Help me choose a small pet

In My Humble Opinion
1

I haven’t had any kind of pet for a while, and I miss having animals around. I’ve had a lot of guinea pigs, several rabbits and a couple of Syrian hamsters in the past. I especially liked my last rabbit - she showed me that rabbits are really underrated and as interesting as cats - and the hamsters were fun, so I’ve considered both of those. But I don’t think hamsters live long enough for me, and a rabbit might be larger and more suicidal than I want to deal with (I have a lot of cables around and that’s not going to change).

I’m looking for any suggestions and anecdotes that might be helpful, or just interesting. A few years ago I was interested in degus, but don’t remember much about them, so I’d be especially interested if anyone keeps them.

My criteria:

Small, but not too small - I don’t have a lot of space. A medium-sized rabbit is about the biggest I’d be willing to go with. At the other end of the scale, I don’t want something tiny that requires me to escape-proof everything.

Inexpensive - something that doesn’t require expensive food and supplements. I’ll be looking into insurance, in case there are any medical issues.

Intelligence and friendliness - I want something that knows who I am, enjoys human company and is generally interesting. One thing I found slightly disappointing about hamsters is they just do not sit still. If you’re handling them, you have to keep moving to stop them falling. They’ll just walk right off your hand. If it will be comfortable just sitting around on my lap/shoulder/bed/head sometimes, that would be great.

Longevity - more than a few years. Rats sound great, but 2 years just isn’t enough. On the other hand, I’m not currently willing to commit to something like a parrot that will probably outlive me…

Self-preservation - I need to know it’s not going to leap to its death, or chew through a live cable, the moment I turn my back. This might be the tallest order. If I know it’s smart enough to know where its home is and hopefully return if it escapes, so much the better.

Adoptability - I would feel a lot better if I could adopt whatever type of animal I choose.
Thanks in advance!

2

It seems like you want an adult cat (not a kitten). There’s always a huge variety at shelters (and adoption fees are usually lower or waived completely for adult cats) they pretty much take care of themselves (unlike almost every other pet you can leave them completely alone for a long weekend with extra food/water/clean litter), many are very content to lapsit and snuggle, and you don’t need a specialist veterinarian.

Is there some reason you don’t want a cat?

3

There are a few reasons. I hope I won’t offend any cat lovers here. I do like individual cats and take most opportunities I get to give them some attention, but as a species, I’m not a huge fan:

Firstly, I love having wildlife around, and I don’t want to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds or thousands (or even any) animals.

Secondly, cat faeces is a lot more offensive than that of rodents and other “similar” animals.

Thirdly (related to the second) cat food is relatively expensive.

Lastly, I expect to move a few times in the next few years, and an animal that sees a cage as its home will (presumably) cope with that a lot better than an animal that sees my entire home as its home.

4

Holy crap! I can’t even comprehend the amount of wildlife that must be wandering around your house or apartment!

5
  1. you don’t have to let a cat out (in fact, vets recommend against it).
  2. Cats poop in their litterbox, not everywhere. With new clumping litters you really don’t smell it at all.
  3. I buy a superpremium dry food and it costs $8/mo ($17 for a 6 lb bag that lasts 2 months for one cat). Most cat food is cheaper than that. There are many perfectly acceptable dry foods that cost in the $5/mo range. I find it hard to believe there is any animal you can feed for a whole lot less than that.
  4. My cats moved 10 times in their lifetime. They get used to it.

But, assumig you’re deadset against a cat. Unusual rodents will require a specialist vet. So once you’re outside of hamsters, rats, and maybe ferrets, you’re into exotics and associated costs. Have you considered a ferret? I’ve only encountered ferrets owned by others, but they seem pretty fun and personable. On the cons side, they need a lot of stimulation (and a big cage which is $$), can’t be left unsupervised, and smell musky all the time.

6

I don’t want to debate cats too much. I have actually had them as pets before (when I was small) and am reasonably familiar with them, so let’s just say I’ll consider them for the future, but for the purposes of this thread, I’m especially interested in information on other animals. I do appreciate the education, though.

I don’t know much about ferrets, so would be interested in hearing about them, too.

7

Not usually in Britain where Bozuit is :). It’s one of those quirky little cultural differences between the two countries that you would never think of until you run into them.

Ferrets have a shorter lifespan than cats and very slightly shorter on average than most rabbits, but should beat most rodents. 7-10 years, closer to very large breeds of dogs.

8

Guinea pig. Highly recommend They purr when rubbed, squeak/whistle when they see you and are social animals.

Cost maybe $25 to free.

Wouldn’t bother with a specialist vet, that’s crazy talk.

Low maintenance, but they each have their own personality.

9

The legality of owning them without a special permit varies state to state and country to country, but I’ve known hedgehogs to make good pets. Apart from that, I’d echo the cat suggestion - it really does seem to be what you’re looking for.

10

One thing about guinea pigs–they can’t be toilet trained and they go frequently. If you hold one on your lap you’ll want an old towel between their rears and you. Also they eat–literally eat–inedible objects such as wax paper, foil, cloth, and rubber bands so don’t let them near those things.

11

There are any number of small dogs that would fit your size and longevity requirements. I’m partial to poodle breeds, including the toy poodle and Bichon Frise, because they don’t shed and they’re so easy to train. A Maltese, Japanese Chin, Papillon, Pomeranian, Mini Dachsund or an Affenpinscher would all be the right size as well.

Small dogs get a bad rap because careless people buy them and then treat them like stuffed animals. If you treat them like actual dogs, they can be lovely companions though because they were bred specifically to fill that job. They can be expensive but the Kennel Club will have breed rescue information and can put you in touch with abandoned dogs who need a home.

Aside from dogs, rats are really amazing creatures. They’re very short lived, sadly.

12

Perhaps a reptile of some sort?
My cats have never been “out”… The only wildlife that was ever in danger was a small snake that somehow got inside the house :!: and a Texas Palmeto Bug or 2…

13

I was in the same situation and got a chinchilla for my daughter. We have had him for almost 2 years and he is awesome. They are very sociable, clean and cheap to maintain. They can also be left alone for extended periods of time as long as you have a large cage and plenty of food and water (they are desert animals so they don’t drink much at all). They bond with their owners and interact with you. You can let them run free for short periods if your house is chinchilla-proof. I let mine in the bathroom once a week with his dust bath container to freshen up and he does it quite vigorously. Their longevity is unusual for rodents (20+ years is not unheard of and most of them live longer than dogs or most cats with basic care).

The downsides are the cost of buying one initially: ($150 - $200 is a common range so they are much more expensive than other rodents and even many other common pets). Chinchillas are also smart and have distinct personalities just like dogs do. A sweet one is one of the best pets you can have while a mean and standoffish one is not worth any price. I looked at several before I bought one and I made the right choice.

A good chinchilla makes one of the best exotic pets. Some people buy them in pairs which can make things more lively but, if you do that, you generally want to get siblings of the same sex because they can be territorial if outsiders are introduced. I went with a single male in an overly large cage with multiple levels and he seems very happy and healthy.

14

Cockatiel. Lifespan close to that of a non-purebred dog, affectionate, and intelligent to a degree. They don’t talk well, but learn to sing quite easily. The drawback is dust/feather dander.

15

And noise :).

16

I have 4 and the drawback is they are social animals that need a lot of attention. They are very affectionate–almost like a puppy that can ride your shoulder.

Also if they get sick it is often hard to tell until it is too late. But they can live a long time (one of mine lived to be 18) and make great companions.

17

I’m not especially a fan of ferrets, but I know people who have litterbox trained them, and apparently they can also be taught to come when you call them. You want to get one from a breeder, though, to make sure it has been bred for domestication, if you want those good house traits. I knew someone who let them have the run of the house when she was there, and caged them only when they were alone. They pooped in their box, and came when called, even though sometimes it meant going in the cage. They had toys and tunnels and things in the cage, swings, and all kinds of stuff. She was really devoted to those weasels.

18

Oh, it’s true about small dogs. If you get a Pug, or another “big-minded” type breed, it will behave more like a big dog, and not do a lot of the annoying little yappy dog things, but the problem with a rescue is that they aren’t puppies, and you really need a young dog to train it in a way that takes. Really small dogs that end up in rescues often do just for those stereotypical yappy little dog behaviors. You need to train a small dog just like a big one, but some people think if it’s never going to be big enough to be a threat, they don’t need to invest any time in it.

I knew an amazing Whippet once. It was so smart, and as well trained as a service dog. It was small even for a Whippet, but it was a great dog. I also knew a Boston Terrier whose owner had trained it in obedience just like you would a Lab or a Pit Bull, and it was an amazing dog as well.

19

Thanks for all your replies.

For now, both cats and dogs are out, for various reasons. Really, I’m leaning towards rodents - something a bit smaller than a cat and even most small dogs. I would love a dog one day, but I don’t have the stability I would need right now. For one thing, I’d have to leave it alone for some time each day, and there are lots of other things that could come up that would make an animal that can’t tolerate half a day in a cage impractical. Whatever I get, I’d like to give it as much time outside a cage as possible, but I need to know I’ve got that flexibility.

Rats are almost perfect for what I want, except for their lifespans. Think rats, but longer-lived. That’s why I’m interested in degus. There must be someone who has them here!

As for needing specialist vets, I’ll look into that. I kind of assumed a vet could treat something like a degu like a big rat or gerbil, but perhaps that’s a foolish assumption.

I’ve probably had about 15-20 guinea pigs in my time (well, I was young, so they weren’t “mine”, exactly). I wasn’t a big fan, I think partly because they were all “outdoor” guinea pigs and so maybe weren’t as tame as indoor ones.

I’ve always wanted lizards, but want something more intelligent for now, I think.

I considered a chinchilla, but had heard some bad things. Yours sounds good, though. I’ll look into them, too.

I’ve wanted a parrot for a long time too, but that’s another “for the future” thing, I think.

And this is one of the reasons!

20

My wife often talks about the turtles they had when the boys were small. They had an aquarium (or terrarium or whatever it is) where they had water to hang out in and heat lamps/rocks, but they had the run of the house when she was home.

Apparently they liked to hang out with the people, seeked out human contact, enjoyed having their shells scratched and where generally interactive. She had to give them up when they got too big. They went to a couple on an acreage who had a heated pond and dens and a lot of turtles.

She says they were ‘Red Eared Sliders’ and to everyone’s delight turned out to be a breeding pair when they got into their more natural surroundings.