Xmas present for an 8 year old boy that is really interested in animals and looking after them...

[IlanaK]

My mum wants ideas for what to buy my boys. My 8 year old is really interested in animals - particulary dogs - and looking after them (not real ones as we don't have them!). So, I was was thinking a present along those lines might be good.

Does anyone have any ideas?

[Adair]

Could you 'adopt' a local farm animal, that you could go and visit?

[IlanaK]

Lovely idea - but we live in central london.

[Beauregard]

Animal books or encylopedias(tk maxx good for books)

Adopt an animal
Membership to zoo or safari park
Zookeeper for a day

[GrimmaTheNome]

He might like to sponsor a dog with Dogs' Trust.

[FrannyandZooey]

mudchute farm is nr central london

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

There are city farms in central London and some are really good.

Vauxhall City Farm does sponsorship of their animals, so does the one in Spitalfields

[fishie]

get a dog!

[MissGreatBritain]

Is he too old for Animal Hospital toys? Or are they girly? My DD loved all that when she was younger, but can't remember how old (she's 13 now).

[IlanaK]

The sponsorship ideas are lovely, but I think he wants a "thing".

We can't get him a dog - no way.

We have membership at the zoo and i have looked at the keeper for a day things, but it is over £100 I think.

I will have a look at the Animal Hospital stuff, thanks.

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

Triops! Added bonus that when you get fed up of looking after them they just quietly get on with eating each other until there is just one monster left at the bottom of the tank.

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

Or maybe something from InsectLore?

[iheartdusty]

what about those fur-real animals? I think the motors inside make a terrible noise, but they are very popular.

or a nintendo pup, or any of the electronic animals which respond to actions.

like this

have you got any real pets? we have gerbils, they are minimum effort and DD (7) does it all by herself.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Or snails... though that doesn't really qualify as an xmas pressie as you can set up a snailery for nothing. I mean common-or-garden snails (literally!) not those African monstrosities (though they might be OK too I suppose).

Or goldfish... I think in your position I'd go for some real creature of this sort plus sponsorship of something furry (you get a little bit of 'stuff' with the Dog's Trust)

[GoldenSnitch]

Triops, or an ant farm, or sea monkeys, stick insects, a goldfish...?

We've just bought an ant form for my 7 year old nephew for christmas after he asked for one. My DH had one a few years ago. We got to watch them making burrows in the gel stuff inside the tank and they lasted for a few months which was about long enough - although you can then add more ants if you're still interested...

[IlanaK]

That nintendog looks really good. Does anyone have one?

[MissGreatBritain]

Don't ever get one of those giant African snails. They are pretty high maintenance (have to be sprayed several times a day to keep them moist - yuk)so you can't just get someone to chuck food into them once a day if you're on holiday and also, when you clean out their tank, it's covered in giant snail slime - double yuk! Ours died and we didn't realise for about a fortnight .

[GrimmaTheNome]

Whereas ordinary garden snails are very easy to keep, and if you can't find anyone to look after them for the hols, you just liberate them and find some more when you come back.

[pugsandseals]

Playmobil do a vet/pet shop type of thing with plasters & bandages etc.????

[BarackObamasTransitVan]

I bought ds (another animal lover, now aged 9) a Playmobil Ranger Lodge a couple of years ago and he still loves it. I'm sure a Playmobil vets would go down well, too.
I sponsored a Dogs Trust dog for him earlier this year although I agree that your ds (any ds) would prefer a "thing" as well.
As an aside, it really irks me that so much animal-related stuff is clearly aimed at girls. Like there are no male vets/zoo keepers/naturalists around. Gah!

[stealthsquiggle]

Junior RSPB membership, maybe?

[purpleduck]

Stick Insects? Happy to send you some
Hamster? (both mine have one - they are lovely if you get them from a breeder)

National Geographic for kids is a HUGE hit in my house with both my 10yo and my 7yo

[brimfull]

my dd used to love a pc game similar to this

she had one that you were the vet and had to figure out what was wrong with the animals-god she loved it!

[Fennel]

Our giant snails are very low maintenance, we do just chuck in food and spray with water every few days. They seem fine. Not too slimey.
I quite like them, though they are not the most exciting pet though if, like us, you have lots of other pets too. but they are very easy. And you can race them.

[brimfull]

loads of games here