What pet should I get? It has to live in a cage.?

Question

I need a companion that will live nine years max. I need something that needs a max of two hours out of it's cage a day. No reptiles please!

Answer 1

i agree get a rat they are cutest

Answer 2

A pet rat. they are soo cute and cuddley.

Answer 3

i was gonna say a snake would be great but you said no reptiles.....

some rodent like a gunie pig or mouse would probably be best

perhaps a hampster

Answer 4

Rabbit?They are cute and everything...Chat me if you wanna know about them [e-mail]

I only chat by the way....

Answer 5

Just out of curiosity, why nine years max? Also, what size cage do you have room for?

Well, I have an eastern gray squirrel, and for many people that I have read about having them, they tend to make it to about 6 years old. Though, my vet's pet squirrel lived to be 14 years old, and I intend to make mine last to 20 years old!

She is diurnal, so she sleeps at night when we sleep. I have read that it is recommended to play with a squirrel for at least 1-2 hours a day. Mine is out all the time, as long as my husband is not home. She bites him ;0)

Her cage is a massive, four story, 2'x3'x5', Ferret Nation cage. I lovingly refer to it as 'The Squirrel Condo'. Certain states do not let you have them, though. Mine does.

Some states do let you have sugar gliders that you can buy in a pet store. Any sugar glider that I have ever met has a nasty disposition, though. They are cute and soft. They are nocturnal. Their cage is about medium at around 2'x3'x3'.

You could have something plain and simple like a rat, gerbil or hamster, but I do not find those types of pets very rewarding, as they do not tend to care whether you pay attention to them or not. They are also nocturnal creatures, driving you nuts at night by running around in their cage. Their cage can be small and fit on a shelf, like 1'x1'x1'.

A ferret would be cool for some people. They are fun to watch run around your house, and I have known some people to be able to litter train them for while they are out playing. I have not yet met an affectionate ferret. They tend to be more concerned about playing and don't really care whether you are petting or kissing them. They do want to be played with, chased, roughed up and teased.

I have seen people keep ferrets in very small cages, but they do make extremely large cages for ferrets, like the one I have for my squirrel. They can cost upwards of $300! My mother had her husband make their ferret cage. It was awesome with tunnels and multiple stories. It cost him $200 for the supplies and some architectural skills ;0)

They can be nocturnal or diurnal. They tend to want to be awake whenever you want to let them out. They sleep a lot. They play hard, wear themselves out and pass out. I always thought it was funny how they yawned every time I woke them up. They yawn a lot. It has something to do with their metabolism, I think.

My mother always kept two ferrets at a time so that they could play with each other when she was not playing with them. They had their cage, but at night, they would just sleep out loose in the garage with the cats. My mother always had a way of making all of the animals get along. I have the same knack.

Oh, yes..... important to tell you. Almost every ferret that my mother has ever had has gotten cancer within 5-6 years of life. I don't know why this happens, but you know when your ferret is reaching old age because the hair starts to fall off the tail.

I don't know about the true life span of parakeets, but for most people who buy them from pet stores, they don't live to long. I don't know if that is because of improper care, bad breeding or their actual life span. I haven't heard of anyone telling me that they have a 10 year old parakeet.

They can be affectionate, and if you watch the funny animal shows, they can be entertaining. Sometimes, you get a female that lays eggs, but if you do not have the male, obviously, you won't have fertile eggs. They can be noisy, but they do sleep when you sleep (diurnal). Their cage can be small to medium.

I have had a rabbit before. I found it while walking in my neighborhood. It was colored just like our Floridian wild rabbits, and I decided to walk up to it to see what it would do. It let me pick it up! I brought it home, and it seemed fine for a few days. After a few days, I noticed that a few of my lights weren't working. It had chewed the chords! Also, if I would walk into my kitchen and back out, the rabbit would run up to me, aggressively wanting food. That freaked me out. So out of my own personal thing against bunnies, I don't recommend them.

I prefer and will always recommend larger cages because I think it is more fun for the animal for when they are in their cage. It also gives you more room to buy and cram more toys in there and give them more interesting and entertaining ways of feeding them and/or hiding food for enrichment.

If you are concerned about being able to play with your animals for more than two hours, get two, so that they can entertain each other. If you already have a cage and for most animals, two can fit in the same cage it takes to house one.

Answer 6

chameleon!

hella awesome :D

Answer 7

NOT a ferret.  Great little guys, but need out much more than that.

I would say a pair of female guinea pigs.  They do need a friend, but should be content being let loose that amount each day and will be calmer and friendlier than, say, a spastic little hamster, and much quieter and cleaner than a bird.

Do your research though, and make sure whatever pet you choose is a good fit for you.

Answer 8

Maybe a hamster if the cage is big enough but all animals need exercise and human interaction, daily care and vet care when needed.