Suggestions for pet for a 5yr old?

[The Snark]

My daughter has asked for a pet for her birthday

With all due respects to you and yours, please allow me to rephrase your question. A five year old... What animal do YOU want to take care of, be responsible for, feed and maintain, assure it's health and safety along with everyone else in your household, that your child can play with as the toy and hopefully training tool it will be regarded as.
You are the capable responsible party. You also take care of the home. Weigh your options from the suggestions given, how much time and energy you wish to invest, and your own knowledge and wisdom. You fill in the blanks.

(When it comes to the potential for an animal to be abused or possible even die, I'm going to shoot straight from the hip. Apologies extended if I offend)

 

[Arachnoenthusiast]

With all due respects to you and yours, please allow me to rephrase your question. A five year old... What animal do YOU want to take care of, be responsible for, feed and maintain, assure it's health and safety along with everyone else in your household, that your child can play with as the toy and hopefully training tool it will be regarded as.
You are the capable responsible party. You also take care of the home. Weigh your options from the suggestions given, how much time and energy you wish to invest, and your own knowledge and wisdom. You fill in the blanks.

(When it comes to the potential for an animal to be abused or possible even die, I'm going to shoot straight from the hip. Apologies extended if I offend)

You clearly didn't bother to actually read the thread or you would have known that I already stated I'd be caring for the animal. I believe that offense is one of your main goals when you post. So, with all due respect, have a nice day

 

[EnigmaNyx]

Well I’ll offer my suggestion without telling you how to parent! Hopefully that works out okay!

We actually got a colony of dubias for feeders and our 3 yr old LOVES them. We can’t get him away from them, he holds them and is very kind and gentle. He feeds them their potatoes. It really teaches how to respect something so delicate, without putting them around anything dangerous. I really like the idea of hissers. I know roaches aren’t the standard go-to but they’re very forgiving and incredibly easy to care for.

To teach respect and the fact that animals need to be taken care of, I think if you could talk your wife into it, that might be the best option. Plus who doesn’t like to poke them for a good hissy fart??

 

[Arachnoenthusiast]

Well I’ll offer my suggestion without telling you how to parent! Hopefully that works out okay!

We actually got a colony of dubias for feeders and our 3 yr old LOVES them. We can’t get him away from them, he holds them and is very kind and gentle. He feeds them their potatoes. It really teaches how to respect something so delicate, without putting them around anything dangerous. I really like the idea of hissers. I know roaches aren’t the standard go-to but they’re very forgiving and incredibly easy to care for.

To teach respect and the fact that animals need to be taken care of, I think if you could talk your wife into it, that might be the best option. Plus who doesn’t like to poke them for a good hissy fart??

I agree that hisses are probably the best choice. Also agree with your reasoning

 

[Grace18]

I think that you should get a pet that requires low maintenance and isn't really venomous (If she wants to handle it) Maybe something like a land snail or maybe ladybugs. (I owned a few and I found them very interesting!) I also liked to keep a cricket as a special 'lucky cricket'. Mantises are also a great choice as well. If you wanted something a little more exotic, Chilean Rose tarantulas are very hardy. Also, what little girl wouldn't love butterflies? Insect Lore is a great website that sells Monarch Caterpillars and is a great teaching experience on the life cycle of a butterfly. You then get the satisfaction of releasing the butterfly into the wild. These are just suggestions based on my experience of insect keeping. Your idea of getting cockroaches is nice as well.

 

[justanotherTkeeper]

Well I’ll offer my suggestion without telling you how to parent! Hopefully that works out okay!

A+++++ man

We actually got a colony of dubias for feeders and our 3 yr old LOVES them. We can’t get him away from them, he holds them and is very kind and gentle.
I really like the idea of hissers. I know roaches aren’t the standard go-to but they’re very forgiving and incredibly easy to care for.

To teach respect and the fact that animals need to be taken care of, I think if you could talk your wife into it, that might be the best option.

I recently got halloween hissers, and both my kids (5 and 1 yr olds) are really taken with them. With proper supervision, they can be an easy low maintenance first pet for littles.

Hope OP can talk his wife into a hisser or two! just be careful to get individual of the same gender if you don't want a population explosion - they're known to breed quickly and easily

 

[Hakuna]

They have some pretty cool butterfly growing kits. Send some caterpillars to you in the mail, watch them grow, release when ready. Good stuff.

 

[scolopendra277]

large beetles are handle able and pretty easy to care for. And you can get them in awesome colors!

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

large beetles are handle able and pretty easy to care for. And you can get them in awesome colors!

fruit beetles are awesome

 

[scolopendra277]

they have gorgeous colors!

 

[The Snark]

Quick glance word association:
Suggestions for pet for a 5yr old?
scolopendra

 

[Conor10]

Hissers should be ok because they are really hardy and you can drop them and they will be fine. If you get those you should get more than one because they are communal.

 

[Braden]

I literally read every single comment, and nobody mentioned a praying mantis. So yeah, I say a mantis. Hardy, easy easy care, handleable and cool. I had one when I was quite young, of course mom and dad did all the work lol.

 

[EnigmaNyx]

I literally read every single comment, and nobody mentioned a praying mantis. So yeah, I say a mantis. Hardy, easy easy care, handleable and cool. I had one when I was quite young, of course mom and dad did all the work lol.

Isn't their lifespan really short though?

 

[Braden]

Yeah, like a year, sometimes longer sometimes less. But they are quite fun, and usually readily available.

 

[EnigmaNyx]

Yeah, like a year, sometimes longer sometimes less. But they are quite fun, and usually readily available.

I think for that reason I'd personally still go with a hisser or two, but I do think mantises are cool.

 

[Braden]

I think for that reason I'd personally still go with a hisser or two, but I do think mantises are cool.
[/QUOTE Agreed

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

I literally read every single comment, and nobody mentioned a praying mantis. So yeah, I say a mantis. Hardy, easy easy care, handleable and cool. I had one when I was quite young, of course mom and dad did all the work lol.

ooo yes. bugsincyberspace.com is a great source for mantises.

 

[Conor10]

I wouldn’t go for a mantis because of their short life span and you always get super attached to them. Then when they pass away it is a huge crying mess

 

[justanotherTkeeper]

My daughter has asked for a pet for her birthday, since " rainbow crystal animals " arnt real I'll have to get something else. It would need to be quite hardy, good with handling (or always visible), and not a big escape artist. I'll be helping with care of it. Dogs and cats arnt an option for us. I'm considering maybe a hardy fish of some kind, or some other small animal open to suggestions. Thank you all!

Have you settled on her birthday pet yet? Inquiring minds want to know