What is a good house pet for a 4 year old? (Besides a dog and cat)

Question

My 4 year old has been asking for “a little pet friend” lol. Something that isnt too hard to take care of/keep up with.

Answer

Reverse the question: what kind of animal does you and your SO want. Because its totally unrealistic to think a 4 year old alone can take of a pet alone.

Answer

A fish or a hamster can be a good option for a 4-year-old. Fish are low maintenance and can be calming to watch, while hamsters are small and easy to handle. Just make sure to supervise your child when they are interacting with the pet and teach them how to properly care for it.

Answer

Pets aren’t toys. I got my first ever pet literally 4 months ago and I’m 26. Kids are reckless and careless and they often harm or kill their pets. I have seen this in many families. They joke around how their kids “accidentally” killed their pets. Unless you can watch for the animal all the time, it’s not a good idea.

Answer

Honestly, I don't think any pets are low maintenance. Any pet you get will need plenty of attention. ￼￼I totally disagree with a fish being a low maintenance pet. If you want it to stay alive, that is. If you want to keep it alive for more than a year, You need to do weekly water changes, you need to have it at the proper temperature and parameters, ￼which means having a heater, filters, water conditioner to make sure the water is not too hard for the fish, if the pH gets out of whack, you have to buy stuff to fix that, if the fish gets sick you have to take care of that, you need to buy a tank, decor, the gravel for the bottom, etc.… The reason why a fish dies within the first year is because people don't take care of it properly. Having a fish is more of a hobby than a pet. If you don't care, if it dies, then sure it's low maintenance. But it's a living thing that should be taken care of properly. Just like anything else￼.

Answer

My 4 year old has a leopard gecko. Pretty easy to care for. Tame animal. Only house one in an enclosure they will fight. Getting started can be expensive tho cause you need heat lights and stuff for it to climb on to bask. You need crickets or mealworms or hornworms and things. They cost a lot to start but only a few bucks here and there afterwards for bugs lol. We love ours

Answer

I had an African Pygmy hedgehog when I was a teenager, I loved him. My younger siblings did too. I would say maintenance is pretty easy and they don’t require much attention. They are nocturnal animals though. We took ours out of his area for short periods of time to interact with him. They do require heat. My little guy was surprisingly social, but I know that not all of them are that way. He lived for almost 6 years, their lifespan on average is 4-6 years I believe. I could give you some more specifics if you wanted but they are an unusual pet, and you’d have to look to see if owning one is legal where you live.

Answer

Chickens. They live outside so they don’t mess up your house. If you get them as chicks, if you hand raise them, they are mostly nice. They are fun to feed. Of course you’ll need to provide fresh straw, water, and food but a spacious run and a nice coop will keep them safe. You also get breakfast out of the deal! No pet is low maintenance and you basically have to accept that you’ll be the one doing most of the caring for them. Model that responsibility and include the kids when you can. If you need an indoor pet…check out sea monkeys!

Answer

Giant house rabbit! They look awesome!

Answer

Fish. Our daughter was gifted a fish for her 4th birthday. Pudge. Whom I called Rasputin. I was so afraid I was going to kill this poor thing within a month. He lasted a year and a half and died through no doing of our own. Happy swimming around playing with me one day (he liked to play peek a boo. He'd hide in his little sunflower house and then swim out very quickly and get right up in my face. Not a shy fish at all) and the next evening he was floating belly up. Not sure what happened or if it was just his time. Not sure how long he had been sitting at the pet store before we got him.  Either way. He was a good fish.

What is a good house pet for a 4 year old? (Besides a dog and cat)

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey