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FI and I have been talking about buying a small pet for awhile and we finally made the decision that we are going to! First off, cats and dogs are out. We don't want a large pet until we're settled into a long-term home (might be up to a year from now), but we do want something. We just have no idea what kind of animal would be best.
Fish - the most simple and cost-effective. Also quite pretty to look at and I love the water filter noise, it helped me sleep (I had fish for years when I was younger). The only downside is that it's more of a decor pet and I want something I can hold and cuddle. We do already have a tank and filter system.
Gerbil or rat - very cute and cuddly. Also pretty cost-effective, aside from initial habitat set up
Hedgehog - just freaking adorable and I really want one. More expensive to buy, but around the same set up cost.
Snake or lizard - Snakes are my favourite animal, and lizards are FI's. Not cuddly, persay, but still handle-able. Also the most expensive option, and has the ick factor of creature-feeding... but I think having a snake would be worth it. I've always wanted one. We already have a tank suitable for housing a small reptile, we would just need to buy the heating lamps/other equipment.
We do not want hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits (bad experiences with them, and we want to try something new). So, all things considered, what kind of pet should we look into buying?!
Hedgehog for sure! I've never heard of people having them as pets...but it sound so awesome.
@FutureMrsMcDermott: It's actually pretty common, in my area anyways. And I know there's a few bees out there with their own little hedgies! (Mrs.Hedgehog comes to mind of course).
I'm a bunny person myself :D but since that's not an option, I say hedgie! They are SUPER cute!!! Apparently they really do have their own little personality, too.
I know you're partial to snakes, but SO's former housemate had a carpet python called Cracker, and she eeeked me out so so very much. Sometimes she would just look at me, like she wanted to eat me whole. Shudder. My skin is crawling to think about it.
ugh, do NOT get a snake! I hate snakes :(
I voted hedgehog, because they're so cute! They're also the most "big pet like" out of your list, IMO. Can't you even litterbox train them?
(Although, I had heard that about rabbits too, but my old roommate and I got a rabbit and tried and that rabbit must have been tempermental because she peed everywhere and chewed our house more than I would have thought possible. We finally had to give her to a family who kept her in a hutch.)
OMG please get a hedgehog they are adorable, Miss Hedgehog has 2 and some other bees have them too. I would have them if not banned in Australia,,.....adopt one for me lol
Check out Miss Hedgehogs ...hogs lol...http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/dear-ms-hedgehog
@simpleandchic: Why are they banned there?
I would go for fish if you don't want a "real" pet. A hedgehog will still require you to get someone to "babysit" if you're away and still take a lot of care. I would start with fish and then get something else once you're settled.
Australia has very strict rules about exotic pets due to our very delicate and amazing eco system. If animals like hedgehogs get loose and turn wild they can decimate our natural eco system and compete with our indigenous mamals like possums, koalas, wallabies, birds, wombats etc.
With pets, I always consider the benefit:investment ratio. For instance, I've had hamsters and gerbils - both require a big investment of cleaning their cages, but neither really enjoyed being held. They were also really mean - the hamster bit me on a number of occasions. I've also had guinea pigs (which I realize you don't want) and ferrets, and while it was a pain to clean up after them, they were really entertaining.
I had a hedgehog, and honestly, he wasn't that interesting of a pet. It took a really long time to get him to the point where he was okay with being held. And cleaning his cage was a pain. Plus, I had a medical issue with him once, and it was really hard finding a vet with any experience with hedgehogs. Even the one I ended up finding had seen maybe two in her entire career.
I think you'd be best off getting a rat. They're really smart and can be super cuddly. Plus, they're common enough that if you have to find a veterinarian, it shouldn't be too hard.
HEDGEHOG! They are the best out of all of them by like, a billion! PLus, if you look on Craigslist you can find breeders that are about $100 cheaper than a pet store. We bought Hoggle at a pet store for $185 but our next one will be dopted off Craigslist for about $75.
Then again... I am biased toward their adorableness...
Fish are definitely no where near simple unless you consider buying new fish evry other month a solution becasue they will die if their habitat isn't 100% good. Having a proper tank is very expensive and most people keep fish in way too small environments than they should. I hate when people say, fish are simple. That cannot be further from the truth, they are quite possibly one of the hardest pets to take care of since each fish species has individual needs and it is very easy to contaminate a tank. A goldfish in a bow is not a pet, it is animal cruelty since it cannot even breath. IMO fish are more time consuming and expensive than cats.
Please research the animal's needs and proper caretaking before getting anything.
@simpleandchic: Tee Hee... I just saw this. Yay! Hoggle is famous too!
Sorry about your hamster. I had an awesom hamster, who I played with all the time and he never bit me, so don't just write them off.
@Atalanta: That's good to know. There are a lot of adorable hamster breeds - maybe I'll try again and hopefully get one that's less ferocious 
Do NOT get an Iguana! My hubby got one when we were in an apartment and that damn thing kept breaking out of it's terrarium. One day when he came home I was sitting on our balcony because that Iguana was following me around the apartment. It got sold the next day.
LOL at the iguana story above.
I voted for hedgehog, but also, what about a ferret? Too stinky? I've just heard they're super fun and smart, but I've never had one, so I don't know.
I have had rats and mice before and they are wonderful! Very friendly and they have a lot of personality. :)
@Lindsay05: Ahhh creepy! :/
I vote Hedgehog simply because I watched the video Mr.Hedgie posted and was like "Awwwww." For me, I have to have the "Awwwww factor" to consider something an awesome pet. haha. I know....so superficial....that's why I have adorable doggies. :)
I have a rat named Ruby who is adorable! I love rats- they are so smart!
Iguanas are very intelligent and fascinating if properly cared for. They get a bad rap because if they aren't properly housed/socialized they can develop problems. They also stress out easily if they are moved around a lot.
I agree, don't get an iguana if you aren't ready to properly care for it. They need a LOT of space and sun. I had one, he was like a big green house cat.
@Lindsay05: I laughed out loud when I read this!!
I think you should get a gerbil. We had two gerbils...one was nice and sweet and soft. His name was Silky. The other was a homicidal manic...literally. If you had your hand in the cage for more than 10 seconds (like to feed them, hold the other, anything) you would have a gerbil attached to your hand, and it would.not.let.go. His name was Monster. Hopefully you'll get one who likes being held and not a blood thirst manic like we had.
I know fish aren't "simple" to take care of, we had a huge family tank when I was in my early teens. I just mean in regards to having to play with them, exercise them, make sure they have enough playthings/stimulus, they are simpler to take care of than a rodent or reptile.
I would really love to have a ferret but they need huge cages from what I've read. We do have the space for a large habitat but it would be in a common living area and we'd like to keep them in our bedroom (we have people visiting that bring their dogs, small children, etc. It just seems easier to make sure that the animal is out of harms way and somewhere quiet and warm).
No snake love I see! 
Oh well. I'll wait until we're set up in our own place before I think about buying one.
It looks like the consensus is towards a hedgehog or gerbil.
We are definitely researching all we can before we purchase. We won't be buying a pet for a few more weeks, I'm just starting to figure out exactly what type of pet would be best.
I just realized why I've never heard of anyone having hedgehogs as pets...they are illegal in Cali! Bummer, they are freakin' adorable!
If your state allows rats I vote for a rat.
My sister had some for years and she loves them! So smart and cuddly.
I'm not trying to bring up anything from the past but didn't you recently have a god awful experience with your cat and your mother?
Will this new pet have contact with your mother?
How would the government know if you owned a rat? would you have to license it? and if so- how many licenses does your city council have? lol
How would the government know if you owned a rat? would you have to license it? and if so- how many licenses does your city council have? lol
@simpleandchic: Hedgehogs aren't deadly enough for Australia. Australia can only have animals that can cause horrible, horrible deaths.
Snake! And they are not the most expensive you can most definately find a garden or corn snake for less than 50 bucks.
They don't crap, and you only have to feed every few weeks.
BTW we have 2 fish tanks, both very expensive to set up and keep up. ! dog, 1 cat, and 6 snakes. 6 snakes take less work than any single one other pet.
I would get a bearded dragon. There really cool and have there own little personalities. I have known quite a few people who owned them but, i personally haven't.
if you have this varied of interests in animals to own, I doubt you've fully researched what it takes to own one of them? please take your time and really think about all of the requirements to provide lifelong care for an animal.
Whatever you do, dont get a snake. DH and I had a snake for a while when we first started dating because his friend was getting rid of his snake and I had always wanted one. Yeah, big mistake. Snakes are not fun or nice or cute or funny to watch or ANYTHING. They just suck. First of all, you have to feed it mice or rats (depending on how big it is) and going to the pet store to pick up the mice is such a hassle. Its gross. Then you have to drop it by its tail into the snake's cage. The first time we did it we thought it was cool because it was such an instinctual thing for the snake to just snatch that mouse but then after like the 5th time feeding it I was done. You have no idea how a snake will be in terms of temperament. My friend's snake was really nice and he would always have it out while we were over and it would be hanging on his arm and you could hold it and stuff. Our snake was not like that at all. One time, DH wanted to try to pick the snake up out of its cage and the snake tried to bite him. The snake died after a little while and it was one of the happiest days of our life. (We had tried giving it away but NO ONE wanted it - not even the local childrens museum that has an entire snake exhibition!) So yeah, I would highly advise against a snake!
What about a chinchilla?
They are SUPER soft and can be socialized well. Also, they live a long time. I love small rodents, but I always get sad when they die after 2-3 years.
@Atalanta: Well they do like once a month. To me, that's "not" crapping. Least not in the sense they crap like regular animals as in "often."
@PitBulLover: I'm sorry but this is not exactly accurate. Tempermant is an indiviual characteristic. Like dogs, cats, rats and snakes alike. Any single one of those animals can be full or absent of personality.
On a similar note SOOOO many dog people claim cats have no personality. 100% false. Just because a cat isn't an attention whore like many dogs does not mean they have no personality. They just don't show it to strangers. Cats have lots of personality just like dogs! Same for snakes. SOME snakes might not have any personality, but many have lots of personality/ tempermant.
As for the biting, this too like dogs, cats and lizards alike may bite and may not. You need to know what you're getting. I don't know much about breeds so I'm making this up in terms of breeds of snakes. Our corn snake does not bite, ever, or at all. This breed is highly recommended for children (true). Boas on the other hand might be a more fiesty breed and may be more "wild" and likely to bite (not true, I think boas are quite domesticated).
It's always possible that Pitbulllover had a bad experience, but that in NO WAY means snakes are "bad" and biters with no personality. Like I said I have 7 snakes and I've never been bitten, I've handled them and they just sort of get comfy and sit there, it's a little weird but they aren't "scary" even the OP said snakes are a personal favorite.
@bookworm88: Oops, I didn't mean I've researched it all at this time. We're trying to decide what to buy and then research how to take care of it. Then we'd buy it. Right now we've only looked into the very basics of each different pet.
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