Good pet for a 12 year old?

While it may be hard, you need to look into the future, and realize that in 6 years you will most likely be going to college, or have a full time job etc, and even before that dating, etc. A pet with a shorter life span is probably better for a young child.

I would suggest a hamster or a gerbil. These small rodents are generally easy to care for(however, with any pet there may be a vet visit or two for injuries or emergencies). They do not require a long commitment(compared to a bird, ferret, etc), but still need to be looked after(cage cleaned, played with, etc).

Gerbils need to be housed in pairs. They require to live in a group of at least 2 same sex animals. Hamster would be a better choice if you only wanted one.

Hamsters can be a bit moody, but I have had one or two really good ones. I think they are more cuddly than gerbils, as gerbils tend to be more interested in moving about.

Geckos do have teeth, sharp little ones. Geckos are not really good for holding. They are nocturnal, and will drop thier tails if they feel threatened or if thier tail is grabbed. It may grow back with some species, but may not with others. I suggest a bearded dragon, however, a 10 gallon tank is not sufficient enough as they grow to a larger size. Why dont you get her her very own cat or kitten from a rescue facility or something like a guinea pig or ferrett. Lizards ned a quite a bit of care and thier initial cost can be quite expensive. Why dont you get her a rabbit or a chinchilla. They can be litter trained and rabbits can be found at shelters too! Good luck.

Well I would normally suggest rats. They are smart, affectionate, intelligent and easy to care for. They are very clean animals and rarely ever bit despite all the stigma. But, personally I feel rabbits don't make good pets because they're too jumpy and don't seem to have much personality. But guinea pigs are great pets and fairly easy to care for, but can get expensive. Guinea pigs are social and sweet animals and rarely every bite. They need a fairly large cage, a 32 oz water bottle is best, a ceramic food dish that can't be knocked over or one that clamps onto the cage, hay rack, timothy hay, food pellets, and vitamin c. Guinea pigs are fun to watch because of the way they walk and they jump into the air and squeal when they're excited. Here are some sites to look into.

cages (size standards, acceptable types, etc)

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

care guide, food, hay storage, medication guide, FAQ and more

http://beanmakers.com/#food

It's great that you're looking for information *before* getting a pet. A lot of people don't realize what they're getting into when they buy/adopt on a whim. And they end up with either a very sick or dead animal. Continue to research and decide what's best for your lifestyle and what you can reasonably care for.

I would definitely recommend either a rat or a ferret.

Hamsters can be really mean, and make an awful mess... and their wheel squeaks all through the night if you don't grease 'em up. Then again, they CAN be really sweet, too if socialized from a young age.

A guinea pig is probably the least expensive, but they take up about the same space as a ferret, and they're just not as fun!

A rat is pretty inexpensive, too, and they're really fun to watch! they're also really affectionate and intelligent. With rats, though, you need to get two because they really need rat companionship.

My favourite, though has got to be the ferret. they are incredibly affectionate, can be trained to come when they're called [same with rats] and they're just soooo funny!!!

Hermit crabs are cool, my friend has one, but they're just not too exciting... they are über easy to take care of, though.

A dog is a great family pet, but not as a pet specifically for your 12 year old. Same goes for a cat.

I know lots about most of these pets, and I would highly recommend a rat or a ferret.... I do have loads of reasons too... YIM me and I can help out more

you could email me, too, but i'm much more eloquent via IM teehee

Hope I helped!! ^ _ ^

Hello!

How about a ferret? If you live in Hawaii or California, they're illegal though. Inn other states, you might need a license, so check that!

Hamsters aren't as cuddly, but they're cheap, cute and fun to watch! You can carry them out of their cage and put them down in a secure area

Guinea pigs rock, you can cuddle them, they are soooooo cute! Once they get to know you, they may jump in they air and squeak out of happiness as if to say, "OMGOMGOMG!!! YOU'RE HERE!! OMG!!"

I prefer guinea pigs, but the others rocck too! I'm getting a guinea pig this summer! Whatever pet you get, do so much research that you become a know-it-all-- you want to be the best owner you can, right?

GOOD LUCK AND HOPE YOU FIND ONE!!!

A hamster. They're small and furry, and can learn to cuddle a bit once they get used to being handled. It's also great watching them in a hamster ball or on an exercise wheel.

Ask for just the one. They're small and not very messy, so there'd be no mess or fuss in the house (dogs and cats require higher maintenance and are much more expensive).

Well, a dog is always a good pet. if you dont have a yard you will have to walk it which can be good exercise and fun. there are small breeds if you dont have a lot of room. They can be pretty clean if not long haired, and they will need to be trained. a good small breed if you dont have a yard is a pug. They are good natured and dont require much exercise (about 45 mins.a day is good). If you do have a yard any breed will do as long as the yard is a decent size and you spend time exercising it every day. As far as Small animals most of them stay in a cage and cages are messy and none are much fun to watch for more then a day or so. I have 5 pets not including my 17 fish. I have had every kind of pet from a mouse to a horse dogs are the best!

A cat would be great.

Call your local vet and ask how much it costs and how many visits it takes to get their first years vaccines and to get him neutered or her spayed. Then show your parents on paper how you have budgeted to care for the new pet yourself.

Cats are great. They will keep your house and garage free of mice, or other pests. They are very clean. They can be strictly indoors or they can be indoor/outdoor cats.

Guinea pigs are great pets!

They are cuddly, sweet, cute, and so much more! But they are also very expensive!

I can give you a list of everything for/about them..

Prices will vary a bit, but this is for the items I recommend:

A good size c&c cage (this is the price of the one I have - it's two levels with 21 square feet)... $180 on http://www.ebay.com/ Do NOT use a pet store cage - they don't even have the minimum space required for just one guinea pig (7.5 square feet) and since guinea pigs are social creatures you should have at least two (male/male, female/female, or neutered male/female). Two guinea pigs need at least 10.5 square feet...I suggest you have a look at http://www.guineapigcages.com/ it is a site with lots of very good information about guinea pig cages and it has a store if you chose to buy one of their cages (it even has a very easy to read chart explaining how much room you should have for how many guinea pigs.)

Food: Do not use anything with colors in it. Dye is used to make it colorful and those dyes are harmful to guinea pigs. The nuts/seeds in some foods is also bad because guinea pigs can choke on those. Plain pellets are the best you can give them - I recommend using Oxbow Guinea Pig Cousine (it has more nutrients than most guinea pig foods); the price varies depending on the bag size you get: small - $4.99, large - $12.99 (I think...)

- 3 vegetable servings a day is recommended

- limit fruits to 1-2 Tbsp per 2 lbs of body weight and don't feed fruits more than once or twice a week

Vegetables:

- Red or Green Bell Peppers: one slice of a whole pepper, given daily; remove seeds.

- Broccoli: Half of a floret, including the stalk; twice weekly.

- Kale: 2-3 small leaves; twice weekly.

- Carrot: one baby carrot or a small slice of a large carrot, every other day.

- Romaine Lettuce: one large leaf; every other day.

- Celery: one 1/4 stick; weekly. Very stingy so needs to be chopped into very small pieces so the piggy doesn't choke.

- Dandelion Leaves: 2-3, average size; twice weekly.

- Fresh Grass: small handful; 3-4 times weekly.

- Baby Tomatoes: one baby tomato or small plum tomato. **remember to remove poisonous tomato top (green part). If using a slice of a large tomato; remove seeds.

- Cucumber: one slice, including outer layer; every other day. Very little nutritional value, but has a high water content and is loved by most piggies.

- Parsley: a few sprigs; weekly. Very high in calcium so be careful with a guinea pig prone to bladder stones.

Fruits: (fruits are sugary and acidic, so limit them!)

- Apple: one small slice, including peel; weekly. **remove core and pips.

- Pear: one small slice, including peel; weekly. **remove core and pips.

- Seedless Grapes: 1-2, *must be seedless*; weekly.

Bedding: Do not use pine or cedar bedding because it can cause Upper Respiratory Infections (U.R.I) in guinea pigs. I recommend using CareFresh - about $16.

Fleece is the best thing you could get because you will never have to buy bedding again. **Note: since their poops can't get buried with fleece, they will have to be picked up every day, and the fleece should be washed every week (this will vary depending on how many guinea pigs you have...) I don't have a price for fleece, but I know it isn't that expensive...

Water bottle: Depends on what size it is, but generally around $5

Food dish: I'm pretty sure it's under $5...I suggest getting one that is secured to the cage because guinea pigs accidentally tip the dish over and there is so much wasted food.

Hay: First of all, you have to know which hay is best for the status of your guinea pig...If your guinea pig is under 10 months (or is pregnant): Alfalfa hay. If your guinea pig is over 10 months: Timothy hay. Again, I suggest you get the Oxbow brand - $12.99 for a bigger bag (I think...)

Guinea Pig: From the pet store they cost about $35, but if you check local newspapers or http://www.craigslist.com/ you could probably find a guinea pig (or pair) for very cheap or free. Actually, I have seen guinea pigs on craigslist that come with *everything* (cage/supplies, and of course the guinea pig(s) ) and our very cheap (usually from $10-$60) or sometimes free.

Good Luck! :)

P.S: Please make sure you know exactly what your doing because guinea pigs have very special needs...for instance: they are like humans because they don't make their own vitamin C...Do NOT use a wheel or a ball because they can seriously injure a guinea pig. Guinea pigs backs can't bend like a hamster or gerbil. Guinea pigs can get serious back, leg, and foot injuries...

Oh! By the way, don't use pet store medicines/drops that go in their water unless a vet says, too. The water drops are very bad to use because if the guinea pig doesn't like the way it tastes it won't drink the water, therefore making it dehydrate itself...

i would consider a sugar glider or a lovebird both are very cudly and do funny things i have two suggies and a lovebird i would't get a chinchilla to much work i also have reptiles