Indoor Pet

Searching for a cool indoor pet for my son?

My son is 11 years old and we can't have a dog or cat in our apartment. So besides a fish what would be a neat pet that we can consider. I love dogs/cats so Im not an absolute amimal hater, but not so easy going with the reptiles, but as long as it has easy care "instruction" and easy for my son to take care of, its fine with me. Any suggestions?!?!?!?!

Heres a list of Pets ive had (or have) and the pros and cons of each one.

Hamsters-
I have a hamster now and have had plenty of them in the past. Pros-they're small and take up minimal space, theyre relatively cheap to own/feed. They can be super friendly and fun to play with. Cons- theyre lil escape artists, if you get a regular cage for them- make sure its got a door with a latch, or buy a latch for the door...they wont sit still very long in your hands so if youre looking for a laid back pet for your son, this might not be the way to go. they only live a couple years. (average life span for a hamster is 2-4 years)

Rats- If you love dogs, you'll love rats. Jack hannah refers to rats as the "dogs of the rodent world" which is very true. Pros -theyre smart, they figure things out like nobodys business, theyre super fun to play with..They'll chill on your shoulder while youre doing other things, theyre cheap to buy, and own (after you buy a cage that is). Cons- female rats are sometimes prone to tumors, so you either have to pay to have them removed, or have them put to sleep..they too, only live a few years. Rats are very social so if youre gonna get one its best to get 2 so they can keep each other company (2 of the same sex or you'll have 5000 baby rats before you know it) Unless your son has alot of time to play with his pet, that is.

Rabbits- Pros- theyre super soft and fun to cuddle, theyre playful, and do cute things. Cons- You'll need a bigger cage for them, they chew on EVERYTHING, you have to clean them more often than other animals, usually twice a week, and if you dont have them fixed, they can develop quite the snotty attitude.

Guinea pigs- Pros -they dont take up much space, unlike a hamster, they'll sit in your lap and chill.. Cons- they dont do much of anything..theyre really kind of boring. but if youre looking for a really laid back pet, this would be the way to go. theyre super skittish but like anything they can be trained out of it.

parakeets/cockatiels- Pros- theyre smart, easy to clean, playful, and they live for a long time (generally 5-10 years, sometimes more) cons -theyre freaking loooouuud, and you gotta have their wings clipped in order to train them or else they'll fly off constantly.

I think thats all ive owned.. Hope this helps. Good luck with your future pet!