Sorry if this has been asked loads of times before, but I couldn't think of a search word.

Mrs C and I would like a pet or two to liven the house up, but we have rather hectic lifestyles, both sometimes having to work away from home at short notice.

Key criteria are :

- easy to look after
- capable of being left unattended for a couple of days at a time (obviously we will provide enough food, water, clean bedding etc)
- happy being left to their own devices most of the time

Obviously dogs are a non-starter.

Cats at a push, but not ideal as we have a river at the back and at least one local cat has died after eating rat poison put down by the council.

So probably something that can be kept indoors and will amuse itself if left alone.

We would like a reptile of some sort, but I think they need daily attention?

What about rodents? Would gerbils or hamsters or guinea pigs be happy in an empty house? Is it better if there are a few of them for company? Can you get timer devices to ensure fresh food and water over a short period?

I would be grateful for any helpful comments, suggestions or advice.

Thanks.

Fish?

I'm sure our reptile keeping members will innundate you with advice tomorrow ;)

Thanks Strix.

Might get some fish for the dining room (in a tank I mean!) but we'd also like something you can handle and that can wander round the living room while we're in.

Kids? :hihi:

Sorry :blush:

er, on the reptile front, most snakes are fairly low maintainance. feed once per week. fresh water daily, but not the end of the world if you miss a day. spot clean 1-2 times a week, thourough clean once a month. they dont annoy your neighbours, dont bark and wont go eating stuff by the river. you can handle them when you like except for 24 hrs after feeding and handling them is quite theraputic in a relaxing kind of way. downside? Can you stomach feeding defrosted dead mice to him/her?. royal pythons are placid animals, though can be fussy feeders. corn snakes are good, but do need regular handling to keep them freindly. Neither of these grows to over 6ft max. childrens and spotted pythons only grow to about 3ft. thats my bit of knowledge shared

Our guinea pig, rats and mice are left if we visit Mr Tess's parents for a few days obviously with plenty of food and water and to date we have never had any problems

Guinea Pigs do need a regular supply of vitamin C a they can't make their own but if you were concerned about fresh veg going off you can get dry food with it added and I think you can get something for their water too

Hope this helps

Don't really know about which pets could be left, but I know you can get timed feeders, will have a look online later when I get back from uni.

Personally I'd be uncomfortable with leaving any of my pets with nobody to come and check on them so do you not have family member/friend/neighbour who can call in and feed them and check they're still ok.

We have left our cats when going on holiday and had someone come in to feed them and although the cats don't give a damn, it's very reassuring to know that they have been seen in/around the house every day and are ok.

Not only are snakes low maintenance but If you spend time and effort on the vivarium they can look wonderfull in the front room.

well, as you have seen CV, the frog and snake accomodation makes excellent lounge furniture, and often more interesting to watch than the TV.

Rats..........hands down winners here :D

Not sure rats would be happy going without attention for 2 or 3 days at a time.

Besides the obvious (providing enough food/water), they need regular attention if they are to remain tame and handle-able.

I'd suggest some sort of cold blooded creature, some reptiles are suitable, some not.
How about inverts?! ;) (eg. tarantula/scorpion/millipede)

I would say a pair of rats too but reptiles would be ideal, corn snakes are good for a first timer.

I think I'd definitely go with the fish option....very low maintenance!

Sarah I don't think fish meet all the requirements :lol:

but we'd also like something you can handle and that can wander round the living room while we're in.

I now have visions of fish wandering around the living room :lol:

Not sure rats would be happy going without attention for 2 or 3 days at a time.

they would be absolutely fine, as long as you had at least a pair and left enough food/water for them.....

RATS!!
:D

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, all very much appreciated :)

I get on really well with my neighbours but I think it's a bit unfair to suddenly ask them to start doing pet duty on a regular basis.

Dafoot, nice suggestion but Mrs C can't abide anything with more than 4 legs :help:

I'm not keen on rats as my brother had one years ago and it was nothing but trouble (don't flame me rat lovers, it's just personal experience). Guinea pigs seem more interesting somehow. Tess667 (is that your birthday - we must be the same age?) do your mice, rats and guinea pig have any particular distinguishing characteristics or is one rodent much like another?

Corn snakes sound good, thanks bluesandtwos - I'll put them on the shortlist. Can the frozen mice go on the baking tray with the fish fingers :hihi: ?

What about bearded dragons? We saw one at the Butterfly House at North Anston and it would fit the bill. We just really don't want to get something that we can't give a good home to.

Whatever we decide, we'll read a few books before we take the plunge, but the advice is really helpful to narrow it down.

Thanks again.

Tess667 (is that your birthday - we must be the same age?) do your mice, rats and guinea pig have any particular distinguishing characteristics or is one rodent much like another?

Hi Chumley,

667 is not my birthday! Most people assume so but it was the numbers on our last car

I wouldn't say one rodent is very like another, my lot all have their own little ways and habits and thats what I like about them

You and Mrs Chumley would be welcome to come and meet my lot if you wanted too see some before you made your mind up

Thanks for the offer Tess (just me that's old then!). We're warming to the snake idea at the moment but we'll bear you in mind if that's OK :)

What about bearded dragons? We saw one at the Butterfly House at North Anston and it would fit the bill. We just really don't want to get something that we can't give a good home to.

Whatever we decide, we'll read a few books before we take the plunge, but the advice is really helpful to narrow it down.

Thanks again.

I wouldn't reccomend getting bearded dragons if they are to be left. You can get timers for lights and heated matts and things but I think they probably need checking on every day. If its winter and a bulb goes then it's not really fair to leave them. Also with all the electricity going into their homes it is always best to be able to know everything is working fine. However I can't speak from experience as have only ever had water dragons, which you really can't leave on their own. They need water changing and spraying daily.

I would definitly reccomend a snake, (bluesandtwos summed it all up well I thought) they are low maintenance, beautiful and
very theraputic. Me and OH are going away for a few days in a couple of weeks and have had to make arrangements for all the pets but can leave the snake at home.

Bearded dragons are great creatures, not sure if they could be left without feeding for 2 days though. They need 2-3 daily feeds of livefood as youngsters, reducing to once a day as adults. they are very freindly, ameanable creatures though, who dont mind being handled. Beardies dont need spraying, as too much humidity can be harmful for them though do need to offered water to drink from a spray bottle as may not use a water bowl. Heating should ONLY be from a basking bulb, heatmats should not be used for them due to the lack of heat receptors in their feet, which can lead to them burning themselves. so, yes, if the bulb fails when your not around, it could spell disaster.charming creatures though and just thinking about a pair myself. I use heatmats for my snakes, and yet to have one fail on me. though if one did, snakes are pretty resiliant creatures and go into hibernation mode rather than keeling over dead.

I certainly wouldn't leave my guinea pigs even for a few days, overnight would be a possiblity. They have no stomach control (i.e. will eat whatever you put in the cage within an hour or two of it going in), so feeding must be staggered. Those timer things wouldn't work as you couldn't possibly fit a large enough volume of hay plus normal feed in. Water bottles are also temperamental and unreliable so can leak, then they could be left with no water.

Hi chumley If its snakes your looking into I have a few different types you would be more than welcome to come and have a look at them.

Same here!, an assortment of snakes you can see and handle, and dart frogs (though probably not advisable to sit and cuddle a frog whos secretions are used to lace arrows with toxins)

...and dart frogs (though probably not advisable to sit and cuddle a frog whos secretions are used to lace arrows with toxins)
Is it right that after a genration or 2 in captivity they lose the potency in their venom? Don't rememebr where I read that.

they dont have the same potency in their skin secretions in captivity, as derived from their food in the wild, namly ants. These are replaced with fruitfly crickets, waxworms etc, so dont develop the toxin in their skin. there is only one exception to this, and i dont own this species.

Thanks for the advice and offers. Going to leave this until after Christmas now, but may take you up on it later if that's OK.

Cheers
Chumley

What about a chinchilla?They are pretty easy to keep happy. I have 2, and I have had the eldest one for 10 yrs,and I love him to bits.