Poll of the Day > Any of you guys own any small pets? Rodents, reptiles, tarantulas, etc.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Been thinking of getting one and wondering what y'all would recommend
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My mom owns five ferrets. I don't like them, but she loves the hell out of them.

pros: They're cute.
cons: They make a mess, steal stuff and if you let them roam, you've got to watch and make sure they don't get into stuff they shouldn't, or get out of the house.
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My older brother has a lot of crazy pets at home, mostly Scorpions, some Tarantulas, a few hundred cockroaches (to feed the scorpions), and more. He likes arachnids, and he usually trade them with his friends.

3 snakes, I guess I would recommend it.
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I have a couple of guinea pigs, they're pretty nice except while holding them there's been a couple of times they've pooped on me :(
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ATM, no, but did own/had a turtle (Mom used to pick them up outta middle of the roads, xD) Gerbel, Hamster and Guinea Pig as a kid.

ANd my Bro had Parakeet (small Bird) once.

I've owned a chinchilla.

I heavily recommend a guinea pig.
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My brother owned a pair of guinea pigs when I was younger. He didn't take care of them, they were filthy and noisy and I am not eager to relive that.
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I used to own an iguana, which wasn't much fun. I had newts, which were okay. I've had hamsters, which were alright. I had Egyptian spiny mouse, which were kinda neat. Had parakeets, which are okay, but they make too much news and they're basically like fish in that you can't do much with them.

I've had friends with ferrets and those are crazy mean animals.
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I've heard that bearded dragons are great lizards to get. Apparently they're friendly and easy to care for, but eat a lot.
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Had a geko. Super easy to care for. Couple crickets a day. They don't need special heat lamps a regular terrarium light is fine.
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Just... just don't get a chinchilla.
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Used to have dwarf hamsters as a kid, don't really recommend. They're cute, but they reek and tend to be anxious about being handled for longer than a minute or two at a time. Perhaps if raised differently, they would be more friendly? I was not the ideal hamster owner as a child.

A friend of mine has a snake. They're surprisingly goofy and inquisitive.
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I wouldn't recommend small pets. Different strokes for different folks, though.

The people who want small pets usually have a reason for not getting a dog/cat (such as landlords not allowing it, allergies, Mom and Dad said no, etc.) so they settle for a smaller pets.

Cute as they are, the maintenance outweighs the companionship they seek.

I've had gerbils, fish, and a crested gecko at various times. I also worked at a pet store for two years.

The most important question is what you want out of a pet. Do you want something visual? Reptiles usually have pretty high costs in heating and UVB. Food can be awkward too given that most need live bugs. Turtles are messy as hell. Snakes are boring and only eat like once every two weeks to months.

Rats and mice are pretty interactive but, rats especially, require a lot of maintenance or they will smell really bad.

Spiders are gross.

PMarth2002 posted...

My mom owns five ferrets. I don't like them, but she loves the hell out of them.

In my opinion, the best name for a ferret is Ferret Bueller.
You need to buy it a little hat, and occasionally give it a day off.
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Blighboy posted...

Any of you guys own any small pets? Rodents, reptiles, tarantulas, etc.

I used to own a lot of Hamsters. One of my favourite pets was actually a Chinese hamster. He used to slip through the bars on the cage though and go on 'adventures'. They have a reasonably good lifespan for a small pet(he lived around 5 years). I miss the little guy.

PMarth2002 posted...

My mom owns five ferrets. I don't like them, but she loves the hell out of them.

Ferrets are good pets as you can take them for walks too.

Dreamsaber posted...

I heavily recommend a guinea pig.

Oh if you go down that road it's best to get two otherwise they will get lonely. Also make sure they can tolerate each other and you can put up with the squealing.
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I have a blue tongued skink and she's nice. Eats leafy and meaty salads a few times a week.

Reptiles are a long term pet though. Very long lifespans.
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