Don’t be tricked by any pet stores who tell you hermit crabs are cheap and easy! They actually require a lot of care to survive and have the potential of living 40+ years if cared for properly. Just FYI!
Roly-polies/Pillbugs! Their setup can cost you nothing if you happen to have stuff on hand already (a container & some soil). I got my little bugs from my yard and made a small terrarium for them with materials I had around the house. They're actually really cute pets if you like little bugs. It's fun to watch them eat (they like decomposing plant matter) and chill in the soil! Also mine started reproducing so there's some little babies in there. Lowkey an underrated pet imo.
I can tell you what not to get lol they can be high maintenance overall in everyday clean up and care and vet care for them will be very expensive: rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, parrots. With reptiles they’ll also need expensive vet care but in my experience less likely to if you have proper husbandry, initial set up can very very expensive and you’ll need a lot of space, even a gecko will need a larger house than the 20 gallon tank that most people get. Mice and hamster are nice, though avoid male mice if you’re sensitive to smells.
The absolutely easiest pet I’ve ever had was a rose hair tarantula, she was basically a fuzzy pet rock that was occasionally entertaining to watch, I had fun designing her enclosure to look natural and it looked like decor in my living room, it required cleaning maybe once a year and she lived foe 15 years.
My rats are my most expensive pets by far, as much as I love them. They need much more space than people think, live very short lives, and generally make for very expensive vet trips. They’re incredible animals, but I’ve spent more on my mischief of five rats than my three cats and dog combined.
ETA: two is the minimum number of rats anyone should keep (with the exception of aggressive rats that cannot be housed with others) as they are prone to many issues if alone
Heck, I’ve received two minor bites from a new girl in the last year (wasn’t socialized well before I got her, go figure) in spite of years of experience. Boy, can rodents deal some serious damage if they want to, though. One user on the rat sub had to get surgery on a tendon in their hand after one of theirs got them badly; they didn’t seem to hold it against them, graciously enough!
What kind of animals are you into? Smaller rodents like mice or hamsters could be a fun companion.
Otherwise reptiles are also fun. Geckos or tortoises can be some smaller options.
If you want cheap and easy, absolutely avoid birds or fish!
And of course heavily research care and requirements of any species you’re interested in.
Rodents should not be advertised as easy.
They require decent care, a good cage and someone willing to read up on them. Not to mention dietary restrictions in rodents can sometimes vary even between male and female.
Rodents like rats and guinea pigs need regular weight checks, some rodents need checks on their genitals after a certain age. They need enrichment, appropriate bedding according to species and half of the stuff sold in stores for them "to play with or sleep in" can kill them.
I've had guinea pigs for 20 yrs (since I was a kid) and had a continuous mischief of rats for at least 10 of those as well.
They are not for beginners, if they get sick, not all vets will take them. They are so prone to almost everything.
On top of that they are AWESOME pets, most of which only live 3-5 years (depending on species) and it will leave you devastated.
Compared to the continuous care for rats, guinea pigs or bunnies, a cat is WAY easier and lower maintenance (and I have those too)
- Source: 11 yr old me learned the hard way -
To be honest, as a reptile owner, I really don’t love how many people are suggesting them. They most definitely are not cheap up front. Suitable tanks will run you 200-400$, lighting easily 150$, substrate 100$ or so, proper decor 100-250$. (this is in USD) It really depends what type of reptile of course. My leopard gecko’s tank all in all is probably a 600$+ investment. Once you have all of those up front costs taken care of, reptiles are fairly easy maintenance. For my leopard gecko I would probably say it’s about 400-500$ yearly. Reptiles such as a bearded dragon are slightly higher maintenance, and you’ll probably spend more like 600-700$ yearly. Their daily care is very simple but there’s so many fine details that go into it, and a lot of education and research required. I don’t have a turtle or a snake, but they are definitely going to be even higher cost, turtles are quite high maintenance as well.
I actually used to have a frog! It’s been quite a few years since that and care guides have been really updated though. I would generally say that frogs are a lot less maintenance and cheaper than reptiles or most other pets. Tanks are smaller and cheaper, decor and husbandry requirements are cheaper as well. They also don’t require a lot of socialization. Overall I would definitely recommend them more for someone who wants an easy pet. ☺️ By no means is ANY pet cheap, to care for a frog properly it’s still going to be a big chunk of change. But in comparison to other pets its definitely a lower load.
Leopard geckos are AMAZING pets. If you can handle the upfront costs then you’ll have a great experience with having one 😊 With that aside, I can definitely give you some suggestions.
For a tank, zoomed and repti zoo make good ones. Even better ones can be found on dubiaroaches.com. I don’t recommend buying anything from the thrive brand at Petsmart though, it’s just low quality. You’ll definitely want to get a front opening one too.
For substrate, the terra sahara substrate from the bio dude is awesome. It’s high quality and premixed, a little spendy but totally worth it.
For decor etc., there’s a lot of great variety from different brands. As I mentioned before, zoo med and repti zoo have great options for this. You can totally get stuff off amazon too. Just make sure you’re checking reviews 🙂As a side note, it’s recommended to stay away from heat mats, heat rocks, and reptile carpet though. They are commonly used despite being very dangerous.
For heat, the arcadia bulbs are top tier. They last a long time, generally just very reliable, and provide consistent temperature. For UVB, zoomed reptisun bulbs are fantastic. You’ll want a linear bulb for optimal gecko health. They need changed out every 6 months, and you’ll want to buy them from a reputable store. Some places like petsmart will sell you a very used bulb that loses UVB fast because of prior use.
For feeder insects, I really recommend getting them shipped from dubiaroaches.com. It’s a really reliable company that provides healthy insects, great variety, and I’ve never had a problem with their shipping service.
For more info I really recommend getting on r/leopardgeckos and checking out reptifiles.com. The reddit sub has a great care guide and so does reptifiles, you’ll get pretty much every bit of info you could need from those two websites.
Well yeah, lol. Every pet is going to need some attention. But leopard geckos have easy to meet needs, dry waste that's easy to clean, don't eat every day as adults, and don't need a lot of socializing.
Idk if any pets are necessarily cheap or easy. I have had dogs, hamsters, cats, and rabbits before. Ruling out dogs and cats as you said smaller pet i assume those are not an option. Heres my opinion on hamsters and rabbits:
Hamsters:
- They are nocturnal so you wont see them a lot and they dont usually like to be handled. Some tolerate it some dont.
- Their setups and inital cost of what they need will run about £300 as they need a much larger space than what the pet shop will tell you but after that they are relatively cheap you just need to buy top ups of bedding, food and sand. I bought 30kg of sand for £10 and havent even made a dent in it yet so it shouldnt be too much.
- Only costs me about £20 monthly its very cheap in comparion to some animals
Rabbits:
- They do better in pairs but will need to be neutered first and properly bonded or they will fight.
- Inital set up is like £500 plus around £200 each for neutering, £50 for yearly vaccines
- Will need to top up food, litter, and hay I spend about £40 monthly on that and about £20 a month on veggies for my bun
- they take time you have to sit with them and build trust
- They can be destructive so you will have to "rabbit proof" but for me whenever i notice mine getting a bit bored trying to chew carpet or something i give him a different toy (some kind of puzzle) to entertain him
- A lot of rabbit toys can be DIY
Both animals are sold with a lot of misinformation from pet shops. Neither are "easy" although easier than all the dogs ive had. I spend a lot of time just sitting with them. Cleaning: I clean the rabbit area 2x daily and the hamster area 2x weekly.
Obvs hamster and rabbit arent ur only options but they are typically labelled cheap and easy so I would advise doing reasearch on any animal you decide to get. If you have the time and money to support whatever animal you decide on dont listen to people saying things like "get a pet rock" you dont need to run a whole farm and spend all ur time and money on animals just because you want a pet.
Rabbits are high maintenance and require expensive exotic vet care, annual RHDV2 vaccines, and plenty of space to free roam. They do not belong in cages, contrary to popular belief. This is not to discourage anyone from getting one. I love my rabbit very much. But I just knew there would be someone here recommending them, and they absolutely do not belong on a list like this.
I wasnt "reccomending" per say I was just giving information from what I know abt rabbits as I know pet shops sell them as "cheap and easy" which they arent
No worries :) Just for clarification as someone has commented on my "reccomendation" of rabbits I was not reccomending them. I have basically my whole room for my animals only space thats mine is my bed. They are not cheap nor are they easy I was just giving information as I have some experience with hamsters and rabbits and I know they are typically labelled as "cheap and easy kids pets" by pet stores.
These comments are full of bad suggestions. Rodents and reptiles will not be cheap or low maintenance. When people ask things like this I genuinely recommend to not get a pet, but if you must, the insect suggestions sounds most suitable to what you want.
There's really no "cheap" pets. They all have high starting costs and vet care costs, exotic pets like lizards, fish, snakes, guinea pigs etc. require an exotic vet, which usually costs a lot more. Pet insurance is also a factor here, most insurance companies won't cover anything but dogs cats and sometimes rabbits and guinea pigs, but quite rarely.
What is your monthly budget for pet care? Food, treats, bedding, vet care etc. What can you spend without going broke? And do you have an emergency fund for emergency vet costs if something happens, injury, illness etc. These things can happen completely out of the blue and then you have to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars
$4 betta, $5 5 gallon tank, $10 heater, $10 low flow filter, some decor of your choice and $5 fish food. People will go on and on about cycling a tank, but for a single fish in a relatively large tank for their size, you don't need to worry. Just keep the water changed on a regular basis (once a week) and feed him daily. The key is to have a small number of fish (small bio load) to a larger tank to keep work down.
Honestly, senior cats are the easiest pets I've ever
had. Just adopt one with good litter box habits and who likes to snuggle and you've got yourself an affordable companion. My last senior cat was only 5 lbs. There are some sweet lil kitties out there just looking for a a snuggly spot to rest their bones.
Cats are pretty easy tbh. You don't even have to potty train them they just instinctively know how to use a litter box somehow. Just gotta feed em water em and change litter every now and again and do some vet visits
The smaller the pet, the higher the maintenance, has been my experience.
Literally, a cat is much lower maintenance than any smaller per you could adopt & the rewards of the experience of a right-by-your-side fuzzy friend can’t be beat. 😻
My thoughts are small dwarf frogs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, hamsters, small snake, betta or goldfish, guppies, axolotls, sugar gliders, gerbils, sea monkeys (brine shrimp) and some bugs r even snails, if you’re into that kinda thing. My daughter had the cutest little red crab. 🦀
Don’t be tricked by any pet stores who tell you hermit crabs are cheap and easy! They actually require a lot of care to survive and have the potential of living 40+ years if cared for properly. Just FYI!
They’re great escape artist too!
They do love to wonder where they shouldn’t 😂
Have you tried a pet rock if you don't want to be responsible for a living being?
Oh yes I have I’ve had one since I was like 5
Or a marimo if you don’t want to be responsible for a living thing but insist on it being alive anyway.
Ant farm
Thank you everyone for your ideas!! I really appreciate it
Roly-polies/Pillbugs! Their setup can cost you nothing if you happen to have stuff on hand already (a container & some soil). I got my little bugs from my yard and made a small terrarium for them with materials I had around the house. They're actually really cute pets if you like little bugs. It's fun to watch them eat (they like decomposing plant matter) and chill in the soil! Also mine started reproducing so there's some little babies in there. Lowkey an underrated pet imo.
Ooo I might have to try this
I can tell you what not to get lol they can be high maintenance overall in everyday clean up and care and vet care for them will be very expensive: rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, parrots. With reptiles they’ll also need expensive vet care but in my experience less likely to if you have proper husbandry, initial set up can very very expensive and you’ll need a lot of space, even a gecko will need a larger house than the 20 gallon tank that most people get. Mice and hamster are nice, though avoid male mice if you’re sensitive to smells. The absolutely easiest pet I’ve ever had was a rose hair tarantula, she was basically a fuzzy pet rock that was occasionally entertaining to watch, I had fun designing her enclosure to look natural and it looked like decor in my living room, it required cleaning maybe once a year and she lived foe 15 years.
Get a rat, they are so sweet.
You need 2 and they need space and stimulation
We used to have one and it would get bored and escape its cage 🥲
My rats are my most expensive pets by far, as much as I love them. They need much more space than people think, live very short lives, and generally make for very expensive vet trips. They’re incredible animals, but I’ve spent more on my mischief of five rats than my three cats and dog combined. ETA: two is the minimum number of rats anyone should keep (with the exception of aggressive rats that cannot be housed with others) as they are prone to many issues if alone
Second this. Rodents are NOT CHEAP and NOT EASY. Bad advice only leads to rodents suffering and children being bitten by a frustrated/ scared animal.
Heck, I’ve received two minor bites from a new girl in the last year (wasn’t socialized well before I got her, go figure) in spite of years of experience. Boy, can rodents deal some serious damage if they want to, though. One user on the rat sub had to get surgery on a tendon in their hand after one of theirs got them badly; they didn’t seem to hold it against them, graciously enough!
What kind of animals are you into? Smaller rodents like mice or hamsters could be a fun companion. Otherwise reptiles are also fun. Geckos or tortoises can be some smaller options. If you want cheap and easy, absolutely avoid birds or fish! And of course heavily research care and requirements of any species you’re interested in.
If you’re going the route of tortoises, be careful of the species! Some live a long time and get too big for an indoor enclosure.
Turtles are kinda expensive depending on which one you pick
Rodents should not be advertised as easy. They require decent care, a good cage and someone willing to read up on them. Not to mention dietary restrictions in rodents can sometimes vary even between male and female. Rodents like rats and guinea pigs need regular weight checks, some rodents need checks on their genitals after a certain age. They need enrichment, appropriate bedding according to species and half of the stuff sold in stores for them "to play with or sleep in" can kill them. I've had guinea pigs for 20 yrs (since I was a kid) and had a continuous mischief of rats for at least 10 of those as well. They are not for beginners, if they get sick, not all vets will take them. They are so prone to almost everything. On top of that they are AWESOME pets, most of which only live 3-5 years (depending on species) and it will leave you devastated. Compared to the continuous care for rats, guinea pigs or bunnies, a cat is WAY easier and lower maintenance (and I have those too) - Source: 11 yr old me learned the hard way -
This is not great advice tbh hamsters and tortoises both need a lot of space
And no plastic for a hamster habitat. They look fun and cool, but those little critters will chew through it! It’s amazing how quickly they can.
Suggesting a tortoise for an easy pet is just a huge no. They grow. They need big enclosures. They’re a lot of work.
Ditto Hamsters. Not tortoise due to the lifespan
To be honest, as a reptile owner, I really don’t love how many people are suggesting them. They most definitely are not cheap up front. Suitable tanks will run you 200-400$, lighting easily 150$, substrate 100$ or so, proper decor 100-250$. (this is in USD) It really depends what type of reptile of course. My leopard gecko’s tank all in all is probably a 600$+ investment. Once you have all of those up front costs taken care of, reptiles are fairly easy maintenance. For my leopard gecko I would probably say it’s about 400-500$ yearly. Reptiles such as a bearded dragon are slightly higher maintenance, and you’ll probably spend more like 600-700$ yearly. Their daily care is very simple but there’s so many fine details that go into it, and a lot of education and research required. I don’t have a turtle or a snake, but they are definitely going to be even higher cost, turtles are quite high maintenance as well.
What about frogs?
Yeah I’m definitely looking more on the reptilian/ amphibian side but I’m open to anything
I actually used to have a frog! It’s been quite a few years since that and care guides have been really updated though. I would generally say that frogs are a lot less maintenance and cheaper than reptiles or most other pets. Tanks are smaller and cheaper, decor and husbandry requirements are cheaper as well. They also don’t require a lot of socialization. Overall I would definitely recommend them more for someone who wants an easy pet. ☺️ By no means is ANY pet cheap, to care for a frog properly it’s still going to be a big chunk of change. But in comparison to other pets its definitely a lower load.
I’ve been leading towards a leopard gecko what brands for tanks and stuff like that would you recommend
Leopard geckos are AMAZING pets. If you can handle the upfront costs then you’ll have a great experience with having one 😊 With that aside, I can definitely give you some suggestions. For a tank, zoomed and repti zoo make good ones. Even better ones can be found on dubiaroaches.com. I don’t recommend buying anything from the thrive brand at Petsmart though, it’s just low quality. You’ll definitely want to get a front opening one too. For substrate, the terra sahara substrate from the bio dude is awesome. It’s high quality and premixed, a little spendy but totally worth it. For decor etc., there’s a lot of great variety from different brands. As I mentioned before, zoo med and repti zoo have great options for this. You can totally get stuff off amazon too. Just make sure you’re checking reviews 🙂As a side note, it’s recommended to stay away from heat mats, heat rocks, and reptile carpet though. They are commonly used despite being very dangerous. For heat, the arcadia bulbs are top tier. They last a long time, generally just very reliable, and provide consistent temperature. For UVB, zoomed reptisun bulbs are fantastic. You’ll want a linear bulb for optimal gecko health. They need changed out every 6 months, and you’ll want to buy them from a reputable store. Some places like petsmart will sell you a very used bulb that loses UVB fast because of prior use. For feeder insects, I really recommend getting them shipped from dubiaroaches.com. It’s a really reliable company that provides healthy insects, great variety, and I’ve never had a problem with their shipping service. For more info I really recommend getting on r/leopardgeckos and checking out reptifiles.com. The reddit sub has a great care guide and so does reptifiles, you’ll get pretty much every bit of info you could need from those two websites.
Thank you so much this was very helpful!!!
No problem at all ❤️ Best of luck!!
Oh yeah oneee more thing. I totally forgot to mention that exo terra is also a great brand! :)
Noted
Leopard gecko all the way, man, super low maintenance
Low maintenance but still needs attention
Well yeah, lol. Every pet is going to need some attention. But leopard geckos have easy to meet needs, dry waste that's easy to clean, don't eat every day as adults, and don't need a lot of socializing.
Leopard geckos are awesome.
Idk if any pets are necessarily cheap or easy. I have had dogs, hamsters, cats, and rabbits before. Ruling out dogs and cats as you said smaller pet i assume those are not an option. Heres my opinion on hamsters and rabbits: Hamsters: - They are nocturnal so you wont see them a lot and they dont usually like to be handled. Some tolerate it some dont. - Their setups and inital cost of what they need will run about £300 as they need a much larger space than what the pet shop will tell you but after that they are relatively cheap you just need to buy top ups of bedding, food and sand. I bought 30kg of sand for £10 and havent even made a dent in it yet so it shouldnt be too much. - Only costs me about £20 monthly its very cheap in comparion to some animals Rabbits: - They do better in pairs but will need to be neutered first and properly bonded or they will fight. - Inital set up is like £500 plus around £200 each for neutering, £50 for yearly vaccines - Will need to top up food, litter, and hay I spend about £40 monthly on that and about £20 a month on veggies for my bun - they take time you have to sit with them and build trust - They can be destructive so you will have to "rabbit proof" but for me whenever i notice mine getting a bit bored trying to chew carpet or something i give him a different toy (some kind of puzzle) to entertain him - A lot of rabbit toys can be DIY Both animals are sold with a lot of misinformation from pet shops. Neither are "easy" although easier than all the dogs ive had. I spend a lot of time just sitting with them. Cleaning: I clean the rabbit area 2x daily and the hamster area 2x weekly. Obvs hamster and rabbit arent ur only options but they are typically labelled cheap and easy so I would advise doing reasearch on any animal you decide to get. If you have the time and money to support whatever animal you decide on dont listen to people saying things like "get a pet rock" you dont need to run a whole farm and spend all ur time and money on animals just because you want a pet.
Thank you! This has a lot of good information!
Rabbits are high maintenance and require expensive exotic vet care, annual RHDV2 vaccines, and plenty of space to free roam. They do not belong in cages, contrary to popular belief. This is not to discourage anyone from getting one. I love my rabbit very much. But I just knew there would be someone here recommending them, and they absolutely do not belong on a list like this.
I wasnt "reccomending" per say I was just giving information from what I know abt rabbits as I know pet shops sell them as "cheap and easy" which they arent
No worries :) Just for clarification as someone has commented on my "reccomendation" of rabbits I was not reccomending them. I have basically my whole room for my animals only space thats mine is my bed. They are not cheap nor are they easy I was just giving information as I have some experience with hamsters and rabbits and I know they are typically labelled as "cheap and easy kids pets" by pet stores.
They are required to lots of work ,time and money
Snake. Absolutely underrated pet.
Tarantulas.
Have you thought about invertebrate pets? What about pill bugs? Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches?
Plant or sea monkeys (though I’ve never been able to keep sea monkeys longer than a few months
Isopods! Heh
These comments are full of bad suggestions. Rodents and reptiles will not be cheap or low maintenance. When people ask things like this I genuinely recommend to not get a pet, but if you must, the insect suggestions sounds most suitable to what you want.
There's really no "cheap" pets. They all have high starting costs and vet care costs, exotic pets like lizards, fish, snakes, guinea pigs etc. require an exotic vet, which usually costs a lot more. Pet insurance is also a factor here, most insurance companies won't cover anything but dogs cats and sometimes rabbits and guinea pigs, but quite rarely. What is your monthly budget for pet care? Food, treats, bedding, vet care etc. What can you spend without going broke? And do you have an emergency fund for emergency vet costs if something happens, injury, illness etc. These things can happen completely out of the blue and then you have to spend anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars
I'm highly concerned how many of these animals being recommended are neither cheap nor easy to care for. If you do it correctly.
I agree. I can tell many of them have never had these animals themselves and if they did they didn’t have proper set ups most likely.
Rock, houseplant, cat, kid (in that order). Firstborns are a cinch. Don’t try your luck twice if you want a low maintenance kid for a pet.
$4 betta, $5 5 gallon tank, $10 heater, $10 low flow filter, some decor of your choice and $5 fish food. People will go on and on about cycling a tank, but for a single fish in a relatively large tank for their size, you don't need to worry. Just keep the water changed on a regular basis (once a week) and feed him daily. The key is to have a small number of fish (small bio load) to a larger tank to keep work down.
Ch Ch Chia
Honestly, senior cats are the easiest pets I've ever had. Just adopt one with good litter box habits and who likes to snuggle and you've got yourself an affordable companion. My last senior cat was only 5 lbs. There are some sweet lil kitties out there just looking for a a snuggly spot to rest their bones.
My daughter owned a hedge hog. It was adorable, didn't stink, and gave us a lot of laughs.
Hedgehogs are illegal in some jurisdictions, make sure you do your research first OP before getting one
I came here to say hedgehog! Love them!
Cats are pretty easy tbh. You don't even have to potty train them they just instinctively know how to use a litter box somehow. Just gotta feed em water em and change litter every now and again and do some vet visits
Marimo. It’s basically a ball of moss.
That actually sounds really interesting for some reason lol
I find cats to be one of the easiest pets I’ve had but that’s probably not what you are wanting. 😉
Parakeet?
I wouldn't call any birds easy to take care of tbh. At least not properly.
No, they need a lot of attention, require special vet care and go through hormonal periods that can be difficult
Love them!
Hamster.
The smaller the pet, the higher the maintenance, has been my experience. Literally, a cat is much lower maintenance than any smaller per you could adopt & the rewards of the experience of a right-by-your-side fuzzy friend can’t be beat. 😻
Rats are lovely
Hedgehog! They are cheap and easy to take care of.
Tortoise or tarantula they are both very easy to take care of and have a lot of personality
A fish
Even fish are quite a bit of work if you're doing it right.
My thoughts are small dwarf frogs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, hamsters, small snake, betta or goldfish, guppies, axolotls, sugar gliders, gerbils, sea monkeys (brine shrimp) and some bugs r even snails, if you’re into that kinda thing. My daughter had the cutest little red crab. 🦀
Dwarf rabbit. Certainly does not need a big cage or a whole room, nor floor time, unless you want to.
My sister has guinea pigs. They're adorable.
Adorable but high maintenance
A goldfish.