A lot of parents seek to teach their children about animal care with their first pet. But which one should you get. In this post I will be listing the pros and cons of a few small animals to help you make your decision.
Hamsters
Pros
Don't take up much space
Quite
Low maintenance (depending on the hamster)
Can create a wonderful bond
Little mess
Cons
They are nocturnal
Need a lot of taming
Can bite when scared
Can be high maintenance
Dwarf hamsters are prone to diabetes
Hamsters can get wet tail (check my post on wet tail)
Hamsters get bored quickly so needs a lot of stimulation
Gerbils
Pros
Very inquisitive
Confident and friendly
Little mess
Don't need as much taming as hamsters
Can create a wonderful bond
Needs to be in pairs or more
Cons
Needs a deep home to burrow
Needs lots of bedding to create tunnels
Can bite when scared
Can de-shed tails when scared or picked up by tail - this will leave them vulnerable to illnesses
Needs to be in pairs or more
Rats
Pros
Very friendly
Larger so easier to handle
Can create a wonderful bond
Needs to be in pairs or more
Can teach them tricks
Cons
Can be messy and smelly
Can bite when scared
Requires a lot of space to climb
Needs to be in pairs or more
Prone to breathing problems so much be on litter pellets
Prone to many health problems, such as tumours
Guinea Pigs
Pros
Can create a wonderful bond
Needs to be in pairs or more
Very easy to tame
Very rarely bite
Cons
Needs to be in pairs or more
Needs a lot of space
Can be noisy
Can't produce their own vitamin C
Can be very messy
Prone to ring worm which can be passed onto humans
Rabbits
Pros
Can create a wonderful bond
Needs to be in pairs or more
Very rarely bite
Can be easy to tame
Cons
Needs to be in pairs or more
Needs a lot of space
One needs to be neutered
Not all rabbits like humans
Can fight if same sex couple and neither are neutered
Needs yearly vaccinations
Overall, if you are looking for a first small pet for your child, I would either go for guinea pigs or gerbils.
© 2022 Ware Pet Products.
Comments