Opinion please for Christmas Present for animal mad son.....

sammy_kaye18

Hi peeps

Right, I'll get straight to it

My 8 year old Ben is animal mad. He's determined to become a zoo keeper and has asked if he can adopt an animal for Christmas ( like a zoo adoption) and if he can ask the local RSCPA to help them out over Christmas and take treats in for some of the animals. Like I said 100% ANIMAL MAD!

Anyway he wants a pet of his own. We have a rescue dog Bruno who is 11 years old and two terrapins but he wants a pet to live in his bedroom - his own pet but he wants something he can play with etc.

Anyway this has been going on since March last year.

For his birthday in May he asked again for a hamster, but with a Jack Russell terrier we werent sure this was the best idea - Bruno stays downstairs in our house - its only the bedrooms upstairs but still I didn't want to risk an escaped hamster. So we brought him a wormery, which he loved and he has been looking after them well but wasn't satisfied with that.

Well he lulled for a bit with the asking and since the beginning of August, hes been at it again asking for another pet. So I made him a deal that if he kept his bedroom clean and tidy we would see about a goldfish in his room, but he had to keep his room tidy otherwise it was a no as an untidy room was no state for a pet to be in. He asked why he couldn't have a hamster and I told him if he was responsible enough to clean, feed and care for a goldfish then maybe Id consider a hamster at a later date.

Anyway I should have given my son more credit because I presumed after a day or two of trying he'd give up and his room would return to its usual bomb site

It is now six weeks on, his room has been immaculate every morning, his bed made and him fully dressed before he leaves his room.

Now I know you shouldn't get pets for Christmas as presents but Im thinking of getting him his tank/filter/gravel etc and setting it up as presents and then after Christmas taking him to pick a fish or two.

Do you think thats an acceptable gift?

deadeyesteve

A promise is a promise

But seriously I think its a great gift considering most kids will be getting a computer game.

Dark_Star

Is he old enough to do one of those "shadow a keeper" type days that some zoos/animal places do?

Depends on your location/their age etc but could be something for the family to buy?

sammy_kaye18

Dark_Star wrote: »

Is he old enough to do one of those "shadow a keeper" type days that some zoos/animal places do?

Depends on your location/their age etc but could be something for the family to buy?

He is only 8 years old but I am seriously thinking about asking our local RSPCA if he can go and help out the staff with feeding/caring for some of the smaller animals for a day if they will let him with the possibility of adopting something (do the RSPCA even rehome hamsters/mice etc?) if so I think I would rather he learned a bit about them their first

I'm debating fish now as I think cleaning/catching etc will be quite hard for an 8 year old and I think I rather had something he would enjoy and be able to handle. Like I said he already has a wormery and I am thinking of adopting an animal in a zoo for him (we regularly visit Marwell Zoo and Chester Zoo if we visit either my grandparents or father) so I'm thinking something there that he could visit would be nice.

sammy_kaye18

I am thinking of adopting an animal in a zoo for my son Benjamin

My thinking is it will give him something to look forward to seeing when we visit family as we regularly visit Marwell Zoo and Chester Zoo if we visit either my grandparents or father so I'm thinking something in one of these would be nice

Plus it would give him something to research - ie what the animal is, eats, lives etc

Also he would know he is helping not only the zoo but helping towards that animals care and upkeep

So now the question is

What do I adopt for him? and this is where I need help with opinions.

~~~~~

At Chester Zoo he can adopt one of the following for £50 a year and he adopts the species not a specific animal - so I could choose one of

Red Pandas
Giraffes,
Elephants,
Orangutans,
Tigers,
Meerkats,
Penguins
Chimpanzees

and he will get

• Two Admission Tickets that can be used at any time during the year of adoption (each ticket is valid for one adult or two seniors/children)

• A Cuddly toy
• Your name displayed on a 'Thank You' plaque near your adopted species (by 20th of following month)
• One complimentary copy of our Z magazine, packed with conservation news and zoo updates
• Thank you letter
• Thank you card
• Animal stickers
• Image of your adopted animal species
• Personal adoption certificate
• A fact sheet full of amazing facts about your chosen animal
• A puzzle sheet
(part of me is wondering though if these are their main animals or conservation projects and therefore need the most funding or they are child favourites - ie penguins)

For £55 a year there is more of a range but they don't get additional information or the teddy/stickers which I think ben would enjoy) Plus all these animals bar the panda he will see and not have to try and spot in an enclosure
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Marwell he can adopt one of the following for £25 a year he can adopt a specific named animal and he gets

Go Wild Scheme For children. £25
Adoption Certificate
Recognition at your adopted animal's enclosure
1 FREE child ticket
Photo + animal fact sheet
Car sticker
Online Adopters Zone
(with one of the animals named Below)

Isabella the Giraffe
Chico the Meerkat
Eva the Penguin
Wendy the Pygmy Hippo
Indeever the Snow Leopard
Kaia the Amur Leopard


But for £50 a month he can adopt any animal of 20 different species and the only added extra he gets is a subscription to the zoo's magazine

Im thinking I could adopt him an animal in Marwell that he could specifically go looking for. What do you think?

I think I might even adopt a giraffe for Owen too.

BonandDom

We went through the whole hamster thing with DD, succumbed eventually but if I am completely honest I don't think they are suitable pets for young children. They have a tendency to nip and are nocturnal, so will play when your little boy is asleep. They also have a relatively short life span.

Have you considered rats? I was very apprehensive when DD wanted to get her first ones. They are great pets,live longer, love being handled, learn tricks, not smelly!! and are generally adorable. As I type I have Lilly asleep in my dressing gown pocket and Boo sat on my shoulder twittering away:rotfl:


If you do decide to go the small animal route, please do not go the PAH route, its heartbreaking to see old rats being sold as youngsters knowing that they will not have had the handling they love, crave and need as babies xx

dw85

BonandDom wrote: »

We went through the whole hamster thing with DD, succumbed eventually but if I am completely honest I don't think they are suitable pets for young children. They have a tendency to nip and are nocturnal, so will play when your little boy is asleep. They also have a relatively short life span.

Have you considered rats? I was very apprehensive when DD wanted to get her first ones. They are great pets,live longer, love being handled, learn tricks, not smelly!! and are generally adorable. As I type I have Lilly asleep in my dressing gown pocket and Boo sat on my shoulder twittering away:rotfl:


If you do decide to go the small animal route, please do not go the PAH route, its heartbreaking to see old rats being sold as youngsters knowing that they will not have had the handling they love, crave and need as babies xx

I'm sorry but I disagree, hamsters are great IF you spend time handling them correctly and building trust and confidence between yourself and the hamster. Poking it awake from sleeping is not the way forward (most common nipping)
8yr old is fine for a Syrian hamster(I admit, Ive had a few so I'm biased!) as the smaller ones tend to be fast and would probably escape easier. Don't worry about the dog (in fact fiances parents dog was scared of the hamster in the ball! Ran the opposite way!)

Rats are great too, again need to work with them but the results are greater. You can teach them to respond to things. But they need lots of attention and take up more space.

As for a present idea, I don't know where you are located, but I have seen a "tea with the tigers" experience thing, maybe that as a Christmas gift?

Sorry sidetracked...what about an ant farm? Or sea monkeys? Both cheap

What animals does your son tend towards?

sammy_kaye18

dw85 wrote: »

What animals does your son tend towards?

Hamsters.

Must admit I would like a pet he can handle as that is his main wish - he wants a pet he can handle and play with so perhaps a rat would be better - as its not so much nocturnal and is a bit hardier than a mouse.

Are they best kept in pairs?

I was thinking a rat would be more findable if it did escape in his room.

I have an old fish tank - about 2.5ft x 1.5ft deep and about 1.5ft high if not higher and Im thinking a mesh lid if we did get a small furry could be easily made as we have spare chicken wire in the shed.

I did mention stick insects and land snails to my mother in law earlier too - only problem is that my mother in law will be looking after said small furry if we go away and she is not very good with mice or bugs

MrsCrafty

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Hamsters.

Must admit I would like a pet he can handle as that is his main wish - he wants a pet he can handle and play with so perhaps a rat would be better - as its not so much nocturnal and is a bit hardier than a mouse.

Are they best kept in pairs?

I was thinking a rat would be more findable if it did escape in his room.

I have an old fish tank - about 2.5ft x 1.5ft deep and about 1.5ft high if not higher and Im thinking a mesh lid if we did get a small furry could be easily made as we have spare chicken wire in the shed.

I did mention stick insects and land snails to my mother in law earlier too - only problem is that my mother in law will be looking after said small furry if we go away and she is not very good with mice or bugs

I bought my son hammys, the little dwarf ones and I have never looked back and we have cats. The cats are not interested and the hammys are always in ds pockets etc. be careful about handling in pockets when they are wearing uniform, those things can chew!!

Mine are nearly 3 and I can't believe they are still alive! You can clean and leave for a week or so as well so no need for pet sitters!

deadeyesteve

What about ants? I know you cant handle them but they are very interesting insects, and he can watch them build and work. More of a underlying lesson behind it.

gibson123

Not Rats if you have a Jack Russell! my daughter has 6 rats and our wee jack-a- doodle torments the life out of them if he gets into her bedroom. They are too big to escape now, but when younger, they would get out and if he had been around I am sure he would have happily murdered them.