The Most Low Maintenance Pet?

salt water is not easy

Fresh water fish are the easiest to take care of. Betas can live for weeks wihtout you even feeding them or cleaning out their tank. Tho you should probably change their water every week or so.

Birds need exercise and affection not to mention a special diet made just for them. They also need grooming, vet care, and lots of toys to play with so if you want a low matience pet, get a gold fish or Beta.


If fish are not your thing then reptiles are pretty easy keepers.

Fish can be low maintenance but only if you stick with an aquarium 5 gal or less and with easy fish like goldfish. We've had very good luck with the smaller Eclipse tanks. They have a really good filtration system so and they whole unit is well-designed and easy to use and set up. We've had bigger aquariums and they were very enjoyable - but got to be too much work once the kids came along.

Birds can be low-maintenance if you stick with smaller finches or canaries. Most parrots need a TON of interaction and can be really obnoxious and loud or develop disorders like feather plucking if they don't get enough stimulation. Parakeets & cockatiels can be really fun and interactive if you get hand raised ones but you need to keep up the socializing. Anything bigger than a Cockatiel is going to be a LOT of work. Even little Quakers can be tyrants if not handled regularly. And ALL birds are terribly messy! You can prevent some of that mess with special cage attachments but a non-picky dog can be your best helper! My sister always says she doesn't know how anyone can own a parrot without having a dog to clean up after it (She has a Cockatoo and an Amazon).

ORIGINAL: nocturnal76

What would you recommend as a very low maintenance pet?

A pet rock []  ...just kidding...anybody remember those, I just had to have one...very low maintenance!

I don't know if you like reptiles but I always found that snakes where the easiest pets to care for. Many you only need to be feed once a month and the cleaning was simple. Lizards are really easy also but require slightly more care then a snake. Amphibians (frogs, salamanders) can be a bit tricky but they are not so bad once you get the set up right.

Or what about a box turtle? Those are real easy to care for and are fairly clean animals. Plus in the winter they can go into hibernation (if thats what you want) and you would not have to worry about them for a few months, almost like having a pet rock[]

I've always stayed away from birds because they always seem to be so messy. They throw their food out of their cage, splash water everywhere and the cage lining seemed like it had to be changed very often. Just not my preference for a pet.

I like those little stuffed dogs that look like they breath []
dust them once in awhile and they are good.
I had Betta fish (my son gave me 2 for my b-day) I bought 2 of those small aquariums. They were easy. I cleaned the aquarium and added fresh warm bottled water every other week.

*sigh* Fish are nice low maintenance pets unless you suck at keeping them like me.  When I was itty bitty we had a pair of goldfish that we got from Walmart.  They lived in a little bowl by the sink.  They would not die.  After a few years we eventually gave them to our neighbors where they lived for another few years.  I decided to try my hand at keeping guppies not too long ago.  I couldn't keep them alive for more than 3 days.  It was horrible. 

Leopard Geckos are fun, easy to keep pets.  You have to be able to stand crickets and mealworms though.  They're not too expensive to get a good set up for, but you do have to make sure the cage doesn't get too cold or dry. 

Birds:  Super high maintenance.  They scatter seeds, spill water, defecate into their water source and need to bond with their humans.  Weekly cage cleanings that require almost a total breakdown of the cage.  If you get a large bird (one larger than a parakeet) then you have to handle them almost daily to maintain their handlability.  They are smart and destructive,  They have deceptively strong beaks-some of the large parrots (amazons and cockatoos) can destroy wire cage bars very quickly.

Fish:  Bi-weekly partial water changes, chemicals for water, changing of filters, fed daily.  They require very little social interaction, but are quite fun to watch. 

Salt water tanks require constant upkeep and maintenance of chemical balance (pH, alkaloids etc...) Very hard to set up correctly but once set up usually will do well.  The fish themselves are very expensive and very sensitive to environmental changes-a 2 degree drop or rise in temperature can kill $1000 worth of fish overnight or more quickly.

If you're looking for a low or no maintenance pet-I think there are internet pets out there.

Goldfish are not easy! Not if you properly take care of them. Their water needs to be changed frequently, as they are very dirty fish. We have an excellent filtration system, larger than required for our tank size, but the water is always dirty when it's time for a change. Goldfish can live up to 20 years, so they are a real committment. There are other types of freshwater fish that aren't as high maintenance. Check with a good local fish store.

ORIGINAL: jenhuedepohl

 My sister always says she doesn't know how anyone can own a parrot without having a dog to clean up after it (She has a Cockatoo and an Amazon).

I'm jealous of your sister.  I am now and will always be in love with cockatoos.  If you're their MFP (most favorite person) they will cry if you don't talk or pay attention to them.  And they are the quickest learning birds I've ever seen.  Most of them though, are also the best escape artists.  I've seen one destroy a masterlock before...talk about a strong beak!

A Chia Pet..........


I think the lowest maintenance pet I've had is a hermit crab.........
Next, a beta fish......

If you're their MFP (most favorite person) they will cry if you don't talk or pay attention to them.

Yup. That's my sister's biggest problem with the cockatoo! She has to constantly provide alternative stimulation for Shasta so she doesn't get TOO attached. When she is too attached, Shasta attacks my sister's husband or daughter or anyone that appears to interfere with her "mate". Unfortunately, one of Shasta's favorite distractions is nuts in the shell. But too many brazil nuts, pecans, etc. will nutritionally drive her into egg laying and then the "mate" behavior gets even worse. My sis loves Shasta to death, but will never get another cockatoo. Shasta was a rescue and is a lot of work. She is a doll though! She even lets my kids pet her and really flirts with everyone. She is way more affectionate to strangers than her Amazon. The Amazon has suckered me many times by *begging* to be picked up then biting me because he's too excited.

Birds are not low maintanence by any stretch. To care for them properly, you must give them many wonderful toys to stimulate them, they are incredibly intellegent, cook very good foods, play with them, give them playgyms, buy a huge cage and a good cage is very expensive. They have to see an avian vet. My Parrotlet is not messy, but the larger ones are. They are just WONDERFUL pets, but TONS of work. People that get a little cage and feed seed are not raising a happy, healthy  bird. If you have a parrot, you have to learn a lot of things about food and care. They are expensive to buy and care for. Must be done with a lot of thought and research only.

Oh Sallya! What a gorgeous little parrotlet! I've got my heart set on a little Quaker someday. I just have to figure out the logistics of taking a bird camping []