Our six year old daughter is desperate for a pet, we have decided that stick insects would be a good choice, not agressive and don't need neutering. Would anyone know where I could buy a 'cage' and some livestock. I have looked at a site in Northampton where they specialise in creepy crawlies and they have a sort of cage made out of mesh, she is desperate for them now and a quiet life is all.
Many thanks in advance

What's a stick insect???

What's google?

Probably a walking stick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea
Basically about as exciting as a pet snake, just site there for hours on end doing nothing, great fun. I don't think a fragile animal like this would fare well in the hands of a six year old... especially if the desire to pet it is there (have fun explaining why it's not moving at all anymore). My advice: get a hamster or guinea pig instead.

Not quite true. I, for several years had Australian walking sticks as pets (see below). As long as the youngin' has been properly trained on how to handle them she will be totally fine. They really don't wanna do anything else than hang around upside down on your hand. I think it's a great idea for a pet. Although they're lifespan is generally only about at max 1 year. The females, however, can lay there own eggs without fertilization to produce other females. If you get the environment right, moisture, light, humidity you can keep reproducing them indefinitely. You really only need some sort of glass container, like an aquarium with mesh on top as they like to hang upside down. They mainly feed upon blackberry leaves, and as there is quite a supply around here you shouldn't have a problem finding them food.

They're really amazing creatures and watching them molt is pretty awesome. They increase in size about 1/3 bigger than they were before sometimes leaving behind a perfect skin mold of their previous selves.

Unfortunately, I do not know where you can buy them around here but I have some of the eggs (which look like little seeds) in storage in the US and will be going home for Christmas and could bring them back to you and you could try your hand at getting them to hatch.

Whatever it is, it don't seem to work around these parts.

Thanks Chemgodess for the offer of eggs, I think we need them in situ before Christmas though. I will try the pet shop in Zug later on, they did have some snakes and turtles in there when I was last in, if not it looks like it could be order on the net and wait for delivery.
El Jefe, she is pretty gentle with pets and she has had hamsters in the past. Nasty smelly things, if you have never smelled a hamster's piss you are a very lucky man

Here's one i found earlier. The lesser crested wanahbi amerkun stick insect.



Seriously though, the petshop in Sihlcity has an orgy of exotic creepy-crawlies. They also have what we know as shongololo... we used to squish them as kids, if I had known they were worth money...

Right, I'm gonna get us down to Sihlcity if I can find it. That woman is repulsive isn't she?

I've just realised who she reminds me of