Need Help Choosing a Pet...

ghost_user_name

so being in this big apartment alone, I want to get an animal that I can really relate to, and that won't bitch about me not sweeping up all the time



I have narrowed it down to the following...



1) A cat

2) Fish (I used to keep a 60G salt water tank when I was a kid)

3) A Parrot. More specifically, a Solomon Island Eclectus.



The cat my gf and I had was psycho, and I'm glad it lives with her now. The Fish would be very... aesthetically pleasing. Just going to be a pain in the ass again to set up the tank and get the fish. It would be the prettiest though. And the parrot... the Eclectus is a brilliant bird, and it also isn't as loud as, say, a Macaw or a Cockatoo. Then again, the thing will probably outlive me, so it'd be like marrying the damn thing if I got it.



Cat is the cheapest, parrot is the expensive, fish would probably be more maintenance. What does everyone else think?

cdhostage

Giant python.





Or maybe a Bengal tiger. I'm sure some zoo would part with one for a couple million.

jambo

I'd go for the parrot! My Uncle had a parrot and it was just so much more interesting than the usual dog/cat/fish/rabbit type of pet.



Think of it this way, would you rather teach an animal to talk or not to use your floor as a toilet?



J :cool:

cubedude

I have a great aquarium, and unless you can't spare an hour a week, than it is really easy to maintain(much easier than windows ). A nice 20gal. tank, 4-5 plants, and a rock will do fine for decoration. If you buy one of the Eclipse systems, that have the filter and light built into the lid, then installation is a snap. Then all you need is a heater, some declorination stuff, and a fish. If you get a fish with a good personality(mine likes to ride to current of the filter), then you'll have a great pet. If you like I can post a pic of my setup.



[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: CubeDude ]</p>

eman

I'd go for the parrot too. I've always thought they were cool.

jambo

[quote]Originally posted by CubeDude:

[QB]If you get a fish with a good personality(mine likes to ride to current of the filter), then you'll have a great pet. <hr></blockquote>



I'd love it if you posted a pic, I have never seen a fish with personality.



J :cool:

tool

Groverat has a fish too..I hope he sees this thread



Fish aren't cheap to set up either...the cost of the tank and accessories + the fish...especially if you wanna go salt. I had a 120 gallon salt water and it was cool..but dang, maintenance on that is a bitch.



I now have a cat and he's cool...quiet, uses the litter box all the time and is pretty cool...plus the ladies like to hear how I adopted him from the humane society



Bird...only experience I have had with them is at other people's houses and I always seem to see birdseed/**** on the floor..even those that are in cages 24/7. Plus, expensive!

groverat

Steve has too much personality.





I couldn't ever have a bird as a pet. A bird in a freakin' cage for its entire life... how sad.



It's a BIRD.



-



In my opinion it would be between the fish and the cat. My fish says horrible things about me on the internet while I'm away, so I'd recommend a nice docile cat.

ghost_user_name

Well, fish or a bird are both going to be expensive. A cat just costs the adoption fees from the ASPCA shelter over in Jamaica Plains.



I'm leaning more towards a parrot, I've found some good Solomon Island Eclectus breeders down in Floria and Texas. It isn't the type of bird I would keep in a locked cage, and I've known a few eclectus' that figured out within a week how to open anything short of a Master Lock. I don't have any ceiling fans, I think the bird would be happy



Only thing is that a birdcage isn't quite as pretty as a well done salt water tank. Personally, I was looking at one of Oceanic's bowfront 92G tanks. I know I won't be living in boston in two years though, and while I'd move the aquarium, I wouldn't be moving the fish. I think I'd rather wait for a more permanent living situation before I did that.



Doesn't mean I can't turn the Tangerine iMac in the living room into a small fish tank though



Thanks guys, I think the parrot is going to win this one

tool

heh..you got 2 people who said get a parrot and the rest said not to..I think you had your mind made up before you posted this topic.

ghost_user_name

well, the only people mentioning fish reminded me what a pain in the ass my salt water squarium was when I was younger



I was hoping to be disuaded from the parrot, it's a large investment

cubedude

[quote]Originally posted by M3D Jack:



well, the only people mentioning fish reminded me what a pain in the ass my salt water squarium was when I was younger



<hr></blockquote>



Actually, fresh water aquariums can be very easy to set up, and maintain(don't have to make salt water). I haven't taken mine apart in 6 months(I got this thing 6 months ago).

ferro

If I got a pet... I would get a robot spider with nano-hooks on its feet so it can crawl on the walls and ceilings...







I think a robot spider would be cool...



If you had a whole bunch of them it would rock!



------------------------------------



© FERRO 2001-2002

macaddict

[quote]I couldn't ever have a bird as a pet. A bird in a freakin' cage for its entire life... how sad.<hr></blockquote>



Dude, you can let birds out of a cage.

groverat

And outside?



Flying around a house isn't much better.

ghost_user_name

I think a bunch of robot spiders crawling through my house would be creepy.



I can see it now... I'm asleep in my bed, and one of their batteries die and the thing falls from the ceiling onto me, having a similar effect to having a real spider fall on me... *cringes*

powerdoc

are parrots clean animals ?

ghost_user_name

I had a bird when I was a kid... main problem was always with the bird seed getting on the floor. And if the bird roamed around, it tended to take a crap wherever it was. You *can* teach them to **** in certain places. I just hope to god it won't consider my B&O speakers a perch *cringe*



Since I have carpet, I own a vacuum. Takes about two seconds to clean up any bird seed.

powerdoc

I have always thinked that parrots are interesting animals.



But parrots need more attention than cats, i think and they life expectancy is much greater. Futhermore, you have more chance to find a girl who love cats than one who love parrots. Beware that your favorite pet will not becoming a weight.



If you take the parrot, BTW be careful to not teach him all the censored stuff of AI

masterzeus

I recommend the fish. You said you will be living there for about 2 years? Thats enough time to have a really nice tank. Then when you move, sell all your livestock, move the tank, lights, filters, etc and start back over. Starting the tank is the fun part. Maintanence only takes about an hour or two a week. Birds require a lot more attention than that. Saltwater tanks are very expensive to start up, but if you are looking at an Oceanic tank, you must have money ( I think they are the most expensive I have seen but by far the nicest ). I estimated my tank ( before corals or fish ) costed about $1200 to set up. Ironically, I have only about $100 worth of fish it in. Its all about the corals!







To see more pictures of it goto <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/masterzeus/PhotoAlbum1.html"; target="_blank">http://homepage.mac.com/masterzeus/PhotoAlbum1.html</a>;



Another point on the bird: My wife is terrified of birds. She hates them so much that when we were dating, she said she would break up with me if I bought one. I know that doesn't sound good but its a physcological thing she can't overcome. You don't want to miss out on a great person just because they hate birds.



Personally, I would get a dog. I couldn't imagine ever not owning a dog. But if you can't have a dog, a fish tank is great ( I will always own one of those too ).

cdhostage

Get one of everything! And don't feed anyhtng, so that after a day only the carnivores are left and after two days only the large carnivores, and afer a week everything is dead. Woohoo!