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18 Low Maintenance Pet Breeds for Working Adults [+Pictures]
No matter your circumstance, as long as you’re willing to commit, no one should be deprived of a chance to love a pet!
Therefore, we have collated a full list of low maintenance pets for first time owners or busy adults who have 9-5 office jobs.
These pets are relatively easier to take care of, but always ensure that your pet’s personality suits your lifestyle.
Small pets that are low maintenance
Small pets make adorable companions to play with or simply look at. Here’s a list of the most low maintenance small pets and breeds.
Hamster
Hamsters are pocket pets that are relatively easy to care for. As they are nocturnal, it’s likely that they’ll enjoy interacting with you after you’re home from your 9-5 job.
However, each hamster breed has a distinct personality and you should pick one that best suits your lifestyle.
Here are some of the most low maintenance hamsters you can consider getting.
Roborovski hamster
Life span: 2.5 – 3 years
Personality and characteristics
- Shy and doesn’t like to be touched; best for owners who prefer to observe their pets
- Not prone to any illnesses as long as a balanced diet is provided
What they need
- Individual belongings as they dislike sharing
- Ample space in the hamster cage to run and play
Syrian hamster
Life span: 2 – 3 years
These hamsters are low maintenance if you go for a short coat variant – doesn’t require daily brushing.
Personality and characteristics
- Must be housed alone as they are unsociable
- Love getting attention from humans but excessive interaction can cause stress
What they need
Winter white hamster
Life span: 1.5 – 2 years
Personality and characteristics
- Sociable and needs to be housed with same-gender hamster
- Very active
What they need
Campbell’s dwarf hamster
Life span: 1.5 – 2 years
Personality and characteristics
- Able to adjust their sleeping hours; awake when they get the most attention
- Love to play
- Prone to diabetes
What they need
- Large cage with wheel
- Many toys to prevent boredom
Gerbil
Life span: 3 years
Size: 4 inches
Gerbils are social animals and would prefer to be housed with 2 or more of the same gender. These creatures require a stimulating environment that encourages play and exercise. Judi Bola
What they need
- Toys
- Scattered food on their bedding to encourage foraging
- Daily removal of any stale food from cage
Guinea pig
Life span: 4 – 8 years
Size: 8 – 12 inches
Guinea pigs are slightly larger pocket pets that are known for popcorning.
Short-haired guinea pig breeds (like the American) would make a better choice for a low maintenance pet!
How to care for a guinea pig
Bedding
Hay bedding: replace any soiled hay daily
Paper bedding: replace at least twice a week
Diet
Hay has to be available always, and vegetables should take up 20% of your guinea pig’s diet.
Hygiene
Wash their water bottle and food dish and replace the contents daily. Trim their toenails every few weeks.
Interaction
Interact and bond with your guinea pigs whenever you can as they are social animals (preferably every day). sbobet
Rabbit
Low maintenance rabbits are usually those that
- have short hair since they don’t require regular grooming, and
- are smaller in size.
No matter the breed, all rabbits need engaging toys. If you can’t be home to play with them, consider getting 2 rabbits so they can play together.
Once you understand the care needs of your bunny, they’re relatively easy to look after!
Holland Lop
Lifespan: 7 – 14 years
Size: 2 – 4 lbs
Personality and characteristics
- Energetic and fun to play with
What they need
- Frequent brushing required during shedding season (summer)
- Playtime outside of cage
However, they may take some time to get in and out of their cage.
Mini Lop
Lifespan: 5 – 10 years
Size: 2.5 – 3.5 lbs
Personality and characteristics
- Enthusiastic and playful
- Easily trained
- Litter trained
What they need
- Mini lops tend to chew on anything, so ensure that their cage is free of objects that will cause indigestion or choking
- Playtime outside their cage
- Intellectual stimulation – add a variety of rabbit toys in their cage
Mini Rex
Lifespan: 5 – 7 years
Size: 3.5 – 4.5 lbs
Personality and characteristics
- Calm and gentle
- Independent but thrive better with human/rabbit companionship
- Prone to sore hocks
What they need
- Weekly brushing is sufficient, more often brushing is required during shedding season
- Soft bedding
Low maintenance dog breeds
Lifespan: 10 – 14 years
When looking for a low maintenance dog, you can consider adopting older dogs from a dog shelter. They tend to prefer resting most of the time, which means they won’t require your constant attention throughout the day.
Another option would be to pick a low maintenance breed. These are some of the characteristics that you would want to look for.
Short-haired
Short-haired dogs are easier to maintain as compared to long-haired ones. All they need is weekly grooming to remove loose hairs and a bath every 4-8 weeks.
Independent
Some breeds tend to suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for too long. So, if you have a 9-5 job, it’s best to go for independent dogs.
Low energy
Low energy dogs don’t require much playtime or exercise to expend their energy.
According to Bustle, some low maintenance breeds include Greyhound, Chihuahua, Basset Hound and Dachshund.
However, before you get one, do consult the pet shop or adoption centre to learn more about each individual dog’s personality as it may differ.
Low maintenance fish breeds
Fishes are attractive creatures that are a pleasure to look at. However, each breed has their unique personality and water parameter preferences.
Here are 3 of the easiest fishes to take care of!
Guppy
Lifespan: 3 – 5 years
Personality and characteristics
- Sociable fishes that require companionship; keep multiple guppies (2 females to every 1 male)
What they need
- Combination of high-protein and vegetable-based guppy food
- 2 – 4 feeding sessions daily to prevent overfeeding
- Decorate your tank with plants – this prevents guppies from eating their offspring since they’re able to hide
Goldfish
Lifespan: 5 – 10 years
Personality and characteristics
- Loves the company of fellow goldfishes
- Prefers a varied diet
What they need
- 1 – 2 feeding sessions daily to prevent overfeeding
- Good-quality tank filter to clean the tank effectively due to the amount of waste they generate
- Minimal plants to ensure sufficient swimming space
- Larger gravel for the floor to prevent accidental ingestion
Betta fish / Siamese fighting fish
Life span: 3 – 5 years
Personality and characteristics
- Best housed alone, or with non-aggressive fish
What they need
- Stable water parameters with little to no current
- Daily checking of water temperature
- Weekly changing of water
Low maintenance bird breeds
Birds make lovely and attractive-looking companions. There are a ton of breeds available, with varying personalities and some are more independent than others.
Regardless of breed, each bird needs a spacious cage for them to fly around and play.
The following are the top 3 most low maintenance bird breeds!
Canary
Lifespan: 10 – 15 years
Personality and characteristics
- Cheerful and playful
- Can be housed alone or with other birds
What they need
- Cage with ample space, equipped with toys, perches and ladders
- Constant water source – canaries will die if they can’t get water for 24 hours
- Darkness when sleeping – cover the cage at night
Parakeet
Lifespan: 15 – 20 years
Personality and characteristics
- Sociable
- Stubborn
- Best to be housed in pairs for company
- Easily stressed by external influences
- Tend to leave a mess behind when let out of the cage
What they need
- Playtime and constant socialisation
- Stainless steel bird cage as rust is toxic
Cockatiel
Lifespan: 10 – 14 years
Personality and characteristics
- Calm
- Active and playful
- Usually well-tempered
- Can be taught to whistle tunes
What they need
- Place a night light in the room to prevent night frights when sleeping
Other low maintenance pets
Terrapin
Lifespan: 20 – 40 years
Adult size: 9 – 12 inches
It’s relatively simple to look after terrapins, but they require years of commitment since they can live up to 40 years. Their habitats also need constant maintenance since they don’t clean up after themselves and aren’t able to regulate their own body temperature.
Personality and characteristics
- Gentle and relatively timid
What they need
- Huge tank (approx. 100 gallons) to accommodate to their large size and need to roam
- Heat lamp to regulate body temperature
- Check tank for debris regularly and remove if any
Cat
Lifespan: 13 – 17 years
Cats are generally independent pets that like their personal space. However, they still require your constant care to remain healthy. If you prefer a more low maintenance cat, go for short-haired ones like the British Shorthair cat.
Do ensure that your apartment permits owning a cat before getting one.
Personality and characteristics
- Independent and enjoys alone time
- Playful
What they need
- Scratching post to satisfy their natural instincts and prevent them from scratching furniture
- Small, frequent meals fed based on feeding guidelines (determined by their age, weight and activity levels)
- Variety of toys and playtime
Here’s some expert advice from Buskers Cat on how to train your cat which will come in handy.
Caring for a Low Maintenance Pet
Even though these pets are relatively low maintenance, they still need to love and proper care from you.
Therefore, only get a pet if you’re fully aware of the commitment involved and you’re ready to commit!