Abound
Legacy Name: Abound

Want to make sure your child is responsible before commiting to a cat or dog? Try starting them out small and easy.A fish is a good start, go with a betta in a simple ten gallon tank. It is also fun to pick out your decorations, and betta come in many colors. It is important to note that a betta cannot share a habitat with another betta, as they will literally kill each other. And no one wants to see THAT. Don't bother with goldfish, contrary to popular belief, they are very messy fish and require a larger aquarium with a filter to keep them healthy. Bettas are very low maintenance, and very pretty and interesting fish, I've had individuals live 3-5 years with upkeep just involving a working filter and occassional water changes.

If you MUST start off with something fuzzy, check out rats, gerbils, hamsters, and the larger critters like rabbits and guinea pigs. Just remember some of these animals need to be 'trained' to accept handling, and may not immediately take to being held (and yes, like any animal they may bite when afraid, however the damage is minimal.)