, I would stay away from anything that is a commitment. Unfortunately that rules out dogs and cats.

Guinea pigs are nice but they can be noisy. Generally you need to keep them in groups which is fun because you can have more than one (same with the rats. You c ant have just one)

A rabbit might be a good option for you. You could keep it outside in a hutch but still bring it inside to play with. I'm not a fan of rabbits in the house though. They tend to smell like urine.

Hamsters are ok but not really cuddly and they are awake at night.

If you are in Europe (I can't tell but you mentioned a flat) I would look for duprasi. They are very hard to come by in the US but that was the best pocket pet I ever had. He was cuddly, didn't smell and was usually awake during the day. They are not nippy like hamsters either but can be active like gerbils. Awesome awesome pets.

 

[Shellybean02]

The quails would cry super loud at night, that pew pew pew. Carmella bit the little one's hands all the time, always stole her food, was very territorial, always ran to the neighbors' dogs/barked, and had a lot of accidents... many other things. She just wasn't fitting in and she went to a better suiting family. I'm in the US

I have been considering the animals you mentioned.

 

[Shellybean02]

I'm hoping one of these days I can go to Poland, I have family there. Last time I went I got a pet rat, he was so sweet. Maybe next visit I can bring a duprasi buddy home with me^.^ If they are allowed to fly from one country to another...

 

[Shellybean02]

... Did I scare everyone away? ^~^

 

[dainerra]

the reasons that your mom got rid of the Chi are ALL training and management issues. Toddlers and any pets need to be managed - that mostly means the toddlers don't have any access to the animal without a responsible adult closely supervising the interaction.

Honestly, I would wait until you are out on your own before you go looking for an animal. Hamsters, gerbils, or any small animal is going to be bad with toddlers. Small rodents are biters and don't stand up well to interactions with small children. So you would have to keep them entirely apart except for you allowing them to occasionally pet them on the back while you hold the animal.

importing animals involves a long quarantine period and is pretty expensive. You can purchase them in the US though they can be hard to find.

if your mom thinks a Chi was too loud, a guinea pig would be out. When they are happy they can be loud - they squeal like tiny pigs.

 

[Shellybean02]

If it's something that doesn't have to share the whole house with us(like pocket pets and reptiles) it doesn't have to be good with the kids. It's just a preference that they are gentle creatures, but not necessary. The kids don't really need a pet, I think we'll wait until the youngest is a bit older so she can understand more and learn how to treat pets. I really need something. And it's gonna be a while before I get to move out... hehe. My mom keeps talking about getting a big house with a fenced in big yard; hopefully by the time that becomes real, she says, I can have all the animals I want(of course I won't hoard animals, just get as many as I can manage^-^ )
With noise, it was just Mella's constant barking all day, and the quails all night.
By now I guess I can consider gerbils/hamsters, rabbits, and geckos/salamanders. What would you all say about ferrets?
Note: I'm very repetitive because of my bad memory... Sorry if I repeat something multiple times! Including this message...-_-
I had the wrong idea of a flat, for some reason I thought it was a flat little house; I was sure I learned that from somewhere... oops

 

[dainerra]

the thing is your mother's attitude toward the animals. all those reasons she gave away your dog? not a good sign of a family that would be committed to a pet. It's not that Carmella wasn't a good fit for your family (though Chis can be afraid of small kids). It was that the work wasn't put into her. All of those problems were training issues or at the very least easily managed.

I'd be hesitant to recommend any animal because I'm afraid that she would decide to get rid of that one as well.
Any animal is going to be a part of the entire family, whether they interact or not. They need vet care, training, daily handling and time out of their cage. They are noisy and do have odors.

 

[dainerra]

speaking as a mother, a dog breeder, and a pet owner I'd say to wait. No matter how devoted you are to caring for them, it's going to sometimes fall on your parents. There are school activities, homework that needs to be done, etc etc If the animal gets sick, the care as well as the bills are going to fall on your parents. Would they be willing to pay $100+ to take a sick guinea pig or ferret to the vet to see what is wrong?
Rats are prone to cancers and other issues. Would they be willing to pay $75 to euthanize a $4 pet?
Is your mom willing to get up every 2-3 hours to help nurse a sick ferret back to health?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I did not recommend ferrets, because I don't think they would be a good fit for your house. I had one when I was younger and he was a freakin amazing pet! However, I got pretty lucky with him because he had very little smell and he was very sweet. A lot of ferret tend to stink to high heaven and they can be active and nippy. They are not really a pet you cuddle with, they are expensive (Think about $500 or so to get started with cage, supplies, ferret itself, etc. Ferrets also need regular vet care and vaccinations, as they are quite susceptible to distemper. As ferrets get olde,r it is actually recommended that they see a vet every 6 months because they tend to get really bad adrenal and pancreatic disease. They are also a high maintenance pet that require regular baths, nail clipping, etc. Training them for a litter box can be done, but it is not as innate as training a cat and can take some time.

They are awesome pets and I may get a couple down the road, but definitely not a good pet for young children and they can be rather mischevious, which can be an issue for people that don't really care for animals.

I agree with the others. I had to wait until I moved out and was relatively stable to get a dog (thanks to vet school I can actually afford the care for her, otherwise I would have had to wait until I was done with school for good!) I did have a crested gecko in college though, and fish while I was home. Both were fun pets and the fish tank can be a really nice hobby (albeit expensive). The crested gecko is a nice pet, but mine is not cuddly. She tolerates holding fairly well though.

If you really want companionship (both people and animals) go volunteer at a shelter. You will become an invaluable member of the shelter, you will get to meet tons of cats and dogs, and you will really make a differene in their lives. There's volunteer work for just about everyone, from walking and cleaning, to helping with the feeding, vet care, and just playing/interacting with the animals. My experience volunteering with a shelter was what gave me the last push I needed to apply to vet schools, and I made lasting friendships with people that I still talk to!