Perfect pet........rabbit, gerbil, kitten or bird???

[happyhen]

Just to throw out another option, what about a guinea pig?

They never bite, are small and cuddly, yet large enough the the cat won't "hunt" it (mine never did), easy to care for and can live about 5 years. They respond to humans with the cutest little "whheeep" sounds, and are just very sweet and loving pets.

Just a thought....

 

[kdcrws]

Gerbils are nocturnal and are pretty noisy at night. ave u thought about guinea pigs? Much bigger than a gerbil so kitty may be less likely to think they are food. Plus they r diurnal! Here is a pic of my two

 

[kdcrws]

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my thoughts exactly!!!!

 

[gritsar]

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Another rat vote from me! They make perfect pets for kids the age of your son. They live longer than the typical gerbil or hamster too. Rats are more forgiving of the sometimes rough handling from a kid. My daughter had a pair that became the family's pets as well as hers because we all enjoyed them so much.

 

[silkiechicken]

I find that one of my favorite small animal type pets are hamsters. Easy to keep contained, can be easily potty trained to use one corner for urination, easy to maintain, not too expensive and not high demand like most birds are. Birds tend to leave dander everywhere and when they flap, toss those pesky millet husks all over the room that are a pain to get out of carpets. Loved my two parakeets, but they were noisy, liked to yell at each other for fun, and if not careful when out, are prone to getting into shoes, tight corners, and dangerous places.

 

[Bec]

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I agree 100%! They make the best kids pets!

I HAD to edit: That (above) is ADORABLE!!!

 

[greenthumb89]

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gerbils are not nocturnal hamsters are, gerbils are diurnal and are less likely if not at all bite usually the bitters are mistreated. i have gerbils and did research on thema nd it makes me angry when people say things about them that are not try but, my vote is for a rabbit or a guinea pig. rabbits are naturally clean animals and can be litter trained there are also small rabbit varieties like mini lops, netherland dwarfs and mini rexs that all make wonderful pets, they can be easily kept inside or outside but i suggest you have the smaller rabbits in a larger building like a garage instead of right outside. guinea pigs can be taught to follow you and ive always wanted one but never got one. and both come in a wide variety of colors.

also if rabbits are given the diet they need and dont have to dusty of bedding they really dont have that many health problems just try and find a local rabbit breeder and ask about the culls, they are usually the coolest looking ones because their colors are unique, and they could probably be sold at a lower price.

 

[CountryMom]

I vote for guinea pig as well. However, that is because we have an entire HERD! We breed and show fancy kinds. My son (my youngest of three) started with his favorite all time American Guinea pig Elvis when he was 4 years old. Elvis was young and has brought him many awards in showing. GPigs rarely if ever bite, they are full of personality, easy to care for (my kids even help with cleaning cages - and they are big), and something a kid can play with and cuddle. Gosh knows Elvis has driven every toy tractor he owns! ALL of my cats are afraid of our pigs. They just soon run and hide from them then even stick a paw in the cage. That includes my barn cats that follow us into our special pig barn. And there is nothing like a piggie begging for fresh veggies when you wrinkle the carrot bag!

Let me know if you ever have questions on guinea pigs.

edited to add a link to our caviary... so you can see all the different types of guinea pigs out there....at least the ones we have... you can find a breeder easily in your area....
http://community.webshots.com/user/cowgirlcaviary

 

[kdcrws]

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gerbils are not nocturnal hamsters are, gerbils are diurnal and are less likely if not at all bite usually the bitters are mistreated. i have gerbils and did research on thema nd it makes me angry when people say things about them that are not try but, my vote is for a rabbit or a guinea pig. rabbits are naturally clean animals and can be litter trained there are also small rabbit varieties like mini lops, netherland dwarfs and mini rexs that all make wonderful pets, they can be easily kept inside or outside but i suggest you have the smaller rabbits in a larger building like a garage instead of right outside. guinea pigs can be taught to follow you and ive always wanted one but never got one. and both come in a wide variety of colors.

also if rabbits are given the diet they need and dont have to dusty of bedding they really dont have that many health problems just try and find a local rabbit breeder and ask about the culls, they are usually the coolest looking ones because their colors are unique, and they could probably be sold at a lower price.

so sorry.... wasn't meant to be offensive... I stand corrected and will never accuse the gerbil of being noctural again!

 

[GwenFarms]

My vote is guinea pig too. Someone gave my special needs daughter one and I thought it was an awful idea at first, but who knew!! Turns out it is a great pet. Much more like have a small cat. You can hold it and cuddle with it without it constantly trying to get away. I've had rats before and they were nice pets, that I may like to have again, but nowhere near as cuddly as a guinea pig. I plan to get to get another as my reading has shown that they should be kept in pairs atleast, just make sure it's same sex if you don't want babies.