9 replies to this topic

[Iszie]

Hi!

 

My friend asked me if I know any pets who aren't cats/dogs/horses that are very affectionate. I honestly don't know, which is why I'm wondering if you have any ideas?

 

She's really quite afraid of biting, and originally was considering rats until she saw the damage from a bite. She's also not very sure about rats or mice in general and finds it hard to believe they're affectionate. She told me she'd love a pet who will sit on her lap and enjoy being pet. 

 

I thought maybe guinea pigs or rabbits, but honestly I don't have any experience with either so I'm not sure.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited by Iszie, 24 November 2021 - 03:31 AM.

[Tropical Hammy]

personally im not sure. although my friend has guinea pigs and they are very affectionate and sit on the lap for even up to hours! that might be a good one though. Have a good day, -Tropical~Hammy

[~Boba the Hammy~]

I think smaller animals in general are more bitey, can't really avoid that! But IME GPs and rabbits and rats all need a lot of time and effort, even compared to a dog, since you need to maintain their cage/area/roaming space and they are kind of like untrained dogs since they need a lot of cleaning and taming. I think GPs or rabbits or rats are their best bet, but all of those can and probably will bite, especially during taming.

[saf]

As others have said, biting is much more common in small animals since that is really their only form of defense. From what I have heard, rats are like miniature dogs and can be pretty affectionate. I don't really have any experience with them, but I assume that the usual nibbling and whatnot would still occur especially during taming stages. I'm pretty sure the really bad bites that you see aren't super common, but can still happen of course.

 

You also have to keep in mind that all animals are different, and certain individuals might be really cuddly and affectionate while others might prefer to be left alone. Certain species might have a higher chance of being affectionate, but there is still the possibility of having those who are independent.

 

Wearing gloves while taming and in beginning stages might be able to provide some peace of mind with the whole biting issue, although if it's a really big fear then it might be harder to own one of these animals.

[ajuniceu~]

I really like what saf said about how the majority of a species may be one way, but there's always the outliers that won't be like that.

Guinea pigs, rabbits and rats may be classified as friendly but I've seen and heard about many that will be more of a watch pet.

 

I'll just share my experience with rabbits to give your friend a perspective.

From my experience with rabbits, they can be extremely affectionate but also they WILL bite. I've had Odyssey bite me over 10 times in the past month, and 3 of those times she brought blood. I think especially with grooming, many rabbits will go for the fight or flight method, and if they go for fight, you can expect bites, scratches, etc and I wear long sleeves and pants while grooming Odyssey and even so I get scratched and bit multiple times.

[oDrifted]

Hi, as someone who has owned rats, I love rats, but personally do not recommend them for someone who wants a pet that's going to be affectionate. They're probably the most stressful pet I've ever owned.

 

My three boys were lovely, but they didn't want human interaction, pets, being held, nothing, which is fine, but they still wanted and needed out of cage time, about 1-2 hours everyday, I'd let them into a playpen I made everyday. But when they got older. Especially since you need to own multiple together, they're going to be around the same age, and once rats reach 1.5-2 they're going to start going down hill, and it's heartbreaking, expensive and taxing. Two of my boys both lost their ability to move their back legs, one got a broken tooth that needed cut, and tons of meds, and the other got a mammary tumor, which is very common, not to mention URIs which are also incredibly common, ( all three had multiple at some point) yet so scary. Rats can be cuddly, but often times they're not, they're prey animals still. I really don't think rats should be recommended as a cuddly easy pets.

 

I hope this helps.

[Iszie]

 

Thank you!

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Don't worry, my friend has done research - she does know that all animals individually are different and if they have a mouth, they bite. She's not a complete beginner, but I agree your reminder should be taken into account.

Thank you for taking the time to reply!

 

 

Thank you ally! I'll definitely tell her this. 

 

 

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, I'm sure she'll find this very helpful!

Edited by Iszie, 24 November 2021 - 05:32 AM.

[DraculaTheHamster]

It always depends on the animals personality and the level of work your friend wants to put in, maybe hamsters or a bird? My friend's cockatiels are very affectionate.

[Poptart~]

I own GP and mine are more watch, don’t touch pair. They like their own space and don’t want me touching them XD

I agree that small animals may be more likely to bite so maybe not a mouse, rat, gerbil, hamster, etc.

Though they are a lot of work rabbits are pretty social animals after tamed. There always are exceptions but in general they are social animals.

I’ve also heard that some reptile are very social animals but some people can believe that more than others. Some people will also cuddle with a reptile more than others so that is their option.

I recommend looking animals that are social and then look at what animals you can care and if there are multiple then you may want to stop and think about it for a bit before deciding what animal you would like as they are big commitments.

Sorry if this is no help

[Iszie]

I own GP and mine are more watch, don’t touch pair. They like their own space and don’t want me touching them XD

I agree that small animals may be more likely to bite so maybe not a mouse, rat, gerbil, hamster, etc.

Though they are a lot of work rabbits are pretty social animals after tamed. There always are exceptions but in general they are social animals.

I’ve also heard that some reptile are very social animals but some people can believe that more than others. Some people will also cuddle with a reptile more than others so that is their option.

I recommend looking animals that are social and then look at what animals you can care and if there are multiple then you may want to stop and think about it for a bit before deciding what animal you would like as they are big commitments.

Sorry if this is no help

Thanks for the reply, my friend definitely knows that all pets are big commitments and she’s prepared for any. She seems to be sorted out for now, and is in the process of deciding and researching further.