Easiest first pet for a child to care for?
Our six-year-old has been repeatedly requesting a pet. We'd like to start with something that has a small footprint and is easy for her to care for herself. Of course, we would be secretly monitoring and tracking the care of the pet to make sure it's well-cared for (we won't let it suffer if it turns out she isn't ready for a pet!) but we would like it to be one that in theory she could handle by herself.
We were initially thinking about a fish, but are wondering if there's a furrier option that is also lower maintenance? I remember having a gerbil as a kid, and I know that it didn't take up much space but can't recall if it was a lot of work.
If you have a child around a similar age that has successfully cared for a pet, I'd love to hear about what it is and how you made it work! 894