There are very few children who don’t dream about owning a pet. While having a pet can teach kids about responsibility and dependability and many other advantages, parents are often reluctant about getting one.

Choosing the right pet

Choosing the right pet can be a difficult process, and while cats and dogs are the most popular, there are still plenty of other choices for you to consider. To help you narrow down, we have prepared a list of some low-maintenance pet ideas to make it easier for you to determine which one is best suited for your family.

1. Guinea pigs

For children who want to get a fluffy pet that they can cuddle and play with, a guinea pig is a popular choice that is very easy to look after. While most pet rodents are nocturnal and this means that they are active during the night and sleep during the day, guinea pigs are nappers, and they’re always up for a visit and a tasty snack.

Unlike hamsters who tend to bite, guinea pigs are much friendlier and have a longer life span of 4 to 6 years. The thing to consider if you want to get a guinea pig is that you’ll need to adopt at least two since these little critters are not solitary creatures and require a companion.

You’ll also need to get a decently sized cage since they need plenty of space to roam around. Otherwise, they are straightforward to look after. The only thing that the parent will need to do is give them their daily supplement of vitamin C, which can be difficult for children to administer properly.

2. Ferrets

Children who are a bit older ferrets are excellent pets, but they are not recommended for smaller children since they can bite a little, especially when they’re young. Conversely, young children can also easily hurt ferrets since they’re quite delicate, so it is best to get them only to kids that know what it means to care for a pet.

With that said, ferrets are playful and social animals that can spend hours playing with their toys and owners. They can also be litter trained just like cats, and this makes cleaning after them very easy since you need to remove and replace the ferret bedding from the litter box.

3. Budgies

If you want to get a bird as a pet, budgies are an excellent idea since what kid doesn’t want to have a parrot as a companion? A budgie is a type of parakeet, and if they get used to people from an early age, they can offer the same appeal as their larger relatives without the daunting commitment.

Parakeets tend to poop a lot but cleaning the cage is not an issue since their waste doesn’t smell bad, and it dries fast. This means that a weekly cage-cleaning routine is more than enough.

4.Bettas

Fish require very little upkeep and attention, which makes them a good choice for children who are not ready to handle a pet’s stress. Bettas are one of the most popular choices because they are brilliantly coloured, and because unlike other fish, they can go to the surface for oxygen and survive in less-than-pristine surroundings.

These fish also don’t require a filtered tank. However, it would help if you still cleaned the aquarium at least once a week, but this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. If you want to get more than one fish, make sure not to get multiple males since bettas are known as fighting fish. It is best to use a separate tank for each male.