The official kick off to the holidays is here. What popular videos do you see on Facebook being shared by so many of your friends? A little boy or girl opening a big box and revealing a cute, cuddly puppy! Reality check for you, that puppy is actually your puppy, not your child. Think back when you were a kid. Did you take that pup to the vet? No. How about the daily walks and the multiple feeding times during the day? No. Training? Nope.
All we did was pet it, fed it once in a while and go back to playing Nintendo. So unfortunately parents, if you go the dog route, that responsibility belongs to you. I do have a solution for this manner. Don’t get a pup. Not yet, especially if you or your wallet is not ready for one. Start with something a little easier. Here are the alternatives, best and worst that you can give your kids without breaking the bank.
Best
- Leopard Gecko: These guys are awesome. I have 10 which is overkill. Feeding time is the best (crickets or mealworms) and they are potty trained right off the bat (they poop in one corner of the enclosure). Much
friendlier than iguanas and set up is a breeze. A 25 dollar vivarium and some newspapers will do the trick. - Crested Gecko: Once the vivarium is set up, you are pretty much set. You will need a spray bottle to keep the moisture level up and a small heat lamp if the winters are cold in your area. Very friendly and careful handling is a must. This reptile will teach kids responsibilities such as feeding and cleaning and a $20 bag of food last 6 months. No live bugs required.
- Beta Fish: Cheap to own. Just buy the $5 fish, a $10 fish bowl, and some food and you’re all set. Colorful and requires very little maintenance. A good beginners pet for kids.
Worse
- Iguana: Easily the worst pet you can ever give to any kid. I wish that someone warned me at the pet store to not buy these horrible creatures. I have gotten a few of them since the first one died on me and the second one just hated my guts. He whipped me with his tail, bit me, and ran away from me. Not the most pleasant of experience. To be honest, it’s not the animals fault. Iguanas need very large vivarium set up for maximum happiness and what ends up happening is that they get shoved in a small living enclosure that don’t meet their needs (that’s what I did) The cost? Hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. If you don’t have the space, don’t even think about owning one of these creatures. Plus they’re pretty boring.
- Rabbit: So cuddly and so cute. But for some reason, the ones I owned kept dying. I don’t think they have very long life span. Oh and if you get a boy and a girl together prepare yourself. You know the old saying…
- Water Turtle: Dirty dirty dirty. You’ll end up being a full time maid for this creature. They poop all day long which means cleaning the aquarium on a daily basis and
they are also very boring. I recommend buying the Blu-ray turtles – the pizza loving, ninja type.
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