a good starter pet other than fish

rats are good pets for children. much better than hamsters, as they are sturdier and much less nervous. rats are bold, intelligent and enjoy human company, they seek it out. my rat, when she sees you come into the room, comes up to the top of her cage to say hello and come out for a cuddle. the best way is to get a pair of females. they like the company, and females don't smell bad. because they aren't so nervous, they don't tend to nip

My nephew has a turtle.He is 6, has done really well with it so far. When I was younger I had a couple of newts. Their easy to take care of .

Get some frogs, turtle, or hermit crabs. They are all easy to take care of and wont bite children. We have a turtle and he is so easy. You feed and water him everyday of course and put new bedding in once a week. Dosent smell and isnt noisy. A land turtle needs atleast a 30 gallon tank to have enough room. Hermit crabs are cool to. They are just as easy to take care of. You feed them every other day and clean the tank once a week. You also have to bath them so they wont smell. Kids love this. You put them in just enough warm water to cover them, swish them around for like 10 seconds. They wont drown. They tuck up in there shell but the bacteria goes away after you wash them. Do this on the days you dont feed . So say mon you feed, tues give a bath, feed wed, bath thurs and so on. You can have up to 5 crabs in a 10 gallon tank. Frogs are just as easy. They have ones called dumpy frogs. They are biger than a normal frog and very docile. They make good pets. Clean there tank once a week and feed everyday. The dumpy frogs can be held as well. You can have up to 2 in a 10 gallon tank. Plus they dont smell either or make noise. Good luck with whatever you choose. Any questions feel free to ask!!! Have a great day!

I used to work in a pet shop and took care of all the animals. So I know how much care and time is required. Please head my warnings about some of the pets others suggested. I also have a 5 and 3 year old at home. I would never buy them something that would bite them! Ok so all animals might bite but some do no matter what! I would rather not risk it.

Parakeets, hands down. They are small, low maintenance, and very friendly pets. Unlike most birds they are also pretty quiet. Their noise is kind of a warbling sound. Some can even learn to say a word or two. Parakeets do not smell and neither does their poop. It is completely odorless. The maintenance is easy. Provide fresh food and water daily. They are messy eaters so clean out the tray at the bottom of their cage as needed. If you plan to handle and play with a parakeet you should keep his wings clipped. I have 5 cockatiels, 2 parakeets, and a lovebird. The parakeets are by far the easiest to care for.

i think a hampster is a very good first pet of course it really all depends on how old the children are. There are also guinipigs. They are a lot of fun to play with and make hardly any noise at all.

Ok, a couple things... Are the parents going to care for the pet if the girls don't? It's extremely likely that the kids will become bored. If the parents aren't willing to care for any type of pet, then these girls are just out of luck. Have them visit your pets or something. There is really no pet that children can just take care of on their own entirely. If the parents are going to take an active role in pet care, rats are excellent first pets. But parents must still be on alert for diseases and watch to make sure they are being fed, cleaned, and cared for properly. Here's an article I wrote on why you shouldn't get a pet for a child (family pets are fine, I'm talking about FOR the child and where the parents aren't taking responsibility): http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/173007/why_you_shouldnt_get_a_pet_for_your.html And here's an article debating the choices of a couple small and furries: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8727/your_child_wants_a_pet_rodent_which.html I do guinea pig rescue, and when parents ask me if they could adopt a guinea pig to teach their 5 year old responsibility, here's what I tell them: "Teaching your kid responsibility is YOUR job, and it's a pretty hard job. A 3 pound animal is not going to be able to do your job for you. If you led by example and show them that it's important to care for the pair of guinea pigs, feed them, take them to the vet, etc. then you're teaching them responsibility. If the child has the guinea pigs in their room and they can just neglect them, you dump them in a shelter once they're really sick and malnourished, then you just taught the child the opposite lesson." Usually such parents think they have the one kid who will take care of pets on their own. Sometimes they'll listen and realize that they don't want to care for the pet. Othertimes, they don't believe their child's enthusiasm would wan. So they go get them a pet at a pet store, and later they're begging me to take it. So parents should really think about this. Yes, parents all want to believe their kids are responsible. But let's face it, it just doesn't generally work out that way.

my first pet that was really mine,and I picked out was a spaniel mix we got from the pound when I was 4. her name was Johnny. we had her for many,many years,then we had her daughter. since then we have had alot of different pets and rescues.from hermit crabs,to hawks.dogs,cats,horses,pigs,goats,rats,mice,guinie pigs,all kinds of birds!horses,ponies,you name it. all require a commitment. hamsters are good,i love them,but i have a 4 yr old who id not let alone with them,because he is either too rough and they bite,or too gentle and they escape!we have a parakeet,and 2 cockatiels. the parakeet is normally pretty quiet,but when she hears other birds she sets up a really loud screech!. our hens are the easiest! they are really friendly,will keep the yard free of insects and scorpions,and spiders,and will even catch mice! they love to be held and petted and reward us with fresh eggs every day! dogs require alot of care and attention and are too often got as puppies who are sooo cute,then grow into big unruley dogs,who end up abandoned,or dumped at some over crowded pound where the can be killed or worse,sold to a lab. look at the creatures life span,are they ready for a pet that will live from 8-20 years or more? soem parrots live into their 80,s! as they age they require extra care,and often medications. even rats! they are prone to tumors,and we have had to have three euthinized due to tumors,and they had the very best care! picking out a pet,whether a first pet or a 21st pet,it should be something the entire familly should be involved in. if dad isnt thrilled with pets,is any pet going to have a happy home there? i ask,because it is the adults who are ultimately responsible for the care of the animal. an adult should check the pet every day,is it well, does it have food,water,clean bedding? dont just remind the kids to do it,make sure it gets done. its not a light discision to make,finding a pet.

Hi there, What about a hamsteror rabbit,there quite and easy to look after.