I want to get my daughter a pet. We have narrowed it down to 3 animals. A rat, a dove or a leopard gecko. I will be taking care of the cage cleaning but she'll be the one to feed and water and play with the pet (under supervision). Which would you choose or is there another animal that you think would be better? We already have a dog, 3 cats (barn cats) and a rat.
Anonymous
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If you already have a rat, get another one. Rats are tolerant of boisterous children, make very friendly pets and do need to be in pairs, so you'd be solving two problems there. :)
Doves and leopard geckos are not nearly so tolerant of the handling of young children. Geckos are really cute, but they are not that interactive. Doves have fragile bones.
Definitely a rat. Maybe more than one more...
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I own a Leopard gecko. That's a big NO for a 5 year old! For a 9 year old yes, 5, NO A reptile should not be given for a young child they don't really like to handled and played with in the way 5 year olds play. They get stressed easily. A dove is a delicate animal that requires a lot of clean up. A rat is your best bet! A hamster is good too! I had 3 hamsters when I was 5. (I'm 14 now) If you get a rat Get two! They are VERY social animals. And do your research!!!!
HK_X3
Probably a rat. Rabbits are NOT good pets for children. Yes they are cute and fluffy but they do not like to be cuddled and played with the way a child would want to play.
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I would say the leopard gecko. The only thing is they eat live crickets... and they are very noisy at night. And worms. But they are very gentle, as far as I know. (I have never owned one)
Hamsters are also nice pets, but can escape easily from a 5 year olds hands, and if not treated REALLY gently, could bite.
It sounds as if you already have a lot of bigger pets in your house, but a puppy or kitten (indoor kitten) would also be a great pet, depending on where you live and if you have the room.
Good Luck!
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The leopard gecko sounds cool, but another option is a parrot, some are really nice, and can be taught to say words with certain commands. I had a friend with a younger brother who had one and they loved it, but it does need supervision.