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Any pet owners?

Vinsanity93

Vinsanity93

Android Enthusiast
Hey guys! Been a while since I was on here...but anyways, I'm hoping to get a pet soon ever since my friend showed me her sugar gliders. The thing is I don't know what to get. I wanted sugar gliders but as of right now, they are pretty expensive. I had a couple of dogs, cats, chickens, and farm animals before I moved to the US (I lived on a farm obviously) so I'm familiar with taking care of animals.

I haven't had a pet since I moved though and I'm still in college, so something that's not too high maintenance. I also live in Long Island, NY so it needs to be comfortable during the seasons. I also don't have a lot of space in my room so I would prefer something small but not something that could "get lost" inside my house lol. I'd also like a pet that I can play with AKA hold in my hands, bring to school, etc. Right now I'm thinking about rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and guinea pigs. I've looked at the pros and cons of each but I would like a pet owners opinion about what would be best and/or recommend different animals. If a pet needs to be in a pair, that's fine too. I'm also not a fan of neutering/spaying...

Thanks for helping me choose my new buddy!
 
Vinsanity93 said:
Hey guys! Been a while since I was on here...but anyways, I'm hoping to get a pet soon ever since my friend showed me her sugar gliders. The thing is I don't know what to get. I wanted sugar gliders but as of right now, they are pretty expensive.
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There are hundreds of thousands of homeless pets in shelters who need homes--and aren't expensive! :)

I'm still in college, so something that's not too high maintenance. I also live in Long Island, NY so it needs to be comfortable during the seasons. I also don't have a lot of space in my room so I would prefer something small but not something that could "get lost" inside my house lol. I'd also like a pet that I can play with AKA hold in my hands, bring to school, etc. Right now I'm thinking about rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and guinea pigs.
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I'm not sure how any of those would do in terms of going out in public, going to school with you, etc. A dog, on the other hand, would be great.

I've looked at the pros and cons of each but I would like a pet owners opinion about what would be best and/or recommend different animals. If a pet needs to be in a pair, that's fine too.
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Cats are wonderful, low maintenance pets. And there are many just waiting to be adopted. They can happily spend their days sleeping, playing, amusing themselves in your house, and then interact with you when you're around. Dogs can do all that, too, but there's the pottying issue. :eek: Since Great Danes are my favorite dogs, I think it can go without saying that using indoor pottying products has never been part of the equation for me! But they supposedly work well for little dogs.

I'm also not a fan of neutering/spaying...
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Oh, you're going to have to explain this. I'll be blunt: It ANGERS me that you're anti-spaying/neutering. Are you truly unaware of the horrible pet overpopulation problem? Really? You don't know that hundreds of thousands of perfectly wonderful animals are KILLED every year for no reason but no one wanted them? They wouldn't have existed if the irresponsible jerks who owned their parents had had the parents spayed/neutered. I'm sorry, but it's downright shameful to be against doing the right thing, which is to have your pets spayed or neutered. I'd love to hear your reasoning on this!

Thanks for helping me choose my new buddy!
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One word: RESCUE. Any kind of pet you can imagine probably can be adopted from a place that rescues them. This includes every dog breed--including my favorite, Great Danes. :D
 
I love my loud, obnoxious birds, but they're more messy than children and can't clean up behind themselves.
They like to be petted, crave attention, and you can take them out if you get them a flight suit (bird diaper).
 
don't get a chinchilla unless you plan on keeping it in another room. they are nocturnal and will be hopping around their cage at night so sleeping in the same room is not a good idea.

my only pets have been my aquariums, dogs and cats, and iguanas. i'm not a big fan of rodents.

edit: oh yeah....birds(cockatiels, budgies, and conures)
 
Had a friend that used to call his escaped Chinchillas by hitting middle C on the piano.
They would come running.

I miss the ferrets. Crazy little characters, a little smelly if you didn't clean them and their bedding, but inventive as all get out. Also most have a positive outlook. I've seen handicapped ferrets act as if nothing was wrong. We had a deaf one.

I've got a Siamese and a half a meez, otherwise known as a Snowshoe. I have a feral, too and they are all nuts.
 
And another thing...

I wanted sugar gliders but as of right now, they are pretty expensive.!
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If you're worrying about how expensive they are, you're NOT READY to have pets. First of all, a quick look online shows me that the going rate is about $200-$400. You think THAT is expensive? :rolleyes: Do you have any idea how much it can cost to PROPERLY care for a pet? I do! I have decades of experience under my belt. I've spent upwards of $2,000 IN A MONTH on veterinary care for a sick cat. I won't even describe the costs involved with caring for my arthritic Great Danes.

You seriously need to re-think your priorities. If you're feeling the need to interact with animals, head on over to your local shelter and volunteer. You can play with dogs and cats--HOMELESS, unwanted dogs and cats--and end up feeling good, knowing that you're doing something kind for these poor animals that will likely end up dead.

/rant
 
I have a cat and she's wonderful! Low maintenance, easy to care for, can hold her very easily, and very affectionate. I'd recomment a cat. Guinea pigs I find require more care as they eat... a lot! I had a Guinea pig and she ate a lot you have to clean their cage and make sure they have food and water. Thing is with them is that they need more than pellets they need fruits and vegetables, plus hay. A good pet too but they require more care.
 
I agree with the cat vote. Get one that won't run away from you (we had one when I was growing up that we mostly only saw at feeding times) and they're GREAT companions. My family has ALWAYS had cats, and if you get one with the right personality they're GREAT with children. The last 4 (2 surviving still at 18 and 9) were kittens from people we knew. Cats also can live longer than some dogs, as noted my parents have one that's 18 and still in decent health.

Time investment for upkeep is small. 5 minutes to clean the box every few days with a full change weekly (or every 2 weeks), keep dry food and water down with a small can of moist food each day.

Taking it to school? Probably not the best idea, and unless it's a "show and tell day" I can't see that being something the school would like.
 
We did have a cat you could take almost anywhere. She would ride in a car, a wagon or a doll carrier. She was leash trained. I also had another cat, harness trained that would ride. We took him all across the US and Canada. If I took him to the vet, when we were done, I'd snap on his leash, open the door to the truck, and he would jump in. If I turned around, all the vets who weren't busy and the techs would be standing there watching.

The kids used to drag the ferrets almost everywhere. They even had a thing like a stroller but with a cage instead of a seat. I never saw a ferret panic. It was "I gotta go and find out" and "Oh, boy, something new"
 
woah ..wait a minute....I'm sorry but I have to speak up..
I'm with Moody..I think you might want to rethink what type of pet you are capable of responsibly caring for at this stage in your life! you mentioned "your room" so I gather you are probably sharing an apartment or house or some similar "college life" arrangement. Also the against spay and nueter thing I don't really understand..I'm guessing you didn't actually mean you are against helping to control the horrific lives of stray and unwanted pets, but wanted something that was either already spayed or neutered or perhaps something that doesn't require it? like a fish? or hamster? but you mentioned the seasons so are you planning on having something that goes outside?( I'd advise against that as it can be very dangerous for cats esp if you are in a city) but anyway routine vet care vaccines flea control etc. etc etc ..can add up very fast $$$ and trust me..I have 2 cats and they are not low maintenance ;)

If I were you I would look into a hamster ..no kidding..they can be quite sweet and if you handle and socialize with them often.. they will snuggle you can teach them tricks and they have cool little toys and carriers and these clear exercise balls you can let them just run around the house in..even sports car themed ones..:) they even have them for adoption at many shelters!

Good luck

PS when I was in my 1st year of college I missed having a pet but couldn't have any in student housing..so I had a pet fly..and I'm not kidding:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
I found a baby squirrel outside of my dorm my freshman year. I took it in and fed it out of an eye dropper bottle. Named it Rocky. LOL

I had him until he was almost full grown, he got the itch and I let him go. Really cool little animal. I held him in my shirt pocket and fed him in there. Really went over well with the ladies too. ;):p

Here's my current pet, she just got spayed on Tuesday:
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Granite1 said:
I found a baby squirrel outside of my dorm my freshman year. I took it in and fed it out of an eye dropper bottle. Named it Rocky. LOL

I had him until he was almost full grown, he got the itch and I let him go. Really cool little animal. I held him in my shirt pocket and fed him in there. Really went over well with the ladies too. ;):p
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What a sweet story. And good for you for taking care of the little orphan. :)

Here's my current pet, she just got spayed on Tuesday
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She looks like a sweetheart. And she's spayed! :D :congrats:
 
When I was a little girl our cat killed a gardner snake and apparently I was fascinated with it. My Mom buried it..but I would find it and dig it back up and carry it around with me. This happened several times before she finally asked me why I insisted on doing this! I told her that it loved me because it was smiling at me...(Rigor mortis was starting to set in):eek:
 
I'm not much of a fan of removing my pet's genitals...that's really the only reason. As for the overpopulation, I'm not dumb I know animals procreate...I wouldn't get a different sex pair without expecting that. The only other problems I read were hormonal.

Let's get a couple things straight, I'm not planning to buy a pet now, obviously, without a job and like I said, I go to college so I doubt, unless the animal likes to run around a lot, that the professors would care as much (depending on the professor of course) or I could take it/them on a free day. Also I don't dorm, pets are not allowed in dorms, I live at home and commute.

Now back to my question...Right now I'm leaning towards a hedgehog, I understand that they need to be around 74F-82F. Summer probably won't be a problem, I have A/C for the hot days but my parents like to set the heater to the low 60s in winter, would a space heater be sufficient for my hedgehog?
 
well why didn't you say so!!:) I would go with a guinea pig..i heard it's best to have two though..(males).or a ferret but they need to have their scent gland removed..
don't know much about hedge hogs except they are really really cute!
The spay and nueter is an issue if you have animals that will be in contact with other animals causing pet overpopulation i.e cat's and dogs
male bunnies are nuetered because they can become aggresive and will not make good cuddly indoor pets..female bunny's in general are not as docile as males.....so most breeders will tell you to adopt a male..... I don't know about guinea's or hedgehogs..
also as far as cats unfixed male Tom's will spray..and tend to roam.I'm sure you and you're parents wouldn't appreciate that all over the house! and females will go into heat..probably don't want that either...or 6 kittens in your sock drawer!

:)
 
I love my Chinchilla, but they're not for everyone. If you want a truly cuddly pet that will want to cuddle with you, then this isn't the pet for you. They have a very strict diet, and they also poop, A LOT, and they don't have control of their bowels. So they will go often anywhere and not even know it. They do have arguably the softest fur coat you will ever feel, but they really don't like being held since they are a prey animal and thus have the instinct to flee. They have quite a bit of energy and like to run around and are quite quick. They live relatively lengthy lives for a rodent (12-15ish) years and are hypoallergenic. They are a critically endangered species though so I feel good helping out by providing a good home. As such, this is one pet that you don't have to feel guilty with not neutering because if they do reproduce, then you're helping :)
 
Vinsanity93 said:
I'm not much of a fan of removing my pet's genitals...that's really the only reason.
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Spaying/neutering doesn't remove their genitals, it removes their reproductive organs. It also increases their lifespan, makes them better housepets, and makes them more likely to get along with other pets.

As for the overpopulation, I'm not dumb I know animals procreate...I wouldn't get a different sex pair without expecting that.
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But having an intact dog or cat, even if it's an only pet, and even if it's always indoors, still isn't a good idea. They'll either come into heat [if female] or want to mate when there's a female in heat in the area [if male]. And male cats will spray, howl, prowl, want to get out. Male dogs will be more aggressive. And on the off chance that your indoor, intact pet does get out...you'll end up adding to the pet overpopulation problem, even though you didn't intend to.

The only other problems I read were hormonal.
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The effects are beneficial, not the other way around. Removing cats' or dogs' reproductive organs actually lengthens their lifespans, and--unlike humans--there is no need for hormone replacement.

Let's get a couple things straight, I'm not planning to buy a pet now
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I hope you don't BUY a pet at all, ever. Unless, of course, you're 'buying' from a rescue organization, in which case the money actually goes toward their costs for rescuing/housing/feeding/providing medical care.
 
BTW here's a little fun fact
if you rescue an animal from a shelter...the adoption fee (which often includes vaccines vet check and the cost of spay /nueter) is completely tax deductible! ...but not if you buy one from a breeder puppy mill private citizen or pet store ..unless the pet store is charitably housing them for a shelter which is very often the case..as in Petco...
 
Since you are in school I would get a hamster. I have a guinea pig right now. And i have a rabbit that followed me around like a dog. And I do have a hamster too.
 
I had a dog when I lived in the bush (in Australia, anywhere out of town is 'the bush', in my case I was about twenty miles west of a town that's about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) and she went everywhere with me. I wouldn't have one in the city as I wouldn't be able to take her in to work with me. IMO as dogs are pack animals they should be with you all the time...
 
general eclect said:
I had a dog when I lived in the bush (in Australia, anywhere out of town is 'the bush', in my case I was about twenty miles west of a town that's about half way between Sydney and Brisbane) and she went everywhere with me. I wouldn't have one in the city as I wouldn't be able to take her in to work with me. IMO as dogs are pack animals they should be with you all the time...
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My beautiful little boy went to work with me! In an office. In a city. :D

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(Those pics were taken when he was snoozing on *HIS* big over-sized chair in my living room.)
 


This is Jezebel, when I first came back down to Sydney she used to go to work with me most of the time, but now she's gone, I no longer own or drive a car, and taking dogs on public transport is illegal unless they're service dogs.
 
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