19 replies to this topic

[meadow~]

So if you guys didn't know meadow passed away and I reaalllllyyyyy want another pet. I have hermit crabs. I'm not allowed to get rats or mice EVER bc my mom is terrified of them :(((((((

suggestions would help!!!!

[Tiny Ball Of Fuzz]

What kind of pet? A small one, (hamster sized) or a larger one, (like guinea pig+ size)? What size of cage could you have? Budget? Lifespan? How much work do you want to put into the animal? How much time could you spend playing/interacting with it? Which group of animal, (as in lizard, bird, fish, mammal, etc.)?

 

Sorry, that's a lot of questions. 

[panda~]

Bunnies live fairly long compared to hamters. The thing is, they need tons of room and if you don't litter-box train them, then their poop will get everywhere. 

Guinea pigs, maybe? I don't know a lot about them, just the fact that they need lots of space and are best with a partner.

 

I also agree with the user above me, there's not a lot to work with so answering those questions would help

[~musical912]

What about gerbils? 

[TurboHamster]

Ahem. Guinea piggins. I love these furry balls running around my room. They are simply *ahem* the best small mammals (besides hamsters of course) They squeak, jump, purr, and so much more, I love them soo much. 

 

The only thing that you might want to consider about guinea pigs is yes, they are a lot of work. And keep in mind that boys usually should be kept in pairs, while females thrive in groups of three of more. Here's the requirements for cage size.

 

Daily:

• Feed the correct amount of greens in order to supplement their nessescary intake of Vitamin C, as their bodies do not produce them. 
• Clean and refill pellet bowl.
• Refill water bottles (you'll want 1 per piggy)
• Rearrange the cage (my piggies love remodeling)
• Refill the hay
• Spot clean if necessary
• Bonding practice if you get skittish piggies
• Brush long-haired piggies

Weekly:

• Completely dump all their bedding or put the fleece in the laundry​
• Thoroughly clean the cage with a water-vinegar mix or a pet safe chemical

Monthly:

• Clip nails if you haven't already
• If you have males, do a boar cleaning (search it up on Youtube)

Sorry for the mouthful, but all in all I know that guinea pigs are lots of work but I believe these fluff balls are worth it! 

[Whitewhiskers]

Ahem. Guinea piggins. I love these furry balls running around my room. They are simply *ahem* the best small mammals (besides hamsters of course) They squeak, jump, purr, and so much more, I love them soo much. 

 

The only thing that you might want to consider about guinea pigs is yes, they are a lot of work. And keep in mind that boys usually should be kept in pairs, while females thrive in groups of three of more. Here's the requirements for cage size.

 

Daily:

• Feed the correct amount of greens in order to supplement their nessescary intake of Vitamin C, as their bodies do not produce them. 
• Clean and refill pellet bowl.
• Refill water bottles (you'll want 1 per piggy)
• Rearrange the cage (my piggies love remodeling)
• Refill the hay
• Spot clean if necessary
• Bonding practice if you get skittish piggies
• Brush long-haired piggies

Weekly:

• Completely dump all their bedding or put the fleece in the laundry​
• Thoroughly clean the cage with a water-vinegar mix or a pet safe chemical

Monthly:

• Clip nails if you haven't already
• If you have males, do a boar cleaning (search it up on Youtube)

Sorry for the mouthful, but all in all I know that guinea pigs are lots of work but I believe these fluff balls are worth it! 

A few things I’d like to mention:

btw, guinea pig purring is a bad thing, it means they’re scared ;3

I have 5 guinea pigs (3 males 2 females not living together) and it cost $500+ a month with veggies, bedding, pellets, hay, etc. They are not cheap at all, they are super hard to take care of like Turbo mentioned, and are a huge commitment like a dog or cat. If you can afford them? Great! If you can’t? Don’t get them (I made that mistake, don’t get me wrong I love my piggies but oh my freaking god I had to get a job just to afford them)

 

anyway, here are my recommendations:

leopard geckos - cheap, friendly, small, adorable, great for beginner reptile owners (that are ready for the commitment and do research ;3)

gerbils - pretty cheap, friendly, small, cage is not as big as a hamsters, adorable, pretty simple

 

anyway, if you need more recommendations I got them

Edited by Whitewhiskers, 17 June 2021 - 12:45 AM.

[TurboHamster]

A few things I’d like to mention:

btw, guinea pig purring is a bad thing, it means they’re scared ;3 Okay, it's just that a lot of sources say its for mixed reasons, that you should look at the context to determine if it is good or bad.

Spoiler

 

https://guineapig101.com/why-is-my-guinea-pig-purring/#:~:text=Guinea%20pigs%20may%20purr%20out,is%20a%20sign%20of%20annoyance.&text=If%20your%20guinea%20pig%20is,be%20much%20concerned%20about%20it.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/purring-good-or-bad.139796/

https://wheekers.proboards.com/thread/9812/good-purr-bad

I have 5 guinea pigs (3 males 2 females not living together) and it cost $500+ a month with veggies, bedding, pellets, hay, etc. They are not cheap at all, they are super hard to take care of like Turbo mentioned, and are a huge commitment like a dog or cat. If you can afford them? Great! If you can’t? Don’t get them (I made that mistake, don’t get me wrong I love my piggies but oh my freaking god I had to get a job just to afford them)

Oh yes, they are expensive. However, for me personally, they diffently do not cost 500$+ per month, more around the 50$ range. But that's just me and I know where you are coming from, they sure are expensive!
 

 

anyway, here are my recommendations:

leopard geckos - cheap, friendly, small, adorable, great for beginner reptile owners

gerbils - pretty cheap, friendly, small, cage is not as big as a hamsters, adorable, pretty simple

budgies - pretty cheap I think, super super friendly, adorable, sweet, cage is small, not that difficult

 

anyway, if you need more recommendations I got them

Edited by TurboHamster, 16 June 2021 - 11:32 PM.

[Robosrock]

I have three leopard geckos and spend $5-$10 per month on food. I breed my own mealworms, but my geckos also love repashy grub pie and flukers canned insects but that’s not very common for leos. I’m mostly using them for my picky female that is currently gravid and laying.

Very sweet, chill, chase cat toys and snuggle with me. Low maintenance and only potty in one corner.

[Zula]

A few things I’d like to mention:
btw, guinea pig purring is a bad thing, it means they’re scared ;3
I have 5 guinea pigs (3 males 2 females not living together) and it cost $500+ a month with veggies, bedding, pellets, hay, etc. They are not cheap at all, they are super hard to take care of like Turbo mentioned, and are a huge commitment like a dog or cat. If you can afford them? Great! If you can’t? Don’t get them (I made that mistake, don’t get me wrong I love my piggies but oh my freaking god I had to get a job just to afford them)

anyway, here are my recommendations:
leopard geckos - cheap, friendly, small, adorable, great for beginner reptile owners
gerbils - pretty cheap, friendly, small, cage is not as big as a hamsters, adorable, pretty simple
budgies - pretty cheap I think, super super friendly, adorable, sweet, cage is small, not that difficult

anyway, if you need more recommendations I got them

Edit: Turbo replied quicker with great reasonings behind purring!

Hi, I’m no guinea pig expert but I have a basic understanding or them and their care.
I believe purring can be both good and bad, depending on the situation. Purring can be heard when a guinea pig is particularly content, though it can also be when as you said frightened or angry. It’s just about reading your guinea pigs emotions and body language to determine the reasons behind them.

While yes, from what I have heard I agree that guinea pigs are not “cheap” pets, however I would say, as with any pet there are “cheaper” ways of looking after them (without compromising their needs ie, quality food, vets bills, enrichment etc) which wouldn’t require $500 a month to be spent. Don’t get me wrong vets bills can be very expensive and they do add up, however there are other costs that you can cut down on that don’t effect your guinea pigs’ quality of life. Obviously, the start up costs will be a lot more expensive though, but after that the costs will be fairly stable.
I also agree that you shouldn’t get guinea pigs or any pet for that matter without being sure you have enough money to provide everything that they need.

Another thing, the other animals you mention you have put cheap and easy for all of them, I would like to disagree. There is not such thing as an “easy pet”, while yes, you might have an “easier” pet, all animals have specific needs that need to be met. Just labelling certain animals under categories like this can end up being misleading for people who maybe aren’t as educated surrounding pet care.

For example, budgies have extremely sensitive respiratory systems that can be irritated by things that you would expect (correct me if I’m wrong but I believe non-stick pans can be a problem) as well as they require a lot of outside the cage time, therefore needing monitoring and supervision for much of the day.


I would also personally like to add that if you ask for advice on what pets to get without details of what you are looking for, require, budgets, capabilities etc, please make sure to fully research that pet to determine whether it would be suitable as in many cases a random animal mentioned may not fit your lifestyle.

Also I am so sorry about Meadow, run free little one

Edited by Zula, 16 June 2021 - 11:49 PM.

[aspenthesmallestbean]

anyway, here are my recommendations:

leopard geckos - cheap, friendly, small, adorable, great for beginner reptile owners

gerbils - pretty cheap, friendly, small, cage is not as big as a hamsters, adorable, pretty simple

budgies - pretty cheap I think, super super friendly, adorable, sweet, cage is small, not that difficult

 

anyway, if you need more recommendations I got them

I would agree with Leopard geckos as a good option. The one thing is that they live 15-20 years so they are a big time commitment, and they need live insects. The minimum for them is a tank that is 24x12, but I would recommend 24x18 or 36x18, just because some aren't really happy in a smaller enclosure and it is harder for them to thermo regulate in a smaller space as it is hard to get a good temperature gradient in a smaller space. 

 

Another one, if you are okay with reptiles, would be a crested gecko. They are adorable, and can thrive in an enclosure with a variety of live plants if you also like plants. the minimum for an adult is 18 wide x 18 deep x 24 tall. They can live 10-15 years. Although, from my experience, they can be really stress prone, and sometimes they go from being completely tame to totally skittish and stressed. I would recommend live insects, but some decide they don't like them once they finish growing. They are quite a bit harder than leopard geckos, they are still great. 

 

Edit: I agree with Zula in that no animals are easy, including the ones I mentioned here. They may be easier than other reptiles, yes, but I don't think that either species is totally a "beginner" reptile, So just keep that in mind when looking into either animal. 

Edited by aspenthesmallestbean, 16 June 2021 - 11:53 PM.

[Lightning~]

 

budgies - pretty cheap I think, super super friendly, adorable, sweet, cage is small, not that difficult

 

 

oh god no lol, there not cheap AT ALL, and, yes most are friendly, but they can be mean if they want, and they cant live in a small cage, like any other animal, and they are VERY difficult

[Whitewhiskers]

 

A few things I’d like to mention:

btw, guinea pig purring is a bad thing, it means they’re scared ;3 Okay, it's just that a lot of sources say its for mixed reasons, that you should look at the context to determine if it is good or bad.

Spoiler

 

https://guineapig101.com/why-is-my-guinea-pig-purring/#:~:text=Guinea%20pigs%20may%20purr%20out,is%20a%20sign%20of%20annoyance.&text=If%20your%20guinea%20pig%20is,be%20much%20concerned%20about%20it.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/purring-good-or-bad.139796/

https://wheekers.proboards.com/thread/9812/good-purr-bad

I have 5 guinea pigs (3 males 2 females not living together) and it cost $500+ a month with veggies, bedding, pellets, hay, etc. They are not cheap at all, they are super hard to take care of like Turbo mentioned, and are a huge commitment like a dog or cat. If you can afford them? Great! If you can’t? Don’t get them (I made that mistake, don’t get me wrong I love my piggies but oh my freaking god I had to get a job just to afford them)

Oh yes, they are expensive. However, for me personally, they diffently do not cost 500$+ per month, more around the 50$ range. But that's just me and I know where you are coming from, they sure are expensive!
 

 

anyway, here are my recommendations:

leopard geckos - cheap, friendly, small, adorable, great for beginner reptile owners

gerbils - pretty cheap, friendly, small, cage is not as big as a hamsters, adorable, pretty simple

budgies - pretty cheap I think, super super friendly, adorable, sweet, cage is small, not that difficult

 

anyway, if you need more recommendations I got them

 

How do they cost only $50 a month? From what I’ve seen, totaled together per pig seems to be $50-100 on average for every guinea pig it seems. I mean, total together hay, pellets, veggies, toys, bedding/fleece, etc. it’s gotta cost a lot more than that… :\ I figured my pigs costed like $50-100 until I did the math… long story short: they honestly do not at all

 

Edit: Turbo replied quicker with great reasonings behind purring!

Hi, I’m no guinea pig expert but I have a basic understanding or them and their care.
I believe purring can be both good and bad, depending on the situation. Purring can be heard when a guinea pig is particularly content, though it can also be when as you said frightened or angry. It’s just about reading your guinea pigs emotions and body language to determine the reasons behind them. All my pigs only do it when you pet there lower back area, usually means they are uncomfortable and/or scared. Therefore, it can mean they are content, so I guess

While yes, from what I have heard I agree that guinea pigs are not “cheap” pets, however I would say, as with any pet there are “cheaper” ways of looking after them (without compromising their needs ie, quality food, vets bills, enrichment etc) which wouldn’t require $500 a month to be spent. Don’t get me wrong vets bills can be very expensive and they do add up, however there are other costs that you can cut down on that don’t effect your guinea pigs’ quality of life. Obviously, the start up costs will be a lot more expensive though, but after that the costs will be fairly stable.
I also agree that you shouldn’t get guinea pigs or any pet for that matter without being sure you have enough money to provide everything that they need. I’m not saying every guinea pig is gonna coat $500 a month but if you’re gonna get 2 be expecting to pay around $100-200, they aren’t as cheap as they seem, like all the veggies they eat is ridiculous lol plus hay and stuff, it’s gonna cost a whoooole lot. I just don’t want anyone to buy guinea pigs thinking they’ll only be spending like $20 because… thats not gonna happen XD

Another thing, the other animals you mention you have put cheap and easy for all of them, I would like to disagree. There is not such thing as an “easy pet”, while yes, you might have an “easier” pet, all animals have specific needs that need to be met. Just labelling certain animals under categories like this can end up being misleading for people who maybe aren’t as educated surrounding pet care. I’m talking easy as in not a komodo dragon. Yeah, I’m gonna say having a lizard that eats every few days is gonna be easy for someone who has hermit crabs which are a whole lot more difficult. Easy doesn’t mean you don’t take care of them (yet thats what everyone thinks) it means not hard to take care of. 

For example, budgies have extremely sensitive respiratory systems that can be irritated by things that you would expect (correct me if I’m wrong but I believe non-stick pans can be a problem) as well as they require a lot of outside the cage time, therefore needing monitoring and supervision for much of the day. Yes every pet is a commitment but that doesn’t mean they aren’t easy, I haven’t had budgies (but have done a lot of research and know someone who has some) and budgies don’t have difficult care like a dog or a cat or some other more difficult pet. They are good for beginners, but beginners who do the research and commit to taking care of them, because you’re not a beginner if you aren’t doing that you’re someone who doesn’t give a <fuzzy teddy-bear> about them lol


I would also personally like to add that if you ask for advice on what pets to get without details of what you are looking for, require, budgets, capabilities etc, please make sure to fully research that pet to determine whether it would be suitable as in many cases a random animal mentioned may not fit your lifestyle.  

Also I am so sorry about Meadow, run free little one

 

I would agree with Leopard geckos as a good option. The one thing is that they live 15-20 years so they are a big time commitment, and they need live insects. The minimum for them is a tank that is 24x12, but I would recommend 24x18 or 36x18, just because some aren't really happy in a smaller enclosure and it is harder for them to thermo regulate in a smaller space as it is hard to get a good temperature gradient in a smaller space. 

 

Another one, if you are okay with reptiles, would be a crested gecko. They are adorable, and can thrive in an enclosure with a variety of live plants if you also like plants. the minimum for an adult is 18 wide x 18 deep x 24 tall. They can live 10-15 years. Although, from my experience, they can be really stress prone, and sometimes they go from being completely tame to totally skittish and stressed. I would recommend live insects, but some decide they don't like them once they finish growing. They are quite a bit harder than leopard geckos, they are still great. 

 

Edit: I agree with Zula in that no animals are easy, including the ones I mentioned here. They may be easier than other reptiles, yes, but I don't think that either species is totally a "beginner" reptile, So just keep that in mind when looking into either animal. 

Yeah I forgot to mention the long lifespan… 

 

Imo, good size and a minimum for leopard geckos is 20 gallon. Not a bare minimum, they don’t have bare minimums, just something they would be content in, but they could always want bigger, but mine are happy in 20 so yeah I agree

 

I thought lifespan for cresties was 10-20 years? Anyway, yeah and plus daily misting which is a pain.

 

a beginner should be someone who is committed to taking care of them and is ready, I think they’re okay to start with. With my way of using “beginner” and “easy”, it’s not talking about a 5 year old for their first pet, but someone who is ready for the commitment but can’t handle something like a bearded dragon or something.

[Whitewhiskers]

oh god no lol, there not cheap AT ALL, and, yes most are friendly, but they can be mean if they want, and they cant live in a small cage, like any other animal, and they are VERY difficult

You definitely misunderstood what I meant by small cage XD but honestly I don’t feel like explaining so I removed it.

 
and that’s what I get for trying to help someone-

[TurboHamster]

How do they cost only $50 a month? From what I’ve seen, totaled together per pig seems to be $50-100 on average for every guinea pig it seems. I mean, total together hay, pellets, veggies, toys, bedding/fleece, etc. it’s gotta cost a lot more than that… :\ I figured my pigs costed like $50-100 until I did the math… long story short: they honestly do not at all

I pay about 20 dollars for bedding each month, 10 dollars for veggies, and I always buy big bags of hay so about 20 dollars for hay monthly, plus around 10 dollars for a monthly portion of pellets. So yes, around 60 dollars. I don't really spend any money on any other cage accessories, as I make my hides out of old cereal boxes and other cardboard boxes I use to make hay racks and chew toys. 

 

I think the reason you pay a lot more is because you have 5 piggies and I have 2...     

[Whitewhiskers]

I pay about 20 dollars for bedding each month, 10 dollars for veggies, and I always buy big bags of hay so about 20 dollars for hay monthly, plus around 10 dollars for a monthly portion of pellets. So yes, around 60 dollars. I don't really spend any money on any other cage accessories, as I make my hides out of old cereal boxes and other cardboard boxes I use to make hay racks and chew toys. 

 

I think the reason you pay a lot more is because you have 5 piggies and I have 2...     

Only $10 on veggies? Per pig I pay a whole lot more then that but… okay lol  maybe your veggies are cheaper at your store lol

 

actually that’s not why because technically the 3 other pigs are my brothers, if I just total together my 2 females it cost $200 (it’s approx. $100 per pig)

Edited by Whitewhiskers, 17 June 2021 - 12:56 AM.