CLOSED:What animal makes the best pet and why? Win a bundle of kids books.

Ants (yes that's right, Ants) An ant colony can teach children a lot about how a community that works together for the common good can thrive, and how each member of that society has his place. Ants need very little care, just a dry, stable temperature and some food. They are fascinating.

Cats are a wonderful pet for a child I know it may seem a bit ordinary but I think a child needs something that is easy to care for food, water and a loving home is all they need and if the right cat is picked it can become a child's best friend. They love attention and will allow themselves to be petted and stroked when a child needs quiet time and be very playful and boisterous too. They have the ability to adapt to the childs mood.
I just think they are ideal. They don't need cleaning out or walking which I know from experience a child can lose the enthusiasm for very quickly with a pet and the parent ends up doing the looking after.

Dogs. Always cheerful and happy to see you. Love an afternoon nap. Forces you to go for a walk to get some exercise.

I have never known a time when there has not been a dog in my life. Right from being a tiny child myself to the grandmother of one now, there has always been a four legged friend around. I really can't imagine living without one. Our house is a home. A proper home has a dog ( or two or three) in it

My dogs greet me every morning bursting with so much love and affection, tails wagging and bodies wriggling, they make me smile even when don't feel like it.

If I'm sad one of them will come for a cuddle. When I was a little girl the dog in our house was always my best friend. I would share my sweets with him and if I was crying he always came and sat with me.

They are your friend, your confessor, your comfort. They bring joy to your heart, and they break it when they die. They seem to know when you are sad, and when you are happy they add to the fun.

Walking the dog gets you out of the house, and you meet other doggie owners who are equally as besotted and daft. Dogs make people smile, they bring us together in a way nobody else can ..that is through laughter.

And anyway, who needs a man when you have a dog ?

LOL

I think hamsters are a good pet to start with. Children can learn how to look after and handle them. A good pet for a child who lives in a flat too.

Goldfish are the easiest to look after, and so many types of aquariums, to fit any budget.The next step up is a hamster or gerbil, gerbils are social creatures, you need to have two, but hamsters are happier alone.

A really nice fossil ammonite.
Minimal maintenance and cheap to keep.
Doesn't require much exercise, just an occasional change of location is sufficient.
Very little noise from them I've noticed and they don't bite the postman or annoy the neighbors.

Rats make good pets and are ideal as a first time pet as they are easy to care for and easy to train...

Need more information. Is the family athletic or couch potatoes? Any allergies? What size garden? What experience do the parents have?

Would suggest a visit to a 'pet zoo' so that the children can handle some pets. No good getting a hamster if a child will not pick one up or a dog if the child is scared.

Personally I will not have anything that has to be kept in a cage, think this is cruel. So a cat or dog is my answer.

The lack of an apostrophe and the fact that the word books appeared on a new line in my Active page listing meant I read the second part as: "Win a bundle of kids".

My first thought? "WTF?"

Guinea pigs are dear little things. Have 2 and they will keep each other company (check sex first!) They can live indoors and should not be consigned to the bottom of the garden, but the patio is fine as long as you don't ignore them and protect them from the elements. They like being handled and played with and will "chatter" to you especially at meal times!
Oh and they live a lot longer than hamsters.
We had Tobermory (Toby) and Wellington (Welly) because my DDs decided they were Wombles. Super pets!??

I agree Alea, guinea pigs are lovely little animals. We have had three. First one broke a leg when he jumped out of DS1 arms. The vet was fantastic and pinned it with a hypodermic needle, and only charged us for the bits and pieces he used, as he said he was learning, but 'that Oscar' did have a very thick skin, and blunted his injection needles. Our next pair, 'Hale and Pace', belonging to DS2, were allowed to roam the garden, and sometimes we only knew where they were by the rustling in the bushes. They are sociable souls and do talk to you. I loved them, the dog wasn't too keen though.

Dogs, specifically Labrador dogs. They have the nicest temperament.

I am very fond of dogs but I am not able to care for them as they should be with a good couple of walks each day. I do like cats, they are easy to care for, one can go out for the day and the cat will not mind and they are also very good company.

Dogs most definately. Not called man's best friend for nothing. GS1, recently diagnosed with ASD, has no friends except his beloved new puppy. He loves his dog and his dog loves him.

We've had some lovely cats over the years who, contrary to some of their bad press, made lovely and loving pets for our DC. One in particular was such a little eccentric. He would sit up next to them while they watched television like a little man, front paws crossed. Two brothers used to let the DC dress them up in dolls' clothes and parade them round in a dolls' pram. It did nothing for the street cred of the tougher one when he escaped through the cat flap in hot pursuit of a rival, with a frilly bonnet flapping about on his head. Sadly the only cat we now have to delight the DGS is Angel, the grumpiest cat on the planet. She revels in tempting them close, then hissing and spitting at them. At least she makes them laugh.

Dogs definitely as they are so in tune with us. Having a dog teaches a child so much..they will love unconditionally, will not judge, and will be loyal. They teach children important life skills...how to be caring, kind, committed etc. I think they help children to be more robust health wise (excepting allergies)...they develop stronger resistNce to germs, are more active around dogs and are more likely to be outside more.
I would not recommend hamsters as they are nocturnal, but if a dog is not a possibility then Guinea pigs are gentle creatures and comparitively easy to care for.

I would have said guinea pigs but my daughter [on my advice] bought two for her sons and they need an awful lot of cleaning and don't seem very sociable. I'm sure the ones I had were friendlier, but they were 'only' guinea pigs. Whatever the pet it has to be something you want yourself as you'll probably end up looking after it [and, lets face it, we usually get a pet for a child because we want one]. This was my daughters reasoning when I ended up looking after her pony for several years after she left home. But, if it's going to be a pet that you remember with fondness for the rest of your life, I think it has to be a cat or a dog.

Dogs are the best. There is no better welcome than the one you get from your dog when you arrive home. They give unconditional love, can be trained to do various tasks and seem able to connect to children with autism, the elderly with dementia and can sniff out different diseases. They help teach children how to look after someone other than themselves, teach them compassion and can be used as a sounding board for children with problems. All in all, they are probably the most versatile pets you could have!

The best pet we had was a beautiful red setter. Ah, my beautiful Amber. My puppy child substitute, but s superb family pet when the children were born

We have had:
a dog
a cat (and eventually) her five kittens
a bearded dragon
a Rankin's dragon
goldfish
outdoor pond fish (Koi and others)
rabbits
guinea pigs
hamsters
gerbils
stick insects
a 'bug farm' (mostly ants)
and now, a corn snake

I can't tell you which of these made the best pet because each, in their own way, was loved and cared for and special. Each was the best pet at the time it was bought, for the child who wanted it.

Although we had an assortment of pets, including dogs, mice and stick insects, I have to say Guinea pigs. Yes, someone has to clean the cage, but if you have them out of it from the start, they become very used to humans and love your company. My last Guinea pig (bought by my teenage son and inherited by me when he left home!) even had his obituary in the Guardian - link to feature (he's about halfway though) hopefully attached!
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jul/11/readers-pet-obituaries-here-lies-fluffy-rip

So I don't have a 'proper home'? How rude.

Hamsters are the best for small children, they are easily tamed and can be left to their own devices all day as long as they are fed and have fresh water and clean sawdust on the floor. Dogs are lovely but need so much looking after and I have seen many a family take on a dog and the children become tired of it, its chewing their toys, barking etc and usually the mother ends up looking after it. The same with cats (I have 2), although they don't need as much walking they need to be looked after and cleaned up after, (I have one who regularly vomits under furniture).

A hamster in a cage can be left with friends for holidays too. This was always my choice of pet when my daughter was small.