Pets for the kids

gravitytolls

Kelinik wrote:

GALS - giant african land snails. I'm a big fan of small furries ordinarily but think these are quite a 'cool' pet and am looking into getting some for my kids.

My friend had a couple of these bizarre creatures. They don't really come under the 'pet' heading, but they are interesting ... for about 10 seconds.:rotfl: Trouble is they don't do much, and what they do do, they do slow.

judderman62

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle wrote:

Get a cat and shave it.

Wake up in the morning, feed it and kick it out. Come home in an evening, let it in and feed it again. Simple.

Haven't read the whole thread, don't seem to be getting the usual notices that someone has replied to thread I've posted in, but trust everyone has resisted doing a shaved pu**y gag :whistle:

Miss_Money

judderman62 wrote:

Haven't read the whole thread, don't seem to be getting the usual notices that someone has replied to thread I've posted in, but trust everyone has resisted doing a shaved pu**y gag :whistle:

:eek: :rotfl: :eek: :rotfl: :rotfl: hehehe yup resisted....

eira

Can't recommend rats highly enough-delightful pets. Intelligent and easy to train,clean and not smelly, continent,love humans-fabulous. Beware pet shop rats as they are usually the ones bred for snake food. Pet shops pick out the prettier ones but often sell them when they are too old. Find a local pet rat breeder -a young enthusiast is the best choice here. Rex rats are particularly delightful-little rounded faces , curly fur and cheeky personalities. Female rats make better pets as they are cheekier and less laid back than the males. My daughter's line of pet rats lived to be about 4 but that's very old for a rat.

They will travel in pockets or walk on a harness and one of ours used to be best friends with our ferret-going in and out of the cat flap together !

lil_me

Another big vote for rats as a pet for kids. I also have a bearded dragon but they cost a lot to set up, it cost me about £400 for Woody's stuff, all his lights, heaters, timers etc etc. Getting him looked after is easy for me if we go away on holiday as we have a pet shop who are experts in reptiles who sell them and offer 'holidays' service. Many people I know find it hard to get reptiles looked after as a kind neighbour will be usually less willing to handle live food (like crickets etc) where as filling a dish in a rat cage etc isn't problem for many.

Nenen

gravitytolls wrote: »

My friend had a couple of these bizarre creatures. They don't really come under the 'pet' heading, but they are interesting ... for about 10 seconds.:rotfl: Trouble is they don't do much, and what they do do, they do slow.

Oh no.... quite the opposite gravitytolls... You get loads of fun (and the gasps of horror from any audience are soooooooo rewarding) letting GALSs crawl up your forearm to 'graze' on the hairs on your arm!!!! Apparently the hairs contain the longed for calcium (as do cuttlesish) and they literally 'crop' your hairs as they eat their way up your arm... maybe you could offset the cost of them against Immac or razors.... how about that for a money saving tip???? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Re snakes... not all need such carefully controlled temperatures. My oldest ds has had an American Corn Snake for 10+ years... absolutely brilliant pet. You just need a medium sized vivarium (they only grow to about a metre long) and a heat pad up one end... snake goes to the place in vivarium she needs to for desired temp! Clean out once per month. Feeds on ready frozen mice... just defrost one or two per week. Handles easily, fascinating to watch... loads of quedos from mates! Can go without being fed for 2 weeks easily... so no problems going on holiday.

Rats are great... we've had three (ds now studying zoology) but like someone was saying about the parrots, rats are highly intelligent and so need lots of stimulation and playing with if they are not to become bored and aggresive. Also difficult to find someone to look after them!
Having grown up on a smallholding with horses, sheep and goats then kept pets with my oh and three children including dogs, cats, rats, snails, stick insects, guinea pigs and snakes I can honestly say the american corn snake is by far the easiest with good rewards.
happy pet owning!:beer:

lil_me

Nenen with the holidays and snakes, what about water ? I don't think I would have been happy leaving Tye for that long when we had him (also an ACS), being a heated tank the water also evaporates so not just providing fresh being an issue but also it just being there.

Kelinik

Nenen wrote: »

Rats are great... we've had three (ds now studying zoology) but like someone was saying about the parrots, rats are highly intelligent and so need lots of stimulation and playing with if they are not to become bored and aggresive. Also difficult to find someone to look after them!

Just thought I'd say that there is a rat-sitting list on the fancy rats forum, lots of peeps all over the country who'll take care of your tatties whilst you're away.

Rachie_B

*Louise* wrote: »

We had two hamsters......would stick to single ones in future...I heard squealing coming from the cage, lifted some of the bedding...and found that the bigger one was attacking the little one:eek:

So much for sisterly love

The bigger one was found dead one morning a week later.....looked like it had gone to sleep under the hamster wheel, and the smaller one had started running inside it...revenge?

syrian hamsters are supposed to be kept singly as they fight esp female ones ! as you found out !

the dwarf ones can apparently live in pairs though .....

but saying that we had 2 dwarf ones and i found one dead about 5 weeks after we had them ?

One of the families i nanny for has 2 giant snails ,i think they are kinda cute

Rachie_B

Just remembered this old thread

we now have 2 GALS

is there a DON'T feed list anywhere ? i know pav says they can have "most fruit and veg" ??

they must be sick of cucumber,lettuce and cuttlefish bless em! lol