28 replies to this topic

[♥ChipTheHamster♥]

Whoever said hamsters were beginner pets, they must've never owned a hamster. I spend 1 hour a day catering for my queen. xD

Edited by ♥ChipTheHamster♥, 14 December 2020 - 11:49 PM.

[Tater]

Yeah, accually, I have a pasrley plant named Ashkeria! Plants are an awesome way to learn responcibility

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[IsAnyoneThere]

Two answers from me, and both are talking in terms of a "beginner" being a kid, but also apply in some cases to adults.

 

Plants, and family pet like a dog.

 

Plants: If it's for a kid, a plant or a small garden is a perfect way to know if they're going to keep something alive haha >.< water it, prune it, take care of it, think about what will happen if you go away for a holiday, etc. etc. It teaches responsibility and also shows how quickly they'll get bored with the novelty of it or not. Maybe a small vegetable garden or something similar.

 

Family dog: adults in the family have fully responsibility for feeding, training, vet bills etc. but having a family pet is a great way to start kids learning about responsibilities like daily walks, grooming etc.

 

SEPARATE ANSWER:

For adults, and by this I need to clarify I mean people who are legally in control of their own actions, eg. they can vote, have a job, etc. and also who have their own finances:

I would say a good "starter" pet if you're an adult, you've got your own place, your're financially stable etc, is probably a hamster. Hamsters are rubbish pets for kids, the don't do anything interesting mainly in the times when the kid is awake. For an adult who may work late or stay up late, they're more likely to see and interact with a hamster. If it's a complete beginner pet owner (even if they're in their twenties or thirties!), you really can't go much wrong with a hamster, even if you basically ignore it all its life, it's fine. If you realise that pets aren't for you, then as long as you are giving it food and water, your hamster is probably going to be fine. It's not brilliant, but it's also not awful. And dear gods it's not like getting a puppy only to realise you actually don't have the lifestyle that suits dogs and you don't know how to train it and OH they're expensive and oh yeah vet bills and walking and I wanted to go on holiday and .... you get my point

[rose1618]

Two answers from me, and both are talking in terms of a "beginner" being a kid, but also apply in some cases to adults.

 

Plants, and family pet like a dog.

 

Plants: If it's for a kid, a plant or a small garden is a perfect way to know if they're going to keep something alive haha >.< water it, prune it, take care of it, think about what will happen if you go away for a holiday, etc. etc. It teaches responsibility and also shows how quickly they'll get bored with the novelty of it or not. Maybe a small vegetable garden or something similar.

 

Family dog: adults in the family have fully responsibility for feeding, training, vet bills etc. but having a family pet is a great way to start kids learning about responsibilities like daily walks, grooming etc.

 

SEPARATE ANSWER:

For adults, and by this I need to clarify I mean people who are legally in control of their own actions, eg. they can vote, have a job, etc. and also who have their own finances:

I would say a good "starter" pet if you're an adult, you've got your own place, your're financially stable etc, is probably a hamster. Hamsters are rubbish pets for kids, the don't do anything interesting mainly in the times when the kid is awake. For an adult who may work late or stay up late, they're more likely to see and interact with a hamster. If it's a complete beginner pet owner (even if they're in their twenties or thirties!), you really can't go much wrong with a hamster, even if you basically ignore it all its life, it's fine. If you realise that pets aren't for you, then as long as you are giving it food and water, your hamster is probably going to be fine. It's not brilliant, but it's also not awful. And dear gods it's not like getting a puppy only to realise you actually don't have the lifestyle that suits dogs and you don't know how to train it and OH they're expensive and oh yeah vet bills and walking and I wanted to go on holiday and .... you get my point

I completely agree with everything you said. You pretty much read my mind 

[lil BIG dwarf]

I think family pets are best, as well as rocks and plants

[camsbox]

I chose plants because they’re fairly easy, but the reason why I didn’t choose the others is because the owner probably wouldn’t research enough. if enough research is done and applied, regardless of experience level, then debatably most pets can thrive. Of course the “wisdom” bit and problem solving comes into play but that can usually be solved with a google search.

Edit: grammar

Edited by camiandsherlock, 15 December 2020 - 02:47 AM.

[Robin~]

Plants are definitely a good way to see if you have the responsibility to handle a live animal. If you want something living they’re definitely your best bet for starters.

However, if you’re looking at actual animals, I’d have to say a dwarf hamster. I know, they’re not exactly as easy to care for as most people think, but they’re still on the easy side provided you have access to good resources. Honestly even fish are even hard to care for. It’s a lot more scientific and chemistry-related than most people think, especially when you’re cycling the tank. It’s a constant balancing act that can honestly take a lot of time to perfect. Not to mention tanks are killer expensive lol.
Also, pretty much all other types of animals live super long lifespans, typically around 10-20 years at least. With a hamster, if you don’t like them, you’re only committed for a year or two.

Even still, I would genuinely say to just get the animal you want. If you want to get into reptiles, start with a corn snake or a leopard gecko. If you want to get into birds, parakeets are nice for starters. If you want a dog, get the breed that suits your life style. As long as you go in fully aware of what that animal’s needs are, I don’t think there has to be a certain progression of experience in order to own that animal. Just take your time, and if people say that animal is “for more experienced owners”, just interpret that as “do tons of research because you won’t have that hands-on experience”.

[willa]

 

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anyway, here u go lo

[♥ Dwarf Hammie 360 ♥]

I agree with plants! In a way, they don't require too much work. You don't have to clean their cage, or take them out for walks! They also don't need to go to the vet! 

[nebit]

 

Family dog: adults in the family have fully responsibility for feeding, training, vet bills etc. but having a family pet is a great way to start kids learning about responsibilities like daily walks, grooming etc.

 

SEPARATE ANSWER:

For adults, and by this I need to clarify I mean people who are legally in control of their own actions, eg. they can vote, have a job, etc. and also who have their own finances:

I would say a good "starter" pet if you're an adult, you've got your own place, your're financially stable etc, is probably a hamster. Hamsters are rubbish pets for kids, the don't do anything interesting mainly in the times when the kid is awake. For an adult who may work late or stay up late, they're more likely to see and interact with a hamster. If it's a complete beginner pet owner (even if they're in their twenties or thirties!), you really can't go much wrong with a hamster, even if you basically ignore it all its life, it's fine. If you realise that pets aren't for you, then as long as you are giving it food and water, your hamster is probably going to be fine. It's not brilliant, but it's also not awful. And dear gods it's not like getting a puppy only to realise you actually don't have the lifestyle that suits dogs and you don't know how to train it and OH they're expensive and oh yeah vet bills and walking and I wanted to go on holiday and .... you get my point

See, I kinda wish the idea of the "family dog" would go away. It's such an ingrained idea, like having two kids and a picket fence. There are so many dogs who are acquired because that is the view of a "complete family", but the people are not actually prepared to properly care for a dog. There are grievous examples of this- where dogs are abused or abandoned, but also a huge majority of "family dogs" that are not living their best lives, but rather getting by with mundane care. If you want a pet "for the kids", a family hamster would be a much better choice for most families- small, MUCH easier to care for, not a long lifespan.

[IsAnyoneThere]

See, I kinda wish the idea of the "family dog" would go away. It's such an ingrained idea, like having two kids and a picket fence. There are so many dogs who are acquired because that is the view of a "complete family", but the people are not actually prepared to properly care for a dog. There are grievous examples of this- where dogs are abused or abandoned, but also a huge majority of "family dogs" that are not living their best lives, but rather getting by with mundane care. If you want a pet "for the kids", a family hamster would be a much better choice for most families- small, MUCH easier to care for, not a long lifespan.

 

Ah, I wasn't suggesting that the family get a dog as a pet "for the kids", but I was saying that if a family has a dog, it can be a good learning experience for children to learn about responsibilities etc. 

[partyowl~]

Honestly, rocks are the best "beginner pets." You don't have to feed them, walk them, etc.

 

If you want a living thing, plants! 

[mlel~]

Plants or rocks are great "beginner pets"!

[Forrestinno]

It's not so easy with hamsters. I would say that this animal is definitely not for the beginner because it requires a lot of time and attention. What does it take just to keep its cage clean and tidy? I spend a lot of time on it. However, the hamster was still my first pet. I recently bought a Yorkie and was worried about how they would get along. We all know about how weak-hearted hamsters are, but I couldn't even think of them becoming best friends . Later, while reading one of the yorkiemagazine.com articles, I found out that Yorkies are very friendly and love company. Now their friendship with Hammy seems like a routine thing to me, haha.

Edited by Forrestinno, 17 February 2022 - 07:47 PM.