Pet question

[JeffreyLebowski]

OK, I live in an apt with my gf and her 2yr old, but i want to get a pet of some kind. a cat or dog would be good, but i'm affraid that the kid might not be to good with one. So i'm thinking of something small that can live in a cage and out of reach of the kid, like some kinda rodent(hamster, gerbil,gunie pig) . The woman won't let me get a lizard. and birds are to noisy.

Anyways, do any of you peeps have a pet like this? what precautions do i need to take with one of those?

 

[911paramedic]

Get a fishtank.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

but fish are boring, everytime you play with them or try to excersise them in the toilet they can't seem to fight the current.

 

[MikeMike]

screw the woman and get a nice big snake!


fish would work

gerbils will die easily and the 2 yr old will be easily effected by that death


why not a dog?

get a puppy and train it so i wont hurt the kid and be mean

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

can't really do dog or cat cause my apt has like a $300 pet deposit :Q

Snake i don't want. i had one before when i had a place with lots of titling so he could slither around on his leash, this place is all carpet and they don't like that.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
can't really do dog or cat cause my apt has like a $300 pet deposit :Q

Snake i don't want. i had one before when i had a place with lots of titling so he could slither around on his leash, this place is all carpet and they don't like that.

They don't????? My snakes (all 7 of them) never had a problem with carpet.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Sundog

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
can't really do dog or cat cause my apt has like a $300 pet deposit :Q

Snake i don't want. i had one before when i had a place with lots of titling so he could slither around on his leash, this place is all carpet and they don't like that.

They don't????? My snakes (all 7 of them) never had a problem with carpet.

mine hated it. he would put his head on it, then turn around. one time i dropped him on it he did an inch work thing and got most of his body off the ground and stayed that way till i picked him up.

 

[ScottyB]

What about a rabbit? You can train it and put it in a cage at night.

 

[AndrewR]

Guinea pigs are surprisingly bright for small animals and a little more interactive than gerbils or hamsters. They also aren't as small and susceptible to crushing deaths at the hands of overly affectionate children. An ex-girlfriend of mine had one, and it was rather cute, though I'm still very much in favor of dogs.

We had a hedgehog for awhile, but I wouldn't recommend one with a small child. Those spines DO hurt, and hogs can be rather ornery by nature. Cute pets, but not for small children (and often illegal in many states, for some bizarre reason -- not that we cared).

 

[BMdoobieW]

Cat! Obi-Wan Kenobi

 

[bleeb]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
but fish are boring, everytime you play with them or try to excersise them in the toilet they can't seem to fight the current.

if you get the right kind of fish they are far from boring.... Get a small OSCAR... and when it gets to mid-size you can start feeding it "feeder fish"... its pure animalistic carnage... you see blood and scales being ejected from the gills of the OSCARS after they SWALLOW the feeder fish whole. Plus, as they get use to you, they get tame enough that they allow you to touch their sides while cleaning the tank. Its cool.

 

[her209]

How about a snake?

 

[FoBoT]

Guinea pigs and fish are both awesome

 

[NTB]

I'd still go for the fishtank. Get an Oscar - as far as fish go, they're reasonably intelegent. The ones we used to have would eat right out of your hand . Only problem is that they get big, fast. You'll need a fairly large tank.

Personally though, I'd rather have a) a big, colorful tank w/lots of different fish or b) some sort of "theme" tank - modeled after a specific environment & stocked only with fish from such a place. For instance, one of my friends kept Chiclids - lots of rocks, a reef-looking environment - and my family has also kept native fish. Set the tank up to look like something out of a river or lake, and kept Bluegill, crappie, catfish and (wild) minnows.

Nate

 

[bleeb]

Originally posted by: NTB
I'd still go for the fishtank. Get an Oscar - as far as fish go, they're reasonably intelegent. The ones we used to have would eat right out of your hand . Only problem is that they get big, fast. You'll need a fairly large tank.

Personally though, I'd rather have a) a big, colorful tank w/lots of different fish or b) some sort of "theme" tank - modeled after a specific environment & stocked only with fish from such a place. For instance, one of my friends kept Chiclids - lots of rocks, a reef-looking environment - and my family has also kept native fish. Set the tank up to look like something out of a river or lake, and kept Bluegill, crappie, catfish and (wild) minnows.

Nate

link up some pictures. You can't really get a feel for what you are talking about without plenty o pix.

 

[NTB]

Wish I had some, Bleeb. Unfortunately I don't have any pics on my computer, and the ones I was talking about have all been taken down. The only tank left in the house is the turtle tank in my dad's room, and he hasn't cleaned it in a while - a little grungy looking. If I can get the glass cleaned up, I'll post a pic tommorow or something.

Nate

 

[jcuadrado]

my vote is for the Oscar fish...I have an 8in Oscar now..he'll eat anything you throw at him...feeders, crickets, chicken, beef, whatever..

he is tame enough for me to "pet" him...or he can turn into the predator that he is in the wild with live food..

and they can last like 10 years or so....and get HUGE..up to 14-15 inches in the right tank.

-JC

 

[NTB]

Hmm..did some digging around and couldn't find any good pics on the internet anywhere either. 'course, I haven't been looking that long. I'll try again tommorow. D@mn, this thread make me want to set up a fish tank again! I want a big one though - 55+ gallons

Nate

 

[Brutuskend]

I vote for Guinea pig.
I had one once. And although its not a DOG as rodents go, they'er not bad.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Guinea pig are pretty cool. They make cute little squeaky sounds .

One of my friends had rats while growing up and I always thought they were fun to play with.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

well i was at the pet store and saw stuff they have for fish tanks. they have a whole bunch of Sponge Bob Squarepants stuff. That would be cool. Make an underwater world. Though if i do go with fish, i want something BIG so i can make a little landing area for some hermit crabs.

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, I live in an apt with my gf and her 2yr old, but i want to get a pet of some kind. a cat or dog would be good, but i'm affraid that the kid might not be to good with one. So i'm thinking of something small that can live in a cage and out of reach of the kid, like some kinda rodent(hamster, gerbil,gunie pig) . The woman won't let me get a lizard. and birds are to noisy.

Anyways, do any of you peeps have a pet like this? what precautions do i need to take with one of those?

What's that you say?

 

[Fausto]

Chinchillas are neat critters. They have a lot of personality for a small rodent-type beastie. Two caveats tho: they live a LONG time (like 20 years) and are kinda fragile physically (very fine bone structure) so you gotta make sure the kid can't get his hands on it and squish it.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
OK, I live in an apt with my gf and her 2yr old, but i want to get a pet of some kind. a cat or dog would be good, but i'm affraid that the kid might not be to good with one. So i'm thinking of something small that can live in a cage and out of reach of the kid, like some kinda rodent(hamster, gerbil,gunie pig) . The woman won't let me get a lizard. and birds are to noisy.

Anyways, do any of you peeps have a pet like this? what precautions do i need to take with one of those?

What's that you say?

this is what i say