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I know dogs are very good companions but I'd like something that is less work. I can't get a cat due to allergies.
Any recommendations?
thread. One is MORE than enough!
Anyway what about a snake and a hamster. If you get tired
of the Hamster feed it to the Snake. Oh boy, here it comes!
pet rodents
We had two hamsters when the kids were little. Cute gentle pets. Lived in a little tube maze which had to be cleaned about once a week as I recall.
I had lots of mice and a gerbil or two when I was in college. Medical student down the hall had a pilfered lab white rat that could be very affectionate.
They also talk, which is sooo cute - and while they say only 1 out of 30 talks, I don't believe it. I think people just don't do it right or take the time. My males have talked and it was very easy to teach them, once they were finger trained.
Anyway what about a snake and a hamster. If you get tiredof the Hamster feed it to the Snake. Oh boy, here it comes!
Might not always work as expected:
[news.bbc.co.uk...]
Pity you can't have a cat. I too have a cat allergy but seem to have found one I am not allergic to. Try a cat with different breeding, such as burmese, or even short haired cats.
This one can talk and sounds exactly like his wife, really human.
Anyway Id recommend a Persion Jerd, lovely furry criters, their behaviour is like a hamster these animals are really clever, if you upset them they wont come near you again.
Sugar gliders are originally from Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, but the ones you will get from a pet store will be native to your country. Their export is not allowed.
They have big, dark eyes, beautiful stripes in their super soft fur, a long fuzzy tail, black ears that almost look bat-like, and look a LOT like the critters in the movie Gremlins. They are small and weigh at most 8 ounces. They **look** like flying squirrels but they are not. They are marsupials, complete with the pouch. :-) They are largely nocturnal, but are great "pocket pets".
If you like rodents, you will love sugar gliders. Get two, they are very symbiotic both to their humans and others of their kind. Don't get a M & F unless you get the male neutered, they breed faster than the tribbles from Star Trek! We originally had two, and were fortunate to see babies, but had to give them away - four is just to much chaos.
Get them young. The thing about sugar gliders is they bond to their human very strongly. You can carry them around in a padded pouch, like a purse, wherever you go. Sometimes she just puts them inside her coat or sweater, they snuggle in there and only come out when curious. Freaks people out when she's out in public. :-) They will sometimes come out, but seldom during the day, and if frightened they will come right back to you.
I said they look like flying squirrels - they love to jump and glide. One of their favorite "games" is for us to stand 6-8 feet apart and let them jump back and forth between us. Or put them on a high point, like a high shelf, and when they get done clowning around they will glide down to you. A friend of ours had one they would take to the park and play catch with, they'd toss it into the air and it would glide to the other.
They do bite, at first. But you have to let them know the bite doesn't bother you (even though it hurts like hell.) The younger you get them the easier they will bond with you. Ours only nip now when you're trying to keep them from getting somewhere they want to go, or they mistake your pinky for a peanut. :-)
Sugar gliders live to about 15 years. They are awesome pocket pets. Contrary to their name, they should NOT be fed on sweet fruits - these are just treats and supplements. Their diet is largely vegetables, protein and grain, we usually mix up peas, carrots or green beans with tofu, cream of wheat, boiled egg chunks, a dab of baby food, and a bit of diced apples or mango. Half a peanut now and then is a treat, this will make them fat if they get too much.
It's fun to watch them hunt crickets too, we throw a few in their cage now and then. (We have a HUGE 6 foot glider-atorium in the corner of the living room.) They are expensive at first but like I said they live to 15 years or so and are awesome little critters.
Try to avoid pet store gliders, find a breeder in your area, they are actually quite popular among pet people.
[edited by: rocknbil at 7:11 am (utc) on April 30, 2007]
We have an assortment of pet rodents. There was one I rescued from an abusive home who was my favorite. We just lost him due to old age.
what is "old age" for a rodent?
if you upset them they wont come near you again.
That sounds like the family I work for... say, would you consider adopting?
Pet Rock [super70s.com]
Low cost. Low maintenance. Doesn't fly. No partner required but is suggested. Offspring could take a millenium. Will outlive most, if not all of its owners. Comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, etc. Can be customized to your liking. Keep in mind that diamonds are rocks too and make excellent pets given the right owner. :)
Have you considered sheep?
We actually have friends that had sheep in their backyard but they were too hard to care for in an urban environment.
Sugar babies sound cute but they are illegal to own where I live.
The cutest pets I saw at the pet store recently were chinchillas, but my kids think they are too jumpy and active. They want something more cuddly. Some friends have chinchillas and they really aren't a pet you can sit and watch TV with.
If you can get past the mess, and the destructive nature by keeping them in an enclosure you MUST be aware of the noise factor. Every morning and evening they will go through their "vocal events" that can be ear piercing.
Once, while on the phone with a client, one of our cockatoos decided to start screaming for attention, the client said "do you have a monkey there"? A tad bit embarrassing.
That being said, they can be great pets... as long as you know what you are getting yourself in to.
rocknbil, do you know the scientific name of the species of sugar glider that you have?
Petaurus breviceps - you can get a *lot* more info on the various sites throughout the net, including legislation in various areas. Some European countries allow them, there is one UK message board dedicated to them.
Sugar gliders sound cute but they are illegal to own where I live.
I'm guessing . . . California, where nearly everything is illegal. :-)
The curly coated cats (Devon Rex, Cornish Rex ...) are supposed to be hypoallergenic, the hairless (Sphynx) cats too.
Those Sugar Gliders are too cool! I've heard Flying Squirrels also make good pets (probably illegal in your state?)
[edited by: MamaDawg at 9:32 pm (utc) on April 30, 2007]
they are incredibly loud, monstrously destructive and very messy.
Read an article about a rich family whose parrot got out of its cage for a weekend. Destroyed thousands of dollars worth of fine wood paneling.
Parrots can live 75 years as I recall. You may be buying a pet for several unborn generations.
Read an article about a rich family whose parrot got out of its cage for a weekend. Destroyed thousands of dollars worth of fine wood paneling.
Out last dog chewed a hole on custom wood paneling that cost $800 a wall (and that was years ago so in today's dollars it would be much more than that.)
I enjoy other people's birds but I'm probably more interested in some kind of small mammal. I've considered getting a bunny but I've heard they gnaw a lot and can be very destructive, too.
[edited by: JudgeJeffries at 7:39 am (utc) on May 1, 2007]
A ferret maybe?
I'll second that one, I thought ferrets would be on the ornery side until my stepdaughter got one. It's very tame and personable, doesn't resist handling at all, sorta like a cat, and likes to follow you around the house. When you stop walking and look back on it, it drops flat for a minute, like it thinks it's invisible, then starts hopping this . . . happy dance . . . . pretty funny.
Anyone know about this?
All animals stink. :-) No more smelly than pet rats, my daughter had those for a while. The good thing about ferrets, you can tell when the'yre going to "soil." They back into a corner. Most animals just go on the fly, with a ferret you get a warning.
