Low Maintenance Pets?

Futurecrook

Hi, i was looking for advice on "low maintenance" pets. (If such a thing even exists ) My nieces are 6 and 4 and are longing for a puppy. Unfortunately, this can't happen as it's just them and my sister in the house and they would be out at school all day while my sister works so the puppy really wouldn't get the love and attention it needs. My sister really isn't a cat person so a kitten wouldn't be a good idea, and again, it wouldn't get much attention during the day.

The girls have fish, which they love, but they're so affectionate they'd really love to have a pet they can be more "hands on" with. The younger of the two is broken hearted that she can't have a puppy and is in danger of attempting to bring my dog home with her some day if I'm not careful. :P

Any pet would be well looked after it's just a matter of time to spend with it and the fact that my sister already has a lot to do in looking after the girls and the house - I don't want to add to her workload.

So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any pets that would be "low maintenace" (ie. easy to clean, feed, etc. wouldn't get too lonely being left alone all day) ? Or are fish the best option in this case until the girls get a bit older?

MAB83

A rabbit maybe? (I've never had a rabbit so maybe I'm completely off the mark and might not be as easy to look after as you'd think so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) Or would you consider two little dogs together so that one wouldn't be alone all day?

liah

Honestly I think they may be a bit young for a small animal, as small animals are a lot easier to hurt, even if accidentally, by dropping or picking up incorrectly, etc. They would probably be quite rough with them at that age.

Why not get an older small dog? They tend to be able to handle a bit more rough and tumble and that way you don't have to deal with all the trials and tribulations of a puppy.

Futurecrook

I agree about the small animals issue. I could imagine a hamster/gerbil getting lost/squished very easily. :P

I'm just thinking that a dog would get lonely being left alone from 9-5 every day. They require a lot of attention.

liah

Maybe get a pair of two older terrier breeds. Cairns are nice durable little family-friendly dogs, and if there were two they'd keep each other company during the day, and each little girl could have "their own".

They're not incredibly costly to keep, either, save for any unforseen vet visits.

Maggie.23

It's a nice idea, I hope you find something suitable, but I wouldn't recommend rabbits as they require quite a lot of daily care and maintenance.

Futurecrook

Thanks a million for all the replies. The "two dogs" idea might not be a bad one. I'll talk to my sister and look into it. I know the girls would be delighted with getting not just one but two dogs. :P

Any other suggestions are still most welcome though.

Sigma Force

I don't see the logic in getting two dogs even if they keep each other company at the end of the day two dogs is a lot of work, certainly not low maintinence. Also even if you had 5 dogs they still want their owner the most and it doesn't make much sense 2 dogs can be a handful if the mum is busy with two kids as well. Not impossible but the op specifially asked for low maintinence and dogs wether 1 or 2 or 3 aren't.

Rabbits should be kept in pairs and small animals like bunnies and guinea pigs don't make good pets for younger children they get too squeezed and unless a parent is prepared to watch the kids carefully every time the animals are out the critter can be accidently hurt. It again depends on the time the parent has to supervised the children.

I think perhaps leaving it a few years not specifically because of the childrens age but because in the origional post it's mentioned that there isn't that much time that can be given to the critter.

This might sound bonkers but you would be suprised how much kids will take to a toy instead like a fur real toy or lucky the wonder pup.
My young one has pets but she gets a real kick out of her lucky the wonder pup toy she's older though but even when she was younger and we had a lot of smallies I had to watch her like a hawk.

Clare Bear

I don't know, I think pets can be great for kids. But it depends on the children. My nephew was 5 before we allowed him to have a dog because up until then he was a little demon with animals and there was no way I would let my sister get him a pet. He adores dogs now and his two year old sister is amazingly gentle and caring with the dog so it all depends on the child. If a child is kind and gentle getting a dog will teach them some great lessons. Plus I find little girls are usually more gentle anyway? It really depends on your nieces Futurecrook but I definitely wouldn't rule out getting a couple of dogs for them.

liah

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

I don't see the logic in getting two dogs even if they keep each other company at the end of the day two dogs is a lot of work, certainly not low maintinence. Also even if you had 5 dogs they still want their owner the most and it doesn't make much sense 2 dogs can be a handful if the mum is busy with two kids as well. Not impossible but the op specifially asked for low maintinence and dogs wether 1 or 2 or 3 aren't.

At any given point in my life we always had at least a pair of (mostly very large) dogs if not more, and they would be fine when left alone for hours at a time. They mostly just slept, it's not a big deal as long as they had sufficient love, affection and exercise when the family returns home. A puppy would obviously be different, but an older pair should be grand.

I would also consider them quite a low-maintenance pet if there's kids running around to keep them entertained. Put down food, water, open the garden door when they need to go to the toilet and let the kids have the craic-- keeps them all out of the hair of the parents.

I grew up with dogs, had them since I was born, I would hate to deny anyone the opportunity to do the same, they make great best friends, babysitters and playmates, especially for younger children.

GAAwebsite

Hamster

GAAwebsite

Goldfish

Call me Socket

GAAwebsite wrote: »

Hamster

GAAwebsite wrote: »

Goldfish

haha! What's next- a photo of a dog??!?

I agree that small animals are not suitable for children under maybe 9 or 10- they're not toys, and children will be children and will treat them as toys...til the novelty wears off.
I also agree that 2 older dogs will be an lot less work than a puppy...BUT, there's no such thing as a low maintenance dog.
OP- you have your sister's interests at heart, and I have to say that 2 older dogs will still add to her workload. She will have to walk the EVERY day...with the kids being so young she'll have to take them with her. That's not easy in the lashing rain or the cold and dark of the winter months. If the dogs are kept outdoors, she'll have poo to clean up every day when she gets home from work. And their bedding will need regular washing. If the dogs aren't very shorthaired, she'll have to either brush them every second day, or have them groomed professionally every 8-12 weeks.
Then there's the vet fees....worming and flea treatments every 3 months, vaccinations every year, monthly payment for pet insurance...and if she doesn't take out pet insurance she may have massive vet bills in the not so distant future as their health deteriorates....older dogs need more health care and monitoring. If she fancies a weekend break...boarding 2 dogs will cost E15 per night at the very cheapest, and that's if they share a boarding room. Food is another addition to the budget.
Plus, the kids will still be very young when the dogs pass away....

Yes, the benefits of owning a dog are huge...undying love and loyalty and companionship, and the benefits do outweigh the work...they're well worth it. But...if you don't want to add to your sister's workload, then you should avoid recommending she get 2 older dogs, at least until the kids are old enough to accept the majority of the responsibility of caring for them...walking them themselves, grooming them, feeding them, cleaning up after them.

Pity she can't home a mature kitten, around the 6 or 7 month mark. The kids would love it, it wouldn't need as much care and attention as a dog, and if she rescued one it would already be neutered.
I've known a few "not a catperson" people who reluctantly took in a kitten for their kids to care for and ended up very attached themselves!...


I wish you the best of luck in finding a compromise for your nieces that they and your sister will be happy with

Sigma Force

To quote op

"Any pet would be well looked after it's just a matter of time to spend with it and the fact that my sister already has a lot to do in looking after the girls and the house - I don't want to add to her workload.

So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any pets that would be "low maintenace" (ie. easy to clean, feed, etc. wouldn't get too lonely being left alone all day) ? Or are fish the best option in this case until the girls get a bit older?"

I think op has answered their own question if someone isn't there all day long wether you have one or five dogs all day can mean 9 till 2 or 9 till 6 if 9 till 2 perhaps an adult dog might suit but not a puppy.

But honestly from ops post it doesn't sound like the mum wants a dog because she is as said already very busy.

Even guineapigs and rabbits get rehomed because people haven't the time for them and they take 10 minutes to clean and a pair of piggies is no trouble if you give them a little handling each day but still people consider them too much work when they have kids and work etc. So it depends on the mother herself as well, how much work is she actually prepared to do and does she really want a dog.

Perhaps op if you had another chat to the mum and discussed all the various critters suggested and see how she feels about it coz at the end of the day it's always the parent that ends up cleaning and feeding and vet trips etc.
At 4 and 6 the kids can help out so much but won't be able to take full charge.

liah

Call me Socket wrote: »

haha! What's next- a photo of a dog??!?

I agree that small animals are not suitable for children under maybe 9 or 10- they're not toys, and children will be children and will treat them as toys...til the novelty wears off.
I also agree that 2 older dogs will be an lot less work than a puppy...BUT, there's no such thing as a low maintenance dog.
OP- you have your sister's interests at heart, and I have to say that 2 older dogs will still add to her workload. She will have to walk the EVERY day...with the kids being so young she'll have to take them with her. That's not easy in the lashing rain or the cold and dark of the winter months. If the dogs are kept outdoors, she'll have poo to clean up every day when she gets home from work. And their bedding will need regular washing. If the dogs aren't very shorthaired, she'll have to either brush them every second day, or have them groomed professionally every 8-12 weeks.
Then there's the vet fees....worming and flea treatments every 3 months, vaccinations every year, monthly payment for pet insurance...and if she doesn't take out pet insurance she may have massive vet bills in the not so distant future as their health deteriorates....older dogs need more health care and monitoring. If she fancies a weekend break...boarding 2 dogs will cost E15 per night at the very cheapest, and that's if they share a boarding room. Food is another addition to the budget.
Plus, the kids will still be very young when the dogs pass away....

Yes, the benefits of owning a dog are huge...undying love and loyalty and companionship, and the benefits do outweigh the work...they're well worth it. But...if you don't want to add to your sister's workload, then you should avoid recommending she get 2 older dogs, at least until the kids are old enough to accept the majority of the responsibility of caring for them...walking them themselves, grooming them, feeding them, cleaning up after them.

Pity she can't home a mature kitten, around the 6 or 7 month mark. The kids would love it, it wouldn't need as much care and attention as a dog, and if she rescued one it would already be neutered.
I've known a few "not a catperson" people who reluctantly took in a kitten for their kids to care for and ended up very attached themselves!...


I wish you the best of luck in finding a compromise for your nieces that they and your sister will be happy with

I didn't really mean OLD dog, I just meant not a puppy. Something housebroken and at least trained on sit, stay, down and recall.

I mentioned small dogs as they would get plenty of exercise belting around the house with the kids, and a short walk. Or even just tossing the ball while watching tv for an hour or two. Small dogs are easy, they're not as liable to knock anything over so it's quite easy to exercise them in the house, especially if you turn it into a game with the kids.

As for vet stuff, I don't know, we've only ever had one serious vet issue with any dog we've ever had (around 7 or so at this point). Never had ours insured, but to each their own. Wasn't that we didn't value them, but we don't have life insurance for family members either, to be fair. If you get a sturdy little terrier they tend to not have that many health issues.

Worming & flea stuff (which can be debatable, I'm not sure what the flea situation is like here in Ireland but back home it's relatively seasonal) every 3 months isn't really that big a deal, and neither are the vaccinations. I wouldn't go as far to say that it would create much extra work.

Yeah, there's food to account for, I'll grant that, but it's the same with any pet. Boarding depends on whether or not she has any friends or family members who don't mind taking care of the beasts for a short time.

Terriers can live an incredible amount of time, we had one who lived to be fifteen, if she got them around a year or two old the kids would have them the majority of their life provided they don't get sick or run down.

Maybe I've just had a very odd experience with dogs, I don't know, but not once in my life have I ever considered them to be high maintenance or hard work, and there's not a thing in the world that can compare to a dog. Nothing at all.

anothernight

Do they like cats? They're very low maintenance as they don't need to be walked or bathed. They can also be very cuddly and loving, depending on their personality. Some cats don't seem to like children though so you'd have to be careful when picking one.

I'd strongly advise against getting a small companion animal. My sister had a rabbit when I was very young, which I accidentally choked to death by hugging him I'd imagine accidents could happen with any type of small animal

Wolfsberg

People who think a hamster is a suitable pet for a four and six year old obviously have no experience of hamsters.
I wouldn't recommend a hamster for a kid under the age of 11, 10 at a push.

Goldfish are ok I suppose (in a proper tank) but the OP said that the kids want something they can play with.

I suppose it doesn't seem like the right time for this family to get a pet... hamster or dog or whatever! The kids are still too young unless the parent is interested in doing most of the work and supervising at all times.

There will be nobody stopping them from buying any kind of animal but it won't be long before the pet is rehomed or goes missing.

Futurecrook

I had a hamster when I was about 11 or so and I definitely would not buy one for smalll children. I could definitely see the poor thing meeting an unfortunate ending due to squeezing, as anothernight mentioned. I don't want two traumatised children and one traumatised parent to deal with.

As other posters have said, I'm not sure the dogs would be a good idea at this young age. I might wait until the girls are older and can actually do their part in helping to care for them.

A friend of mine recommended turtles. Which I'm thinking might not be a bad idea.

.Rescue Me

Ah that's good to hear...i think you're doing the right thing...

Mmm...turtles- interesting. I know absolutely zilch and nada about them, but I'd imagine with tough shells they wouldn't be as fragile or as high maintenance as other small pets.

Oh, speaking of size, I have heard they can grow to the size of a dinner plate!!!:eek:

bigpinkelephant

Call me Socket wrote: »

I've known a few "not a catperson" people who reluctantly took in a kitten for their kids to care for and ended up very attached themselves!...

My mother is a prime example here. Never liked cats til her mother showed up with a kitten for a then-6 year old me. She loved it from day one.
We have quite a few now (most of them rescues) and my mother would never be without one now.

Mrs Fed

Dear all,

the wisest thing you can do is, as somebody already said, wait for the girls to be a little older.
I am a mother of two, i am on my own and it would be impossible to care after a dog also.
I have a cat, great animal.
I would not suggest a rabbit at all, I had one it destroyed the house and they are quite stupid.

I am a dog person but It is not right to have an animal just because the kids want it. it is a lot of work....doesn't she have enough to do?

Ciao

John Mason

what about turtles or a budgie

definately not a dog, it is so unfair leaving them cooped up all day

Wolfsberg

Turtles would be a disaster for young kids! Especially the usual sliders that most shops sell. Something like a musk turtle would be marginally less unsuitable.

Demonique

Cornsnake

Babies need to be fed twice per week and poo about twice per week
Adults need to be fed once per week and poo about once per week
They need their water changing on a daily basis
Don't mind not being handled
Docile and gentle-natured snake though tiny babies can be a bit nippy

Demonique

.Rescue Me wrote: »

Mmm...turtles- interesting. I know absolutely zilch and nada about them, but I'd imagine with tough shells they wouldn't be as fragile or as high maintenance as other small pets.

Oh, speaking of size, I have heard they can grow to the size of a dinner plate!!!:eek:

Speaking as a turtle owner, they are NOT low-maintenance. They're dirty, smelly and can be aggressive. The filters on their tanks needs to be changed on a daily basis (compared to once every 1-2 weeks with fish) and the water very quickly starts to stink to high heaven.

As far as Chelonians (sp?) go, tortoises are a far better bet than turtles.

You could also get a low-maintenance lizard like a leopard gecko.

JessieJames

MAB83 wrote: »

A rabbit maybe? (I've never had a rabbit so maybe I'm completely off the mark and might not be as easy to look after as you'd think so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) Or would you consider two little dogs together so that one wouldn't be alone all day?

good god no !! my rabbit is the highest maintenance pet ive ever had.. greedy needy cranky and a total diva ... lol i like the idea of 2 dogs but that would include double the exercise and attention they will need when they get home from school / work plus expenses.. fish are the best option it gives them enough responsibility but not too much, see over time how they get on with taking care of the fish:D