Chinchilla, Sugar Glider, or Ferret?

Question

Which one of these is best for an 11 year old to take care of with some help from a parent? And how much will it cost to buy the animal, cage, food, toys, and other things? Thank you

Answer 1

Wow, none of these are great for an 11 year old.

Sugar gliders, absolutely not! They require up to 8 hours of you spending time with them. They also live up to 20 years old, so it is much too great of a commitment, I think. I mean, you will have to go to school and start working within 5 years, and won't have much time for them, right?

Chinchillas are a tad easier, but they are extremely timid and not good for handling. They are best for very patient people that don't expect to hold them so much (and lets face it, how many 11 year olds are patient? :) They also live up to 20, so another great commitment.

Ferrets are still a heck of a lot or work. They are much like puppies, and need just as much training. Only they never grow out of their puppy phase, and always need constant watching and supervision. They also need daily few hours out of the cage, which means you much have a couple hours every day to spare supervising them. You probably will have to baby-proof your house. They live 7-9 years.

I really think any of those three would make awful pets in the situation. Have you considered rats? Rats really come to my mind.

Their behaviour is a lot like that of dogs. They are pack animals, and will want to spend time with you. They really bond closely to you, so you need to have an hour or more every day for them. They should be taken out to run around daily also, but not in an exercise wheel! They can be litter trained so they don't mess your home.

You also CANNOT have a single rat, as they are highly social. And actually, you can't have a single ferret, sugar glider or chinchilla either since they are all social. When social animals live alone, they do suffer from the lack of socialization with their own kind. Rats can develop a number of behavioural problems.

Otherwise, rats need a large, wire cage, like those for ferrets, or large parrots. This can cost $100 or more. Food must be in block form. And they also must have several hiding places and hammocks in the cage.

Please read more:

http://www.ratz.co.uk/

http://members.aol.com/juliesrats/e4nind...

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

Edit: Um, well gee sorry. I did not mean to be rude. I have experience with both kids and all those animals, and that is just my oppinion based on what I have encountered over the years... Ferrets would the the best way to go then, I suppose... Ferrets stuff costs similarily to rats, except they also need regular vet care like cats and dogs. So a couple hundreds to start with, and a couple hundreds annually...

Info: http://www.ferretcare.org/

Answer 2

I wouldn't suggest a sugar glider. I think they require a bit too much work for a small child. They're delicate little animals.

I haven't had too much experience with chinchillas but from what I've seen, they don't seem very fun. My friend had one that you could hold, but you couldn't set it down to run around or anything or it would try to get away and would be a pain to catch.

Ferrets are like puppies really. Except, they stay puppies. lol They have a fun little personality and would be good for an eleven year old to play with. The downside, they smell and require a lot of cleaning to try to maintain the smell. Even with a clean cage, you can smell a ferret's presence. So if you're willing to scoop p**p daily and try to teach your ferret to use a litter box and be able to play with him daily and let him out of his cage, then I guess they'd be the best for an 11 year old of the 3 choices you're considering.

Answer 3

none ... all of them take ALOT of work and ALOT of money to care for. Plus you cant just buy one of them because they have to have another of there kind with them ... buying two of any of them animals would be a hassel not to mention alot more money. im buying my husband 2 ferrets for his birthday but im also putting aside 500-1000 dollars to do so.....