Fur, feathers and farmyards… 5 low care pets ideas

If you want something beyond a goldfish but aren’t quite ready to take the puppy plunge, here’s five fulfilling yet surprisingly low maintenance pet ideas.

Foster kitties

Love the idea of having a purrrrrfect friend to keep you company but aren’t quite ready for a full-on commitment? Why not consider fostering a kitten or cat for a few months? Local feline rescue centres and havens are often on the lookout for part-time kitty owners. Basically, you commit to caring for a cat until they can find it a permanent home. Who knows, you might just get attached and decide to keep your new pet!

Rescue dogs

You probably don’t want to take on a high-energy puppy, but there’s no reason why you can’t welcome a cuddly canine companion into your home. Rescue dogs are a wonderful way to enjoy the friendship of a dog, without all the responsibilities of a puppy. Often, rescues are simply older dogs that are in search of a new home. Chat to rescue centre workers and you can often find loveable mutts that are gentle, well trained and low maintenance.

Budgies

Perfect for retirees, budgies are basically pint sized parakeets. They’re colourful, fun and surprisingly clever. You can teach them to mimic your words, perch on your shoulder and treat you to a medley of chirps, trills and whistles. Plus, they’re relatively clean and don’t’ smell which means you can get away with a weekly cage clean. Just keep in mind that if you opt for a solo budgie you become its default flock. This means you need to spend an hour or so a day interacting with it to fulfil its social needs.

Goats

If you have the luxury of space, why not consider getting a goat? They’re not exactly a zero-maintenance pet, but they’re definitely not as demanding as most dogs. Thanks to their small size and easy maintenance, Nigerian Dwarf goats are eternally popular pets. They’re great family milkers, and you can experiment with goat cheese, soap and other products. Want to know more? check out SPCA for more info on caring for pet goats!

Chickens

Following on from the farm theme, we’re listing chickens as a fantastic easy care pet. Cages and coops do require an initial investment, but once you’re set up keeping chickens is surprisingly simple. Chicken feed is cheap, and if you get the right breed you’ll be able to harvest daily eggs. With the total peace of mind that they’re 100% organic, and free range! If you want to change a chicken’s life why not consider adopting via platforms like Animal Sanctuary? Battery farms normally get rid of their chooks when they’re around 18 months old, so organisations like Animal Sanctuary save them and put them up for adoption. Want to know more? check out our latest article, The City Slicker’s Guide to Keeping Pet Chickens.

Have any low care pet ideas you want to share? We’d love to hear them!