Low maintenance, unique pets

You may be going through a time where your children are persistently asking for a pet. Well, you can opt for a non-conventional, low maintenance pet that will have minimal disruption in your life.

Forget the typical goldfish, which don't have a great track record of staying alive especially if the children are the primary caregivers.

When getting children a pet, try and have them as the caregivers. In addition to the fun, taking care of a pet can teach them a thing or two on being responsible.

One of the pets you can consider is a parakeet. It is one of the small species of the parrot family. It is considered a great beginner bird and is one of the most loved pets because it is small, playful and relatively affordable to keep.

It is fun as it is a smart bird that can mimic human speech if properly trained. You will need to get a cage for it and feed it with fresh fruits, leafy greens and pellets that you get from a pet shop. For their exercise, flying around the house is essential daily, just make sure the windows remain closed.

Guinea pig

They are cute and good for children because they are unlikely to bite even when they are stressed. They can however scratch if not handled well. There are few things to consider. They have a long life span of five to seven years, sometimes longer, so be prepared for the long commitment, even after your children have outgrown having a pet.

They also do well as a pair, so you should be ready to cater for two- have them in the same breed if you do not want to deal with unwanted litter. They need generous space to roam around, so get them a large cage.

Hamster

These also do not require a lot of care, feed them with store-bought seeds and treats and regular fresh water and they are good to go. They have a life span of about two years, so you can warn the children not to get too attached. They are also nocturnal so they may keep a light sleeper awake with their squeaky sound.

You will notice that all the above pets do not need toilet training, they are easy to travel with or even leave at home for a few days in case you are to travel. You do not need to take them to a boarding facility or a friend’s house, just leave them enough water and food and they will be good to go. They are also not needy.

Maryanne is a pet owner. [email protected]