This is going to be a list of my personally picked animals that I think are the easiest and hardest of the animals I've owned. The list is going from 1 to 10, 1 being the easiest and 10 being the hardest along with my reasons why. I hope this post will be able to help you decide what you're ready for and what you aren't.
1. Fish I think fish are very very easy to take care of. The only things that are required to do are 1. Pick out what type of fish you want. Usually at Petsmart they'll label the fish that are Easy, Intermediate, and Hard. I think Guppies and Goldfish are easy to take care of. 2. Get you fish an appropriate tank for their size and also pick out some gravel and plants and decorations for your fish to hide in. (NEVER get a round tank! It drives the fish crazy!). 3. Choose a proper fish food for your fish. My Mollies eat flakes called TetraMin, but an Angel fish would prefer brine shrimp or bloodworms (usually in the frozen section at Petsmart). 4. You might want to buy a filter for your tank because it helps keep it clean 5. Take all the stuff home and set it up. 6. Clean the tank. You might want to clean the tank once a week (scrub off algae, clean decorations, ect.), but you'll want to change the water totally at least once a month. Otherwise the whole tank will become murky and you won't be able to see your fish! Fish can live for a really long time (like Koi) or really short time (like Guppies), it all depends on the type of fish.
2. Parakeets I think parakeets are pretty easy to take care of. You have to take them out at least everyday for a half hour of so, unless they've got other pals in their cage to keep them company. If they have friends in their cage you really only need to take them out four of five times a week because they have friends to play with. If you want you parakeet to be super friendly, I suggest taking him/her out everyday and playing with him/her for a few hours. I also suggest not getting your parakeet from a place that keeps them in glass cages. This usually makes them jumpy and nippy 1. Because they have to watch all around them and become scared of that. 2. Because they're meant to be in wire or metal cages where they can climb on the roof and walls of their cages and that the cages can be put up against a wall and they'll feel more secure without having to watch every direction. When you're picking out your parakeet you can decide what color you want, there are blue with the occasional hint of purple, green, yellow, and also white. You also can decide if you want a boy or girl, the way you tell male and female apart is that females have brown skin around their noses and boys have blue.
You also have to pick out a cage for your parakeet. I suggest getting a rectangle or square cage because they're easy to fit in corners. You'll also need to pick out a bird seed for him/her. I suggest noting with fruits and things like that, only seeds. The fruit and things contain sugar which isn't healthy for parakeets. If you plan to give your bird treats I suggest no yogurt treats, because it contains sugar. Parakeets live around 10 to 15 years with good care.
3. Gerbils I had my gerbils for 3 years, they usually live about that long, but for me it's too short! I loved having my gerbils! They were sweet, cute, and loved to be held! They were pretty easy to take care of. I would change their water everyday, give them fresh food, and clean them once a week. When you're getting a gerbil, it's good to get more than one because they get very lonely and if they're lonely they'll be sad and not very playful. You should get them a glass tank big enough for them to run around in. You'll also need to fill it with maybe 3 or 4 inches of bedding, I use Carefresh bedding (NEVER get a pine or saw dust bedding! It will cause breathing problems!) for all my pets who need it, and gerbils love to dig! You're going to want to get them a nice diet that has sunflower seeds, millet seeds, and monkey nuts (a.k.a peanuts). This should all come in a bag at Petsmart in the rodent section. Gerbils drink from water bottles, plastic water bottles are good because you can see if they've run out of water. Get a water bottle that looks like this:
Gerbils also love to run! You can get them an exercise wheel, just make sure it doesn't take up too much room. Give them chewing materiel such as cardboard toilet paper rolls (they love these, they can hide and chew them), little wood blocks (you can get them at Petsmart), and other things too. They also should have a little house to hide/sleep in. Don't get a plastic one, they'll eat the plastic. Wooden house are a very good to use not only to sleep in, but also to chew! You always want to take a look at their teeth everyday to make sure they aren't overgrown, if they do over grow you'll want to take him/her to the vets office so they can help you.
4. Bearded dragons Bearded dragons are great pets! They're easygoing and are very sweet! I got my beardie when she was very tiny, she was maybe 4 inches! But she has grown a LOT! She's now 16 or 17 inches! When she was little all she needed was a small glass tank with rocks to climb on, now she is in a 30 gallon tank! If you get a bearded dragon you're going to need these things: 1. A tank (when they're babies, you'll only need a 10 gallon), 2. Rocks and branches to climb on, 3. A water bowl big enough to soak them self in (but not so deep that they could drown), 4. A heat lamp with a day and night bulb (bearded dragons are cold blooded so they rely on the lamp to stay warm) they also love to sunbath in the light
, 5. When they're babies they should have carpet to use as bedding, but when they get old enough you can switch them to sand, 6. Cricket carrier and crickets. Bearded dragons can only eat things that are smaller that their head. You should feed them crickets once a day and as many as they'll eat in 10 minutes. You can also feed them wax worms (NEVER meal worms, they are unhealthy and fattening for you lizard), vegetables such as chopped green beans, peas, kale, and soft very chopped carrots. You don't want to give your beardie fruit very often because it's high in sugar, but you can give them small chopped pieces of apple, strawberry, pear, and banana. Some bearded dragons don't like certain foods, like my beardie doesn't like bananas or strawberries, but she loves apples! You should clean their tanks at least once a week. It's easy to clean their tanks, all you have to do when they're young and using the carpet is: 1. Put your dragon in a safe place, like a cardboard box, 2. Take all the rocks and branches out and give those a wash, 3. Take the carpet out and wash it in the sink (don't put it back in until it's dry), 4. Take the tank outside and wash the whole thing (you can dry the tank faster by using paper towels or a rag and wiping the water off). When they're older and using sand, everything is the same except you only have to completely change the sand once a month, otherwise you can use a litter scooper to clean out their "business". Bearded dragons usually live to be 15 or 20 years old.
5. Guinea pigs They are such amazing pets to have! Guinea pigs absolutely love to be held and cuddled, if you raise them properly. Guinea pigs don't make too much of a mess, as long as you keep them clean. Guinea pigs usually live in cages that are about 30" x 36" for one guinea pig, but the more guinea pigs you have in one cage the bigger it should be. If you had two guinea pigs in one cage it should be around 30" x 50" but bigger is always better! Guinea pigs are very social animals, so they either need to be taken out everyday for a few hours, or if they have cage pals, at least once a day for at least an hour. Just like all small pets, guinea pigs need a pellet diet and hay for their everyday food. You can also feed your guinea pig a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. I would give mine carrots and romaine lettuce, but she didn't like sweet things live fruits. Some guinea pigs like to swim! You can give you guinea a bath once a week, or if the cage is dirty twice. Unless their cages get very dirty, you should clean their cages at least once a week. They also need lots of wood to chew on because rodents' teeth never stop growing. Guinea pigs live around 3 to 5 years.
6. Rabbits Rabbits are very sweet creatures, as long as you raise them well. Rabbits are not known for cuddling, but occasionally someone will get one that loves to! You should take your rabbit out everyday for at least an hour. It helps to get your rabbit spayed/nurtured because it tends to make them nicer and calmer. Some rabbits (like mine) are territorial (they don't like people in their living spaces), and will jump, grunt, and sometimes bite their owners while trying to clean. You should clean their cages at least once a week. Most people keep their rabbits in cages that are about as big as guinea pig cages, but some people (me included) like to let their rabbit have more room. I keep my rabbit in an x-pen which is like a baby play pen, but for animals. My rabbit also likes to go outside, so I have another x-pen outside for her to play in. Rabbits should not be kept outside in 80 degree heat or higher because they will over heat and probably die. You can feed your rabbit mixed fruits and vegetables, but just like most animals don't give them too many fruits. My rabbit likes romaine lettuce, apples, carrots, and spinach. Rabbits also can be litter-box trained just like a cat! Rabbits live around 6 to 10 years.
7. Chinchillas Chinchillas are sweet and lovable animals! They are VERY messy! They normally pick a corner of their cages to pee in, but they poop a LOT and wherever they want to! Chinchillas like to be taken out for at least an hour a day. They can get lonely, so it's good to get a same gender pair. I have two little girls (they're sisters) and they love to snuggle with each other! Chinchillas LOVE to chew! You'll have to buy lots of wood treats and other things too! Chinchillas also like to jump. You'll have to get a two story cage so they can jump around. They also need things to sit on, I get my chinchillas these things called "Lava Ledges" they can chew them and sit on them! Do not give them any fruits or vegetables to eat! They only are supposed to eat hay and their pellet diet (I feed mine the brand "Mizuri"). Chinchillas CAN NOT be in the heat! The highest the heat can be is 80 degrees, and that's still pretty hot. The reason for that is because they have so much fur! Also speaking of their fur, they can't sweat! They also produce a lot of oils. The way to keep you chinchilla clean is: change the cage once a week, and give them dust baths! NEVER with water! The water will cause mold under their fur (because they have so much) and they will most likely get sick from that. When you give them dust baths you have to use chinchilla dust (I use "Blue Cloud Dust"). It is very cute when they take their baths. Chinchillas live about 15 years.
8. Parrot Parrots a lot harder to care for than a parakeet. Parrots require a whole lot more attention than parakeets. Parrots need to be out at least 2 hours everyday! You'll have to get the a cage that is big enough to let them climb and sleep comfortably. It will also have to have room for toys, food dish, water dish, and a few different sized perches. Parrot have VERY strong beaks, a macaw can bite you with 300 pounds of pressure or more! So with these birds you will have to keep them happy and entertained. Parrots usually like to live in their own cage with no one else in it, but some parrots like to have a pal in with them. If you want to get a bird with a pal, get two that have been raised together. Parrots eat a seed diet everyday, but they also like fruits and vegetables. Some parrots like to have cooked pasta as a treat. My parrot likes orange slices, apples, grapes,pears, carrots, romaine lettuce, and spaghetti noodles. I only like to give her those things as a treat, some Sundays I'll make a little blend with those things and give it to her in the morning. Parrots also make big messes! You'll have to clean their cage once a week, or more often depending on if your bird is messy. They also need baths. You have to bathe them once a week, otherwise they'll get a musty smell and dirty feathers. You'll have to use bird shampoo to clean them. I use Cockatoo shampoo on my parrot, even though she isn't a Cockatoo. Parrots' beaks grow constantly, so they will need a lot of things to chew and scratch their beaks on (wood chews, rough perches, ect.). Parrots can also learn to talk! You would have to sit with your parrot and repeat one word/phrase over and over until they learned it. Also when you leave you can keep the T.V. on or the radio and they might pick up on some words. Parrots are very sensitive to smells, so if you get a parrot you can't use candles, air fresheners or things like that near the bird. They have hollow bones, so the smoke will stay in them and shorten their life. Parrots can live to be very old (Macaws: 80+ years) or not so long (Sun Conure: 15 to 20 years).
9. Cats Cats can be your best friend or worst enemy... Once again it depends on you to make you relationship with your pet work. Cats can be very independent and sassy or they can be sweet and cuddly. Most cats don't like to cuddle, but they will if they want to. Cats use litter boxes for their "business" which you'll probably have to clean once or twice a day. They can either be free fed (their food just left out for them to eat whenever), or you can feed them once in the morning and once at night. Most people choose to feed their cats on a routine because if their cats were free fed the cat would just eat all day. Cats don't need baths, but if they get into something stinky you might want to. Cats claws shed in layers because their claws always grow. You'll want to get them scratching posts and trim their claws. There are also caps you can get at Petsmart and put them on your cat's claws Otherwise bad things will happen to you furniture....
If your cat is interested in going outside, you can get a harness and leash that fit him/her and go for walks together. Cats sleep a LOT! If the average cat lives to be 15, it will have spent around 9 years of its life sleeping. Cats are mostly awake at night, so be prepared to being awoken on occasion. Cats also LOVE to play! They have a lot of good toys for cats, but mine and my cat's favorite are the twirly bird toys. Those toys are the ones with the feathers on the end of a string and pole. Cats can get into a lot of mischief, so you'll want to make sure your house is safe for a cat. Do NOT let your cat eat aloe Vera plants! Cats are EXTREMELY allergic to those and eating it is very deadly for your cat. Cats usually live 10 to 15 years, but I know a few 20 year old cats.
10. Dogs Dogs are AMAZING! They'll cuddle with you when you're sick, they'll sleep right next to you, and they care about you more then they do themselves. Dogs can be trained to go to the bathroom outside or on pee-pads inside. Dogs don't need to be with other dogs, but most like playing with others. If you only want one dog, you can take you dog to the dog park to get socialized. Dogs love to play! They also like to chew, so you'll need to get chew toys and others things too. Dogs like to play fetch with sticks, tennis balls, Frisbee, honestly they'll chase anything you throw! Dogs like to sit on the couch with you and sleep on your bed, but if you don't want them to you can train them to stay off. Dogs also like to bark. There are ways to prevent them from doing that all the time, but you really can't totally stop them. Dogs lick a lot, they'll probably lick you after you've gone to the gym, gone for a run, anything that'll make you sweaty, because they like the salt that you produce when you sweat. They'll probably also lick you tears, because they also are salty. Did you know that dogs can tell when you're sad by listening to you voice? Dogs are very good comforters because they will let you hug them and they'll let you talk their ears off if you need to. Dogs will need their nails trimmed about every couple of months. If they have long hair they'll need to be groomed about once few months. Dogs also shed (lose their fur). You can help this issue by brushing them. If you're allergic to their fur but you still want a dog, you can get a hypoallergenic dog like a Poodle. Dogs can either be free-fed or fed on a routine. If you work odd hours, you might want to free feed. Smaller dogs have higher metabolisms so you might want to free feed. Dog live all different life spans, small dogs tend to live longer (Chihuahua: 17 years) but big dogs tend to live shorter lives (Great Danes: 6 to 8 years).
I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope it helped you decide if you're ready for a pet or not. I hope you're ready for a pet because they are the most joyful thing you can have! I also hope that if you're ready for a pet, I hope you check rescues first!
Thanks for reading!
