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

>>I really want an indoor animal (MBC)

Since your mum appears to be allergic to rodents and you need something indoors-y, I guess you will either have to get another fish or go with your bird though (though your mum might not appreciate the feathers, etc that tend to float around, if she is prone to animal allergies).

Happy hunting

Killer Whales can make lovely indoor pets - can't they, Gerald?

*click* eeep! *click*

Staple part of the Peruvian diet, guinea pigs, you know ...

A little dog

like a springer spaniel

they're not to big, dont have too much of an annoying bark/yap but great company

Gerbils definately.

Two or three in medium sized aquarium. Try to get the same sex tho' as they can be fairly rampant. I started out with three and at one point had 26! They are very easy to tame and, provided you keep an eye on them when they're out of the cage, can quite happily sit and watch telly with you!

Try and get some of the more unusual colours, black and white (like my Thunder) or that gorgeous beige.....

Oh, and do make sure you cover their water bottle with a cheap mesh bird feeder, cuz they adore eating anything plastic!

How about a tarantula - we've got one at work who is very friendly.

My Mum is only alergic to rats and guinea pig (as far as we know) I've no idea why, but she gets bad asthsma when she's around them.
I am alergic to Elephants, not something that disrupts my everyday life but they do bring me out in a rash
I've got a Springer but he lives with my Mum, she dog sat 4 years ago and wouldnt give him back! I wouldn't call him a nice quiet little dog, although he's 13 now so is getting a bit sedate in his old age.
And as for the tarantula ..

Killer whales are hypo-allergenic

RF

Rosie is really quite sweet.

How about a couple of Giant African land snails - they don't take up huge amounts of space.

Mmm, at least you'd find them if they escaped. Not very good in a wheel and would take a long time to come when you called, but wouldnt shed hair...

Been looking at rat cages and rats the pet shop near here seems to be on the dear side tho' 8 quid a rat, and 50 for the cage, might look further afield,- might put rats on my christmas pressie list

Can I recommend against the snails. If you've been worried about rabbits and guinea pigs breeding then a pregnant snail will really spoil your day.

i thoroughly reccommend gerbils. we have had a couple of pairs (choose two girls, they won't breed obviously, and two males can scrap) and they've all been lovely. As long as you start to handle them sharpish, they become very tame and enjoy their time out of the cage. Mega cheap to feed and house too. Very cute! We had ours tp replace goldfish, would you believe.

I've personally not had any problems with my male gerbils and I have four in an aquarium at the moment. They seem to get on really well, so long as you remember to put enough choccy raisins and grapes and strawberries in for them.

Indidentally, I also have two water bottles which seems to have stopped the "It's my turn to try and get out of the cage by standing on the water bottle and chewing the mesh lid" skirmishes. Although that does mean there are now at least twoof them doing it at once! It'll all end in tears ine day!

proofread you twit!

one day, obviously

"If you've been worried about rabbits and guinea pigs breeding then a pregnant snail will really spoil your day."

Keep cleaning out their tank on a regular basis - remove any eggs and crush them on the day they're laid.

It's what they do at work anyway to keep their population under control.

*shudders* cant abide snails

Quick update - Bob the fish never got replaced and now sadly Rosie the hamster has gone to that big wheel in the sky. So we now have 3 rats It was only going to be 2 but there was 3 left in the shop and I didn't have the heart to leave her behind on her own. It did mean we had to build a bigger cage tho, but that in the end was good because we built it to fit the shelf and 'decorated' it as we liked.
It does mean my Mum can't visit for long tho

Reading about that praying mantis rushing up people's sleeves scared me.

Yep, I know what you mean

What about a gecko? Great fun, walk across the roof and go if you surprise them.

Or a Degu, they look great.

What about a civet? Smells funny but look cute.