Which pet is best for me?

Being an avid pet lover, I’ve gone through many pets. Every one of my jobs has even been working with pets.  I know that it is a very hard decision when deciding what pet to choose, the amount of attention and care it will need, and the concern most of us have, the amount of money you will need to maintain the pet.  Here is some information and tips that will help you decide.

Reptiles

First you will need to decide how much time you have to take care of the pet.  The easiest pet to take care of with the little money spent long term would be a terrestrial reptile.  They do not require your attention but it encouraged that you handle them often so that they get used to you.  This makes them great pets for people on the go.  They require a suitable set up and tank size which varies for each type of reptile.  When you do go shopping for a snake or lizard you should know their adult size when deciding what type of terrarium to house them in.  Heat, light (with UVB and UVA is essential) water and a cave like structure to call home is all reptiles need.  Food will be inexpensive with your choices of pellets, crickets, grubs, or feeder mice, and for your lizard and turtles including veggies will help reduce costs.

Snakes are by far the easiest pet and require the least maintenance. Choose one that doesn’t grow too large if you don’t have a large enough enclosure for them or buy a larger tank to begin with.  They only need to be fed about once every 1 to 2 weeks and in the winter, you can hibernate them in which you’ll spend even less on food. Lizards require a little more maintenance, but depending on the type you get, a large tank isn’t required.  If you get a gecko then a 20 gallon will most likely suffice, but if you get an iguana or (my favorite) a water dragon, larger set ups are required.  Turtles are also easy to maintain, but they require daily misting if you have one that lives in forest like environment and should be fed veggies as well as grubs.  Also, some may require a water dish large enough to soak in or you can take them out and soak them daily, which helps them to defecate.   Reptile enclosures initially may cost over 100, in some cases over 200 dollars if you want something extra fancy, but after you get all the initial things, then around 20 dollars a month will be spent on food and extra’s afterward. Just a tip, Petco has a great sale every July for 1 dollar per 1 gallon.

Aquatic Life

In my opinion, Fish are the hardest pets to take care of. The tank requires a lot of maintenance and will be costly initially, not to mention how much the electricity bill may increase a large set up.  Unless you get a betta fish which requires very little maintenance and costs about 15 dollars a year keep up, you will need to clean the tank constantly, do water changes and buy carbon and clean the filter once a month at least.  It takes time to learn how to take care of a fish tank and fish don’t always make it.  I would suggest getting fish that will help you clean up like algae eaters if you docile fish or if you decide to go with more aggressive or larger fish, some crabs will work well to clean the bottom of your tank.  With fish, you should also find out their adult size before you put them in your tank because too many fish in a tank can be deadly for your fish.  Fish tanks are nice to look at and it adds to home décor, so if you want to have one, make sure you have a good amount of time on your hands every week.

Friendly Companions

If you have a very busy lifestyle, chances are cats and dogs are out of the question.  They are great pets when you need company and they are excellent for family lifestyle if you have children.  You also need to consider the amount of space you have if you decided to get a dog because apartments are not a good place for large dogs unless you walk them every day.  Some people think having a dog or cat costs a lot of money, and while the initial cost of the animal may be high, there they really are not that expensive.  First, try adopting one from an animal shelter, the fees are cheaper than a pet store and you will be helping to give an animal loving home.  Now when it comes to toys and entertainment for your animal, you don’t need to buy expensive stuff from the pet store.  My favorite thing to do after a holiday has passed is go to the clearance section and all those holiday items will be half off.  Just buy a few toys and save the rest for future.  As for feeding the pets, 40 dollars for 30 lbs. to feed your pet for 4 to 6 weeks is a great price, being that most people will spend that much just to go out to eat for one night.  All these pets really want is attention and play time with their favorite pet owner.  The problem is they do require a lot of attention, dogs more than cats, so if you are not home often or you do not have family at home to help take care of the cat or dog on a daily basis, even if it is just to be around the animal, its highly encouraged that you choose one of the other great pet alternatives.

Furry Friends

Rodents were my favorite animal as a child.  At one point I was breeding and caring for over 30 Russian dwarf hamsters at 14 years old in my mother’s home.  Every Saturday morning I spent 2 hours cleaning the tanks which were the only way she let me keep them.  These are probably the least expensive pets to own; although, they do need to be cleaned weekly otherwise your home may smell very unpleasant.  They have many types of cages, but if you buy a 10 gallon fish tank instead, you will save a lot of money and clean up will be a lot easier. They should be handled often so that they become used to you but they don’t need much attention.   Just make sure they always have food in their dish, water in their water bottle, something to run in and some wooden chew toys and you are all set.  Personally, I think these are great pets for kids and will teach them a lot about taking care of animals and doesn’t cost too much for their parents.   As for rabbits and chinchillas, they are more costly and will require more maintenance and space for housing.  Rabbits do get dirty and smelly but if you can let them roam around your backyard, they will actually help you get rid of young weeds and become a great family pet.  I highly do not getting rabbits unless you read and fully understand the responsibility of taking care of them.  Many people get them for Easter as a spur of the moment and end up returning or letting them loose after the get them.

Birds

Last but not least, our flying feathery friends.  I actually don’t have much experience with these pets, although I do love the raptors, I know that they are fun to have. Birds are good pets to have and can provide hours of music to the ears.  They don’t require much of a set up, needing a few toys and as long as you take them out on occasion and get them used to you they will be fine.  You will learn what they like and don’t like, and trust me they have no problem showing it.  Place them in an area of the house where there will be people most of the time because they do like company.  They do eat a lot and can make a mess with their food, can be costly (depending on what kind you get) and may make noise when you prefer quiet time.  They do make great companions because just like cats and dogs, they have their own personalities.  Just watch out for that poop because they will relieve themselves on the brand new jacket.

Whichever pet you decide to get, please remember to do lots of research and make sure you know what the responsibilities are.  If you have any doubts, then please do not get one and most of all please do not release them into the wild because they will not survive since they are domesticated and never learned how to survive in nature.  On the other hand if you love pets as much as I do and consider handling them part of your stress release, you will have dogs, fish and reptiles all in one happy home and hopefully teach others how to properly care for animals.   Make sure you do your research.  Good luck!