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What should I get?

My lifestyle:

I live in an apartment. Currently, I can get anything that can't get up and walk across the room on its own. Which really means, anything in a cage.

Even if not now, I'm considering future pets. Here's what I've thought of so far:

1) Some type of Rhino Beetle-- I forgot which one I liked the most, but I think it was a Hercules beetle. The pros are that they are really easy to take care of and are nearly impossible to kill. They're really interesting, as I like bugs, and I call always tie my furniture to it and watch it rearrange my living room. The biggest problem, and the ONLY reason I haven't gotten one yet, is that they do not live long at all. Their maximum lifespan once they reach the adult stage is 6 months. And I just can't get attached to something that's going to die in 6 months. If anyone knows a beetle that'll last longer, lemme know, but I really don't want to replace my pet every half year.

2) Pygmy Hedgehog - This has been my "wanted pet" for at least 6 years. If nothing else, I'm going to get one someday just because I'd wanted one for so long. They're cute, cuddly(ish), and their spines won't -always- hurt you. The cons are, I can't just pet the thing. I have to "trick it" into letting me pet it. Because it HAS SPINES. Also, it enters the "tiny mammal" stage where it could be very easy to accidentally kill it through neglect or accident, and I just can't take that. I know I'm responsible enough to take care of it, but I also have a crippling worry that I might not be able to.

3) Dwarf Hamster - I'd never even considered these things as something in my universe before, until my girlfriend was looking at fish at the pet store. My eye caught a little furry bastard just digging as frantically as his teeny li'l legs would let him at the bottom of his glass cage. I did an inward squee of joy and proceeded to watch him do other entertaining restless critter type things for a good 5 minutes. The same "fear of killing" cons as before. Pros: Good starter pet?

4) A crow. Supposedly these things can live for up to 110 years, so the fucker will outlive me. I kind of like the idea of having a lifelong companion that can sit on my shoulder and just be a dirty son of a bitch. They're fairly intelligent too, so it'd be nice to have a pet that can think a little bit. Apparently my girlfriend had one once (died of bird flu. Go fig.). She said that it could "talk," not necessarily like a parrot, but halfway repeat half-words every now and then.

5) Parrot - Same as the crow, but more colorful, more friendly, and able to "talk." Can pretend to be a pirate.

Bird cons: NOISY AS DICK AT NIGHT.

Thoughts?

Get a Myna bird. They're frickin cool.

---------- Post added at 07:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:29 AM ----------

My dad had one that could impersonate his blender and the doorbell perfectly. Instant fun!

---------- Post added at 07:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 AM ----------

Oh yeah! I just completely disregarded those as pets and cast them as exotic "non-ownable" birds.

Myna birds are pretty kickass.

If you don't mind birds, they're pretty awesome. I almost killed mine it pissed me off so bad... so I'd go with something a bit quieter and probably cuddly. But yeah, those things can be entertaining. You can play tricks on your friends.

Just say no to the dwarf hamster!! Those bastards always bite. Of course, I have a hate for hamsters in general.

The hedgehog sounds like the best. Rats also make good pets. Birds can be nice but very noisy. My parakeets were super loud. Food for larger birds like parrots tends to get expensive.

Don't want a ferret?

Yeah, the GF also has parakeets at her parents' house, as did two other friends of mine. Anytime I stay at their houses I am driven to madness by their incessant tweets at night.

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Wait, no, those were cockatiels..

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Cajungal said:

Don't want a ferret?

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CRAZY, RAVENOUS BASTARDS!

Er, I mean um..

Nah.

Cajungal said:

Don't want a ferret?

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He doesn't want a ferret. They smell.

YOU smell!

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Sorry, I'm regressing today...

Nah its fine.

My roommate used to have ferrets, those little smelly shit factories are more trouble then they're worth.

I hear they can be mean, too.

I have a Teddy Bear hamster, and he's pretty resilient.

As far as hamsters go, they only last two years. And the bigger the hamster, the nicer it is.

What about a snake or a lizard?

Cajungal said:

I hear they can be mean, too.

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I wouldn't be able to Judge, I have a cat.

Covar;271545][quote=Cajungal said:

I hear they can be mean, too.

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I wouldn't be able to Judge, I have a cat.[/QUOTE]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. ^_^ Kitties.

Man. I need a pet.

Cajungal said:

What about a snake or a lizard?

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Nah, I like pets I can pet and connect with.

Reptiles are just boring little bastards that don't actually know you exist.

doomdragon6;271549][quote=Cajungal said:

What about a snake or a lizard?

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Nah, I like pets I can pet and connect with.

Reptiles are just boring little bastards that don't actually know you exist.[/QUOTE]

That's what I thought too, but my best friend back home was able to make a real connection with her python, Piccolo. It would actually cuddle with her... go figure. But then she could draw the sweetness out of an enraged wild hog. I wouldn't get a snake, but yeah. Some people love em. Just throwin things out. The hedgehog sounds kind of cool, actually.

For the record:

Ferrets that are sold in most reputable stores have 1 of their 2 "smell" glands removed by operation, reducing their "smell" to nothing more than any other small mammal pet. There is a liquid you can put in their water that will reduce the smell of their poop and if you maintain their area properlly (clean it once a week) there will never be a lingering smell. Hell, they're "potty trained" from birth. They'll always poop in the same little corner if they have access to it, making clean up a breeze.

On that note, I don't recommend them as pets unless they're going to be the focus of your attention for the most part of the day. They require total attention if they're awake, as they're capable of ANYTHING. Hell I wouldn't leave your auto keys lying around unless you want them to have a Ferris Bueler's Day Out.

Another thing to know, is that having one by itself is almost widely considered to be a big no-no. Unless you're going to be around it 24/7 it can get very lonely and depressed whenever you can't give it attention, and a playmate or two can truly add to it's lifespan. As well as making life more fun/difficult for the owner.

I'm just so tired of hearing people say "Ferrets are mean and smell bad, because my friend had a ferret and etc" Everytime I hear that, the "friend" was just a poor Ferret parent.

I say get a myna bird and teach it to repeat Blackadder catch phrases.

Or get a cheap parrot from a brothel, although there's some inherent dangers:
When your GF comes to visit: "Too young, too young!"
When your mom comes to visit: "Too old, too old!"
When your dad comes to visit: "Line up, girls! Asses out!"

I agree, Shego. I had 2 ferrets. Neither of them smelled nor did they bite. I kept them and their cage clean, and trained them not to bite from the time they were little. My ferrets were awesome! They aren't for everyone. I always say my 2 were training for having a two-year-old child because of the short attention span and how hyper they can be.

I am thinking of doing one of these so my cat can have is own tv to watch.

Wildsoul: They're wonderous pets, really, but you gotta KNOW what you're getting. There are just WAY too many people who get them expecting one thing and not ready for the reality of it. The bite training though..... I still have scars from the kit nipping. rly:

sixpackshaker: Our dog is actually more entertained by our aquarium than the cat......

Ferret's do smell, a lot. They produce a hefty amount of musk. If you have them de-scented,then you don't have to worry about it as much.

Shegokigo said:

sixpackshaker: Our dog is actually more entertained by our aquarium than the cat......

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Oh, I guess that is a no for me. A 100 lb German Shepherd will figure a way to get that thing open and eat the treats within.

How bout a guinea pig? I used to have two of em, they were great pets. They're fairly intelligent and definitely have their own personalities. Like ferrets they also poop in the same corner too for easy cleaning (cept my hyperactive one would run around the cage like a maniac spreading all around anyway >.>)

I own/have owned alot of pets. Mice, Scorpions, Fish, Ferrets, Cats and Dogs. While they all have their pros and cons, I think in the end, a dog is really the best choice. Nothing gives itself over so completely and so deeply as a dog does.

Oh and for birds? I have to post:

15 years ago I knew a guy who had a white with yellow plumes, female, cockatoo. It is the friendliest and nicest bird I have ever seen. Not territorial at all and actually liked meeting new people. It wasn't particulary loud either (atleast not while I was there) and accornding to wikipedia they like to sleep in.

Back to this bird... He would have it's wings clipped, so it could walk around freely without him worrying it would get away. Sometimes he would bring it with him outside in his yard (he liked to eat lunch there) and the bird would explore the surronding area and shamelessly beg for food now and then.

I don't recall it ever talking. It's possible it was unable to because of a permanently damaged beak (dog bite) tha needed to be tended to by a vet, regulary.

Shegokigo said:

I own/have owned alot of pets. Mice, Scorpions, Fish, Ferrets, Cats and Dogs. While they all have their pros and cons, I think in the end, a dog is really the best choice. Nothing gives itself over so completely and so deeply as a dog does.

Oh and for birds? I have to post:

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HOLY SHIT AMAZING *WANT*

Ehem.

I mean, uhhh, neato.

I like all the suggestions, guys. In the end, whenever I do wanna commit to a "starter pet" I'll go for the Hedgehog.

Like I said, I'd love something like a Rhino Beetle as a pseudo pet, but I just couldn't find any that would live long enough.

The problem with insects and arthopods is that they require very tuned and delicate conditions. I lost a scorpion because I simply could not give him the heat AND humidity he required no matter how hard I tried (spent money). rly:

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day and the other 4 he just lays there looking at us, does that help?

ooh, ooh! Pick me! Pick me!


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Or: I'd vote for crow if this was a poll.

(y'all thought I was gonna go for the parrot, right? Yarrrr!)

rabbitgod said:

My dog sleeps about 20 hours a day and the other 4 he just lays there looking at us, does that help?

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Our dog does pretty much that, in reverse.

It's a shame you can't get a dog. I've had a few different kinds of pets as well, and none of them compare to my dog. The bonding and loyalty in a dog just isn't found anywhere else.

If it has to be kept in a cage/enclosement, I'll go ahead and throw in a vote for dwarf hamster. They're cute, they're fun to watch, they're fairly easy to care for, and if you get them young and put effort into handling them and getting them used to humans, they won't bite.

Also with some birds you can just toss a blanket (a thick-ish one) over the cage and they'll normally quiet down. I think it makes them think it's night or something.

I'd also recommend skipping lizards. My roommate has 3 and I just don't get it. They barely know he exists save for the bugs dropping from the sky once a day.

CynicismKills said:

Also with some birds you can just toss a blanket (a thick-ish one) over the cage and they'll normally quiet down. I think it makes them think it's night or something.

I'd also recommend skipping lizards. My roommate has 3 and I just don't get it. They barely know he exists save for the bugs dropping from the sky once a day.

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That was pretty much my experience with my scorpion. Though I got enjoyment from him just to watch him move about/eat/dig/climb etc. That was enough for me from that pet.

You could try for a bunny. They're fuzzy, they can be held, they live long enough for you to make an emotional attachment to, and they can be litterbox trained. Getting two is better than one since, while a little more expensive, they can help keep each other company. Plus, they're adorable when they're happy:



The only downside is you need to rabbit-proof your home because they will chew EVERYTHING. Totally worth it as a pet, though (I'm getting one myself as soon as I move out).

My ferrets bounce around VERY much like that when I get home and let them loose.

Growing up in the country I've raised about one of everything. And the pets I enjoyed the most were hermit crabs. They are just fun. I'd set them on the carpet and watch them run all over the place. At it's fun to toss them a strawberry and watch them eat it. They are very low maintenance, too, which is a plus. Frogs are also fun but having to buy crickets gets to be a pain. It is fun catching insects by the porch light and feeding them to the frogs, though.

My last roommate and I co-owned some hermit crabs for a while. They're neat, but just not "attached" enough for me. They don't really know you exist and aren't fun enough. They would just sit there forever and when they moved, as soon as you went to watch they'd hide for 6 years.

I know the same can be said for a beetle, but it'd be more of a curious "peer-at" pet than the cuddle kind.

I would agree hermit crabs are more interesting than anything else. Most pets, other than a cat or dog, are not attachment pets. Fish, rodents, birds, reptiles. They are fun to look at and some are fun to play with but if you are looking for something to cuddle that's low maintenance go with a cat or dog. Or a tea cup pig.

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2009/10/08/2009-10-08_teacup.html

Garbledina has a beautiful leopard gecko. I can't remember her name but he's had her for years. The next pet I get, that's what I want.

doomdragon6 said:

My last roommate and I co-owned some hermit crabs for a while. They're neat, but just not "attached" enough for me. They don't really know you exist and aren't fun enough. They would just sit there forever and when they moved, as soon as you went to watch they'd hide for 6 years.

I know the same can be said for a beetle, but it'd be more of a curious "peer-at" pet than the cuddle kind.

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Plus, you would quickly earn yourself a reputation as the guy who has crabs.

My gf moved into an apt that doesn't allow pets. So, I now have her Guinea Pig. At first, I didn't care for it, but now he's cool. It's kind of nice knowing there's someone/something waiting for you when you get home. He's pretty low maintenance. He's mostly quiet. He squeaks when you rustle his food bag or any bag for that matter. They're easy to clean up after. You can pet on them, and teach them little tricks if you work with them. They will bite if you goof around with them or scare them. They're skittish by nature. So, they'll run away from you most of the time. They live 5-7 yrs if healthy.

Ferrets are fantastic! My folks have had 3 of them. I got a bit too attached to one of them, and it was hard when he left. They do have a bit of a funk, but it's not that bad. They're not all mean. It really depends on how you treat them and play with them. They require quite a bit of time and effort though.

Shegokigo said:

For the record:

Ferrets that are sold in most reputable stores have 1 of their 2 "smell" glands removed by operation, reducing their "smell" to nothing more than any other small mammal pet. There is a liquid you can put in their water that will reduce the smell of their poop and if you maintain their area properlly (clean it once a week) there will never be a lingering smell. Hell, they're "potty trained" from birth. They'll always poop in the same little corner if they have access to it, making clean up a breeze.

On that note, I don't recommend them as pets unless they're going to be the focus of your attention for the most part of the day. They require total attention if they're awake, as they're capable of ANYTHING. Hell I wouldn't leave your auto keys lying around unless you want them to have a Ferris Bueler's Day Out.

Another thing to know, is that having one by itself is almost widely considered to be a big no-no. Unless you're going to be around it 24/7 it can get very lonely and depressed whenever you can't give it attention, and a playmate or two can truly add to it's lifespan. As well as making life more fun/difficult for the owner.

I'm just so tired of hearing people say "Ferrets are mean and smell bad, because my friend had a ferret and etc" Everytime I hear that, the "friend" was just a poor Ferret parent.

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When I worked at a pet store I convinced most people not to buy a ferret. Most people had no idea of the work that ferret ownership entails. They think you stick it in a cage & leave it. There was no way I was going to sell a ferret to an idiot, those poor ferrets would've suffered.

A still say a rat makes a good pet. They're decently clean & pretty smart.

Tinwhistler said:

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OMG OMG OMG

I want 2. It HAS to be 2 so they don't get lonely. Oh pleeeeeeease?:boink:

Rats are awesome. Intelligent and friendly, probably twice the lifespan of a hamster. Though like ferrets, guinea pigs, and rabbits, you normally need two.

Hamsters won't need a partner, but only last a couple years. I've had numerous of them and Faline just got one a couple weeks ago, her first pet. The dwarfs can be mean at times. Russian dwarfs have a temper at first; you gotta let them know you, and even if they bite, know you won't hurt them. My old one was rough at first, but eventually she was a good playmate. The Chinese dwarf we have now bit each of us while scared, but is pretty nice comparatively.
Teddy bear hamsters are the best though. They'll happily crawl around, fight your Godzilla toys, and not even mind if you're an idiot child who wakes them up at any hour of the day for playtime... *cough*. Well, my old one was awesome. She wouldn't even poop or piss outside the cage.


Happiest pet for me has always been my dogs. That said, you can normally get over the rodents without too much ache, but a dog's death will rip your fucking heart out.

Yeah, a friend back home actually told me once that, as tiny mammals go, rats are the best pets.

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 PM ----------

Don't know if I'd get one. What I really want is a little pig.

Rats are awesome, but they are fiendishly clever and very territorial. If you have other pets (not other rats, but things like Mice, Lizards, etc) they will do EVERYTHING in their power to kill it. I remember my friend had a rat that literally piled up everything in it's cage in one corner, climbed up, popped the top off it's cage, went to his mouse cage, opened it up, and feasted on all the mice inside. You need to keep an eye on them if you have anything else in the house alive.

Well, I'm about to go to bed. Looking forward to my nightmares about genius rodents.

Hamsters are effin' cute. I had a little red-orangy one named Sam Sheesh. I used to see how many black seeds I could get him to stuff in his cheeks. It was like upwards of twenty. Goddamn he looked comical. Broke my heart when he died after only two years. The short lifespan kind of kept me from getting another.

I had hermit crabs for a while, but the atmosphere in my house was too dry, plus they liked to have a go at each other, especially after a molt in the middle of the night. Once I woke up and one crab's bits were all over the place, and another crab had nabbed his shell, which discouraged me since I kept the place stocked with shells of all different sizes.

I'd like to try ferrets at some point.

Wow... so many people with crabs. It's like an epidemic.

What I really want is a little pig.

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Y'know, CG... Rats and ferrets and the like I can understand, but I've never really got the charm of owning a miniature pig or potbelly pig or whatever you call them. I like to keep the categories "animals I eat" and "animals I cuddle" separate, I guess.

What's your motivation?

North_Ranger said:

Wow... so many people with crabs. It's like an epidemic.

What I really want is a little pig.

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Y'know, CG... Rats and ferrets and the like I can understand, but I've never really got the charm of owning a miniature pig or potbelly pig or whatever you call them. I like to keep the categories "animals I eat" and "animals I cuddle" separate, I guess.

What's your motivation?

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You mean you don't cuddle with your food??

Chinchillas in birthday hats


You know you wanna!

North_Ranger said:

What's your motivation?

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Well, I could totally live without eating pork. I almost never eat meat that's not chicken or fish, so I really wouldn't feel the meat-eater guilt for cuddling with a cute little piggy... perhaps in a tiny scarf. ^_^

I think I want one because they're so smart. And they have cute little faces. Plus all the pet pigs I've met have been super friendly. Really, I could just as easily get a dog, but I've always always wanted a little pet pig. They're just so damn cute to me!

Cajungal said:

a cute little piggy... perhaps in a tiny scarf. ^_^

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WTF? Didn't I post in this thread with pics of my rats?

The server move exterminated them.

No, seriously... when we moved to a new server, a number of posts got clipped for some reason.

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Silver Jelly said:

You mean you don't cuddle with your food??

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Only when I was eating a beaver

I thought for a second I was going mad cuz I remembered you replying as well.

Bizarre.

Cajungal;272012][quote=North_Ranger said:

What's your motivation?

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Well, I could totally live without eating pork. I almost never eat meat that's not chicken or fish, so I really wouldn't feel the meat-eater guilt for cuddling with a cute little piggy... perhaps in a tiny scarf. ^_^

I think I want one because they're so smart. And they have cute little faces. Plus all the pet pigs I've met have been super friendly. Really, I could just as easily get a dog, but I've always always wanted a little pet pig. They're just so damn cute to me![/QUOTE]

...

Nope, can't come up with anything rimshot-worthy.

Okay, that sounds interesting... Personally I just can't get over the fact that it's a pig. A. Pig. In a people house But that's just me and my bacon-devouring ways talkin'

LittleSin said:

I thought for a second I was going mad cuz I remembered you replying as well.

Bizarre.

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I saw the reply.
Over the last hour, the forum appears to be flopping between two different databases (from my perspective)..an older one, and this one.

I posted a "WTF? where did all the posts go?" reply in the other one. When it flops, my wtf post is still there.

this is what every adult pot bellied pig ends up looking like.

And who doesn't think that's cute???

your avatar

Ah well, that guy's got poor judgement.

Cajungal said:

And who doesn't think that's cute???

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and it is about 6 feet long and weighs nearly 400lbs.

sixpackshaker;272130][quote=Cajungal said:

And who doesn't think that's cute???

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and it is about 6 feet long and weighs nearly 400lbs.[/QUOTE]

BACON TIME!

My aunt bought what she was told was a baby miniature potbelly pig from a flea-market.

Don't ever buy pigs from a flea-market. Especially not shady as all hell ones, because this wasn't a potbelly pig at all. It grew up to be a full-sized razorback boar.

Raven, that is so cool. I'd much rather have the boar. It would keep the neighborhood kids off your front lawn.

Ravenpoe said:

My aunt bought what she was told was a baby miniature potbelly pig from a flea-market.

Don't ever buy pigs from a flea-market. Especially not shady as all hell ones, because this wasn't a potbelly pig at all. It grew up to be a full-sized razorback boar.

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Enresshou said:

You could try for a bunny. They're fuzzy, they can be held, they live long enough for you to make an emotional attachment to, and they can be litterbox trained. Getting two is better than one since, while a little more expensive, they can help keep each other company. Plus, they're adorable when they're happy:

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Rabbits though whenever you get one you are kinda flipping a coin as to how it'll do. I've raised allot of Rabbits and some have gone from frolicking to dead practically overnight. While a current rabbit had the skin on his arm torn off and then was barely bothered by that arm rotting and falling off.

LittleSin said:

WTF? Didn't I post in this thread with pics of my rats?

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Repost please?

My first pet when I moved out of my mom's house was a white rat. She was AWSOME. They have a decent lifespan for small mammals, and they do get attached.

I gave her a burial at sea when she died on the trip moving to where I'm currently living. She was old and I think the heat of being in the car was just too much for her.