Small Pets

[OakLeaf]

I haven't had small pets since I was a kid, but I definitely would not leave an animal alone in a tent.

In our area I wouldn't worry about predators so much as simple heat. Raccoons and coyotes aren't likely to bother a tent in the daytime when you're not there, predatory birds and snakes wouldn't be able to get into a tightly zipped space. But it gets very hot inside a tent in the summer.

[Blueberry]

But it gets very hot inside a tent in the summer.

This. Plus - think of it from the pet perspective. You likely wouldn't take said animal out of its cage while camping (risk of running away - this could cause problems with cage cleaning), so you're taking it out of its comfortable environment, petrifying it, baking it, and keeping it locked up.

Of course, with a dog you would have to plan as well (petsitter, etc).

[Veronica]

Dogs can go to some campgrounds though and leashed on some trails - depending upon where you are.

I can't imagine any other critter I would want to take tent camping. If it can't be out on the trails with me, why do I have it there, out of its comforts zone?

Veronica

[indysteel]

Out of curiosity, are there feeders/waterers that can be used with small animals that hold enough to get them through a long weekend? If so, I would suggest that that's a far better option than taking the animal camping with you. For times that you'll be gone longer, you will hopefully be able to either leave the animal with someone else or have someone visit the animal as needed.

[Catrin]

Those are all good thoughts, and I hadn't thought about the tent getting hot during the day. There isn't a guarantee that I could get a shaded spot and leave the flaps rolled up for ventilation.

I am really not a dog-person, though I like other people's dogs well enough. After being bitten earlier this year I find they make me a bit nervous. A bird, or pair of them, might be a good choice - and probably easier to find a sitter if I can't make food/water arrangements for them to be alone every other weekend in the summer. I do like parakeets, and they are not expensive. Get a pair of them to keep each other company for when I am not home...

Thanks again, I've got some time to think about all of this. Would love a parrot but they are expensive, expensive to care for, and I refuse to have a pet that will outlive me

[Trek-chick]

When I was younger (still living at my parent's house), a neighbor had a pet duck.

They also had a golden retriever, and sometimes I would see the dog and the duck playing (seriuosly--I am not kidding ) in their front yard. I have always thought it would be really cool to have a pet duck. I imagine they would be a messy pet but they are soooooooooooooooooo darn cute!!!!!

[Catrin]

When I was younger (still living at my parent's house), a neighbor had a pet duck.

They also had a golden retriever, and sometimes I would see the dog and the duck playing (seriuosly--I am not kidding ) in their front yard. I have always thought it would be really cool to have a pet duck. I imagine they would be a messy pet but they are soooooooooooooooooo darn cute!!!!!

They really are, aren't they? I suspect that my apartment complex would consider them an "exotic pet", which aren't allowed. Another nice thing about choosing a bird or a small animal that would be caged when I am not home would be I wouldn't have to pay a large pet deposit, nor pay "pet rent" every month.

I just renewed my lease early to avoid an increase that happens on Jan. 1, and just realized that all cats must be declawed...another reason not to have one. I understand why they have that provision, and each pet owner has their opinion on that, but I consider it cruel. There are other options.

[Biciclista]

oh that's terrible. Forcing people to declaw their cats? I couldn't live there. Sheesh.

[TsPoet]

I am really not a dog-person, though I like other people's dogs well enough. After being bitten earlier this year I find they make me a bit nervous. A bird, or pair of them, might be a good choice - and probably easier to find a sitter if I can't make food/water arrangements for them to be alone every other weekend in the summer. I do like parakeets, and they are not expensive. Get a pair of them to keep each other company for when I am not home...

I also have budgies (parakeets) and love them. They take a lot of work to tame - only get 1 if you want a tame one. You can get a second after a few months. They have the advantage that you can just go away for a weekend, leave them food and water and they'll be fine. They have the disadvantage that they are smart - too smart to leave sitting in a cage. It breaks my heart when people treat them like fish. Birds (all kinds) need at least 1 hr/day out doing something active. I don't clip wings, let them fly loose in my house. Mine are tame and like to ride around on my shoulder (nothing like sitting "on the pot" and have something zoom around the corner to land on your head because you were out of sight and they had to find you). I had a budgie years ago (my heart pet to this day) that had a 50+ word vocabulary. He lost his ability to fly as he got older and used to flutter down from his cage and run around after me instead of fly.
All of my current budgies are rescues and only 1 is somewhat tame. I have a large flight cage with 6 birds flying around. It's a lot of work to keep it clean - birds are very messy. I also have a Mayer's parrot - who is completely tame and has eaten much of the wood work in my house. He gets 2 hrs out every night - not necessarily 1 on 1 attention that he really needs, though.
Pets are a lot of work.
You could clip the wings of a parrot and bring them with you many places, but you couldn't leave them in a tent. I do leave my birds for up to 3 days a few times a year - with a waterer and food they don't need anyone to come in and take care of them.

[TsPoet]

This is how portable an adult IG can be (LOL)


and how active they can be

[Catrin]

I also have budgies (parakeets) and love them. They take a lot of work to tame - only get 1 if you want a tame one. You can get a second after a few months. They have the advantage that you can just go away for a weekend, leave them food and water and they'll be fine. They have the disadvantage that they are smart - too smart to leave sitting in a cage. It breaks my heart when people treat them like fish. Birds (all kinds) need at least 1 hr/day out doing something active. I don't clip wings, let them fly loose in my house...Pets are a lot of work....

Indeed they are! Love the pictures of your little dogs Also good to hear that budgies could be left alone for 48-50 hours or so, I will be away from home every other weekend this summer. I like the idea of a pair of them so they can keep each other occupied when I am not home. I will likely wait until the season starts winding down though. I want to take my time deciding what and who to get, but then I would want to spend a lot of quality time with the animal(s) before I started leaving them for the weekend on a regular basis. I know how to deal with cats, they have been my only pet for 40 years...

Tell me about how smart budgies are. When I was a girl we had a pair (Fifi and JoJo) who became really good at opening the door to their cage so my parents had to get really creative those times that we wanted them to stay in the cage.. My parents took the cage outside one day, however they didn't secure the door well OR they figured out how to "unsecure" the door...and that was the last we saw of them

I was only 8 years old at the time but I still remember them well!

[malkin]

You CAN also play with fish!

We had tiger barbs that loved to chase the laser pointer and for a while we had a huge goldfish that my daughter trained to sit in her hand (in the water). Probably not what you had in mind though.