Pet Picked | Kitties it is!

[Whimsy]

In a short two weeks me and my husband will have our new house, its got plenty of room for us and a pet. Id really like to have a dog however the yard is rather small and seeing as im getting ready to go into the military i dont think my husband can deal with trying to train a puppy by himself.

Im thinking about a cat but im not so sure on the litter tray. Ive had plenty of cats and i adore to have them around but im just not a fan of cleaning out the tray daily.

So im thinking about some sort of caged pet, where i could clean the cage every 2-3 days. I know its generally an every day thing to sorta whipe out toys or whatevers in the cage thats fine but as far as changing bedding and everything goes.

So what are your suggestions to a nice caged pet? I dont think i really want something furry as they tend to be a bit bigger mess and no fish as i just cannot keep the things alive. Ive had many tanks and once i get them settled one fish gets sick (mostly dropsies) and then they all die off O.o

[Whimsy]

Just wanted to add in no snakes or birds ><

[Wildfilly94]

You could get a Lizard of some sort. Like, a Bearded Dragon Lizard, Or something smaller mabye? Lol. Or a turtle.

[Keilin Alyr]

Yikes, no turtle if Whimsy wants to keep a low-maintenance pet. I haven't done a lot of research on tortoises, but true turtles requires large aquatic aquarium setups (approximately 10 gallons per inch of turtle is standard) and quite a bit of daily care. Much as I've always wanted a painted turtle, I could never justify the costs to myself.

From my limited research, bearded dragons do make rather nice, relatively low-maintenance pets, though they do need large (at least 50+ gallon tanks are ideal) habitats. I know you're uncertain about fuzzy pocket pets, but hamsters are nice and prefer being solitary. I'd warn against rats and gerbils if you don't want multiple pets, as they tend to be social.

Then again, I have found that replacing an entire tank's worth of hamster bedding to be almost as much work as replacing an entire litter box's worth of litter, and hamsters can be quite potent, especially if you have a male.

Though speaking as a cat owner, cleaning out the litter box isn't too bad a job once you get used to the routine. Sometimes I just empty out the box entirely and replace all the litter every two days or when the box gets particularly bad. I'd say the companionship and having my fuzzy bugs underfoot is worth the effort. =)

[red_uni387]

i'm with you on the hating cleaning out the litter box, but having my fat poofball around is definately worth the trouble <3 plus they sleep with you! caged pets stay in cages

what about a frog? they're not that cute and cuddly, but i think they might be good pets. though the cage would have to be kept really tight...

or maybe a chinchilla? those are soooo soft and adorable!

[Whimsy]

Turtles are not my favorite on the list of animals id like to have lol

Lizards I'm thinking about, there's a small pet store in town that does all in hose breeding so I'm thinking about taking a look there.

Hamsters,gerbils,mice,rats and rabbits are all of my list because of the smell the tend to prduce..along with those are ferrets.

Though I must admit if I caould get my hands on one or two show mice I wouldn't mind having the cute little bugers

Chinchillas tend to need to have a quiet simple place to live, that is not my house lol lots of little cousins will be watched there so I doubt a low stress pet will be any good for us.

I've contemplated sugar gliders but again they are one person pets and need a low stress envoirment.

I've looked at a couple types of froggies, I'm rather in love with the white dumpy tree frog and thee pixie frog my local petsmart has. They are really on the top of my list to be truthful.

However today on my way into town I stopped by a rescue, there were probably around 30 cats there and a few of them had killer personalitys so I'm now thinking about biting the bit and taking one of them home in the next few weeks.

So basically right now its
Frog
Cat
Lizard

Or maybe ill really jump in and get a frog and a cat..or a lizard and a cat though I wonder how'd they would get along. I once had a cat and a rat and even when my rat escaped they got along fabulosly

[Spixy]

I'm on the Cat-fleet

The boyfriend and I got our second kitty last week and he's just the biggest clown ever haha.

But the litter tray really isn't much of a problem - depends on what they eat really (if you're thinking the smell?). Our oldest kitty usually does all her peeing/pooping outside by now - I guess she likes that more and I'm not complaining xD But usually we clean the tray every 2nd day and the smell isn't bad really (we live in a small apartment, so I'd know xD).

[YourLoveOnly]

The smell in cages usually too bad, but it really depends on the animal. Male hamsters aren't good for low smell. I personally keep 4 guinea pigs in a really large cage (no they do need that big of a cage, but they need quite a bit of space. This one could hold 7 or 8 guinea pigs and as I intend to get more I decided to start with a cage this big):

The cage gets cleaned once a week, sometimes twice if temperature gets real high in the summer. The smell really isn't bad at all (which worried my mom at the beginning because she is very sensitive to smells), people who visit are always surprised that there is barely any smell. They are very social creatures, so do get at least two. They also need quite a bit of daily care, but it's all very quick care (they need to be fed several times a day). If you ever consider guinea pigs, feel free to contact me. I have done research for years before getting them (my parents would never allow me) so I know a lot.

It's all a matter of preference. We have had lots of different types of pets, but guinea pigs are defenitely my favorite.

[Whimsy]

YLO, ive had piggies and i must admit as a kid they made awesome pets. I had a rather large homemade cage like you do however now a days unless i put it in the basement i dont have enough room for something that large and i hate to keep piggies in a small cage like they sell in stores.

Im thinking that ill probably go visit a couple more rescues on monday or tuesday. Today im going to visit petsmart to see what they have to say about either mice (smell wise and so on) or the frogs and lizards they carry (though i dont think they have bearded dragons and they seem to be near perfect as far as smell and such goes!)

[Whimsy]

Heres my list of what i may get.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893737&lmdn=Pet+Type
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893732&lmdn=Pet+Type
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893731&lmdn=Pet+Type
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893734&lmdn=Pet+Type
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893823

Geckos are out because they tend to be not so friendly. The bumby blue frog, and chubby frog tend to be docile creatures so they are least holdable. Bearded dragons are often so docile they can be compared to cats so they are really high on my list.

Cages im considering
*bearded dragon
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3893823

*Tempoary tote for froggy
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752730&lmdn=Reptile
Ill getting one of these totes to keep the frog until i can order an awesome cage from another store (pets mart has no cage that would be good for a froggy aside from a deep welled fish tank and i want a tall cage rather then that!)

[Whimsy]

Kitty cats im looking at
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17228622

I didnt get to see this lovely girl as she was out to the vet for shots but they assured me shes a sweeite!

This cat is so very handsome, ive never seen anything like him! Hes a reserved respectable man.
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15514803

This little girl has a bad past, however she came out on the good side.
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17259492

I think though im going to have to visit the other rescue in town and one a couple towns over.

[TheLeet]

Aww, that last girl has just the sweetest little face. I so want to take her home even though she's so far away and I can't even have another cat right now ;_;

[springacres]

Aww, all the kitties are gorgeous - but Davy is such a handsome boy!  It looks like he's wearing a pinstripe tuxedo <3

But yes, definitely shop around for the kitty that's right for you.

[Whimsy]

I loved davy, hes a neato little kitty however im not sure on his cuddling ablities lol. Thats my only problem you never know until you get them home.

[springacres]

That, and sometimes (especially with cats) they take awhile to warm up to you.  And they can be moody.  Sometimes they demand cuddles, sometimes they just want to be left alone.

[Whimsy]

Theleet, ameila actually has a bi tabby brother, however since hes a little more frightened of humans so hes not up for adoption yet. Im really in love with her but im not sure she'll still be there in two weeks with how cute she is.

[Spixy]

I currently have 2 guniea pigs - but they're going home to their former owners, due to my boyfriend having evolved allergy towards them.

Guniea pigs are amazing pets - really funny and are good companions if given enough attention. They do smell though - I change their cage one time each week, but they still manage to create a mess. (depends on cage and material in the bottom though) + they're extremely noisy xD

My boyfriend had two bearded dragons before he moved out. They were quite funny to look at and have out, but boy did their poo stink XD Plus they eat live food - he had their crickets and cochroaches in a container, but somehow some always managed to get out.. Was quite freaky to wake up with a cricket on your chest lol.

[TheLeet]

Theleet, ameila actually has a bi tabby brother, however since hes a little more frightened of humans so hes not up for adoption yet. Im really in love with her but im not sure she'll still be there in two weeks with how cute she is.

Poor little thing, I hope he'll get used to being around humans. You're definitely doing the right thing in trying to find an outgoing and cuddly cat if you've got quite a busy household.
My little kitty is so scared of strangers that he hides under the bed when the doorbell rings. We don't have people over often but having a really shy cat causes a lot of problems - like not being able to leave him in the care of someone else if we want to go away. Vet visits are also quite stressful.

[Whimsy]

Went to check out the juvi bearded dragons and got lots of great info from a few owners. Im really really leaning towards one (going to add up to like $400 in the long run but hey they seem to make awesome pets.)

However the hubs is still voting kitty so im not for sure just yet what ill be doing.

The cats going to cost me like 300 cheaper in the beggining lol but i just am not sure about the fur.

We actually got an awesome suggestion from an vet tech, and breeder. She bred a few different breeds however she said for me the best dog would be a full blooded blue pittie. Im a person who likes very loyal dogs who tend to make very good guard dogs.

So right now im sorta in between what all id like, if i find an awesome pittie breeder i may save up and either buy an old breeder off them (adult dog) or a puppy. Where im from however it seems more like pitties that are rather low on the scale of quality so that may have to wait a few months.

[YourLoveOnly]

@Spixy: are you sure it's an allergy for the actual animals and not the bedding? One of my friends has a sister with guinea pigs and he always thought he was allergic, but when he's here it's never a problem. His sister changed the bedding and now it's not an issue anymore. Although I am pretty sure you tried this already, it was still worth suggesting just in case ^^

And Whimsy, good luck with deciding! ^^ It can be very hard to pick a pet, make sure to take your time

[Whimsy]

I'm really really leaning towards the beardie, I founf a great online forum to join. I only have like 500 spending money though (when the money comes) so right now my little dragon girl will be suckinjg up my entire funds. However I think that she;ll be worth it for sure!

The husband however he's jones for a cat, I have no idea why because the creatures never like him lol

[Whimsy]

Costs List

Cat
Adoption-$50-100 (comes already spayed, with shots and heartworm tested)
Litter Tray-$10
Food-$20
Toys-$10
Collar-$5
Cat Tree-$150

Total-$245-295

Bearded Dragon
Tank-$250
Dragon-$60
Bonsai Basking Tree-$29
Hiding Cave-$30
Undertank heater-$25
UVB Bulb-$20
Heat incan-$20
+Decor-$50
+Food-$20

Total-$505

Frog
Frog-$25
Total Tank-$120
Food-$20

Total-165

This just gives me general idea.

[Whimsy]

After talking to the kids (seeing as they are at my house 75% of the time, i watch way to many kids O.o mise well have my own) they say theyd rater kitties. My little cousin casey was so totally against the lizard that she said she'd be afriad to be in the house with it.

My local shelter has a adoption fee 2 for $75 so we will be adopting two kitties sometime in the next two weeks.

Oh well ill deal with the litter tray, i think if i keep up with it daily it should be okay with a little baking soda.

[Lectral]

There are cat litters with baking soda in them already also - remember though, if you get more than one kitty, make sure you get at least that many litter boxes.  If they have to go at the same time, you want to make sure they each have a place to go XD

I have three cats, and even when we were in our little apartment, the litter didn't smell.  I used to be rather lax in cleaning them, usually every two or three days, and you still couldn't smell them.  But it wasn't ideal, and then one of the cats started getting very picky about how clean her box was, so now I clean the boxes every other day.