Q&A: what is a good exotic pet for an 11-year-old girl?

Question by Emmy Berry: what is a good exotic pet for an 11-year-old girl?
choose from the following, give me some basic info, websites, and breeders in OH, possibly other suggestions ok choose n suggest away:
Fennec Fox
Chinchilla
Bunny (if i don’t get one for my b-day, i got plans)
or other pets. i’ll put in as much research as i need to and how do i convince my mom that i kan take care of it? don’t recommend books 4 that cuz the tips don’t work. never. if u kan, suggest an appx price, monthly. also suggest space i shuld devote 2 them

Best answer:

Answer by tuneses
First, are you aware that Fennec Foxes run $ 1500.00 and up? They are definitely not a pet for a beginner. They require extremely specialized care, are incredibly destructive, and can be nasty little buggers. Some are great, others are not.

Second, chinchillas can live up to 25 years. Are you prepared for that commitment? In addition to that, they also have extremely specialized needs, including their diet and their environment. For instance, if you don’t have air conditioning, do not get a chinchilla. They are very spendy when they need to see the vet as well.

If I had to choose for an 11-year-old I would suggest a rabbit, a guinea pig, or a pair of rats. I think rats are the ultimate small pet, and I am very biased towards them. They are friendly, outgoing, and make fantastic pets. You need to get pairs though, as they keep each other company and live longer, healthier lives than lone rats do. They can take more temperature fluctuations than chins can as well. Rabbits and GPs are also great pets, but you need to do a lot of research into them (as well as rats) before you consider bringing them home. Any caged animal has specific dietary and environmental needs, as well as experienced veterinary care, none of which comes cheap. They also require a lot of time spent with them if you want them to be friendly and enjoy your company.

There isn’t enough space on Yahoo to answer in depth how to care for each of the animals you have listed. I also agree that books rarely give good, accurate information. I would hit the internet and start reading.

You can read about chinchilla care here http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/index.php, but you cannot join. You need to be over 14 in order to do so. You can read all the information on the site though.

For rabbits I would check here: http://www.rabbit.org/

For guinea pigs: http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/

For rats this is hands down the best forum: http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat

For fennec foxes, I don’t even know where to point you. There are no forums that I could find. I would just read up on everything you can possibly find, make notes, then possibly contact your local zoo to get their help.

Good luck!

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