All 3 of my kids begged for fish wanted them so bad 4, 6 and 9 so for christmas we hooked them up each got their own beta fish. Welp by march they were over it. My 4 year okd actually asked if he could flush his for a turtle 
so mama is stuck with 3 pretty fishies 
i wouldnt recommend a fish if your child is more hands on. Thats what did it for mine they would prefer something they could hold but thats just my experience 
good luck on whatever little critter you choose
I got a fish and that was way more work than I was expecting. Tbh I wish Iād just gotten a car from the beginning.
Get a hamster or maybe a box turtle. Ask the advice of your pet store employees for easiest care pets. Tbh a cat or dog might be much more intuitive of a pet for its care because their behavior is more like ours than many other animals. They are easy to connect to and bond with and their body language makes it clear what they need.
Please donāt assume that getting your child a small animal means that you wonāt have to do most of the primary care.
Guinea pigs need company as they are social animals. Rabbits need a LOT of exercise and also often company, and live for 8~ years. They are both wonderful pets but need a lot of sensitive care.
You may also consider a type of snake/lizard but make sure you do not buy an animal that will need a very delicate environment to survive.
Fish are actually very sensitive. We have one goldfish in our aquarium (30 gallons) and he creates so much biowaste that we have to mainly consider low output fish to pair it with otherwise the tank is filthy all the time. I tried to put some aquatic frogs in the tank as well and we werenāt able to maintain the tank, everyone got fin rot and we lost all the frogs and 6 fish. Imho a child canāt adequately care for fish because they are so sensitive.
I know you said no cat but I find the easiest low maintenance animals to have.
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Fish are not pets for kids. They require way more work than a kid will want to do. The same with rodents. I would not get anything in a tank that will require regular cleanings. If they are young, honestly I would just get them a plant instead of an (experimental) pet. Plants require all the care a pet needs without risking it dying on them. lol. They wont be as upset if a plant dies. Make it a harder plant to care for too. And if they can keep it alive for a few months they will be ready to care for a cute fuzzy pet that they really want. 
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I got my son (3) a betta fish
My son has guinea pigs. Heās only 3 and we watch super closely obviously but heās always the first to notice if theyāre out of food or water.
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We had dogs and horses before baby. They are a natural part of our family and kiddo will grow up with animals being a normal part of life.
Honestly Iāve personally had rats, hamsters, ferrets, fish, rabbits, lizards, snakes, turtles and now dogs. Dogs by far are the easiest for me care wise just more expensive. My kids have had rats, fish, frogs & guinea pigs
My girls had gerbils
Probably a cat, just feed and clean litter box
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Cats I believe can be the easiest and most low maintenance any type of exotic pet or pocket pet need extra care then they can provide at a young age
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My 2 kids first pet that was their responsibility to feed was 2 red earred sliders they do good about feeding them and telling me when the tank needs water.
Fish my kids love feeding them and watching them
Cats are the easiest pet x
Honestly a cat is probably easiest
Might get the eew factor for this but Seriously a Snake. Literally feed once a week or less, just need heat lamps and humidity. My kids LOVE our snake.
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Get a plant 
good way to ease into care for something.
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Cats use litter boxes and just feed them
We have a Russian dwarf hamster and the kids clean her once a week top up food etcā¦
We also have had a dog for longer but they hamster is their responsibility x
How old is your child? Hamsters and guinea pigs are a great first pet, I was 10 when I got my first hamster.
Go to the human society and pick them out a kitten or any catš»
Cats are super low maintenance
Cats are definitely the easiest. Rodents can easily get lost and you have to clean their cages etc. I have a lot of friends with horror stories about how their rodents died. Fish are easy but cleaning the tank isnāt always. Reptiles are more difficult. Cats really just need to be fed and their litter box changed, theyāre pretty independent. Dogs are much more work
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A fish. You clean the tank once a week and feed daily
Guinea pigs are awesome ! Very easy to care for and they will let you hold them too 
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Rabbits are hard. Iād go with a cat
If itās a toddler please do not get a small rodent. Chances are theyāll get hurt or broken bones because kids donāt know how to be gentle enough. Kitten or cat is best for any age
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Hamster (teddy bear hamster)
Iām going to tell you a story if you are considering fishā¦ for my sonās birthday we got him a 10 gallon tank. The fish he set his heart one was an oranda goldfish, that need minimum 29 gallon so we immediately upgraded. He got a second clown goldfish and some neon tetras. Airy, the oranda kept eating the neons. So we set up the 10 gallon in my office for the surviving neons and added 2 guppies a snail and some live plants. We had a hitchhiking pond snail on plants. My son fell in love with it before we knew that they are considered a pest. Will reproduce asexually and soon we had dozens. My kid couldnāt handle the thought of killing the OG snail named Bailey. So we set up a third tank for Bailey and bought a Betta to keep snail population in check. And that is how a simple birthday fish turned into three tanks and numerous new pets 
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Mine did GREAT with a cat n dog. 2 years they still feed and help clean poop ( age 3 and 6)
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Fish arenāt that easy if tank isnāt maintained correctly and chance of fish dying quick a teddy bear hamster is a very gentle hamster if handled correctly and will teach them to be gentle with a pet
Any type of rodent. Guinea pigs, fancy rats, hamster, gerbil! Fish die easily and its a heartbreak waiting to happen with kids.! Our sons first pet was a bearded dragon, & then he got leopard geckos.
Deff sone type of reptile or some type of rodent.
(We currently now have 4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 chinchillas, 2 rats, 3 guinea pigs, & 2 ball pythons.)
Cats are the easiest pet all the way around
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Rats need to be in pairs or more. As a small animal enthusiast and mom of 2 Iād reccomend a fish in an appropriate tank.
My kids have snakes, bearded dragons, cats, dogs & mini pigs. They do fantastic with them all. They are 7 & 9
Iād shoot for a kitten from human soc
My opinion would be a cat. They are low maintenance other than wanting Lovins all the time. But since u said no on the cat I would say guinea pig. Low maintenance as far as caring for them. Clean the cage once a week at least though cause they will get stinky. And a guinea pig will also teach them to have that tender touch. Get as a baby so that way it can be trained to be held and touched.
Rats! But at least two bc theyāre very social and need a buddy with them! Had them my whole life best pets ever
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Cats are literally the easiest pet of all time
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You could foster for your local SPCA. Great way to be able to foster a kitten or cat and see how it goes w the option to adopt if it works out.
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Get a pair of rats from a reputable Bree (not a feeder bin at the pet store, theyāre not bred for health and longevity) Rats well bred will live 1.5-3 years, sometimes longer. They need to be in at least same sex pairs and more is always better for their family dynamics. Whatever you do, get all the same sex or you will have 6-15 babies once a month!
Weāve had fish, dogs, cats, hamsters, Guinea pigs, Sugar Gliders, birds and turtles. If you want something they can cuddle up with, cats are really low maintenance. If you just want something they can watch and feed, fish are super easy. Our kids have always done really well with all their pets.
I feel Cats and Dogs are the easiest pets to care for.
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Goldfish or a geunie pig? But a cat is most definitely the easiest in the long run. Cats just need house trained then food put out everyday they do the rest themselves. Where as geunie pig and gold fish constantly needs cleaning and maintenance compared to a cat.
Never get a pet to teach a kid responsibility! Only chose to add a pet to your family if you are ready able and willing to take on all responsibilities for this animals life. The novelty of a āNew Petā wears off quickly and kids are over it. If your not ready to be the soul caretaker, donāt get one. I worked with animals and animal organizations for 10 years. Iāve seen a lot of pets get abandoned. A pet is for life!!! Not just to entertain kids
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Not a fish. Trust me here. Its definitely not a fish. Iād say a turtle or snake. Other than that a cat or dog but those can be high maintenance. Hamster, Guinea pig, and rodents need cage cleaning regularly as do birds. And they need socialization so you would need to get 2 to give them full quality of care. Fish tanks can be major maintenance and goldfish in small water tanks dont live long, they would need aquariums with all the add ons(pump, filter, thermometer, ect.)
My kids (4-2)start with fish, my son has had his for 2 years and loves the one he has because it follows his finger. Lol
My daughter had a rabbit for her first pet.
A 
, 
, 
or something they can catch, feed, and care for and then release into the wild.
I had guinea pigs. Theyāre great pets! They require maintenance, but if theyāre held alot and socialized, theyāre super sweet and content pets.
Guinea pigs are pretty easy pets and pretty fun to watch and interact with
A pair of rats from a breeder that breeds pets. They are like mini dogs and can be taught tricks and litter box trained if needed
Fish but it can be traumatic when they die
Personally i think cats are the easiest 
theyāre pretty laid back lazy animals. Just gotta clean the litter box and feed them. I like getting older cats from the shelter and stuff so theyāre not in the kitten stage and theyāre already litter trained and some with shots and stuff. With fish you gotta get filters and stuff and clean the tanks. If you over feed them they die. Rabbits and turtles and any kind of rat, guinea pig or hamster cages stink lol
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Bearded dragons they are so sweet and easy to care for
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My first pet was a hermit crab.
They store food and water in thier shell so if you forget to feed them for a day or 2 they will be fine.
You dont really need to clean thier cages often. Maybe once every 4 to 6 months.
They are safe to handle to you can get them out of the cage to spend time with.
They live a pretty long time
Start up cost for a hermit crab is about $100 more or less depending on fancy you want to go.
Just need to make sure to have bigger shells provided for when they get bigger.
My son has 2 leopard geckos
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an adult leopard geckoā¦ they are low maintenance and they eat every other day. i think this gives them a great start bcz its not overwhelming. if u get a baby its ok but they eat every day
My first pet was 2 parakeets it depends on how young they are.and they donāt get bored with them
Cats are the easiest. The most you have to do is clean a litter box and feed them. Fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles and things like that have a lot of clean up for them.
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Fish or hamster, fishes are easy to keep alive seeking as you donāt have to feed them everyday hamsters you can play with as long as you have the ball for them to run in
Guinea pig. Hamsters are too fast and hard to hold.
Bearded dragons are very mild tempered and easy to take care of also dumbo rats are awesome first pets.
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It depends on the kid really. Take him to a few pet stores and see whatās out there, what he reacts to most, thats where Iād start
Hamster! Thatās what I got my two kiddos, they love them! The black bear is the sweetest.
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Fish but you have to be careful bc they die easily
I have cats, dogs, ferrets, fish, snails and shrimp right now. In the past we had hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, hermit crabs and chinchillas.
Cats and dogs are the easiest and least expensive. Bunnies and guinea pigs require daily cleaning, bonding and their unlimited hay requirements can get expensive. Exotic pets require an exotic vet and that alone is expensive and could be hard to find depending on where you live. Fish need lots of testing for their water to be safe. Cycling a tank can take weeks to months just to be ready for a fish.
I would really suggest a cat or hermit crabs. Cats are cuddly so kids love them. Hermit crabs are really easy to care for once you get their habitat set up.
Whatever you decide make sure to do your research first. Google is not always the best. Join a fb group for that specific pet and just read to learn.
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Fish or dogs are the easiest in my humble opinion. Iāve adopted dogs for decades. I never get a puppy. One around two years old. I wish I had the gusto to adopt an elderly dog. The older the harder for adoption
A cat! Fed water and litter box thatās it . Easy and cute
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My daughter wants her own pet sheās 9 she wants a bunny for her birthday which is end of Dec so Iām going to get her a hamster to see how she does with that first then upgrade her responsibilities.
If the children are very young please think of fish. It kills me when I see the sweetest little children abuse animals without realizing what they are doing/
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Actual cat is easy unless itās a fish
Mine had a fish first but fish are boring lol then we did hamsters and they were mean and bit my girls now we have 2 cats and I wish we would have gotten them first cats are so loving and so easy to care for.
You donāt say how many kicks or their ages.
Hamsters, fish, Turtle.
Guinea pigs are actually wonderful pets!
Depending on the age of your children.
They have a lot of diet restrictions so you will need to take time to educate yourself on it, but all in all I had one myself and have had one for about a year that we got for my boyfriends youngest and she is great with cleaning the cage, feeding and playing. When cared for properly they are very smart, friendly, and clean. Ours is trained to only go pee in his litter panā¦ unfortunately they canāt control their little poops 
but they are easy to clean.
She was 11 when we got him, but they would be good for any child 8+ that knows how to be gentle, patient, etc etc
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Donāt get a fish theyāre so boring, the kids canāt clean the tank after they dump in a whole container of food and they die immediately 
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Rats are fantasticā¦really friendly and clever! Iād stay away from rabbits as theyāre a prey animal and donāt like being picked up and can give nasty scratches
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My mom did fish, hamsters and ferrets.
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A fish or a little hamster or guinea pig maybe even a cat
Iām advising AGAINST hermit crabs.
Us owners sometimes refer to having pet sand because they can molt under ground for months to a year.
Theyāre hands off pets. Require a minimum of 10 gallon tank per crab depending on size. Atleast 6 inches of the proper substrate. Primed fresh and primed salt water deep enough for the largest crab to submerge. Strawberries, Es, etc are alot harder to keep than PPs. They do NOT eat or use anything store bought at the pet store. Not āhermit crab safeā anything. Not calcium sand. Not food. Not cage. You need an aquarium sealed tight. Atleast 80 temp and 80 humidity. Theyāre easy to keep ONCE youāre educated but expect to spend atleaat 300$ for a setup. They need no less than 5 shells for each crab. They need variety to switch into. And hermit crabs have been known to live 40 plus years. Hermits are not kid pets or easy and cheap by no means. Theyāre nocturnal and theyāre not to be touched or let out to roam or bathe. The tank set up should have everything and more. Look up hermit crab association or the crab street journal.
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A rat. I used to have one. You can grow a real bond with one, teach them tricks etc. They keep themselves clean for the most part and as long as you have enough space for a decently sized cage it will be happy. Plus I think they are so adorable.
My rat never nipped or scratched or showed any kind of meanness towards me or anyone who ever handled her.
Quite honestly I think cats are a great first pet. You have to feed them, and change their litter box, and give them attention.
You have to do all of this with rodents as well except instead of a litter box itās a cage.
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Rats.
They are great pets. Friendly and intelligent.
Of course, you must teach your kids how to care and respect them.
They enjoy being handled
Hermit Crab or Betta Fish
Do not get a guinea pigs. Unless you plan on taking care of them properly which means not putting them in a small cage. They need fresh vegetables a few times a day and needs to be cleaned often and needs attention. Kids normally get bored quick and then the poor pigs get mistreated
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Everyone recommending rodents yet they bite more than reptiles and can take off fingers and give nasty infections.
Cat is the most simple least responsibility needing pet. You put out food like once a week and clean liter box. Then you give it attention when it feels like and theyāre no where as needy as dogs in that department.
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I donāt agree that fish are good pets for kids because they die. Also, how old are your kids?
All pets are a big responsibility and each come with their own challenges. Donāt go in expecting the children to take care of or even remember all of the responsibilities. Fish are not as easy as most people think, youāve got to keep the water peramiters perfect.
Beardon dragons are awesome pets for kids my three year and ten year old both have one but itās alot of work but they both are really good with them do the feeding of theirs
Only one you can treat at the vet!
Yāall. Stop recommending fish. I have dogs, a cat and several aquariums and fish are by far the most work.
If you think cleaning a litter box is too much you donāt want to take care of an aquarium. Vacuuming gravel, checking water parameters, water changes.
Fish are not easy pets.
Same for rodents and reptiles.
Cats are the easiest to care for imo.
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a pit bull they turn into big babies
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Fish I have rabbits as well but too much work for a first time pet ā¦ so I say fish my kids r learning how much to feed them and when to clean the tank ( which is only once every so often) depends on how many fish and what tank u get
A fish ā¦ easy to care for (if they forget they will survive), no handling , a fish if they canāt take care of a fish then no pet for them 
Cats are easy just have to change litter boxes and feed them dog would be too much a lot a work there
Rabbits are a great choice if you have a backyard. I owned several giant Flemish rabbits when I was much younger and they are incredibly smart animals. They can even be litter trained to a degree
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A little parakeet. There easy and the best little babies. I had at least 5 as a kid. They watched tv with me and they can actually learn to talk. Fish are hard and to much work.
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Prior to my sons birth we have (and still have) 2 chihuahuas and a cat. All seniors.
Last year for my sons birthday he started asking about a pet (thanks secret life of pets). So we went to Meijers and got a red betta fish and a 2.5 gallon filtered tank. The tank is ungodly easy to maintain. I do a whole water switch and filter switch once a month and wham, done. The fish is still alive and very happy. Then Feb of this year we got a hamster, she had babies at the shelter I work at after being surrendered with 5 others. Well we fostered her then decided just to keep her, they love about 1.5-2 years and sheās very social and happy. 2 months ago we brought home a new kittenā¦still in the āfoster stageā (we have over 200 kittens in our shelter right now so we bailed one out for a bit) and he will most likely stay, although the kitten we just fostered before him would have been my pick).
So its nice to say my son has a fish, a hamster and a kittenā¦what it really is is I have 2 dogs, a cat, a kitten, a fish and a hamster. Lord help me.
My son is responsible for giving treats, feeding if he remembers-although 99.98% of the time thats not happening.
You can get any pet as a first time pet, just teach gentle hands, respect the animals limits and absolutely do not rely on your kids being the providers of care until theyāre away waaaay older.
Stick to that and any new pet will make a great addition.
And make sure to instill that no matter what, if you move, if you get bored with the new pet, if it even just looks at you funny that no matter what a pet is a commitment for their whole life.
Too many people just get rid of them when. The glamor wears off, life changes or the kids by golly just donāt pay attention to or feed them anymore.
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How about a āpetā rock?