h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Poor old Bob the goldfish who had grown to 9" from nose to tail tip,and who we had got very attatched to over the last 1 1/2 years, swam of to the big fish pond in the sky yesterday. We will miss him dearly.
Now I have a space for another pet, to keep Rosie the russian hamster company (shes over 3 years old which I think is past pensionable age for her breed, bless her).
I have a tank and am willing to buy another cage so what critter shall I get to fill the void?
Littlun sugested mice, never had mice, at least not as pets any comments on them?

Rats are nicer than mice they are cleaner anyhow though of course there is not a which may or may not be a consideration so, ar e you open to suggestions for names for the new pet? I've made it my duty to make as many people as possible call their pets '2legs' How abouts another goldfish? Or are you after something different? Chinchillas are great little critters, but they take a bit more room relaly than your mice/rats/gerbils/hamsters type critters

"Eets a russian 'amstair"

I can personally recommend owning a *praying mantis* (for which, unfortunately, there is no <tag&gt. You can leave them on your household plants, keeping insect colonies to a minimum and just feed them a cricket every so often.

More active than a stick insect, cheap to buy and a great talking point, especially if you get 2 and observe their mating process.

A word of caution however; avoid wearing jewellery, as my mantis (my boy Vivian) loved nothing more than rushing up my guests arms, to hang lovingly off their earrings or necklaces...

But rats are good too, much more fun than mice (which seem to take one look and just die. Could be just me though)

Rats... Seconded.
I know that to many people rats seem like an apalling idea, but I have known a few folk who kept a rat for a pet, and they were great. Both the people and the rats. On the Berlin underground you can sometimes see youngsters who literally keeps a rat up there sleeves: every now and then, a little whiskered nose pops out, checks the air and retreats up the sleeve, only to resurface moments later, curling around their owner's neck. Watching this is almost as good as watching the shocked faces of some of the folks witnessing this.

If want something more long-lived, you might try a turtle... But they are dull to the extreme and sleep half the year. Or how about a corn snake? I, persoanally, am rather scared of snakes (probably from almost never seeing any...), but corn snakes look, well, pretty. Sort of.

Y.

A PSP.

Slightly more expensive, but hours of fun.

And what, pray tell, is a PSP?

Guinea Pigs. Much more fun than rats and no stigma attached!

I know just the thing!

You can have our rabbit - photo and description on my space.

Take her, please!

It's a Playstation Portable. I reckon it's about hamster sized.

I've had a pair of rats before, lovely little things full of personality, but my mum is allergic to them, she doesn't visit very often tho.
I'm not really into insects and my friend has a chinchilla, it ate the back of her armchair and a lenghth of dado so prehaps not.
Golden hamsters are kinda boring, our little russian one is quite lively tho. There's Gerbils? are they hard to handle?

Guinea Pigs?
Sorry Bubba, but guinea pigs are all obnoxious squealing and grease glands, plus they breed like rabbits on viagra...

Much better to stick with rats, a mantis or maybe even (on a more exotic note) an army of naked mole-rats

Of course theres always birds... No room for a parrot (shame)

Obnoxious!!!!! Why I outta...

Guinea pigs are easily kept. Friendly. Excitable. Love to be stroked. And if their kept apart from the opposite gender then they don't tend to procreate...much! There was this time we thought we had two sows in the pen and well...the babys are cute as hell so it didn't matter.

Bubba, I am sorry to have offended what is obviously a much-loved member of your family unit, but I cannot stand guinea pigs and believe there are many more worthwhile rodents upon whom attention could be lavished. GP squeals drive me absolutely mental and stay with me for weeks after I hear them…


Madbeachcomber, have you ever considered a dwarf rabbit or some sort of terrier?

Grrrrrr!

I'll second that though. Dwarf wabbits are always nice little animals. Guinea pigs are better of course, but wabbits are a close second.

Rabbits over GP
Rats over rabbits...

I really want an indoor animal and although guineas and rabbits can be kept indoors I havent really got the room for a fair sized cage. Plus my mum is allergic to wigglypigs too.

>> I really want an indoor animal <<

Ah. So my suggestion of a killer whale probably won't be appropriate then.

RF