Classroom Pet... (alieliza)

I definitely agree about the tarantula. And I would never want one anyway!!

Turtles need UVB lights just as tortoises do...so I would rule that out.  A guinea pig would be my first choice.  They don't usually bite and are fairly easy to handle.  They need a good quality food (I prefer Oxbow), a grass hay, vitamin C supplement and fresh fruits and veggies.  If you choose the fruits and veggies wisely, you can get the vitamin C from them.  Hamsters are kind of boring for class rooms because they sleep all day.  Gerbils would be a bit more interesting because they are slightly more active during the day.  A rat would be an option.  They don't usually bite and their care is fairly easy.  They are quiet and pretty active.  I would take a rat over a mouse or hamster any day!

I would pick a guinea pig over a hammy. They are uaully more friendly. Hammys tend to... bite more, in my expierence.

A guinea pig would be one of my last choices. I have three guinea pigs and I love them alot, but they would be totally freaked out in a class room full of excitable little kids. They aren't really the best for kids and require alot of space. They are really social and you should adopt a pair.  If you want more info on them check out guineapigcages.com. They need fresh veggies everyday and unlimited amounts of hay which could be a problem if there are kids with allergies.

I second the rat suggestion. They are great with kids, very playful and smart. They also do better with larger cages, but not quite as big as guinea pigs. They also are social animals and tend to do better in pairs or groups. I would love a rat but I know the short lifespan would kill me. It would be better for a classroom pet though, because your not making a 5-8 year commitment like you would with a guinea pig. 

Go with a couple of fish.  With anything else someone probably will be alergic to it.

timsdat

Go with a couple of fish.  With anything else someone probably will be alergic to it.

Very good point.  I definitely wouldn't go with a guinea pig or reptiles.  Like others have mentioned, the GPs require more work than people realize, plus they take up more room than hamsters and mice.  With the reptiles, you'd have to take salmanela into consideration, too.  Something you should think of, too, is who's going to take care of the class critter(s) over school vacations and long weekends?  I often ended up with the guinea pig one of our former 3rd grade teachers had in the classroom because I was the only one willing to take it.  Come to think of it, I babysat the one she had way before the last one, too.  LOL  Of the critters you mentioned, I'd go with either the mice or hamsters.  Or how about a couple of rats?   

absolutely...no allergies...no salmonella worries...no biting...no scratching....no escapes...inexpensive...

I wouldn't consider any rodent aside from a rat for a classroom...the others are way to easily freaked and way WAY too sensitive to things.

alieliza

Guinea Pig - This is along the lines of a hamster, cute, furry, but its a little bit too big for our situation. The one plus to a guinea pig is there is one at my boyfriend's job that needs to be adopted, though, I wouldn't feel too guilty about not adopting it, as its got quite a cushy life at the doggy day care, and could stay living there as far as any of them are concerned.

Guinea pigs make great classroom pets! They are very friendly and easy to people train. A med/large aquariam with cedar and a few toys should suffice him/her. They do need quite a bit of attention tho or they tend to get lonely so 2 might be better suited.

Let us know what you come up with!

Sorry, have to jump in again. Cedar is toxic to guinea pigs, as is pine if not thoroughly dried out. The fumes that smell so pleasant to us can cause major respiratory issues in a guinea pig. If you use wood shavings it should be aspen or kiln-dried pine. Aquariums are generally waaay too small for one guinea pig, let alone two. They also trap in the ammonia from their urine which can also cause more respiratory issues. Please do as much research  on guinea pigs as you would when considering a new dog. They are amazing, sensitive, caring animals that require a lot of work and education because there is a lot of misinformation out there on them.

If you would like some more info, feel free to PM me anytime. 

I work at a school (preschool and after school care) and we have a variety of classroom pets.  We have small classroom tanks for fish and frogs and a large hallway tank for fish.  We also have dwarf hamsters.  The hamsters do sleep during the day, but we have also found that they have adjusted to our schedule.  When the children are around, the hamsters can be found out on their wheels or eating and drinking.  The frogs we have are very low maintenance.  I think they are called African tree frogs.  Sorry, I can't remember.  They have to be in water 24/7.  So, they live with the goldfish in a tank with a filter system.  The teachers bought them as babies and I think they are about 2-3 years old now. 

At a previous school, we had a parakeet as a classroom pet. I loved her.  In fact, when I left the school I bought her and she came to live with me.  I wonder if the sounds of a bird would be something you'd get used to in the classroom.  So, then when you are doing lessons or taking a test, it would just be normal background noise. 

Sue

 Pet rat!!!! Cute, cuddly, smart, sociable, and trainable! If you do get one, though, you'd want one from a pet breeder and not from a pet store (same reason you don't want dogs from a pet store).