Living in a big city has its advantages: you are never too far away from public transport and shops, plus there are more jobs available. However, if you love animals and can’t bear the thought of life without a pet, it isn’t easy figuring out which pet is going to be suitable to life in an apartment without a garden. So, what are your options?
Goldfish and other Aquatic Creatures
Fish are the ultimate low maintenance pets. All you have to do is feed them once a day and clean out their tank once every week or so, and that’s pretty much it. Freshwater fish such as goldfish are cheap to buy and maintain, but they tend not to live too long. Tropical and saltwater tanks are beautiful, but trickier to look after, as the water needs to be at the right temperature, etc. But if you want a peaceful pet, you can’t do much better than a tank of colorful fish.
House Cats
Some cats can’t bear to be indoors for any stretch of time, but there are many breeds that thrive on indoor living. Ragdolls, Siamese and other exotic breeds of cat are happy being house cats as long as they have human company for the majority of the day. You will need to provide a cat litter tray and a scratching post (to prevent them sharpening their claws on the furniture), but apart from that indoor cats make great pets.
Miniature Dogs
Large breeds of dogs are not suited to apartment life, no matter how indolent they are. Big dogs take up a lot of space and a small apartment is not the right environment for an adult German Shepherd, Doberman, or Great Dane. Instead look at smaller dog breeds, in particular miniature dogs for sale, such as those at Little Puppies Online. Teacup breeds are perfect for apartment life as they don’t need much exercise and are happy spending lots of time indoors.
Rabbits, Guinea Pigs and Rodents
Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, hamsters and gerbils all make cute pets for children and can easily be kept indoors if you live in an apartment. Rabbits can even be trained to use a litter tray if you would rather not keep them in a cage, although you will need to be careful if you let rabbits, rats, hamsters, etc., out for a run as they all have the habit of chewing wires and furniture.
Exotic Pets
If none of the above pets appeal then how about an exotic bearded dragon, snake or tarantula? They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but tarantulas, bearded dragons and other exotic creatures are easy to keep and very suitable for apartment life. Just be careful not to leave the tank open for too long if other family members aren’t keen on your pets.
Pets are good for children as looking after an animal helps to teach them a sense of responsibility, However, if your kids have allergies, avoid furry pets at all costs.
I think fish and cats are the perfect pets for apartments. Fish maybe even more so since they seem to be lower maintenance.
I agree with you Kori. I had a renter once that had a rabbit…. as the landord I was not thrilled about a rabbit inside the house.
I have always been a cat person! I love that no matter the size of our house or apartments the cats are happy.
We have a small-ish house, so we have fish. They’re pretty much perfect – quiet, not messy, don’t need a ton of attention and super easy to take care of!
FIsh and cats are so perfect, especially for small apartments. I loved when I had my fish. So peaceful.
I think that fish and even some exotic animals would be a great substitution for furry animals in the city. You don’t need a yard for them!
Those are great suggestions. With limited space in a apartment, you do need to keep that in mind. Thanks for your tips.
Your post is right on target. I didn’t have my first puppy until I was 10 yrs old – because we lived in apts. But did have lizards, mice and tarantulas as pets!
We picked our Pomeranian perfectly because while we were living in a 800sq/ft apartment we knew we didn’t want a larger dog. So happy we went with our little guy…he’s brought us so much happiness (going on 6 next month!)
These are great suggestions, when I lived in an apartment I had 2 gold fish and loved it. Small dogs, Guinea pigs are also great suggestions because they are tiny, especially the dogs don’t need as much space to roam around as big dogs do.
Definitely have to agree on that large breeds are not really good for apartments and typically they aren’t even allowed. Big dogs need more room to move around so they are more suitable for a single-family home that has maybe has a yard for them too.
When we lived in a condo we had a fish, cat, and small dog. It was great.
We live out in a rural area, but I have terrible allergies. So, our pets are fish. My youngest is dying for a “real” pet she can cuddle.
I always wanted a bearded dragon. I love exotic pets but I have only had green anoles before. They are a very small lizard but I always wanted a bigger one.
I like cute kitties, thanks for showing in detail post.