Best indoor pet suggestions?

Noodlehead

My housemate and I want a pet. We're in a good sized 2 bedroom apartment and we're wondering what's available to us as an indoor pet? If a cat, we need one that doesn't shed much- anyone know the breeds?.... we want something reasonably responsive and affectionate! Furry is always appreciated!

Glowing

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/2PussInHoodR_468x551.jpg

Haha, okay no seriously, cats are GREAT pets! I don't recall my fosters shedding much - just make sure to get a short haired one, you shouldn't have too many problems!

carwash_2006

Cats can shed quite a bit, particularly at certain times of the year. They can also damage furniture with their claws. They make fabulous indoor pets, but you need to be prepared for a fairly big commitment with them.

If you are sharing a flat now, are you likely to always be sharing and if not who would retain ownership and responsibility for any pet?

I reckon you might be safer to go with a smally like a hamster or a pair of gerbils or rats. Goldfish would also be relatively safe, but not fluffy.

Rabbits are also likely to be very destructive. Perhaps Guinea Pigs would be a good option?

mary123

If u dont want a cat i would really recommend a pair of female guinea pigs. I got 2 rescue ones a couple of months a go and they are great. They even yell at ya when they run out of food so thats one thing, u can never forget to feed them

kerrysgold

a lot of people are squeamish about them but Rats are supposed to make great pets as they are very intelligent.

guinea pigs also make adorable pets, they are very sweet. Do you have a balcony? You could make it secure so they'd have some outdoor space, they like to be outside when the weather is warm.

Cats do make nice pets as well and are fine with living indoors. You can try and get them to not scratch your furniture by giving them alternative amusement such as a cat tree, scratching posts, a pot of catnip etc!

carwash_2006

It is possible to give a cat alternative amusement and make sure they don't damage the furniture, but it doesn't always work and if they are concerned about rented furniture being damaged I would not get a cat. I'm also more concerned that there may be problems over who takes a cat when they both move on to other circumstances.

stevoman

get a ferret , they are good fun!

GeturGun

carwash_2006 wrote: »

It is possible to give a cat alternative amusement and make sure they don't damage the furniture, but it doesn't always work

Agree totally with this. I have a big scratching post and another scratching post/tree thing which they use all the time, but my leather couch and chair are destroyed - this is just from them jumping up on them, running over them when playing/chasing etc!!!

I had some Guinea Pigs years ago and from my memory all they did was poo and eat. They did not want to be picked up or cuddled, I could not let them roam around out of the cage in case they poo'd/wee'd on the carpet. I used to let them in the bathroom in the evenings sometime and I made this big-ish wire run for them, but had to chase them around it to catch them in the evenings when it was time to go back in the cage. TBH it was just an awful lot of work for no reward in my experience.

The 2 cats that I have now are - for me - MUCH more suitable pets [but, again, not if you want your furniture ruined!!]

molly(",)

guinea pigs make great pets !! or small reptiles like geckos !! i always worry when people are renting with roommates and get a pet are you always goin to live with them??will your next landlord mind you having a cat?? were as in my own experence landlords are much more likey to say yes to a guinea pig then cat;)

Emmo

molly(",) wrote: »

guinea pigs make great pets !! or small reptiles like geckos !! i always worry when people are renting with roommates and get a pet are you always goin to live with them??will your next landlord mind you having a cat?? were as in my own experence landlords are much more likey to say yes to a guinea pig then cat;)

Guinea pigs are the best.

but you need to keep them in numbers because one Guinea pig on its own will be very lonely.

Emmo

Storm_rages

tortoise.. how could you not want one?

animalcrazy

you could get a rabbit, their lovely, they can be littertrained and can free-range around your apartment, only problem is they are nearly impossible to littertrain unless you get them fixed

Sigma Force

If you are renting ensure you have permission from the landlord and if you eventually move that you agree before hand who will take them as a lot of smallies end up needing new homes for these reasons.

If you are very house proud then guinea pigs may or may not suit, the hay can get everywhere but if you buy a good quality hay shouldn't be too dusty or messy. A quick sweep around the cage daily solves that problem.
They do have a slight smell as do most critters but don't pong unless you don't clean them regularly. I best not waffle on too much about piggies but click on the link in my sig. for more info on their care.

A four foot cage should be ok with floor time daily to run around for a while, sitting them on your lap and giving them a groom with a brush a couple of times a week and then a bath every 2 months or so will keep them from leaving hairs around and keep them smelling nice.

They're great fun and make excellent apartment pets.

Bunnies are great too but 2 is better than one and will need vaccinations and spaying/neutering they can be litter trained as animal crazy said but will still poop on the floor now and then (easily cleaned up not smelly like dog and cat poop).

Guineapigs will also poop everywhere but they aren't that bad and it doesn't smell. They don't tend to chew and claw furniture (too lazy lol).

Limerick Bandit

animalcrazy wrote: »

you could get a rabbit, their lovely, they can be littertrained and can free-range around your apartment, only problem is they are nearly impossible to littertrain unless you get them fixed

Well that statement is total crap!


A rabbit dose not need to be trained as they instinctively go to the toilet in the same place all the time so once you have a tray they will use it, there may be times when they do have accidents but 99% of the time they will use the same spot.

they live to eat electrical cables so you need to protect them.

Here is a pic of Anna just under 2 years old

Sigma Force

"Well that statement is total crap!"

That's a bit harsh LB

She's actually right they cannot be 100% litter trained because they do pee in one corner however they still poop all over the place even after neutering/spaying, not as much as they would if they weren't spayed/neutered but they still do so therefore cannot be 100% litter trained.

Saying that bunny poop is pretty easy to hoover up.

Un neutered rabbits have a habit of scent marking and spraying.

Our previous buns did it and improved big time once neutered and spayed.

EGAR

Noodlehead wrote: »

My housemate and I want a pet. We're in a good sized 2 bedroom apartment and we're wondering what's available to us as an indoor pet? If a cat, we need one that doesn't shed much- anyone know the breeds?.... we want something reasonably responsive and affectionate! Furry is always appreciated!

How about going to your nearest rescue and ask if they do cats and other smallies? Get yourself as much info as you can and offer to foster a cat or GPs or rabbits. That way you can "test" which animal is the best to suit your circumstances and you wont add to the unwanted population.

Limerick Bandit

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

"Well that statement is total crap!"

That's a bit harsh LB

Your rite it was a bit harsh my appolagies animalcrazy

She's actually right they cannot be 100% litter trained because they do pee in one corner however they still poop all over the place even after neutering/spaying, not as much as they would if they weren't spayed/neutered but they still do so therefore cannot be 100% litter trained.

probably not 100% litter trained but easily 99%
I would not agree that they poop all over the place or do i just have a very well mannered rabbit, she has had a few accidents outside of her cage but it is so rear its not an issue and as you said "bunny poop is pretty easy to hover up."

personally i would not agree with neutering a rabbit especially dwarfs as there too small and i would not risk putting them under anesthetic

Duzzie

Both Rats and Ferrets, both reccomened by others, make great pets. We have both and they are great animals.

Ferrets can be a bit more tricky as an un-nuetered female has to be covered if she comes into season or she has to have a jill-jab. failure to do so will result in a very poorly ferret and could end up killing her. Best option is to have them fixed.

As for rats, they are very social and very intelligent animals that are better kept in pairs or groups, but male only or female only groups. Mixed groups will result in a rapid increase in the number of rats that you have :D

Both would make great indoor pets.

Sigma Force

Don't want to get into the whole neuterd or not debated but if a vet is experienced with exotics there should be little risk. Female rabbits have a high chance of reproductive cancers and also many unneutered buns can become very grumpy and very territorial towards other rabbits.

Anyhoo best of luck OP with whatever you choose let us know how you get on.

Noodlehead

thanks for all the suggestions!

There is no issue with the landlord, and we do have a balcony. We've also decided whose keeping the pet when we go our separate ways so all is well.

I love the idea of ferrets, but I heard they smell. Anyone know anything about chinchillas? Furniture isn't rented either so again, not an issue.

animalcrazy

Limerick Bandit wrote: »

Well that statement is total crap!


A rabbit dose not need to be trained as they instinctively go to the toilet in the same place all the time so once you have a tray they will use it, there may be times when they do have accidents but 99% of the time they will use the same spot.

they live to eat electrical cables so you need to protect them.

Here is a pic of Anna just under 2 years old

Just saw ths now, no I have to disagree and my statement is not total crap, rabbits are territorial and will poop everywhere, they will poop in the litter tray too but also everywhere else.
Also if not neuteured the majority of male rabbits will spray pee, sort of like a tom cat, I have seen one of my male rabbits to spray as far as the top of the door. Neuteured bunnies are much easier to litter train as they aren't as territoral so most stop pooping everywhere and spraying, of course not 100% of the time.

Duzzie

Noodlehead wrote: »

thanks for all the suggestions!

There is no issue with the landlord, and we do have a balcony. We've also decided whose keeping the pet when we go our separate ways so all is well.

I love the idea of ferrets, but I heard they smell. Anyone know anything about chinchillas? Furniture isn't rented either so again, not an issue.

Ferrets can smell but provided you keep on top of cleaning the cage, it is not to bad. They will use a litter tray which makes it easier to clean them. The other thing is that they are like cats in that un-nuetered males will spray to mark their territory. There scent does smell bad. Neutering solves this problem. Neutered ferrets can spray when fighting but otherwise dont spary.

Ferrets are social creature and should not be kept as singles. They will play fight with each other to keep themselves amused,

Ferrets really are great fun, especially watching them boune about "dooking" with each other. Thans the little noise that they make when playing, sounds like they are saying dook dook dook

animalcrazy

Ferrets are an animal I have no experience with, I've never even seen one in person!

Duzzie

animalcrazy wrote: »

Ferrets are an animal I have no experience with, I've never even seen one in person!

Heres some pictures of mine at work, rest and play.

animalcrazy

Aw wow their lovely, maybe I'll met one sometime, they look like such charactrs.

Duzzie

animalcrazy wrote: »

Aw wow their lovely, maybe I'll met one sometime, they look like such charactrs.

They really are great charcters. Very mischevious but very lovable.

Demonique

I'd suggest a bearded dragon, leopard gecko or a cornsnake

BTW, the ferrets are lovely, Duzzie

Traumadoc

Are the ferrets trained to use a litter tray?

comongethappy

just wondering, what is the best age to have a male rabbit netured? I have a male that's about 4 1/2 months old, and while he'll go in the litter box most of the time when he's out, I have noticed a few occasions of him weeing elsewhere, even if he's just been to the litterbox.

Could this be because of marking?

Sigma Force

The usual age to have a rabbit spayed/neutered is the same as for dogs and cats around the 6 months mark but some bunny owners get their male rabbits neutered at 5 months. 5 months would be pretty standard by most rabbit owners but it all depends wether the vet will do it at that age or not.
I think in the UK they might neuter even earlier think 5 to 6 months is standard for your average smallie vet in Ireland though (correct me if I'm wrong bunny owners).

Technically he can be neutered now as long as his bits n bobs have descended lol.

Here's some more info.http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html#why

Some tips on making it go more smoothly, these are things I did for rabbits I had spayed/neutered.
Taking him for short trips in the carrier a few weeks before, take him daily so he gets used to it then the trip to the vets won't be as scary for him. Try to have him booked in and operated on as soon as he gets there or as soon as they can do it so he's not spending too long hanging around in a strange place.
Have them move him to a quiet room to recover, keeping him very warm and giving him a long acting pain killer. I would advise they put a buster collar on him because buns have a bad habit of picking at stitches, it might be awkward for a while but with a bit of help at first he should feed himself fine just make sure he has access to food before and straight after the op unlike dogs and cats he should not be fasting. Rabbits cannot throw up and they need to keep their guts moving.

A little lavender oil on the outside of his carrier may help to keep him calm, some people put a little rescue rememdy in the rabbits bottle starting from the day before. I did this with mine with no harm I think you can get one without alcohol in it now.

Keep him in a small space for the 10 days because otherwise he'll be tempted to jump about and could damage the stitches, i find dog crates work great he can be let out for a little stroll around the room daily but keep him calm although neutered buns are easy enough it's a simple and quick operation compared to a spay.

While he's under anesthetic the vet can do a better health check as well eg his teeth and ears can be more easily looked at.

animalcrazy

I would wait until they are 6-7 months to give them a chance to fully grow

Duzzie

Traumadoc wrote: »

Are the ferrets trained to use a litter tray?

Yeah they are. My 4 have a litter tray in their cage and they all use it. They dont go anywhere else. Makes it easy to keep them clean. Some shops sell litter material intended for use by ferrets called Critter Litter.

The Sweeper

Just a note on neutering at a later age - a female cat has all of the reproductive equipment from birth and with a male cat you just have to wait until both testicles have descended.

A female cat can come into season for the first time anywhere between four and ten months of age. Six months is the average, but a well-fed, well-cared-for female who has had access to plenty of good food and suffered no illnesses - she could well come into season a lot earlier than you would expect. There is no need to allow a female cat to have a first litter before she is neutered. If she is not impregnated the first time she comes into season, she will continue to come into season every two to three weeks.

Two of my male cats were neutered at 12-13 weeks of age - not uncommon in Australia, where the feral cat problem has decimated wildlife in some areas, and subsequently cat shelters take no chances. They tip the scales - with no fat on their frames - at 5.5kg and 4.5kg respectively, so early neutering does not mean your cat will not grow. If you will, refer to the horse world and compare a stallion and a gelding in your mind. A gelding is a fully grown horse, but he won't have the testosterone-fuelled bulk a stallion will have.

I would be a supporter of the 'neuter early' camp, especially since a lot of the time your pet won't come with a birthday - and who's to say their age isn't a month out, give or take?

animalcrazy

Not too sure if your post was ment for me, but I was talking about rabbits when I said 6-7 months. Obviously, if you have a rabbit of the opposite gender with it then you need to neuteur/spay earlier.

The Sweeper

No, just responding to Guineapigrescue

The usual age to have a rabbit spayed/neutered is the same as for dogs and cats around the 6 months mark

, but not necessarily argumentatively. It's a common misconception that cats and other animals should be "allowed to have a season", or that neutering early means they won't grow as much - am just saying that neutering early doesn't stunt your pet, though it might mean you have a more slender adult animal that doesn't bulk out as much.

Neutering early DOES mean no accidental litters, no matter what species!

comongethappy

Thanks a mill everyone for the replies regarding the rabbit . I was thinking about 6 months, but I wasn't sure if it was the same as cats and dogs.

Demonique

Traumadoc wrote: »

Are the ferrets trained to use a litter tray?

I recall reading a book on ferrets a few years ago that states they can be litter trained

Lexie_Karas

I agree with Duzzie regarding the ferrets! I have two male ferrets myself and they are absolutely adorable! Both are very well litter trained... inside their cage and out! They need a good sized cage and at least a few hours every day outside of the cage in a ferret proofed room to play. I also bring my two out for walks on the lead and they love it! It does get a few funny looks but its a great ice breaker to get to know the neighbours, lol!

As to the smell, its not as bad as people make out! They have fleecey blankets and cat beds in their cage which can all just be put in the washing machine once a week to keep it fresh and clean. They don't need hay or anything in thier cage the blankets are much better. I clean out the litter tray once or twice a day so there's not a noticeable smell from that either. And as for the ferrets body odour themselves you have to hold them right up to your face to smell them, so its no stronger than a cat or dog, but it actually smells much more pleasant than either of them (and I'm a dog lover!). I'd heard people say before that they liked the smell of thier ferrets but I must admit I really didn't believe them till I got my own but it is true! Well its true for nuetured ones anyway... the musky smell is meant to be much stronger before they're fixed!

If you do consider a ferret be sure to do your research first... they are quite a bit differant to other pets! I'd recommend Ferrets for Dummies as a good read for anyone thinking of getting a ferret for a pet!

Oh and on a side note to Duzzie... What's the critter litter like and is it easy to find in Ireland?? I've been using Yesterday's News and its great - low tracking, easily scooped, good absorbency etc - but its not available here and I've been getting it delivered from england. And your fuzzies are adorable!!

Duzzie

Lexie_Karas wrote: »

I agree with Duzzie regarding the ferrets! I have two male ferrets myself and they are absolutely adorable! Both are very well litter trained... inside their cage and out! They need a good sized cage and at least a few hours every day outside of the cage in a ferret proofed room to play. I also bring my two out for walks on the lead and they love it! It does get a few funny looks but its a great ice breaker to get to know the neighbours, lol!

As to the smell, its not as bad as people make out! They have fleecey blankets and cat beds in their cage which can all just be put in the washing machine once a week to keep it fresh and clean. They don't need hay or anything in thier cage the blankets are much better. I clean out the litter tray once or twice a day so there's not a noticeable smell from that either. And as for the ferrets body odour themselves you have to hold them right up to your face to smell them, so its no stronger than a cat or dog, but it actually smells much more pleasant than either of them (and I'm a dog lover!). I'd heard people say before that they liked the smell of thier ferrets but I must admit I really didn't believe them till I got my own but it is true! Well its true for nuetured ones anyway... the musky smell is meant to be much stronger before they're fixed!

If you do consider a ferret be sure to do your research first... they are quite a bit differant to other pets! I'd recommend Ferrets for Dummies as a good read for anyone thinking of getting a ferret for a pet!

Oh and on a side note to Duzzie... What's the critter litter like and is it easy to find in Ireland?? I've been using Yesterday's News and its great - low tracking, easily scooped, good absorbency etc - but its not available here and I've been getting it delivered from england. And your fuzzies are adorable!!

Critter litter is good stuff. It is like little round ceramic balls and is mildly scented. It absorbs the moisture and smells well. I have seen it for sale in a few shops around Dublin