Allergy friendly pets?

[kwong2001]

Well, my mom finally got an allergy test to find out if she was allergic to my mini rex rabbit. Unfortunately, the test came back positive so now I gotta give charlie, my rabbit, to a rescue place. He's like a child to me and even though he sucks as a pet, doesn't come to you, doesn't like being petted, just sits under the table away from the family, I still love him.

So now i'm thinking i'd like to get another pet, but probably after December. Right now the only decent pets I can think of are either chinchillas, or a ferrets. Both I have to do more research to see if they're right for me, but we'll see. I know for sure, if I get a ferret, it will be a rescue.

With that said, does anyone know of any decent small rabbit sized animals that would make decent pets? Preferrably ones most people aren't allergic to since me and my mom seem to have picky allergies.

 

[redhatman]

I know when I used to have pets of my own, I had a teddy bear hamster. (thats the kind of hamster) Hamsters are fun because you can play with them, give them challenges to climb, and even set it on ur keyboard and see what he types. Hasters only run about $6. Let us know what you get.

 

[vbgagnon]

Honestly my wife has some bad allergies, she has to carry 2 eppi pens with her at all times. IMO the risk is not worth the reward that a pet brings. I say either get fish or don't get anything.

 

[retarded pilot]

hairless cat

 

[vbgagnon]

retard (i still giggle like a 10 year old when I type that) believe it or not most people that are allergic to cats are allergic to their saliva and not the dander or fur.

 

[Plaidfish]

reptiles.....I have an albino ferret and let me tell you if my kid wasn't into him, I'd have found him a new home by now....he's REALLY cool but they are messy little rats....if I don't change his paper every morning he shits in another corner....even if his paper is clean.....he pushes his food dish around like he's driving it spilling food everywhere....he hides food and I get to find it by following ant trails to his stash...at least my apt now has tile floors so it's easier to clean up.....luckily mine doesn't bite and he's super friendly....I guess personality can make up for the smell and mess he makes.....he sleeps on a pillow next to me and wakes me up in the morning by sticking his nose in my face....

 

[1500valk]

birds, maybe? We have two cockatiels and they don't bother me. I am allergic to just about anything with fur...

 

[.21Rc10GT]

Fish!! Unless you are allergic to water, then they are OK! I am setting up a Saltwater tank. Its lookin awesome!! All the fish in the stores seem so "friendly"... Ehh, saltwater ones anyway...

 

[NCNitro]

I had a ferret, for about two weeks. They smell terrible, they are nasty smelly thieving little rodentsand I would never recommend one as a pet. I say reptiles all the way. A nice snake, or maybe a bearded dragon.

 

[Plaidfish]

mine actually doesn't smell too bad....nobody knows I have one till I let him out....I know most owners houses smell like poop....but that's cause they don't clean th ehouse.....also they try and wash th eferret thinking it will keep the smell down...it makes it worse......I let him swim in the tub alot to get him wet and all but don't use soap but once every 3 months.....I found mine and I'm an animal sucker so I got stuck w/ him....I wouldn't recommend them as pets unless you like cleaning and can play w/ them EVERYDAY for at least 20 mins...they get pissed off and depressed if you don't give them attention....

 

[retarded pilot]

hmm vb i didnt know that i thought it was the hair & dander ...where can you learn about animals & tatoo's? ...at rcnitrotalk.com thats where LOL

 

[vbgagnon]

I thought the same thing until I met my wife, and my mother in law. Combined I think they are allergic to just about everything. And to tell you the truth IT SUCKS! But I guess somethings just aren't really that important to have.

 

[supercharged]

one of those japanese robotic pets

 

[Plaidfish]

HMMMM.....Wife.......Dog........sex........catch frisbee and drool.........have babies.........have puppies.......I dunno sounds like a close one to me....

 

[rocknbil]

....With that said, does anyone know of any decent small rabbit sized animals that would make decent pets?.....

You should look into sugar gliders. My wife has 4 of them.

Here's a pic when one was a baby, with the mother.

They resemble really small flying squirrels (yes Woody, with THUMBS, their feet have oposing thumbs like primates, but with claws) but are actually marsupials with a pouch. They have skin between the fore and hind legs so when they spread out they can glide from tree to tree, and a long fuzzy tail they use as a rudder when gliding. They spend their days in a purse-like sack that you can carry around. They bond to humans very well; my wife often puts one in her shirt pocket and goes off to work. They're very personable and at night lots of fun to watch.

If you get a sugar glider, plan on spending a lot of time with it because like I said they are very symbiotic and will bond with their humans, and they live about 15 years. If you don't they'll stay wild and hard to train. It's a good idea to get two and have any males fix - you think rabbits breed fast? These can breed in a 6 week cycle.

Uh . . . . that's why we have 4.

 

[StrechM]

A safe bet would be fish or one of the reptiles. My wife's alergies appear around several different types of animals. Her nose stops up and she will break out in a light rash that itches we she touches some of them.

 

[kwong2001]

Thanks for the replies guys, so far we've had birds, and they were overly messy with the feathers and all. I did have 3 hamsters, I like them a lot, but cleaning their nasty ass cage every week and them pissing in their workout wheel weren't exactly fun. i wouldn't mind a snake or some reptile, but I don't think that'd fly with the rest of the family members . I've done the whole fish thing, and quite honest, they're down right boring. I'd like something that's capable of some interaction.

As far as ferrets, that's still a possibility, but i'd have to do more research and spend a bunch of time at a shelter learning all I can. I'm aware of how much of a handful they can be, that's part of the reason why i'd really need to do a lot of research.

I know the only pet I CAN have is a chinchilla since we had them when I was young, and they didn't have seem to be a problem.

rocknbil, i'll keep in mind those sugar gliders. They seem a little on the high maintenance (just because of all the attention they need), but shouldn't be too bad since i'll be spending most of my time studying in my room. One question, what kind of food do you feed it? Is it somethign that's can be bought at the store or online, or is it something that needs to be mixed?

 

[Plaidfish]

they eat fruit.....probably some feed as well.....you can just keep em close you don't have to be giving them all your attention just be near em and play w/ em every now and then for a few mins.....my neighbors daughter has one that wild and it spazes out every nite for about 10 mins and just goes nuts in her room.....funny as hell but it definately shows the wild side......

 

[kwong2001]

Hmmm, well I guess for now it's between ferrets, sugar gliders, and chinchillas. My mom has an follow up appointment with her allergist in 3 months, so i'll probably give her a list of different possible animals and have her tested for each one.

 

[1500valk]

Fish!! Unless you are allergic to water, then they are OK! I am setting up a Saltwater tank. Its lookin awesome!! All the fish in the stores seem so "friendly"... Ehh, saltwater ones anyway...

I know fish are very friendly. We had an aquarium store here and they had a full size piranha on display. That thing would follow you along when you walked past it's tank and smile at you. I would say it was very friendly.