For the rest of the world the Hamster tops the charts as the best low maintenance pets, especially for a child’s first pet. Unfortunately for us Australians the beloved Hamster is strictly banned. It’s nothing personal, it’s more they pose a risk to our own wildlife.
So Hamsters aside, below are some of the best low maintenance pets in Australia:
- Fish – The best thing about keeping fish is it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. A simple bowl with a gold fish in is a great first pet, but research shows that even a single fish in a bowl will benefit from some form of air filter to increase the oxygen in the water. Once you have been bitten by the Aquatic bug, you may want to move on to tropical or even marine fish, which are not only expensive, but very time consuming. Anyone who’s kept a marine aquarium will agree it is one of the most satisfying hobbies around.
- Lizard – These come in all sizes and therefore the price will vary enormously, but the level of care is minimal. They do not crave human interaction and are more than happy to be left in an appropriate environment to do lizard things. You will have to commit to feeding live insects to keep him healthy and clean the vivarium out regularly, but other than that the time commitment is minimal.
- Insects – Locusts, Praying Mantis or even an ant farm. These are not pets which you need to sit and cuddle for hours nor do you have to train them. As long as there is enough food and water and a clean environment for them to live in, that’s pretty much all you have to do.
- Rabbit – Very similar to a hamster, but the commitment is slightly more because the cage has to be cleaned more frequently. Time to hand tame is essential and they do like human company. Some people house train their rabbits and let them roam around the house!
- Snake – As with a lizard the commitment to a snake is minimal, he doesn’t even need feeding regularly, maybe a small rodent every two or three weeks depending on the breed. You’re happy feeding mice, right?
- Turtle – Food and water is all your turtle needs to keep him happy. They do not need handling and will not bite if they are.
- Tortoise – Must have fresh food to maintain health, but as far as time commitment is concerned, this is minimal. Tortoises can be trained to come when called and are probably more intelligent than most give them credit for!
- Chickens (Chooks!) – Very easy to keep, they just need a place to sleep and a safe place to exercise. Fed on good quality food, they will pay you back with fresh eggs for breakfast. They’re also very cheap to buy, so you can buy a few!
- Rats – Again, similar to hamsters and rabbits, but their intelligence means that you can teach them tricks if to take enough time to hand tame them.
Do you have a favourite low-maintenance pet? Say so in the comments!
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