good pets for busy people

Everyone Needs a Companion: Here Are Some Good Pets for Busy People

You may be an uber-successful businessman or woman who spends night and day at the office running a multi-million dollar company, or you may have two jobs while simultaneously going to school and raising two kids.

It doesn’t matter which it is, but either way, you’re quite busy. But just like everyone else, you’d love to have a companion at home that will greet you after your busy day, especially if you’re single and don’t have a significant other that you can spend your free time with.

Certainly, a dog may not be the right choice for you, but there’s still plenty of pets that you can have while also maintaining your busy schedule. Here are a couple of good pets for busy people.

Fish

You might be thinking, “Fish? Fish aren’t pets!” But they are indeed pets. And realistically, they’re the best ones for busy people, seeing as they require little to no maintenance. The cool thing about having pet fish is that there are so many different kinds to choose from. There are freshwater fish and saltwater fish. You can get inexpensive fish like Goldfish that won’t break the bank, or you can get exotic fish that can cost into the thousands. Depending on your financial situation, you could potentially have something as small as a fishbowl with a single fish, or an enormous 1,000-gallon tank with a dozen expensive, exotic fish. It’s really all up to you!

Having pet fish allows you to be creative. You’re able to customize your tank to your liking, with the ability to include different types of fish, and even determine what sorts of plants, rocks, or decorative items you’d like included in your tank. Depending on the size of your tank, you may only need to clean it once every week or two. And if you have an efficient working filter, even less often than that. In terms of feeding fish, all they require is a sprinkle of fish flakes once a day and they’re good to go. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Hamsters

Hamsters are one of the most commonly owned rodent pets and for good reason. They’re adorable, fuzzy, and easy to care for, which means you can have a fun little, furry pet without all of the responsibilities. Hamsters are also great beginner pets for children. If you’re looking for a pet that can provide you with companionship, yet doesn’t need much space or attention, a hamster might be the pet for you.

Coming in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, there are plenty of different species of hamsters to choose from. The nice thing about hamsters is that they’re very inexpensive to purchase, as well as to maintain, as it costs around $20 to take one of these little guys home with you. On top of being inexpensive to buy, their food is very reasonably priced. Since they don’t eat a lot, a single two-pound bag of hamster food will cost you about $10 and can last you well over a month.

Having a lack of space in your home shouldn’t be an issue as hamsters don’t require large amounts of room. A small cage is more than enough room for these little guys. Just make sure that it’s big enough for them to have room to play around with their toys and get in their daily exercise on their hamster wheel. Hamsters are good pets for busy people because they’re very independent. Sure, they can become friendly with you, but they don’t require your constant attention as some other pets do.

In regard to grooming, hamsters are similar to cats, where they groom themselves. All you’ll have to do is clean out their cage once or twice a week in order to provide them with a clean habitat to live in.

Rabbits

Surely you’ve seen a rabbit hopping around in the wilderness before, maybe even in your own backyard, but did you know that rabbits are actually great pets, too? These cute hoppers are quiet and loving, but easy to maintain, making them great pets for first-time pet owners, or those with little free time on their hands.

Rabbits are quiet and don’t make much noise if any at all, so they’re good pets to have if you live in an apartment building. The nice thing about rabbits is that they don’t require a lot of space, as opposed to some other pets. As long as you allow them to spend some time outside of their cage to exercise every day, they’re more than fine with remaining in their cage for the rest of the day.

In terms of training, rabbits are actually smart enough to learn certain behaviors and do tricks via positive reinforcement training. A couple of tricks they can learn to do is jump through hoops, run through mazes, and retrieve items.

When it comes to life expectancy, rabbits can easily live into their teens if they’re cared for properly, allowing you to have a pet you can bond with for quite a long time.

Snakes

If instead of having one of your more standard pets, you’re more interested in having an exotic pet that doesn’t require a heavy time commitment, a snake might be right for you. Snakes are very low maintenance and don’t even need to be fed very often. Although, when it does come time for feeding, you better be okay with feeding your snake live or frozen mice or rats. Not many people are fans of snakes and are generally are fairly afraid of them because of the notion that all snakes are poisonous, which isn’t the case. They can make great pets for the right person. It just takes a little bit of research before becoming a snake owner.

When it comes to buying a snake, pricing varies in terms of size, age, and species, but they’re pretty inexpensive to maintain once you have their tank set up. Positives in terms of low maintenance are that snakes don’t need much room to survive, don’t smell, and are quiet.