Looking for a fuzzy, sociable pet

Snakes, fish, and lizards are great. REALLY great, I adore them all.

Sometimes though I think it'd be really satisfying to have a sociable creature to keep me "company", something more of a companion and a little less living decoration.

I'm compiling a list of things that fall into that category so I can do some pros/cons and find a fuzzy friend that is a good fit for my current living situation and such.

I've only ever had a cat before, and it was really my sister's, so I don't have much experience with warm-blooded pets.

So far I'm considering:
-cat
-dog
-rabbit
-guinea pig
-rat
-hedgehog(? a little less fuzzy, but so cute)

I'm extremely hesitant when it comes to the idea of a dog. I think in the end what I really want is a dog, but I'm pretty sure that I do not have a good living situation for one. If I did get one, I'd hit up a shelter for an older dog. I also live in a 2 BR apartment, which isn't best for dogs either.

In addition my girlfriend is allergic to cats, so that might knock that out of the possibilities category.

Would you guys give some input on this one? I'm really looking for something that enjoys human companionship, which generally means something like a dog or a cat being the best choice, but I'm expanding my options to possibly solve the aforementioned problems.

thanks :D

Also, feel free to suggest animals I haven't thought of yet!

If we could only find a way to breed a furry snake...

Chinchillas are cute :D and so are ferrets, though a little smelly...

Ever thought about a bird? They are very intellegent, cuddly, playful, and soft.

Cockatiels are a parrot that are really easy to care for and not known to be too loud so they should be alright in an appartment. I used to breed cockatiels for a few years and have nothing but goodthings to say about them. If you're interested I can answer any questions you have about them or parrots in general... :)

I think if you are aiming for a little less work and want to go with something caged, a rabbit, rat or guinea pig are all good choices. A small dog is probably what I would recommend though. I always had big dogs growing up, and I still have a soft spot for them, but since my girlfriend and I have had our two little rascals, it is hard to imagine dealing with a big dog again. Small dogs are easier, especially in an apartment situation. We have a shih tzu male and a lhasa apso female and we love them both. They just had puppies last week.

Definitely a guinea pig!! :) I had 3 piggies at one time, and they were wonderful pets... much less smelly than a rat or bunny, more sociable & easier to care for than a chinchilla, less noisy than a bird, and they just do the cutest things. Mine would "wheek" any time I opened the refrigerator (in anticipation of veggies), and "popcorn" when I gave them something exciting - like a fresh handful of Timothy hay. I miss my guinea pigs, but couldn't get into them again after losing Jinji to cancer @ 5 years old.

Jinji
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p.../JinjiTube.jpg

And here's the whole crew... Jinji, Pepper (black) and Cleo (white/black). Fyi, you would want 2-3 guinea pigs, since they become very lonely without companions.

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...GuineaPigs.jpg

Of course I also love dogs & cats, and will always have both in my house... but it seems like you're not quite ready for those, so my recommendation for now would be GPs. :gj:

P.S. If you do end up getting a guinea pig, or rabbit for that matter, let me know if you want the plans for that cage... I made it myself (with the help of an online forum) out of coroplast, and it was fabulous. It gave them tons of room to run/play, without giving me a cleaning hassle. And if you don't have cats or dogs in the house, you won't even need to use the screen cover - I only used that to keep curious cats away. ;)

i LOVE my cats, i have 2 of them, and they're awesome. I used to not be a cat person, but they really changed my mind. They actually have a lot of personality if you get the right cat.

one of mine was from a rescue situation, and the other i adopted from the local kill shelter. The black one i got as a 12 week old kitten, and he has REALLY warmed up. he's very much a people cat. The grey and white one is kinda odd.. he's like a dog in a cats body almost.

Even though i got them at two different times they're very bonded and sociable. you just have to not mind never having a piece of actually hair-free clothing ever again.

dont mind the text on the pics, they were for something else. i haven't had time to take new pics of the kitties. :/ For perspective, ollie is 10 pounds, and dexter, who i call fatty is 17

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...enic/cats4.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...enic/cats3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...enic/cats2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../dexandol1.jpg

Im sorry but Im deathly in love with my cats and ive had them from when i was like 4 (im 14 now)

Guinea Pigs!!!

I have 1:

http://leon2ky.com/leon/toby.jpg

You could try a Sugar Glider. :) I want to get one for myself some day, but I've been doing a lot of research on them. They're not too hard to take care of at all, they have a cage you put them in when you can't be around, and they LOVE human interaction and usually adopt one person to be theirs. Just a suggestion. ;)

Never a greater pet was there than a Ferret.

if youre looking towards a smaller animal, i have a lot of friends with rabbits that are almost like little puffy dogs, and less allergens than kitties. pick what you like best!

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Originally Posted by Lupe

Chinchillas are cute :D and so are ferrets, though a little smelly...

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Yea, I had ferrets and loved them. To the OP though, if your gf is allergic to cats, most likely ferrets will really bother her as well. I was in that situation.

I think you do want a dog though. None of the other animals kind of FORCE you to be happy. They are so extroverted that its kind of hard to not have their excitement rub off on you. I'm lookin for a companion as well, though I am set on a dog, because I know that's exactly what I want. I miss my puppy back home :tears: But as far as the living situation, it really shouldn't affect your choice, or ability to have a dog (unless you will never be home). If you have limited time, maybe an adopted dog is the right choice for you. Some food for thought.

Ok i just want to aid in your thought process..

1. Guinea Pigs are cool i actually have one but they are kind of squirmy they get scared really easily but they are good pets if you spend a good quality time with them. YOU HAVE to clean there cages at least once a week cause they pee alot and they poo alot so you would have to clean cage at least once a week. They also eat quite a bit hense the name pig so they are piglets.

2. Chinchillas I would never recommend i had a chinchilla the worst idea on the planet. They are annoying and if they feel scared they wont shut up and they dont like to be held or cuddled and when they get hot they freak. I have also had one of these horrible pets.

3. Rabbits are cool but they can get stinky if you dont clean out their cages dont know much about them but my buddy had one and he said its not really a cuddle pet either but i do know some people they have trained their bunnies to be cuddlers and can actually walk them haha.

4. Cats are okay i have two but they can be kinda of grumpy when they want to be but at the same time great cuddlers when they want to be.

5. Dogs are the best but alot of responsibility

6. Ferrets I have heard are amazing pets just have to make sure you keep them clean and dont forget about their cage because i have heard they are amazing pets and can get them in some cool colors.

7. Sugar Gliders are cool but so touchy touchy you really have to do alot to earn their trust.

8. Birds prolly are cool pets but god are they annoying sometimes

This is all my opinion every one has different views hope this helps i didnt hit everything but let me know if you have anything else to talk about or have questions on

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Becca Granger

You could try a Sugar Glider. :) I want to get one for myself some day, but I've been doing a lot of research on them. They're not too hard to take care of at all, they have a cage you put them in when you can't be around, and they LOVE human interaction and usually adopt one person to be theirs. Just a suggestion. ;)

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They don't just love human interaction, they NEED it. That could be a problem depending on the OP's schedule, ect.

On average, what does a sugar glider cost?

I actually have an excell spreadsheet made of all the pets I could think of...and their pros/cons!

Haha....I really want something furry as well right now, and dog is definitely my top choice. BUT I do live with housemates, and unfortunately their opinion matters a lot (at least they tolerate a few snakes).

I've heard Rats are great pets and I would have one if I could right now (sadly they are #1 on the household-banned-pets list). They are interactive, surprisingly smart and friendly, and aren't a 10-year commitment.

Keep in mind Rabbits are a ton of work. I had to clean my rabbits cage out twice a day at least, he was litter-trained like a cat and only slept in a cage (had a regular floor bottom, actually functioned more like a dog crate) at night....awesome pet, but not easy to own properly!

You know after doing a ton of thinking, I really just want a dog. There just really is no substitute, is there?

I'm already in the process of finding another apartment where I'll be able to have one, and I think I already found one, only 3 blocks away from where I currently live. I'm on a month-to-month lease so I don't even have to break a lease to move.

Feel free to keep making suggestions, nothing is in stone yet obviously. Thanks for everything so far :D

I must say, though, feeding ferrets is hard. Well unless you want them to get cancer.

I ended up getting really into doing research on them a year or so ago and i have a nice little food guide I wrote up for someone so if you do get one, ask me and I'll give you it :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

You know after doing a ton of thinking, I really just want a dog. There just really is no substitute, is there?

I'm already in the process of finding another apartment where I'll be able to have one, and I think I already found one, only 3 blocks away from where I currently live. I'm on a month-to-month lease so I don't even have to break a lease to move.

Feel free to keep making suggestions, nothing is in stone yet obviously. Thanks for everything so far :D

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If it's legal in your state, you could purchase a skunk with its scent glands removed. I hear that skunks are a lot like cats, but it depends on their effect on allergies.

I'm in an apartment, and I have a dog and two cats. A dog is totally do-able in an apartment, as long as you dedicate time each day for exercising. Make sure that you choose a breed that isn't a high energy working dog, unless you plan to give them a "job" (ie, a border collie isn't a good choice for an apartment - your apartment will be torn to pieces by a bored border collie).

I've heard that greyhounds are awesome apartment dogs, and there are usually greyhound adoptions in most areas.

Oh, and crate train, crate train, crate train....did I mention crate train?

You will have a much better relationship with your dog when you know you don't have to open the door and wonder what the dog has gotten into. Eventually, as they learn your rules, they can work their way up to "graduating" from the crate.

Diamond no longer needs to be crated, but she still loves her den.

Rabbit, clean, intelligent, tons of fun, cudly, cute, playful.... :gj:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...in043009_2.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p...in043009_1.jpg

Did I mention cute? :P

Ferrets are really cool pets to have, though I haven't owned one, they seem very intellegent and fun to keep.

Dogs are great pets to have, too. I have a few dogs, and they are really fun to play with and are so adorable. If you have the time for a dog, then I think this would be the best to get. It's fun to start out with a puppy and watch it grow to adult size, plus when they are puppies, they are the most playful at that time LOL. And I can't believe I didn't mention adorable, too!

A rat for sure. I'm totally new to this site but I tripped over your thread and had to put my two cents in. Rats are clean, fairly quiet and take up very little space but are pretty much the dogs of the small animal world. I have raised rats for many years. You can litter box train em (though I still suggest them having a cage at least for when your not home and at night) I have also taught many of them tricks like fetch and to come when called. Best "fluffy" pet in my book. ^_^

On of my rabbits is a 18lb flemish Giant, he thinks he is a dog. He goes on car rides and trips to my parents house all the time with me. He is a big love bug, and is super clean. Just my two cents!