Small pet suggestions? | General Discussion

@singularuniverse

My current obsession is peacocks, so I'm not going to recommend any of those!

This will sound disjointed and brusk, but I'm trying to get it in before rollover.

But I do have a few things for you to think about.

Why does your condo not allow dogs and cats? Is it:
Possible soiling of the carpets?
Noise?
Damage to cabinets or wood floors from claws/nails?
Possible danger to neighbors?
Allergen exposure for next tenants?
Smell that would linger?

See if you can figure that out before choosing a pet. It would be terrible if your pet were discovered and they made you remove it.

Toddler sibling is also a consideration, of course.

So, if it's because of the damage, think twice before considering anything that might be allowed out and might then soil the carpet or gnaw on the cabinets (anything in the rodent or rabbit family)
Also think twice about anything needing an aquarium. Accidents happen.
Male rats and male mice leave behind a powerful oder.
Birds can leave behind hulls and the powder from feather shafts.
Anything with a heat lamp could be considered a fire hazard (short in the cord) by management, even if it is only an excuse.

Spiders and snails are sounding better. Female rats can be lovely, but still might leave an oder.

Ok, out of time. Best of luck!

Bantymom

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April 18, 2019 23:58:01

@singularuniverse

My current obsession is peacocks, so I'm not going to recommend any of those!

This will sound disjointed and brusk, but I'm trying to get it in before rollover.

But I do have a few things for you to think about.

Why does your condo not allow dogs and cats? Is it:
Possible soiling of the carpets?
Noise?
Damage to cabinets or wood floors from claws/nails?
Possible danger to neighbors?
Allergen exposure for next tenants?
Smell that would linger?

See if you can figure that out before choosing a pet. It would be terrible if your pet were discovered and they made you remove it.

Toddler sibling is also a consideration, of course.

So, if it's because of the damage, think twice before considering anything that might be allowed out and might then soil the carpet or gnaw on the cabinets (anything in the rodent or rabbit family)
Also think twice about anything needing an aquarium. Accidents happen.
Male rats and male mice leave behind a powerful oder.
Birds can leave behind hulls and the powder from feather shafts.
Anything with a heat lamp could be considered a fire hazard (short in the cord) by management, even if it is only an excuse.

Spiders and snails are sounding better. Female rats can be lovely, but still might leave an oder.

Ok, out of time. Best of luck!

Kleos

The pursuit and celebration of glorious action. Those who pursue Kleos must be willing to leave everything behind, seeking glory above all else. Those who achieve Kleos are heroes. They have become immortal through their actions and achieve the immortal honor of serving the glory of Glittermom, the Light Weaver.

Eternal renown, immortal fame - - Kleos is imperishable

i have 8 giant african land snails (achatina fulica, the most common specie :") ) and i love them to PIECES they're super easy to care for as long as you don't mind getting a little dirty, egg-checking every couple of days, probably getting overrun with springtails (a clean up crew!) and making sure they're warm/humid enough. you may need heat mats and thermostats depending on the species of GALS you'd get, and how warm your house is, but other than that, they're super easy to look after. i keep mine in several 50L storage boxes with holes drilled in them for air supply, they have coconut fibre as a substrate, sphagnum moss to bury/sleep in, plastic plant pots for hides and are fed mainly on a diet of sweet potato, courgette, aubergine, mushrooms and lettuce. they need constant access to calcium (i use cuttlefish) and protein twice weekly (mainly snail mix or fish flakes soaked in water, but you can also feed raw mince/pinky mice monthly as a treat) :D here's my biggest, chardee macdennis 2; electric boogaloo: [img]https://i.imgur.com/SvpWQrl.jpg[/img]

idiosyncratic

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April 22, 2019 06:16:46

i have 8 giant african land snails (achatina fulica, the most common specie :") ) and i love them to PIECES

they're super easy to care for as long as you don't mind getting a little dirty, egg-checking every couple of days, probably getting overrun with springtails (a clean up crew!) and making sure they're warm/humid enough. you may need heat mats and thermostats depending on the species of GALS you'd get, and how warm your house is, but other than that, they're super easy to look after. i keep mine in several 50L storage boxes with holes drilled in them for air supply, they have coconut fibre as a substrate, sphagnum moss to bury/sleep in, plastic plant pots for hides and are fed mainly on a diet of sweet potato, courgette, aubergine, mushrooms and lettuce. they need constant access to calcium (i use cuttlefish) and protein twice weekly (mainly snail mix or fish flakes soaked in water, but you can also feed raw mince/pinky mice monthly as a treat) :D

here's my biggest, chardee macdennis 2; electric boogaloo:

.[/nextcol]

mollie/idio
20
she/they
fr + 8 (GMT)
feel free to ping, pm, friend etc :)

Garden snails.
I'd recommend getting only one, though, if you don't want to worry about them laying eggs when you don't know and then they hatch and you have 400 tiny snails crawling around the terrarium

GardenSnail

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April 22, 2019 10:21:37

Garden snails.
I'd recommend getting only one, though, if you don't want to worry about them laying eggs when you don't know and then they hatch and you have 400 tiny snails crawling around the terrarium

Lemon Flight

Beating UM with just a Tynamo

ridgeback s o u p

fr time + 3

How about a gerbil? They're nice little guys if you spend enough time with them.

JennyWren

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April 22, 2019 12:32:00

How about a gerbil? They're nice little guys if you spend enough time with them.

Please help me raise my Dragon Cave hatchlings and hatch my eggs by viewing and clicking on them. :D (A big thank you to everyone who has already helped!)

I’d recommend a guinea pig! I’ve had several growing up, and while they are not my favorite pet I do recommend them for anyone getting their first pet!

GingaSnap

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April 22, 2019 12:42:33

I’d recommend a guinea pig! I’ve had several growing up, and while they are not my favorite pet I do recommend them for anyone getting their first pet!

guinea pigs!!!!
They're not as simple or easy as the pet stores make them out to be (don't listen to pet store advice at all it's awful and wrong), but if you do your research they're the most rewarding small pets I've ever had!

I have two babies, Ruby and Juniper, and they have so much personality! Ruby is extroverted and loves to be pet, is comfortable being held be strangers, and is a renowned "nibbler" (she never bites, but she'll lick and chew on literally anything so I have to keep an eye on her lol). Junebug is a little shyer, but is super sweet once she's comfortable with someone, and she follows her sister everywhere! She loves raspberry treats the most~

It's important to get a large enough cage (look online! pet store cages are almost never large enough), two or more piggies of the same gender (unless a male is neutered), enough hay to eat 24/7, vitamin C packed food pellets, veggies, bedding/felt, water bottles, and enrichment toys (mine like dangly chew blocks and wooden hay balls!).

They live a good while (6-10 years I believe), and they have the potential to be kind of loud (mine are usually pretty quiet, but they'll yell at me for dinner every once in a while), but they're great pets.
The biggest downside is probably potential vet bills- they're exotic animals, so you'll need an exotic animal vet, and they're prone to a couple different illnesses, so just keep that in mind!!

virtue

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April 22, 2019 14:10:47

guinea pigs!!!!
They're not as simple or easy as the pet stores make them out to be (don't listen to pet store advice at all it's awful and wrong), but if you do your research they're the most rewarding small pets I've ever had!

I have two babies, Ruby and Juniper, and they have so much personality! Ruby is extroverted and loves to be pet, is comfortable being held be strangers, and is a renowned "nibbler" (she never bites, but she'll lick and chew on literally anything so I have to keep an eye on her lol). Junebug is a little shyer, but is super sweet once she's comfortable with someone, and she follows her sister everywhere! She loves raspberry treats the most~

It's important to get a large enough cage (look online! pet store cages are almost never large enough), two or more piggies of the same gender (unless a male is neutered), enough hay to eat 24/7, vitamin C packed food pellets, veggies, bedding/felt, water bottles, and enrichment toys (mine like dangly chew blocks and wooden hay balls!).

They live a good while (6-10 years I believe), and they have the potential to be kind of loud (mine are usually pretty quiet, but they'll yell at me for dinner every once in a while), but they're great pets.
The biggest downside is probably potential vet bills- they're exotic animals, so you'll need an exotic animal vet, and they're prone to a couple different illnesses, so just keep that in mind!!

RNG adopts

about

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they/them

23yrs

FRT+3

I used to keep bettas! They're wonderful little fish, and such personalities!

It's recommended that you get them a five gallon tank, but for single fish I prefer three gallons without curved sides. Make sure you've got plenty of hides for them, silk plants or rounded plastic plants so their fins don't catch, and I used to have this little suction cup leaf hammock that I put near the top so they could get some rest up there.

You CAN start a sorority tank of female bettas, but ALWAYS keep them in odd numbers, introduce them to the tank at the same time, and make sure they have enough hides and tank space so they can spread out from each other. I attempted this a couple times, but sadly it never worked out, so I can only say proceed with caution on this. It's also worth noting that the female betta that killed her tankmates ended up being the one that lived in my care the longest, and was only killed after a particularly rough move in the middle of winter ;w;

DandeLyon

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April 22, 2019 15:08:14

I used to keep bettas! They're wonderful little fish, and such personalities!

It's recommended that you get them a five gallon tank, but for single fish I prefer three gallons without curved sides. Make sure you've got plenty of hides for them, silk plants or rounded plastic plants so their fins don't catch, and I used to have this little suction cup leaf hammock that I put near the top so they could get some rest up there.

You CAN start a sorority tank of female bettas, but ALWAYS keep them in odd numbers, introduce them to the tank at the same time, and make sure they have enough hides and tank space so they can spread out from each other. I attempted this a couple times, but sadly it never worked out, so I can only say proceed with caution on this. It's also worth noting that the female betta that killed her tankmates ended up being the one that lived in my care the longest, and was only killed after a particularly rough move in the middle of winter ;w;

They/Them
+2 FR

Honestly? Tarantulas are amazing low maintenance pets. They're practically moving decorations. I have a G. Pulchripes(Chaco Golden Knee) right now and she's the best. She's an adolescent right now but they can grow to be pretty big(depending on species.). And they come in all sizes! There are dwarf species if you don't want to worry about a huge spoder, and there are giant ones like the Goliath Birdeaters(though not recommended for beginners).

Depending on the species you get the enclosure needs can be vastly different. Arborials require tall enclosures with a little substrate at the bottom, terrestrials need enclosures that aren't too tall because bad falls can kill, and fossorials loooove digging, so deep substrate will be needed.

Feeding is super easy too. I feed 2 large crickets once a week(again, take note, she's still pretty small, only about 2" long), but, once they're adults you can mix I up a bit. Roaches and worms also make for good food. And a pinkie can be a treat once in a blue moon.

Coconut fiber is probably one of the best substrates to start for any species, plus cork bark hides. I have a water dish in my enclosure as well.

If you want to know more, watch Dark Den and/or Exotics Lair on YouTube, both are amazing keepers and have a couple good videos for beginners.

Overall, tarantulas are fascinating, low maintenance, extremely cheap pets, and are a great way to help get over arachnophobia should you have it!

Just, should you choose to get one, make sure to do research on the size of the species you want and what enclosure to make.

Good beginner species:

Chaco Golden Knee(G. Pulchripes)
Mexican Red Knee(B. Hamorii)
Chilean Rose Hair(G. Rosea)
Mexican Redleg(B. Emilia)
Honduran Curly Hair(B. Albopilosum)
Pink Zebra Beauty(E. Campestratus)
Pink Toe(A. Avicularia)(Also the only Arborial on this list)
Mexican Red Rump(B. Vagans)
Desert Blond(A. Chalcodes)

If you're interested, PM me about pics! I'm not going to post them here bc it could potentially be triggering for some people, but she really is adorable!

JamminWithJimon

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April 22, 2019 18:13:43

Honestly? Tarantulas are amazing low maintenance pets. They're practically moving decorations. I have a G. Pulchripes(Chaco Golden Knee) right now and she's the best. She's an adolescent right now but they can grow to be pretty big(depending on species.). And they come in all sizes! There are dwarf species if you don't want to worry about a huge spoder, and there are giant ones like the Goliath Birdeaters(though not recommended for beginners).

Depending on the species you get the enclosure needs can be vastly different. Arborials require tall enclosures with a little substrate at the bottom, terrestrials need enclosures that aren't too tall because bad falls can kill, and fossorials loooove digging, so deep substrate will be needed.

Feeding is super easy too. I feed 2 large crickets once a week(again, take note, she's still pretty small, only about 2" long), but, once they're adults you can mix I up a bit. Roaches and worms also make for good food. And a pinkie can be a treat once in a blue moon.

Coconut fiber is probably one of the best substrates to start for any species, plus cork bark hides. I have a water dish in my enclosure as well.

If you want to know more, watch Dark Den and/or Exotics Lair on YouTube, both are amazing keepers and have a couple good videos for beginners.

Overall, tarantulas are fascinating, low maintenance, extremely cheap pets, and are a great way to help get over arachnophobia should you have it!

Just, should you choose to get one, make sure to do research on the size of the species you want and what enclosure to make.

Good beginner species:

Chaco Golden Knee(G. Pulchripes)
Mexican Red Knee(B. Hamorii)
Chilean Rose Hair(G. Rosea)
Mexican Redleg(B. Emilia)
Honduran Curly Hair(B. Albopilosum)
Pink Zebra Beauty(E. Campestratus)
Pink Toe(A. Avicularia)(Also the only Arborial on this list)
Mexican Red Rump(B. Vagans)
Desert Blond(A. Chalcodes)

If you're interested, PM me about pics! I'm not going to post them here bc it could potentially be triggering for some people, but she really is adorable!

Hello! I have a parakeet, a betta fish, and a cockatiel. <3
theyre amazing

my cockatiel enjoys taking naps in my hair and nuzzling against my neck, and my parakeet sings and makes cat noises for some reason (probably from hearing my cat through his bedroom door)
**yes my birds have their own room, but that is just for their safety. my cat loves to play and doesnt understand how fragile birds are. She does not want to eat them but i wouldnt leave them alone, so. -shrug-

the betta fish, named Fishyface, has been around with me for about 3 years now which is the longest I've ever had one fish. he begs for breakfast when i see him in the morning and swims in circles when i come home from work. its really cool, and some people might not think that fish have emotions. sometimes you can dip your finger in the top and pet them gently, make sure your finger is clean first tho.

i recommend cockatiels though because if you get a boy (sometimes girls do, but mine doesnt) you can train them to talk and whistle songs to you. My old one who I had to give to a friend when I moved a few years ago would sing the imperial march from star wars and say "BABY!!!" and spread his wings out if i came back into the room after a little while or if i had work. it was adorable. he would also take showers with me and follow me around the house.

whatever you choose I know you will love them! good luck finding the right fit for you. <3

Fernling

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April 29, 2019 11:04:10

Hello! I have a parakeet, a betta fish, and a cockatiel. <3
theyre amazing

my cockatiel enjoys taking naps in my hair and nuzzling against my neck, and my parakeet sings and makes cat noises for some reason (probably from hearing my cat through his bedroom door)
**yes my birds have their own room, but that is just for their safety. my cat loves to play and doesnt understand how fragile birds are. She does not want to eat them but i wouldnt leave them alone, so. -shrug-

the betta fish, named Fishyface, has been around with me for about 3 years now which is the longest I've ever had one fish. he begs for breakfast when i see him in the morning and swims in circles when i come home from work. its really cool, and some people might not think that fish have emotions. sometimes you can dip your finger in the top and pet them gently, make sure your finger is clean first tho.

i recommend cockatiels though because if you get a boy (sometimes girls do, but mine doesnt) you can train them to talk and whistle songs to you. My old one who I had to give to a friend when I moved a few years ago would sing the imperial march from star wars and say "BABY!!!" and spread his wings out if i came back into the room after a little while or if i had work. it was adorable. he would also take showers with me and follow me around the house.

whatever you choose I know you will love them! good luck finding the right fit for you. <3

Live, Love, & Look after the Earth

If you do bettas, please don't do sororities, especially if you have not kept bettas before and are not an experienced keeper.
You MUST keep a watchful eye on them.
And you must be prepared to separate them if you notice them being aggressive to each other. It is recommended to do a larger tank with a lot of plants, and even then, you should not overcrowd them. They like to have their own space.

Know that one can lash out and kill the others. Without warning.

I would recommend against a lot of pets in your case. Toddler children do not mix well with small animals. I would recommend just caring for an animal that stays in an enclosure like a terrarium or an aquarium. I highly would be against birds, especially if you're renting/in an apartment type deal, and I have stated my piece about other small mammals.

Kalante

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April 29, 2019 18:50:00

If you do bettas, please don't do sororities, especially if you have not kept bettas before and are not an experienced keeper.
You MUST keep a watchful eye on them.
And you must be prepared to separate them if you notice them being aggressive to each other. It is recommended to do a larger tank with a lot of plants, and even then, you should not overcrowd them. They like to have their own space.

Know that one can lash out and kill the others. Without warning.

I would recommend against a lot of pets in your case. Toddler children do not mix well with small animals. I would recommend just caring for an animal that stays in an enclosure like a terrarium or an aquarium. I highly would be against birds, especially if you're renting/in an apartment type deal, and I have stated my piece about other small mammals.