My kiddos have been wanting a pet. My question is, what is a good first pet? I want to teach them responsibility but do not want to get them a dog or a cat just yet. I know pets are a lot of work, and I will be 100% watching them closely to ensure the animal is cared for.
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I think a great first pet would be a bunny! Theyāre wonderful! It all depends on the kiddos age though. Under 10? Fish would be ideal but 10 and up? A bunny is perfect!
Fish or maybe even a hamster
I gott my daughter a ball python a few weeks ago. She loves itā¦sheās 8. Idk if all parents would agree on that being a good first pet tho. Lol
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Believe it or not. Rat. Less work than a guinea pig. Very social. U get used to the tailā¦which gave me the creeps at first.
Fish actually require more attention than people think, and rodents are Terrible first time pets for kids. Donāt just jump into getting a pet because you think itās an easy thing to take care of. Do extensive research because just because it can live a certain way doesnāt mean itās a good life to live
My Son wants an Axelotle because his name is Axel 
supposed to be great pets though!
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Guinea pigs are like small dogs!!
A fish it looks easy but itās work cuz my kids havenāt asked for nothing since they fish died
Depends on age of the kiddos. Reptiles and amphibians carry salmonella and other gross things, so proper hand washing is needed. Bettas/goldfish need at least a 5gal with heat and filtration. Snakes enclosures need a lot of attention and maintaining. I think a hamster/guinea pig would be a good fit for littler kids who are good at handling small animals.
Whatever you do, donāt get a turtleā¦those things live FOREVER!!Jk lol good luck 
A bearded dragonā¦ Just do your research first.
Chicken my 10 year old loves em n takes very well care of them
A budgie or a cockatiel
Honestly I ran a rescue and in my experience I would say rats but only for a breeder not pet shop
They are like puppies, trainable, easy for kids to look after, they are far less like to bite than a hamster, they are very clean, not too quick, love attention and great with kids in general
Iām also happy to give u advice on proper care for them or any pet as ik pet shops give awful advice and usually sell stuff that isnāt suitable for pets x
Tortoise. My daughter has one and out of all the pets weāve had (fish, rats, guineas, hamsters, dogs, bunnies) I would say itās the one pet I havenāt had to do anything for, she takes care of it 100% (except asking me to pick up the odd bag of salad leaves) the setup can be costly but once you have it the upkeep is minimal
Please remember to do extensive research on whichever pet you chooseā¤ļø and thereās a LOT of misinformation out there. For example, a Betta needs an actual tank with live plants/heater/airator/ect, not the tiny bowls that they are typically advertised with
Dumbo rats or fancy rats.
I bought my son a puppy that was born 2 weeks before him. He loves her but sheās to big for him to care for.
So we bought a tank of gold fish & a tank of glofish. He canāt do much with them either.
So we got a baby tortoise he is 2 and can help water and feed him.
All together we have 10 fish, 1 tortoise, 5 cats, & 3 dogs. He tries so hard but the only one he is helpful with is the tortoise. 
A fish.
If they can clean the tank and remember to feed them, shows they can get a hamster or something around there. My first pet was fish( I accidentally killed it to warn of waterš¤¦š»āāļø) I then got a guinea pig.
my 5yr old son and his best buddy
A hamster 
every one had one of those when they were kidsā¦ We had two, my brother and me donāt like sharingā:joy:
Beta fish. Itās the most easiest fish to take care of.
You should just change the name of your page cause it never has anything to do with nails Dearly Nails 2
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Fancy Rats> their tail gets some getting use to but wonderful disposition for kids
Guinea Pig, my daughter is 9, my son is 5 and they do so great with him 
We have 6 chooks, 4 cats, 2 dogsā¦
Fishā¦beta fish are super easy
Honestly, fish are a lot of work, ive raised gerbils for 3 years, they are the easiest and most social animal i have ever had! Plus they dont stink 
Beta fish!! I had my first male at 12 and kept it for about 6-7 years 
. I had my female for about 4 years.
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Guinea pig has been easiest pet
Guinea pig or a cat liter is not hard
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My son (6) actually won a goldfish and a Halloween festival. He LOVED his fish and his little brother(3) actually liked it too.
Unfortunately the fish died (not his fault) but we got him a new one and expanded to a bigger fish take with more fish
A gerbil. That way they can form a relationship with it.
They will go crazy over it. Who ever doesnāt do chores for it? No Contact till next time chores for it are to be done.
Trust me it works!!!
We had a dog before I even got pregnant. My son is 4 he cleans up dog poop. And letās his dog outside. They are best friends.
Kids get bored with fish, hamster are small/fast/and bite. Rex Rabbits are a good pet for younger children in my opinion. Big enough and gentle enough to handle, they love to cuddle, and are easy to care for if they are litter box trained.
Fish, start out with a fish
Honestly easiest animal Iāve ever had are cats. They require just food, water and clean litter. Past that cats do their own thing 
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I would say cats guinea pigs are ok but cleaning cages suck cats will do their own thing and easy to have someone feed if you go on vacation
A beta fish they donāt require much just food and clean water
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Fish!!!,or hampster!
Hamsters. More responsibility than fish and can do more with them
Guinea pig or rabbit.
Hamster or rat we had both as kids
My mom got use hamsters
The good old dog. A good dog will protect the kid with itās life. As strange as it may sound most Kids and dogs have similar personalities and will be great playmates. Just make sure itās potty trained and you are good to go.
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Get them a fish or something that doesnāt bite where they can hold it and you can hold it.
Now you get a fish , you will want a gold fish and a sucker fish.
This way the sucker fish can help keep the tank clean.
With out a sucker fish you will have to change the water once a week.
Chinchilla, Hamster ,lizards ,fish rabbit, guinea pig. Are all great starter pets and depending on how long you want to keep it around all their life expectancy are different like a hamster lifespan is like 2yrs
Guinea pig for sure. 
Cats are the easiest.
hamster or Guinea pig
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Fish see if they remember to feed it and clean it out. Also very relaxing to watch
Leopard gecko or a tortoise. They are easy to care for and they can be handled safely 
Fish
Easiest thing to take care of
Or even a plant
I got my stepson a Venus fly trap and he had it for about a month
I told him if he can keep it alive weāll think about getting a pet
It died after a month and a half
And then he tells us it was our fault cause we didnāt water it
So I told him no pet
Guenia pigs I just got my grandsons 2 and they are the sweetestā¦
A Gold fish.
Theyāre cheap donāt make messes around the house,teaches child responsibility of cleaning the tank/fish bowl
& feeding it.
& should it pass away itās easy to replace/discard.
& if they take good care of it for a period of time go from there on what your comfortable with having in your home & know they can be responsible with & go from there. 
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My youngest got guinea pigs and my middle got rats. Doesnāt matter what kind of animal you get, as long as theyāre cared for, good luck in your search
I actually prefer kittens as a first pet. Cats by nature are fairly independent, need food, water, and a clean litter box, will be friendly and playful, but will also teach children (without hurting them too badly like a dog might) that they must be respectful or there are repercussion for mistreatment or āpoking the bearā. They also can be quite insistent when the food dish runs low or they need/want something. The only pet I know that actually says ānoā or āenoughā.
No pet quite like a dog. I say dive right into a dog you wonāt regret it 
DONT GET A HAMSTER. they die so easily and itās devastating.
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Pinny gig (aka guinea pig )
A cockateil. They are sooo social and lovable. Smart and funny too!
Fishā¦ Keep that shit simpleš¤£
I will say start small! I donāt recommend lizards/any reptile. They are quite the pet and fragile. And definitely not bunnies. I have two and they are a lot of work. Maybe a pet bird or fish with a proper cage /tank. Start them off with something they arenāt able to touch too often
Hi - i actually did a lot of research concerning that topic a few years ago.
Guinea pigs - not good
(Guinea pigs are animals who live in big families. They are used to being prey and running away from everything, that wants to touch them. They are stressed out, when being around loud and squirky children. You cannot take care of them in a species-appropiriate way.
Bunnys - not good
(Bunnys are quite the same like guinea pigs. They are used to being prey. Dont want to be touched or lifted up. Might scratch or bite. Also live in bis big groups in the wild. Are unhappy in a cage and get LOOOOTS of babies.
Hamsters - NOT GOOD
(Hamsters are active at NIGHT! They hate being woken up and get angry and frustrated that way. Hamsters want to dig. They come from the desert. They live really poor and unhappy lifes in those small cages. They die after a few months or 1-2 years because of excrutiating Stress and unhappyness.
PLEASE NEVER BUY A HAMSTER - THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS!
Rats - good one!
Rats are quite good pets for Kids. They can be trained and like to interact with humans. You have to have an eye on the interaction so that they dont get hurt. They can build a realtionship with humans. Rats are basically small dogs.
Negative: they dont get very old and thats quite sad.
Fish- fun to Look at, but no relationship
Kids like fluffy and furry things, they can cuddle. Fish are not for touching or cuddling.
However fish are a good pet to Start with and take responsibility of. In spite of not being able to pet the fish or ādoā something with them, Kids might loose interest quite fast.
Cats - great pets for Kids!
Cats will interact with children. They will bond and build a relationship.
Plus: cats just do what they do. If Children really threat them badly, the cat will just go away from them. Or it will use its claws for warning.
Thats how they learn, to be patent und accept others borders and Noās.
Cats get quite old and are great to cuddle.
Negative: they cant really be Trained and there are some cats out there that are just evil and hate people. 
Dogs - BEST PET EVER
I could tell you over a hundred reasons why dogs are by far the best pets for children (if trained properly).
They are best friends, helpers, teardryers and just great companions.
Get your child a dog, if you want them to have the best childhood possible 
Believe it or not, domestic rats make incredible pets. My son had several over the years. Theyāre very smart. He would nap with it on his chest n it would nap too. It would ride on his shoulder when he was on his bike. They donāt carry diseases n they love any kind of snack especially french fries. Lol. Donāt get mice cuz they are not the same. We really loved them all.
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Labrador. Great with children and placid in nature.
Hamster or a rabbit. But both stink, you have to keep up with cleaning their cages!
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Leopard gecko and bearded dragon
I personally think cat. They are really easy to keepā¦ And buy good litter and box! They take care of themselves.
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Guinea pig. Good first pet! Need two for companionship, do the research for care. Theyāre super friendly and live longer than hamsters if taken care of.
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Fish, leopard geckos, bearded dragon or hamster
Budgie easy to clean outā¦ Feed and water
Hamster or ratā¦if right litter is used ā¦no smell
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There is no such thing as a starter pet. Most fish have stunted growth due to conditions. You as the parent will still take a good amount of the responsibility. Dont use a living creature as a responsibility tool.
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Hamster gerbil or Fish Any of these would be good
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A cat.
Hamsters and guinea pugs are stinky and not the best animals
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Fish or maybe hermit crabs
We got our oldes fish fir her second birthday. Shes almost 5 and helps take care of them. Its easy to maintain the tank
A gerbil! We got one for our 5 and 9 yo! They love him.
Guinea pigs I think are one of the best first pets. They are easy to care for clean cage 1x a week. Give them hay food water everyday and play with them everyday
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Guinea pig, they are cuddlers plus a little responsibility.
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Cats are probably the easiest and low maintenance
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Maybe a fish or bird. Things like hamsters and guinea pigs are harder to maintain until they are older. Birds are cool and can be fun. Fish are āeasyā, but the upkeep can be a lot sometimes depending on the fish and set up.
We started with fish and hamsters
Goldfish but donāt let the pet pay the price if they donāt take care of it
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Cats are actually pretty easy to care for. You clean the litterbox, give them food & water daily. My son has had a cat since he was very little.
Anything but a bird ā¦ birds in cages are cruel and should be banned .fish Iād say ā¦
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I would advise against a bunny. A lot of people seem to think thatās a great first pet but from experience they are not easy to keep up with if youāre not ready
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(Precursor: Iāve owned the following and can only speak of these) Guinea pigs are extremely and constantly noisy. Plus they procreate like nobodyās business. Fish are boring and wonāt give the real interaction a bigger pet would give, which is what ur ultimate goal is. Birds are a ton of work, as u need to clean their cage thoroughly and religiously. Plus, sometimes u can train them to come to u and sometimes u canāt. When out of their cage daily, which they should be for set amounts of time, they poop on everything. Bunnies are really not people animals, even if u can train them to let u pet them. They poop all over, and I mean a TON, even if u potty train them. They are a prey animal, therefore afraid of everyone and everything. They basically donāt make very good pets in my opinion. Mice can escape their cage, even when u take precautions, and they can and will mate with their offspring, or even not take care of them. Sometimes ur sold a āmale,ā only to find out u really got sold a pregnant female. Ur not looking for a dog at this point u said. I know u also said ur not looking for a cat. But in my opinion, a cat would make the perfect first pet. Typically, theyāre not too rambunctious, and they basically take care of themselves. Feed them, give them water, provide a kitty litter box and change out, give it a bath if it will let u, and give it love. Easy peasy. U donāt have to walk it, tell it to calm down or get off of people, bathe it often, nor go to obedient/training classes. I love dogs and cats. Have both and love them equally. But dogs are definitely a lot more work. Anyway, I think getting a pet is a long commitment, of at least several years. So whichever pet u decide upon, know that if it works out, and u decide to get a dog or cat afterwards, which is ur goal, u may still have that other pet u started off with that will still need ur love, care, and attention. I wish u good luck.
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A HAMSTER is a good first pet.
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Honestly my Ball pythons are the easiest pets ever. But the bearded dragons are pretty easy too.
Fish ā¦ colorful fish. An aquarium is a perfect example of total responsibility ā¦
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Ball python or maybe a corn snake?
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Believe it or not I had a lot harder time taking care of my fish then my dog lol
Donāt get goldfish they are very messy have a huge bio load (ammonia) each goldfish requires 140l then 50l per fish! They also grow very large upto15" and can live to 45-50yrars IF in a pond. Cos thatās where they belong.
A small animal maybe a hamster? Or u could get a small tank and by some male guppies they are very colourful .
NOT fish!
You need to know about water changes, ammonia, PH levels, filters etcā¦not as easy as people think. I lost 3 fish due to being eggbound.
Lizards & turtles need special careā¦lighting, diet, housingā¦as they grow, where they live needs to change also (fish too)
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Please not a fish, unless you are going to do it properly. Guinea pigs are a good pet for kids
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