Pets provide companionship, love, and joy, and can brighten our lives. However, taking care of an animal requires time, care, money, and responsibility. But if you want a pet companion that doesn’t require as much work, some pets are easier to take care of than others. Check out the 19 easiest pets to care for!
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1. Stick Insect
Stick insects are among the most popular insects kept as pets, mainly due to their unique appearance and relative ease of care. You will need a decent-sized enclosure, as well as food such as bramble, oak, and blackberry leaves, depending on the type of stick insect.
2. Snail
Garden snails are low-cost, low-maintenance pets. You will need a cabinet, such as a glass or plastic terrarium, along with greens, twigs, and leaves.
It is very important for your snails to have a place to drink water regularly, but it is also important for the environment to be moist. Leafy green vegetables like lettuce or spinach are the most common foods we feed snails, as well as fruits for occasional treats.
3. Hamster
Hamsters are often a child’s first pet and live for about two to three years. They are naturally nocturnal, so if they are disturbed during the day and become alarmed, they may end up biting.
Children need to be supervised when handling hamsters, and as with all pets, an adult should be responsible for ensuring the animal is properly cared for.
Their cage will need to be cleaned every week, and a commercial hamster mix is a good base for your pet’s diet, as well as small pieces of fruits and vegetables.
4. Goldfish
Goldfish are very easy to care for but are a bit more demanding. Larger tanks are better because goldfish can actually grow up to about 30 cm long.
A thermometer will help you ensure that the tank is maintained at a constant temperature (around 19°C is ideal). Additionally, a filter will help keep the water in your aquarium always fresh and will need to be cleaned about once a week.
5. Guinea Pig
Like rabbits, guinea pigs need a large, predator-proof cage. Extra shelter and ground cover should be provided during the winter months. Soft straw can be used, but it has no nutritional value, so the best bedding you can use is hay, which they can also eat. They also eat fruits and vegetables, as well as mixed dry foods, and live for about four to eight years.
6. Chinchillas
Chinchillas are clean and quiet and can live up to 20 years. They are most active at night and need a fiber-rich diet based on grasses and hay, as well as pre-prepared foods available at pet stores.
These rodents are pets that need a good cage with suitable flooring to protect their feet. They are active and require a good amount of exercise, so buy a large cage with plenty of space for them to move around.
7. Mice
Mice are well-fed with commercial rodent mixes, with small amounts of vegetables and fruits. They also need clean, fresh water from a bottle attached to their cage, which should be made of wire with a plastic tray on the bottom and a safety lid. Male mice have a very strong smell, so they also need regular cleaning.
8. Rats
Despite their bad reputation, pet rats are intelligent and affectionate and make great pets. Rats should be kept in pairs or more and need a large, tall cage for climbing.
Bedding should be placed on the floor to absorb the smell of their droppings, but litter training rats can help keep the cage clean. Rats need at least one hour of exercise outside the cage every day, and their habitat will need to be cleaned, although they are generally clean pets.
9. Ferrets
Ferrets are lively and curious and live an average of ten years. A large enclosure will give them plenty of space to exercise and play and should be about three meters long by two meters high or more.
Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means they must have meat in their diet. They should have exercise outside the cage every day, either in an outdoor run or in a secure room indoors.
10. Cats
While you don’t need to walk a cat like you would with a dog, they can be expensive to care for. You will need to pay for food, toys, and vet bills, including regular vaccinations.
Cats love to play with toys but are also happy to have fun or cuddle up somewhere comfortable. Some long-haired cats may require regular grooming to prevent their fur from becoming matted.
11. Gerbil
Also known as Mongolian gerbils, gerbils are popular pets and, like hamsters, are small, inexpensive, and relatively easy to care for. You will need a good cage with a bedding area and a nesting box, as well as a solid wheel for exercise.
Gerbils’ diets should consist of food formulated for them. Although gerbils are popular among children, supervision is required to prevent the animal from falling or getting hurt.
12. Budgerigar
Budgerigars, or budgies, are relatively easy to care for small, colorful birds. You will need a cage, a cage cover, food, a water bowl, a seed dish, a perch, floor lining, and sand, as well as toys to keep them entertained.
Most pet stores sell complete budgerigar food packages, and budgerigars need to take a bath every day, usually in a water dish on the cage floor. You will need to pay for veterinary bills, and budgerigars need their claws trimmed several times a year.
13. Canary
Canaries are popular and inexpensive pets, but like other animals, they require proper care. Canaries need large cages so they can exercise and a good, safe space to fly indoors. You should feed canaries a high-quality seed mix explicitly designed for canaries, as well as greens like kale, broccoli, dandelion, spinach, and peas.
14. Turtle
Pet turtles are popular because they are quiet, cute, and don’t shed fur. However, they can live a very long time (up to 100 years). If you decide to keep one as a pet, be prepared to provide lifelong care. Handling turtles too often can cause stress.
You will need a decent-sized enclosure, preferably outdoors, but turtles may need to be brought inside if the weather is cold. You will also need a strong and secure outdoor pen for exercise. Some species have a large appetite and also require a lot of food, which can be quite expensive. Depending on the turtle species, food preparation may also take a long time.
15. Sea-Monkeys
Sea-Monkeys, or brine shrimp, are the commercial name given to a species called Artemia NYOS (named after the New York Oceanic Society, where they were bred). They were created from different Artemia species and then marketed as “instant” pets. Their lifespan is two years, and they are easy to care for, living on special foods made for them.
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16. Leopard Gecko
Reptiles can be expensive to care for due to their habitat and dietary needs, but leopard geckos are one of the easiest species to care for. They can live for 10 to 20 years in captivity and prefer to live alone, but can get used to being handled with care.
They use their environment to regulate their body temperature, so it is important to provide a ‘temperature gradient’ with a heat lamp at one end and a cooler area at the other. You will need a thermostat to regulate the temperatures. Additionally, they also need ultraviolet light and a dry environment, and they eat live insects like crickets. You need to provide fresh vegetables and clean water to keep the live food hydrated.
17. Neon Tetra
Neon tetras are a species of tropical freshwater aquarium fish. Newly set up tanks are not suitable for neon tetras as they do not tolerate the changes that occur during the initial cycling process. There are granulated diets available that are small enough for neon tetras, but flakes can be substituted for very small fish.
18. Betta Fish
Betta fish are beautiful but relatively easy to care for. They need a tank of at least 22 liters with a filter and heater. As tropical fish, bettas should be kept between 26°C to 28°C. The larger the volume of water, the easier it will be for the heater to maintain a constant temperature. You will need to purchase specific betta fish food.
19. Sponsor an Animal
Sponsoring a wild animal is a great idea if you don’t have time to take care of a pet. You will be protecting precious habitats around the world and all the species that depend on them. You will receive an information pack, updates, and more.
