Pets suitable for 2 and a half year old
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- Pets suitable for 2 and a half year old
4/10/08 22:27
4/10/08 22:15
i have enogh with 2 kids dont think i could be bothered to be worrying about pets whey not buy her one of these life like toy bets you can get rabbits cats dogs i used to have a rabbit when i was young i soon got fed up of it and moved on to something new toy wise i would be worried that an animal would bite my little ones if they where a bit to play full with it animals frighten easily and i think a toddler is probably there worst fear but depends on the child i suppose plus toy pet dont cost any money other than replacing batteries and they dont die or make any mess
4/10/08 21:53
def recommed guinne pigs, we have 2 an they r very gentle.
4/10/08 21:49
Rats are great pets & you can teach them to do tricks too. The males seem to like being held more than the females so I would go for a male. They are very clean too as they go back into their cage to do the toilet then come back out.
4/10/08 15:57
I agree with what other posters have said about not buying a pet as a Christmas present. Pets are great for children, but they need to see it as a responsibility not a toy. We have 2 guinea pigs but they are mine, not ds's although he does help to look after them.
4/10/08 14:20
Goldfish , i would start simple so he can get used to feeding and cleaning etc and them maybe get something furry when hes a bit older
4/10/08 10:39
hun if you want to get a prezzie dont make it christmas as they have to much other stuff to show intrest in espec at that age rabbits are brill for young pets as you can hold them and they just stay on knee and my daughter at time was 3 and she use to help clean water and feed daily cleaning twice a week i know your in a flat but you can get indoor hutches as i use to have one and that way you dont have to go out in rain etc to clean them out and feedthem as thats tends to stop kids wanting to do things fish are also good they dont take much loking after but they get to feed them daily infact my son who is 3 but development or 18mionth old loves them he feeds them daily and always turning light on to see them and they so relaxing i can sit watching them for hours espec tropical hamster yes they good by they also fast and can nibble we also have one but thats been left to me as the kids just cant handle him as he quick and jumps of there hand as dont just sit still i saw someone mention degu they are hard to handle and look after i had 2 and they chew threw platic metle etc and needs to be kept in glass tank as they are very good at escaping as i know we had large ish tank and we made shelves etc and made a lid from wire and wood and it chews threw the wood in one nite and escaped unlucky for him the cat got it so we sorted it out and put clear plastic as roof with airholes and it chewed at air holes to make bigger and got out also not so lucky the same bloody cat got him so unless you want it escaping i suggest not also we was only able to handle one as other was to shy and wounlnt let us and it took a while to tame the other and we got from babies and they do jump lol
i chincillas are nice but again you cant really handle and a young child will just want to cuddle a pet (from my experiance) the love the interaction and they learn to respect and look after a pet and so do same for toys and other children/ people
i have never bought any for a presant for christmas birthday etc as i think thoseoccations are for toys etc and they have more intrest in them when they just get a pet
#if you wanted it to be for christmas you could by it early and just say its a early christmas presant to people who ask etc but dont tell you lo that just say its for him to look after
hope this makes sense
3/10/08 19:52
just to make my previous post a bit clearer,it's not that i disagree with children having pets,i just don't think that pets are a suitable present and it should be considered very carefully.also the thing i said about the law changing i saw this when i was in the vets the other day with my cat and it's actually become very strict as to how pets are treated so you have to choose very carefully what pet you can have.from what i remember it said something like pet owners have to ensure that the animal has company or not dependant on the animals needs,they are allowed to display natural behaviour so this would mean a rabbit or guinee pig should not be kept indoors as they're natural behaviour is to run around chewing grass.there were other things as well but the penelaties are quite severe as not meeting any of these needs is classed as animal cruelty.i grew up with animals all round the house,i was brought up on a farm so that's just the way it was but none of the animals were ever presents.it gives the wrong message to give an animal as a present as at the end of a day it's a living thing and should be treated as such.Dilly explained it much better in her previous post.
3/10/08 19:38
My dd (2 and half years) has been asking if Santa can bring her a white rabbit for Xmas. I was aginst it and I know I'll be caring for it but she does feed the fish and I feel like I'll spoil her christmas if I don't. I think so long as you know you are prepaired to look after it all the time then it's a good thing.
3/10/08 16:42
I don't think buying any child a pet for christmas is a good idea. They need to know a pet is to be respected and looked after for it's whole lifetime and not just bought for Xmas and then lost interest in. If you're in a flat you are very limited to a small contained animal or fish but I really wouldn't be buying such a young child a pet as a present.
3/10/08 16:42
yeah - i agree good to interact with animals - just me - i'm a lazy b1tch!!!
3/10/08 16:40
We have gold fish and a dog. Neither were presents. DD loves dog and we were very lucky with him. He is so gentle and placid. She loves watching fish and feeding them. They were not presents though. They are members of the family and we have to mind them. I never liked the idea of pets as presents. Pets are a great idea but like another poster said you will be doing the work. Find out what's involved with the pet you chose before you get it and decide if you want that work on top of looking after your little one. Think about what will happen when everyone is out of the house or you are going on holidays... is there someone to mind pet for you? We always had animals growing up, as did my parents. It teaches responsability as well as respect for animals as living creatures. Good luck with what ever you choose
3/10/08 16:17
we got a puppy last year and my dd loves him, she still helps me feed him and comes out for a walk 3times a day with us(shes 2 1/2 ). its good for them to see and interact with animals from a early age i think. shes been horse riding and loves it so we're concidering getting a pony next year for her along with a horse for me
. i do not like the idea of hamsters and rabbits etc tho as i do think they get board of them quick (and i dont like anything mouse/rat like lol) but on a whole i think children get a suprising amount out of animals.3/10/08 16:01
think it depends on whether you are an animal lover or not - i was when i was little - had dog, cat, rabbits etc but now i've not got the time or the inclination. If my DS wants a pet before he can really take care of it and i end up looking after it, i know it will "do my head in". we go to farm parks as and when we can and when he's older will consider getting him something but until he can be responsible i can't be ar$ed to put it bluntly!
3/10/08 15:48
They have degus (sp?) at my dd's nursery; they are a bit like gerbils, but are not nocturnal, so more interesting for children
3/10/08 15:44
Giant African Land snails.
3/10/08 15:38
Sorry pp i disagree-animals teach children so much. Yes small children cant be the sole carer for a pet but they learn the care very quickly. My 18month old ds has learnt how to be so gentle having a guinea pig and dd feels very grown up holding him and feeding and helping clean him out. Why not teach children how to look after and care for animals.
3/10/08 15:30
personnaly i don't really think an animal is an appropriate present for a child of 2.5 in fact i don't really think animals are suitable as presents for any child as they don't really understand the full responsibility that comes with it and will often grow bored of the pet after a few weeks.unless you are willing to be that one that takes care of the animal and resonsibility for it's well being then i would steer clear of buying a pet for xmas.Also the law has recently changed regarding pet ownership in regards to the environment they are kept in etc.if i were you i would check out the legalities of it all now and think very hard about it.
3/10/08 15:25
I agree with the suggestion of rats-they are so gentle and not at all creepy like the wild ones.
We have a guinea pig and my kids love him, the kids are 18months and 3 and both help with feeding him and dd (3) helps clean him out with me. yes at this age they are the aduts responsibility but i was aware of that before i got him.
We keep ours inside btw so wouldnt matter being in a flat.
3/10/08 14:57
FISH def is a good one....you can get little tanks that come with stones, a plant and a filter. they called my first fish tanks i think...my son loves fish and is amazed by them. He's 2 x
i agree - guinea pigs are lovely pets - very friendly.