Easy Pets for Kids: How Low (Maintenance) Can You Go?

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These animals don’t require a lot of special care. No grooming, walking or even petting.

Just the basics: food, water and shelter. These are good starter animals.

Downside: They offer the least payback in terms of returning love and affection.

But you'll still want to make sure you're choosing the right pet for your family, by considering the pros and the cons before you bring a pet home.

Predictably, younger children are usually better suited for lower maintenance animals.

(Older teens can likely care for and better appreciate the higher-maintenance variety.)

Here are the three best-bets when it comes to low-maintenance pets for kids:

1. Fish.

Most freshwater fish are inexpensive to buy and maintain after the initial investment of a tank or bowl and accessories. Some fish are hardier than others.

For small kids, go for durable fish, such as goldfish. You don’t want floaters to start off your child's pet career.

Begin with a solitary goldfish or beta in a basic fish bowl. If that’s a hit, move on up to an aquarium. Lighted aquariums can even function as nightlights in a child’s bedroom.

Simply feeding the fish once or twice a day and cleaning the bowl once a week is all the maintenance required.

2. Reptiles and Snakes.

Little boys love lizards and snakes. Most moms don’t. If your son or daughter is begging for a lizard or snake, be sure there’s an adult in the house who’s willing to handle it. You’ve got to have that backup person with pets.

House the reptile in an aquarium with a lockable top. You don’t want Timmy taking it out without your supervision.

Avoid large snakes, such as pythons, that might ingest small children.

Research types of reptiles. Some require live (shudder) food. This may not be the type of thing your child wants to do.

If you are determined, however, at least get a snake that has been trained to munch frozen mice instead of the live, running-around variety.

Then, all you have to do is heat (to room temperature) and serve.

Some reptiles (like iguanas) grow up to five feet long - making them a possible hazard to other pets. Others, (such as pythons) can grow to 13 feet long and be hazardous to the owner. Nuff said. Don’t forget to ask how large the reptile will be at adulthood.

Even though reptiles are relatively sturdy, they are still living creatures. Never let young children handle them unsupervised.

Make sure you choose a reptile that is tame and does not try to bite. Good lizard choices are a bearded dragon or a gecko.

Good snake choices are a corn snake, rat snake or a king snake. The needs of reptiles and snakes are simple: a tank, a light, water and food.

Additionally, lizards need places to hide and objects to perch on. Tropical or desert reptiles will also need a heat source. Some even need special thermometers and full-spectrum lighting. These items, by the way, do not come cheap.

The bearded dragon, for example, requires a 10-gallon terrarium with a screen top the first year; and a 40 gallon terrarium as he grows (very, very fast) up to 18 inches.

Many reptiles are omnivores, which means they not only eat fruit and vegetables but steak and mice as well. This is not a simple matter of dropping in some pellets each day.

Reptiles don’t need a lot of exercise (though if you released one near me, I would get a lot of exercise), or a lot of attention. Figure on about 15- to 30 minutes daily (the time it takes to feed them) and about an hour a week to clean the tank.

3. Tortoises and Turtles.

These are good reptile choices, too. Turtles are amphibians; tortoises are land creatures. Make sure you provide the right environment for your species.

Turtles can be quite affectionate and can live for decades (30 to 40 years for the box turtle).

Even though they look sturdy, however, take care not to drop them because that could injure their shells or internal organs. Tortoises in particular should not be handled often.

For more information on safety and animal handling, read Preventing Zoonotic Diseases.