keep kids away from exotics - Page 2 - Where Responsible Reptile Keepers Connect!

TammyJ · #11 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 07:40 PM

This stupid article will be a very useful tool to those who do not want their children to have any animals at all, and who themselves are afraid of and repelled by animals.

I believe that children should be MADE to keep a pet. They develop a sense of responsibility and empathy for something helpless and dependent on them. It should be mandatory!!!! It can make them stronger, more intelligent, kinder, more logical, interesting, useful people.

This comes from someone whose horse almost killed her twice.

sgrdolphin · #12 (**permalink**) 10-09-2008, 11:16 PM

Well let us all grow up in a plastic box without dirt, germs, animals, or any other kind of "dirty" thing and then at 18 get thrown out into the real world and see if we survive! I'll bet that a kid is more likely to pick up some illness from licking the rides at Disneyland than from their exotic pet. The reality is about the parenting not the pet. If all the parents let the kids lick the rides at Disneyland we would be reading that article instead, but the truth of the matter is parents get their children a pet and then don't make the child responsible for the animal. Bad parenting leads to bad pet care and that is when such problems become an issue. I agree with Tammy, that keeping an animal helps build important personal skills, but if the parents are not willing to teach proper pet care then everyone suffers. IMHO this article should be "How Parents Have Failed in Pet Care Basics." That is where the real problem stems.

JuliusSqueezer · #13 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 01:19 AM

I agree. Hamsters are horrible pets. They are moody. They make a lot of noise all night and sleep all day. And nothing you do keeps them from stinking the house up. Rats are much better pets if you insist on having a pet with legs.

rocketcrotch · #14 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

if you insist on having a pet with legs.

LOL "if you insist"

TammyJ · #15 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

I agree. Hamsters are horrible pets. They are moody. They make a lot of noise all night and sleep all day. And nothing you do keeps them from stinking the house up. Rats are much better pets if you insist on having a pet with legs.

HAHA! I used to have a hamster that was SO adorable until one day he bit me and his teeth met and held on, right through the piece of flesh between my thumb and forefinger. That was that for me with hamsters...

Although, rats do make a racket at night as well!

rocketcrotch · #16 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 03:55 PM

snake food... nuff said Tammy

Botis · #17 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 04:29 PM

I used to love guinea pigs, but now I get hives from holding them.

Gave em to my brother, lol.

TammyJ · #18 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 06:56 PM

Guinea pigs are very very cute....so cute that I cannot bear to even look at mine any more, and in fact, on this very day, I am giving them away to some poor sucker who lives in the country and may just be able to feed them the amount of stuff they consume every day (and all night too)....but yes, apart from the loud shrieking, horrendous daily eating orgies and prolific and endless defecating, they are absolutely adorable pets. The only thing I really cannot stand about them is their gentleness - SO boring.

Botis · #19 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TammyJ

Guinea pigs are very very cute....so cute that I cannot bear to even look at mine any more, and in fact, on this very day, I am giving them away to some poor sucker who lives in the country and may just be able to feed them the amount of stuff they consume every day (and all night too)....but yes, apart from the loud shrieking, horrendous daily eating orgies and prolific and endless defecating, they are absolutely adorable pets. The only thing I really cannot stand about them is their gentleness - SO boring.

lol. YES, that shriek carries throughout my entire condo, kind of ticks the neighbours off.

One plus: the poo doesnt stink and is bone dry, really odd but w/e

ophiophilia · #20 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

I agree. Hamsters are horrible pets. They are moody. They make a lot of noise all night and sleep all day. And nothing you do keeps them from stinking the house up. Rats are much better pets if you insist on having a pet with legs.

Agreed. Rats don't stay up at all hours of the night making all kinds of noise and mine were ALWAYS happy to see me when I came into the room. The hamsters would be sleeping and be completely ignoring me.

My dad's now severely allergic to live rats which is a real bummer because my whole family agreed that they made great little pets.