Young children may squeeze small birds, like baby chicks or parakeets, to death, or otherwise injure them.īirds also make a lot of noise. So why are they on this list? Because small kids can't be trusted to pet birds gently, or close the cage properly so birds won't fly away. Birds are a popular pet because they're small, pretty, mostly inexpensive, and can be friendly to humans. So if you wonder "Where are all my socks?" or "Why do my hair ties keep disappearing?" you'll probably come across a pile of them in a closet in some point. They're also escape artists and will make a beeline for any open door, and if not neutered, the males spray stinky pee all over your house.įerrets also need both a cage and a litter box, hours of attention/training daily, and have one of the weirdest pet habits out there – they form attachments to particular objects in your house, and make little caches of them. They bite if you don't handle them just right – and small children will make mistakes. And though they are often clever, inquisitive, and playful, they can also be mean. Aren't ferrets rodents? Why aren't they included above? Because ferrets aren't rodents – they're weasels. When you want to pet them during the day, they'll be asleep at night, when you're trying to sleep, they're squeaking and running on their exer-wheel. Wait, you say you didn't want a small box of peed-on wood chips in your child's bedroom? Finally, many of these rodents are actually nocturnal. wood chips, that the rodents pee on, and you'll have to change weekly or even more often. They need a special cage, food that's not sold at the grocery store, a water dispenser, something to exercise on, and "bedding" – i.e.
Small rodents also require a surprising amount of care. But these rodents are generally terrified of humans – you can train them to appreciate human touch if they're handled gently and frequently as babies, but they're often sold full-grown at pet stores, and parents can't trust that young children won't squeeze them too hard – or accidentally let them out of their cage, never to be seen again. These sort of "pocket pets" are fuzzy and small, so you might think they'll be great for your children, who are also small. The worst pets for kidsĪre mice, gerbils, chinchillas, and hamsters good pets for kids? Here are some great – and terrible – options. But if you can't or don't want to have a dog or a cat, and have a young child who desperately wants a pet, you may be wondering what are the best pets for kids (or conversely, the worst pets for kids). Dogs and cats are at the top of the human-pet love pyramid for a reason: they like people, they'll willingly live with you, and they're relatively easy to care for.