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How to Get Low Maintenance Pets: Everything you Need to Know
Living in a small apartment with so little leisure time amidst your busy schedule? Still, you wish to have a pet at home? Don’t you feel that you are building castles in the air? No, you are not! It’s completely fine to think about having a pet even you do not have space or time for it. Not all pets ask for large space or full-day attention. This article will suggest some of the best options for low maintenance pets that you can keep in your small space.
Before we delve into the major part of our discussion, let’s get into a little prologue about how to handle low maintenance pets. Yes, each of the kinds is different from the others. And as they ask for little maintenance, you do not have to put much effort into taking care of them.
Nonetheless, if you plan to become a pet parent, a minimum amount of attention along with care is definitely needed. Amidst the personalized care tips, we often forget the useful, necessary things. So, please take it as a gentle reminder to all of you who plan to have a low-maintenance pet sooner or later. Here it goes.
Low Maintenance Pets: Things to Keep in Mind
- Feed your pet high-quality food and beverage at the proper time
- Take them to a walk outside or play with them once a day
- Necessary vaccination is a must
- Keep the environment clean and hygienic
- Provide them a good shelter
- Keep the vet’s number near you for an emergency
Now, without wasting much time, let’s move forward with the detailed study on low-maintenance pets.
Low Maintenance Pets: 10 Types that You can Try
Betta Fish: You need a small aquarium and few other additional things to keep it. Usually, keeping a fish is a huge maintenance task, including its food, medicine, and many other factors associated with it.
But when it comes to the special betta fish, the case is different. All you need to do is arranging a five-gallon aquarium, feeding them once a day, and changing the 15% of the water every week. You can also fix an automatic fish feeder to reduce your regular maintenance time for your little friend.
So, a suitable aquarium and sufficient food are enough for them to sustain themselves. Their food includes worms, mosquito larvae, etc.
Dwarf Rabbit: If you are fond of a furry non-human friend but do not have time to manage a spitz, you can go for a cute dwarf rabbit. It is one of the best kinds of low-maintenance pets. Not only you but also your children at home will definitely like it. Playing with a dwarf rabbit around the room can be the favorite pastime for your kids when you are out with your tasks.
These rabbits usually eat everything-from leftover bread to vegetables and fruits. So, you do not have to spend hours at a pet shop to find the right foods for it. However, try to maintain a quality food chart not to face any health issues by any chance. For accommodation, you can easily keep these rabbits in small cages. You do not even have to buy cages. Take a clean and hygienic cardboard box or an abandoned drawer and prepare a home for it in that.
Mice: Does not sound good, we know! You surely are thinking about those clothes and books destroyed by these little critters! But the fact is mice are one of the best low maintenance pets. Especially, they are good for children. Bring a cute, little white mouse at home and enjoy the easy companionship with it! For your information, mice are socially interactive and intelligent. So, a little bit of training can do wonders. So, if you have a pet mouse at home, you can be sure about your kids’ cognitive improvement.
You can keep them in a cage of their size. But, make sure it is clean and well-ventilated. If you have time, you can go for mice-food from the store. Otherwise, mice can eat normal human foods taht we usually consume. Try not to give them too much fast food or processed foods. Instead, feed them enough amount of vegetables, fruits, and fresh foods.
Guinea pigs: This rodent can be your best friend if you give it a little amount of care and attention. And guess what! They have low appetite than any other kind of pet. Guinea pigs are popular for their gentle behavior. A guinea pig owns an active and lively personality. They can have different moods depending on the circumstances. So, initially, you may have to spend a bit more time knowing them well. If you do not have time, do not worry! Take your time. You will get used to your friend’s mood and behavior soon.
A large cage or box as a shelter and adequate foods-that is all they want at the end of the day. You can give them pet foods along with fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, make sure to keep fresh water to drink inside their cage.
Chinchillas: If you want a little cute friend for yourself, you can go for it. A chinchilla is the cutest one among all of the low maintenance pets. Well, you cannot pamper it much. They do not usually prefer it. Instead, they prefer to stay in a large cage lined with nesting. The marble-like eyes with cute straight ears add much to their spontaneous overflow of cuteness.
For food, you have to bring chinchilla-specific foods from the pet store. Keep them inside the cage and let them enjoy their food in their own way. That’s all you have to do to maintain a chinchilla.
Corn Snake: Wait! No need to run away! Snakes are really not as scary as you see in those VFX-powered movies. They are meek creatures that can be good pets. The corn snake is a docile snake taht you can consider as one of the most beautiful low maintenance pets. Moreover, they do not grow large, so you do not need to arrange large shelters for them. Hardly, they cross two to five feet in length. Along with corn snakes, you can try other varieties of snakes like gopher snakes, rosy boa, ball python, etc.
You may ask, what does the corn snake eat? After all, movies show snakes as voracious eaters. Is it possible to arrange such an enormous treat for them all the time? Let us guide you. You do not need to go for exceptional foods for the corn snakes. They usually eat rodents. Also, you can give them a treat with quail’s egg.
British Shorthair Cat: Having a cat asks for too much maintenance! But, when it is the British shorthair cat, you do not have to worry much. It is one of the best low-maintenance cat breeds. They are comfortable with children, so your kids can befriend them easily. Their grooming also does not require much time and effort.
You can prepare a small shelter for it, although it may be seen anywhere in the house sitting and observing you closely. You can give them regular foods that all cats usually eat. Well, cats usually hate water. Although British Shorthair cats tend to be less afraid of it than other cat breeds, it’s better to be ready for the hassles. So, before you bath your cat pet, click here to learn more about it.
Leopard Geckos: Whether you are in a family or an independent adult, a leopard gecko can always be your best friend. They are homely in nature and do not need so much maintenance. They can live more than any other pet.
While most of the low maintenance pets have 3-4 years on average, geckos can live up to 20 years or more.
Their diet includes crickets, waxworms, mealworms, etc. You can keep two-three of them in a 15-20 gallon tank. For one gecko, arrange a smaller tank. However, we will suggest keeping at least two of them not to feel lonely ever.
Stick Insects: Do not make faces! Insects can be your loving friend too! Stick Insect is one of the small creatures that you may fall in love with. Their straight twig-sized body and tiny wings make them one of the most adorable creatures on earth. They are also known as Stick bugs.
You can keep them in small glass jars in which they can freely fly and move. A glass cage of nearly 12 inches in length can also be a good shelter for them. For diet, you can try the fruits berries, ivy, oak, rose, etc.
Tiny Turtle: This slow-motion creature is one of the most popular low maintenance pets. Turtles come in different sizes. However, small turtles nine to twelve inches long can be your best friends in a narrow space or small apartment.
The diet for turtles usually includes green leafy vegetables and fruits, insects, and small fish. You may not need to feed them regularly. A four to five times meal a week is enough for them. A regular-sized terrarium is enough to keep them. Just make sure that the water is clean, and the temperature is regulated.
The Takeaway- Your Friend Deserves Care!
So, these are the low maintenance pets that you can bring home. There are other pets like ants, hermit crabs, some kinds of birds, etc. Choose any of them you prefer. But as we said earlier, make sure you look after them well, even if they are low maintenance pets. Have a nice day! Take care of yourself and your friend! If you