Smart and inexpensive pet?

Silly String

Well-Known Member
Whatever you decide, I'd look for a rescue organization from which to acquire your pet. We rescued a homeless rabbit last year off the street (he was "turned loose" from someone in the neighborhood, which is usually a death sentence for rabbits) and he's been our most expensive pet, having to do all the vet care ourselves (neutering, dental care, as he was sick, etc)(it's $350 to neuter a rabbit at some places!!!! WTF????)

Rescue organizations offer a great deal, most of the time. $50 total, for a spayed/neutered rabbit, with food, hay, toys, litter.

Rabbits are incredibly "subtle" pets, but everything they do is so effing cute. Their body language is totally different from cats or dogs, but jeezOpete -- our rabbit can't even lie down without us saying, "Isn't he precious!"

They are very fastidious critters, and our rabbit is litter box trained. His poop is fabulous for the garden. (NPK is 2.4 - 1.4-0.6). Last summer, he provided enough poop for 12 outdoor plants, with no additional nutes needed (except for molasses). Score!

If I were to start fresh, i.e. no pets, or very few pets, I'd do a bonded pair of rabbits from a rescue place, and make them house rabbits, with an outdoor area available, weather pending. Our bunny has his own room, which he shares with my indoor grow (which is blocked off with office type dividers -- who knew? Rabbits like weed. A LOT!) We have a passel of dogs and cats, so he doesn't have access to the whole house for safety reasons. He also has a three story Bundiminium with attached run and fended rabbit garden outside, but he's got health issues, and isn't adventurous enough to appreciate it.

In about 2 or 3 months there will be a zillion Post-Easter rabbits at the shelters or rescues, so you can have your pick. The smaller breeds (mini-lops, Dutch) have more dental issues, which gets pricey. (that's what we're dealing with). Otherwise figure about $10/week in fresh veggies, food, hay.

Sorry for the novel. I never thought I'd be such a bunny advocate, but they're such great pets.
 

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
I found a Wolly Bear caterpillar in my mail box in winter. Kept him in a Tupperware container with some shredded paper and I put in a lettuce leaf whenever I remembered. He lost all his fur one day and turned into a cocoon and three weeks later I found a friggin moth in the container where once there was a cute wooly bear. Well I kept the friggin moth until the first days of spring and I decided to let it be free. So I took it outside and put it on the ground. Then I went inside and watched from my window. A robin came and ate it. I was very pleased with myself.
 

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a little bit of company. I already have a dog, but he's more my mothers dog, and he's a couch potato hehe.

So I'm looking for a pet that is smart and not too expensive. I already had a Ball Python which I loved, but it's a lot of expenses to get started, and although mine was very tame, I wouldn't categorize it as smart.

Something for around 100$ to start out.
I was thinking of a rat or 2.
Any other ideas?

Pets are a huge responsibility

Feed them commercial garbage and you will have huge vet bills

Scroll down to Miscellaneous articles on Vitality Science website for how to

https://www.vitalityscience.com/v/articles.asp
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
Yeah leave the poor rabbits genitals alone. Just cut off his foot instead.
i always liked rabbits as a kid, and always wanted one.. right up till i lived with someone who had one.. damned thing would get out of it's cage and hop around the whole house. i was asleep in bed one night and woke up to the thing pissing all over me.. :( not cool..
plus the damned thing ate all the buttons off of the television remote.. made changing channels a real challenge, try throwing a rabbit a the tv and getting the right channel the first 5 throws. not easy i tell you..
i like birds, but i don't think birds are meant to be kept in a cage it's entire life, or cooped up in a house either. birds are meant to fly and be free, the coolest part of a bird imo..
 

ProHuman

Well-Known Member
I had ducks when I was a kid, and recently just bought a few for my yard.
Ducks are cheap, easy to care for, and intelligent.
They only require a small swimming pool, and cracked corn.
No need for a cage, as they will wander around in the yard and eat grass and bugs.
Getting them started for a month or 2 requires a large plastic bin, and a heat bulb.
PLUS:... the females provide breakfast, and males can provide dinner.
Spring is best time to get them.
 

Commander Strax

Well-Known Member
Got ticks? Got obnoxious bugs and garden pests? Tired of insects destroying your flower beds and leaves and gardens? Just maybe guineas are for you.
Guinea fowl range across the property taking bites of weed seeds, insects, grasshoppers, Japanese Beetles and other obnoxious bugs with nearly every step they take.



Cute little buggers!
 

KLITE

Well-Known Member
You can get a grinder holder like mine:

nice.jpg

He doesnt mooch, eats very little amd shits in his own box. I couldnt imagine chilling on my sofa without His Cheekiness A Tarekus The Cute.
 

Spanky84

Active Member
Degus are cool. I have 5 at the moment. Had a 12 member colony at one point. Rats are very nice smart animals, but unfortunately tend not to live very long. I like grinder holders also. I personaly have two of maine coon breedand am expecting little grinder holders of mixed MC/norwegian forest breeds.
 

Pinworm

Well-Known Member
Got ticks? Got obnoxious bugs and garden pests? Tired of insects destroying your flower beds and leaves and gardens? Just maybe guineas are for you.
Guinea fowl range across the property taking bites of weed seeds, insects, grasshoppers, Japanese Beetles and other obnoxious bugs with nearly every step they take.



Cute little buggers!
I get a gaggle of about 20-30 bomb through my front yard almost every day. So fucking cute when they have little ones. They're all stringy and scary. Cute as fuck.
 

charface

Well-Known Member
1399002016995.jpg
Hermit crabs I just got for my niece.
Old britta water filter makes a cool
home. I put a shell painted like a soccer ball and one like a football
for them to grow into.
I dont know about smart but easy to take care of.
 

panhead

Well-Known Member
Wow ! That Butt Plug looks angry as hell , i can tell because its purple .

We used to keep quite a few exotic pets & my 2 favorites were our Burmeese Python & Savanna Monitor Lizard , the snake was fun but you cant teach them stuff & once she started eating baby pigs became too expensive to feed , damm snake was eating suckeling pig & we were eating hamburgers, now our savanna monitor was smart as fuk , he was like a little dog , we had a little leash & collar for him & on nice days we'd walk his little fat ass to the park & let him ruff around , he knew commands like stop & lets go , if we touched his belly he'd roll over & let us get gator belly , we'd rub his little ole belly & he'd get all happy & junk , he caught pnuemonia & after over a month at the emergency vet & about $3K spent on health care right after his pnuemonia got better the poor little dude had a heart attack & died .

We had him for a number of yrs & if he woulda been around longer we coulda taught him more tricks , if we showed him a cricket he'd put his little paw up & beg , his name was Rosevelt & he was cool as hell , we called him Rosie for a nickname & he even knew his name , savanna monitor's are very gentle creatures for the most part , just be sure you dont get a Tegu Monitor or especially dont get a Water Monitor , Tegus have a bad temper & will bite the hell out of you but Water Monitors make Tegus look like puppys & will take your finger off or worse , they are very close to the size of a Kmodo Dragon , they have claws like eagle talons & a nasty disposition & will fuk u up , i sold ours to a reptile zoo when he outgrew the jackuzi he lived in .

Try a Savanna Monitor , they are tameable & accept love , they stay small & will eat any insects , they get bout the size of a loaf of bread .
 
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