What are good apartments pets, besides cats, dogs, fish, etc.?
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at
7:00 pm
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Filed under: Cat Behavior
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Kate, let’s see if I can help you decide. There are many pets that are entirely appropriate for apartment living. After conducting some research and following the steps below, you should have a better idea of an appropriate pet for you.
Step 1: Check your apartment bylaws, rules or regulations. Your apartment might have restrictions on certain types of pets, or they might require that you have an extra deposit or a monthly fee in addition to your rent.
Step 2: Do some soul searching. Think about your lifestyle and your motivation for wanting a pet. If you live in an apartment because you travel a lot and like the low maintenance aspect of apartment living, think about what types of pets can be left alone for periods of time. Think about how much time away you spend from home on a day to day basis and consider how that affects your choice of pet.
Step 3: Examine your indoor space. Do you have the room for a large saltwater aquarium? If you adopt a puppy, do you have the ability to isolate him to a utility room if necessary? This is also a good time to think about odors associated with some pets. Do you have a well ventilated area that would be appropriate for a kitty litter box?
Step 4: Examine your outdoor space. Do you have a balcony apartment or a garden apartment? Is there a common area to take pets in order to play and exercise? Your outdoor space is also a consideration when thinking about how your pet will need to relieve himself.
Step 5: Think about renters adjacent to your apartment. If you have thin walls and a chirping bird, you might not have the best combination. If you live above quiet tenants, they might not appreciate the romping and jumping (and barking) that often occupies a puppy’s day.
Step 6: Pet sit for practice. Once you decide on an appropriate pet to add to your home, try to pet sit someone else’s loved one. Pet sitting for a week or so should give you an idea of the responsibilities, challenges and rewards of owning a pet as an apartment dweller.
That said, here’s 6 specific suggestions:
Pot-Bellied Pigs- While slightly destructive at times, Pot-Bellied Pigs can be as easy, if not easier to train than dogs. They’re playful, curious, caring, surprisingly odorless, and they don’t bark. Natural "rooters" and highly intelligent, these pets can get quite stubborn in their desperate search to feed their addiction to food, learning to open cabinets, drawers, bins, and find their way into making a real mess of the kitchen. Keeping food locked up is only a fraction of commitment to caring for these lovable little oinkers. Pot-Bellied Pigs may require much care, financial, and time commitment, but make an extremely fun pet and incredible family member.
Hedgehog- Although not a very social animal, a tamed hedgehog can make a nice furry friend. With a life-span of 4-6 years, Hedgehogs are relatively easy to care for and are easy to feed with high quality cat food. When they feel threatened these animals will roll into a ball, poking out the prickly spines on their back. These spines are not a big danger, but getting a hedgehog used to human handling is one of the biggest steps in making them comfortable and you avoiding getting poked. A seemingly quiet animal, they don’t require a lot of attention and are great at entertaining themselves.
Chinchillas- Pets don’t get much softer or cuddlier than one of these very soft, furry creatures. Like most exotic mammals on this list, if handled from a young age Chinchillas bond very closely with their human owners. For a smaller animal they have quite the extensive life span, lasting about 15 years. An active and playful animal by nature, having a spacious cage and many toys available for the Chinchilla will add to their happiness and natural comfort level. Surprisingly, these little guys bathe in dust to keep their coat silky and smooth, so having a dust bath is a necessity. Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that an animal can bathe itself in dust to maintain a clean, shiny coat of fur?
Ferrets- A very mischievous animal, Ferrets can be highly entertaining. One of the more common animals on this list, Ferrets are known to sleep long hours (up to 18 hrs/day) and be very active during dawn and dusk. Most will adapt their sleeping and active times to fit that of their owner’s schedule. While they do have a reputation for having a musky smell, Ferrets are typically fixed and descented before being sold. Ferret owners should always try to be aware of the whereabouts of their pet as a ferret’s curiosity can lead it anywhere in the home. Living roughly 6-8 years, Ferrets make a really awesome and extremely fun apartment pet.
Prairie Dogs- One of the most social, playful, and active animals on this list, Prairie Dogs can make incredibly fun pets for an apartment. If trained very young to be around humans, these furry creatures become affectionate and very caring to their owners. With this need for affection, they require a good amount of attention. Feeding on rabbit pellets, hay, and the occasional treat, it’s fairly easy to keep a Prairie Dogs’ belly full. Make sure to have many chewable toys available as they do like to chew on things and you don’t want them to chew on you.
Sugar Gliders- This is the ultimate apartment pet. Sugar Glider’s are extremely social and bond naturally with their human owners. This in mind, these animals do require quite a bit of daily attention and interaction as without it they can at times become depressed or even die. A marsupial, the Sugar Glider is quite comfortable hanging out in a shirt pocket all day, cuddling close to its owner. They are a very endearing and non-aggressive pet that typically lives 12-14 years, so will make a wonderful long time pet that’ll connect well with its owner. Being small, fun, and easy to care for makes the Sugar Glider the perfect apartment pet!
Hope this helps!
I have a bearded dragon… he makes a pretty good appartment pet. Especially since you can leave him a day or two without worrying. Doesn’t need a whole lot of attention. Eat veggies once they are adults. All around good pet.
I had a bunny for 9 months of living in my apartment. Now I’m back home with him and moving to another apartment in about 4 months with him.
So bunnies are great for apartments.
Ferrets, rats, rabbits
Hi, I own guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and mice. I would recommend rats or guinea pigs or rabbits. They all prefer the company of two (of the same species, also the same gender!)
Guinea pigs:
Guinea pigs are loving and have great personality but they can be a bit messy. they love their veggies and can be very vocal.
Rabbits:
Rabbits can be dirt box trained and are loving but not all like being held, also they WILL chew.
Rats:
Rats are sweet, loving, clean and smart. They will learn your voice and will come bounding to the side of the cage to greet you. They will happily roam around and snuggle with you. They can catch colds easily though, but so can all of the above if left above.
Chinchillas are a good small pet, or if it’s legal where you are, a squirrel makes a super entertaining and sweet pet. Sugar gliders are another good option too, they require a lot of your attention and companionship, so two might be necessary. Pot-bellied pigs are really great apartment pets, they are clean and quiet and easily trained, but can get bored fast so they need a lot of stimulation.