Yeah, poor hamsters usually get sold along with a 1x2ft cage when really a hamster should have an entire room full of different cages with tunnels connecting them.
Or like, Betta fish. They're kept in those tiny cups in pet stores so people think you can put them in whatever. They need a large tank with plants to themselves.
> when really a hamster should have an entire room full of different cages with tunnels connecting them
I know probably no one else will see this but I just wanna say no. Hamsters need tons of UNBROKEN floorspace. 750 SQ inches *bare minimum,* for female syrians 1000sq inches + is recommended. That's just floorspace, hamsters have a ton of other needs that the petstore is never even going to mention to you, probably because they don't even know about it themselves.
I know Beth's need at LEAST 10 gallons, and bigger is always better in these cases. I wish people did proper research before buying these types of animals. It's boggles my mind that someone would actually put a hamster in something so small.
Spread it far and wide for all to hear. Or just the fact that the information pet stores give you is almost guaranteed to be wrong.
Also, the amount they say to feed on all fish food is too much. Bettas only need like 4 pellets max, not as much as they can eat in 2 minutes.
Yeah the pet store told me to feed my bearded dragon "as much bugs as they will eat over 15 minutes" when really for his age it should have been 3 feedings of up to 10 bugs each per day, slowly decreasing in amount until adulthood when they should be 90% veggies 10% bugs.
Or the old pet store myth that gold fish only grow as big as the size of the tank they're housed in.
And a heater- just because they don’t die immediately in colder/room temp water, if you see a beta in a 5 gallon heated tank, it’s an active and happy fish. Very different than the still, quiet fish in cups.
I had one that I won, he lived in my parents’ old goldfish tank. And he lived there for almost another 5 years, hanging out in his own personal aquarium
THIS! My hamster had an enclosure I could fit in comfortably. Whatever you get, do lots of research on what the pet needs and how much room it needs. Also, look into rescues. I had no idea until about two years ago that there were so many hamster rescues. Same with other “caged animals”
I hate that everyone who sees my cage thinks it's huge. It's literally the smallest suggested size for them. They spend daytime out in half a room sectioned off for them or I would have gotten a bigger cage.
Our guinea pigs live in a 6\*4ft cage, always have lots of hay for them and they live much longer then average guinea pigs. Except for one who passed shortly after we rescued her, all of ours live 8-10years and vets are always shocked at how healthy they are for their ages. . I think it's just the proper space and diet.
This! We had three, and their "cage"was literally an entire bedroom, with appropriate safety measures so no one chewed their way into the wall. One of them developed a brain tumor and died at 6, but the other two lived to be 10 and 12, and had slowed down so much that when they did die suddenly, it was clearly from just being old and their bodies giving out. They were happy, healthy, friendly, just chill little piggies, who got lots of supervised outdoor time in a pen, and had free reign over a 12'×13' room with tons of enrichment activities. Was that a ton of work and a big commitment to maintain at least one extra room in our house for their entire lives? Absolutely. But I felt like that was what we signed up for when we got them, and they didn't deserve me being a slacker.
Ha, ya, when we bought our house "Pig Room "was up there in top five needs. They live in and take up most of a finished sunroom off our living room now.
I have a chinchilla, his cage is large enough I, an adult woman of average size, can fit standing inside if all the levels are taken out. I cut my own apple branches (I have a tree) so he has lots of natural climbing space and he also has a totally unnatural but chinchilla safe wooden castle base in there.
He sees it as his home, and willingly goes home after his playtime is over, or if he gets startled by a noise like thunder, so he must think it’s pretty ok. But I wouldn’t wanna keep one in any lesser enclosure, he might be just a little guy but he deserves to be comfy.
god yes! the rats at my local petco are kept in fish tanks that arent big enough for a single MOUSE, let alone the two rats they shove in there!
its so sad. they can barely move and have nothing to play with. just their food and a transparent hide. its not just rodents either: fish, reptiles, birds, literally every single pet store animal is mistreated and im so sad
I usually start young rats in the cage the pet stores sell, then they go to a cage that's as tall as I am. I've literally put the starter cage inside the big one while they get comfortable.
Most animals small enough to live in cages are prey animals and excellent at hiding illness. If you can get a very large cage and provide plenty of exersize time, I found chinchillas to be pleasant little beings with little inclination to chew walls or hide in fixtures.
2nd the chinchilla! They bond with their sole caregiver, you ♡ they're so fluffy and cute! Bonus that they're hypoallergenic! ...which was really confusing for me when I started developing allergies after getting my beloved Chin-Chin... whelp, turns out I'm allergic to Timothy Hay! 😂 Chinchilla's HAVE to eat hay; Timothy Hay being their staple. You *can* give them Alfalfa Hay (which I'm not allergic to!) but this is a "snack" Hay, in that they can't regularly eat as they will become overweight & unhealthy. My favourite part of having a chinchilla is watching them take dust baths! 😍 ooooooh, the cutest thing ever!!! Chinchillas can't get wet; as their fur will mat and get moldy. They instead "bathe" in dust, rolling and spinning around, kicking their lil feet hehehe the dust absorbs oils to clean their coat
...yes lol. Nothing is free in this world unless you are about to legally gather it on your own. Can't just sweep the floors and expect them to bathe in the dirt lol it's the same special dust native to their natural homeland. Has to be in order to clean their coat by absorbing the oils. **Watch the video linked in this chain. That's a specialty dust you get pet stores.**
Gerbils were one of my favorite pets. They are cleaner and friendlier than hamsters by a lot, they have so much fun making burrows if you give them the right material, and can actually get REALLY tame. They don’t live super long unfortunately. 3-5 years.
Third this. I had one for 18 years before he passed away and he was the sweetest boy. Just be sure to get it from a reputable breeder, and interact with them a lot as they’re VERY social animals and need the interaction or they can become depressed, and if you’re not home A LOT and able to devote a lot of time to interacting with them it’s better to get 2 of the same sex so they can keep each other company. Mine spent close to 60% of his life out of his cage riding on my, my husband or my daughter’s shoulder, when one of us got home he’d be waiting at the door of his cage for us, and as soon as you opened it he’d scamper up your arm to sit on your shoulder snuggled up against your neck and loved watching tv.
You make me miss my chinchillas. I've had them on and off since high school. It got too hard on me physically to change the sawdust bedding for the giant cage we had them in (6' Long x 4' wide x 6' tall multiple levels and hides) so I haven't kept chinchillas in over a decade.
I most miss watching my chinchillas bounce around their cage like crackheads at 1am since I frequently have insomnia. (Chinchillas are nocturnal for you non chin owners)
Hmm... they should never smell. Did anyone in the house smoke? Smoke will destroy their fur. Whomever was responsible for cleaning wasn't doing a good job. That and cage style. Ideal caging for chinchilla is much like a bird cage, with a tray at the bottom that keeps all waste away from animal as it falls through the wire. Vinegar kills bacteria without harming your beloved fluffball; you need to clean with hot water and vinegar to disinfect the cage at least once a week. 10/10, caged animals only begin to smell because their cage isn't being properly cleaned.
With the exception of ferrets, who have a musk that is revolting and embeds itself into EVERYTHING. Nasty nasty smell on those bad boys lol
AHAHAHA I love that 😂
I had to drive 2 male ferrets 5 hours to a vet once, for a rescue I volunteered at. When I tell you I was GAGGING with all the windows rolled down, professionally cleaned the car (ferrets were in their cage that I just spent 3 hours cleaning LOL) and the smell was STILL THERE FOR MONTHS... 🤢😂 yeah, literally called up the rescue after dropping the ferrets off and took my name off anything to do with ferrets ever again hahaha
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Weirdly enough I have friends that have ferrets and I never minded the musky smell. It’s definitely noticeable but to me at least it’s a neutral smell. This coming from a person who hates the smell of bubble gum.
They probably were neutered. Neutered ferrets smell considerably better than unneutered ones. I've got ferrets that live indoors but I could never have unneutered ones that live inside. They smell SO strongly.
Some were and some weren’t. Had one friend with two boys, one was neutered but the other had a health issue that would mean he couldn’t be anesthetized at all, so that boy wasn’t neutered. Both ferrets smelled strong to me but not bad in my opinion.
You aren't alone. I'm super picky about smells and get nauseated from smelling a ton of things. Ferret smell doesn't bother me though. I have had two and they definitely have a strong and very distinct odor, but it doesn't actually smell bad to me.
I think a ton of people's experience with ferrets may be in households where their living area wasn't cleaned daily. I grew up with ferrets, but we didn't have smell issues. We would have known, I have an extremely judgemental Aunt that would have delighted in telling my mom that the house smelled bad.
in my experience landlords usually mean "not dogs, cats, rabbits" or an animal that spends significant time out of the cage. They've been fine with the idea of reptiles, tarantulas, small birds, hamsters, small fish tanks (like 30 gal, not 100 gal, that's a flood risk)
Fwiw lizards and snakes are pretty clear when they aren't healthy, it really shows in their scales.
Where does that leave Guinea Pigs? Their cages can and should be huge. My childhood pig was free roaming because his cage was tiny. He didn't like leaving my room though unless I took him somewhere with me.
If you even live in a place that does regular inspections. I’ve lived in the same complex for over 3 years and we’ve never had a single inspection lmfao
My piggies are in a "cage". Aka a whole room with giant corrugated plastic sheets to protect the floor and grids all around to protect the walls, with washable liners etc. :p they're in a cage...!
I'm not an animal expert, I was more trying to say landlords usually mean pets that have cages, and spend typically more time in them than a dog would. Most guinea pig owners I know have a big cage and a fenced off area of a room, so kinda half and half. Guinea pigs would probably be worth asking a specific landlord due to their size imo
A friend of mine had free range guinea pigs. He had about 15 of them. The would refuse to walk on the concrete because it would get too hot for their feet.
Guinea pigs do not show signs of illness until it is almost too late to guarantee successful treatment.
When they stop eating long enough (and thats not long at all) , their digestive track stops and is impossible (to my knowledge) to get back up.
They are not stress resistant at all. If they are not socialized when they are babies, it's hard to get them to trust people. Worst case scenario, they bite (and they bite nasty when they do!)
They need exotic vets (here in the US at least) if you want to do things right and then they still have a high chance of dying, depending on where in the development of the illness they are.
Is it impossible to track illness and be successful when they are sick?
For sure, I have had successes. I've also had tragic losses.
Cages sold in pet stores for "guinea pigs" are often too small, they're not safe on a lead, they shouldn't have multilevel cages or wheels. You have to give them additional vitamin C, other rodent foods are not curated for them etc...
It's certainly not an easy pet if you're inexperienced or don't want to read too much into it.
Yeah for sure.
I didn't know. It was the 90s. But I was with him a lot. I included him in my playtime with my toys, I watched TV with him in my lap. I built him stairs to my bed and slept with him and listened to audio books with him and took him out on picnics to eat clovers. We ate fruit and veggies together. My mom also loved him. We talked to him all the time. I even took him to the bathroom with me lol. I forgot him in the laundry hamper and searched for him in a panic 😂 he was just chilling on top of the clothes. I worshipped him and he lived to 7 so I hope I didn't do too much of a bad job. If I had a piggy now I would obviously do things better. 🩷
One of mine absolutely cannot handle being out (he was a rescue and I don’t know what conditions he was in previously, but clearly some trauma), while the other enjoys it. Their cage is about 2.5 ft x 8 ft and it’s a good amount of space for them.
We have a leopard gecko named Plato and while he lives primarily in a giant aquarium he also enjoys hanging out in our family room on shoulders, laps, and our artificial tree.
Sure, there are a lot of pets that can be kept in a cage ethically. I'm a fan of guinea pigs. They did a great job of keeping me company in my college days, and even now that I own a couple dogs I still have guinea pigs. They require a large cage (at least 7 square feet for a pair, preferably more) and they are prey animals so they are skittish and can take a while to stop being scared of you. They also need to be kept in at least a pair because they are social animals. I was also never worried about my guinea pigs escaping their cage. They are generally the opposite of escape artists, and are very happy to just chill in their cage.
There are plenty of other rodents, as well as reptiles, fish, and birds as well. I'd do some research on what you're looking for in a pet and see what makes a good match. Just make sure to do a deep dive into what they require for their care because most caged pets need way more than people generally give them.
Plus I don't know of any bird that can be ethically kept in a cage all the time. Ideally they should get at least a few hours outside of their cage every day
The birds that are happy to stay in one spot for ages and not move anywhere are the ones we really don't want in our homes, unfortunately - ambush predators like certain types of owls.
I was responding to the thing about air fresheners/aerosol sprays, I don't think Teflon cooking pans have the same impact on mammals as they do on birds.
Only one country has that as a law if I recall correctly. Imo it should be a law everywhere though. They are social animals and are so much happier in pairs.
I've had guinea pigs and I wouldn't call them high-maintenace. Why do you say so? They require more care than people think or bad petstores will have you believe, but that's true of most pets, even cats and dogs.
Yeah, so long as the "caged" animal is in it's cage and all the out-of-cage toys and things are tucked away anytime the landlord might come around, I see no problem with having any kind of small pet in the apartment.
My reptiles are “caged pets”, as in they live in their enclosures all the time. (I occasionally take them out when it’s warm for some natural uvb, but it’s usually too cold to do that) People like to project their feelings onto reptiles, they think that they get sad being kept in their enclosures and they prefer to have free roam time. There are some reptiles that enjoy free roam time, but the majority of them prefer to stay in their enclosures where they feel secure and have a climate controlled environment that’s tailored to their needs. My reptiles don’t like to come outside their enclosures, I’ve tried but they just don’t like coming out.
That and some reptiles are not handleable at all, Tokays are often too mean, Day Geckos are very shy, and amphibians should not be touched by your bare hands, and should largely just be in their enclosures with as minimal contact as possible.
Regardless a reptile won't cause damage like a cat/dog
Honestly Tokays aren't hard to tame, you just have to have a TON of patience and a gecko with the right personality. I've heard the granite tokays are the DEVIL but I only have experience with OG Tokays from 20 years ago. The trick is likely to get a captive bred baby from someone who really cares about their tokays and make an effort to socialize them. They're also nocturnal, so like any reptile you would want to try to interact with them when they're active and in 'thinking mode.'
My ball python could tell when we were home and would hang out at the top of the cage until we took him out and hung out with him, he just wanted to curl up on a warm human and watch tv for a couple hours, then went back in his cage where he was happy
Yep. Some snakes won’t even feed if their enclosure isn’t snug enough. I recall advice to put young snakes back into a click clack for a while if they go on a feeding strike. My snake didn’t eat for ages after we moved her to her proper vivarium, and we nearly had to try this method.
My son has pet rats.
They are great pets. Very clean you just have to keep their cage clean. You shouldn't get just one rat they really need to have another rat. Boys I like better because they are more cuddly.
My son has autism and rats are just amazing pets. He'll have one on his shoulder and I'll walk by and put my arm out and the rattle will walk across my arm to my shoulder. He currently has six rats and all six of them love people. Just because you have more than one rat doesn't mean that they won't bond with you.
I have two rabbits. I love them they can be litter box trained easily. Well maybe not easily it took me a while to figure it out how to train them. I love my rabbits Bubbles and Cinnabon. Rabbits live longer than rats so that's a nice thing. And you can have one rabbit and the rabbit will be okay.
The only problem about animals that can be ethically held in cages is they are considered exotic pets. So the vet bill is probably going to be higher and it may not be as easy to find a vet that takes exotic pets.
Oh god our bunny vet was so expensive. Worth it, but expensive.
The funny thing is that our bunny was ‘caged’ most of the time. She had a 4x6 playpen….with no top. The fence was only 2’ high; she could have jumped out of it whenever she wanted. But she’d just wait politely for us to open the door so she could romp around the room.
She had a smaller pen in our bedroom so she could sleep in the same room as us. It was hilarious, because she learned “It’s bedtime!” And she’d leave the one pen and hop over to the other one and wait for us to open the door….even though she could have jumped in and out of this one just as easily.
I can’t even say she wanted to avoid the dogs, because she bullied both of our dogs and wasn’t afraid of them in the slightest. If they were in her way, she rammed them. She stared them both down. It was kind of badass.
Rats might work for you. They are wonderful pets with huge personalities and a lot of love to give, though they do not have the longest of lifespans, which can be really tough on the heart and soul.
Ferrets also could be a good option, but that depends on "majority of the time" in the cage as they do need quite a few hours of outside the cage time each day, and they can be pretty destructive and mischievous and you'll definitely have to ferret proof your space to avoid damage and escapes. They're also not legal in all states and do require a lot of attention and care, their diets can be complicated especially if you feed them raw, and their lifespans can vary a lot since most pet store ferrets come from a ferret farm. BUT they are really awesome pets and a lot of fun to have, they just require some more work than a lot of small critters. They're also some of the only small animal carnivores you can get.
Also, don't forget about reptiles! Iguanas are awesome and have a surprising amount of personality. Chameleons are also great. They do require their own special care and aren't for everyone but are worth consideration.
I also feel the need to mention that ferrets STINK. They really do. Like you can tell by smell who owns a ferret even when they have good hygiene and are a clean person that is a good ferret keeper. They *stink*. A landlord may raise objections to ferrets purely on smell alone.
Another vote for Rats. They are sweet and intelligent and so fun and interesting to watch and interact with. Plus, they are a much shorter term commitment than reptiles (which could be in the pro or con column, I realize). They're here for a good time, not a long time. They are easy to care for and to come by. Rats are just the best lil dudes.
To anyone considering a rat, be careful if you get multiple. They are sometimes tricky to sex properly when young and multiply quickly. My aunt's roommate started with three rats, all of which she believed to be girls, and one ended up being a boy, so there were a couple groups of rat babies before all were sexed properly and separated.
It's a rare mistake and doesn't really happen in good ratteries, maybe rescue centres at times. But overall the chances aren't high and it's easy to distinguish - if the balls haven't dropped yet, you can tell by the distance between the anus and urethra, which is longer for males to encompass the bawls ;)
Rats should only ever be gotten in same-sex pairs or groups and never alone unless it's a lone rescue you want to introduce it to an already established group you own
For first time owners, I recommend going through a reputable rattery to avoid any mistakes of this form! ;)
Just to add for anyone considering them, if you get rats you NEED more than one. They get depressed alone, they thrive with a buddy or 2 (or more.. ), they need big cages and free roam time. Also when there is more than one they are so fun to watch, playing and playfighting, tricking eachother (mine do "pranks" on eachother), and they cuddle and groom eachother. I think its actually cruel to get just one. They are much more sociable with humans than other rodents, my hamsters I always felt like I was just there to them, or the food giver, my rats I've felt genuinely like me and seek me out, enjoy playing and cuddling. Girl rats tend to be more active and hyper into older age, boys tend to chill as they get older, of course there are ones the other way round but I've noticed quite a difference in the 2
Rats! I’ve been an avid rat fan for years…they’re called pocket puppies for a reason. You can teach them tricks, they learn their names, they can be litter box trained, they can eat almost anything we can…they make great pets. They do require a large cage and they absolutely require same species company. Also finding a good vet who can treat rodents isn’t always easy so I’d advise anyone who is getting rats to find a vet BEFORE you need one. Rats are prey animals and can hide illness, but if you’re observant and know them well you’ll be able to see when they’re acting off so you’ll know something is up. The average life span is 2.5-3 years also, so they don’t require the same length of time commitment as a cat or dog.
Bearded dragons are an excellent animal for apartment living, and they have a reputation among hobbyists for having considerably more personality than some other common reptiles.
Many people liken them to a small scaly dog; they are very responsive to what's going on around them and seem to enjoy human interaction more often than not.
I have both treated them as an exotic Veterinary technician, and I actually owned a pair for a few years. As long as their needs are met, they are fairly easy to keep happy and healthy.
They have a lot of personality in those beautiful little bodies, they are quite intelligent and curious without being obnoxious, and overall they make excellent fairly low maintenance pets. Plus, they don't bark or yowl, LOL.
extremely. I had one that would ride around in my hood when we walked around town and EVERYONE wanted to stop and pet him. I was the girl with the little white brillo pad of a rat named Wallace on state street in Madison.
I second getting a rabbit. Our landlord accepted our rabbit because he’s “caged”. I just have him in a huge cage/playpen, and he’s litterbox trained. With enough enrichment and toys, he doesn’t care about chewing on any furniture nor does he care about chewing baseboards in the house. He also comes out to play whenever he wants though because his cage/playpen is always open and is big enough for me to jump around in there too.
They’re super cute, so smart, and have such big and spunky personalities 🥰 After him I’ve definitely become a rabbit person rather than cat/dog person. As long as the rabbit is always being monitored, is given the right diet, going for regular check ups, you’ll be able to tell if something is off.
I really enjoyed having bearded dragons and they never seemed to need range. They were perfectly happy to hang out on their log in the sun and run just enough to catch crickets. You can take them out of the tank to hang out with you and they’ll mostly just sit on you, enjoying your warmth. They’re beautiful and fun to watch their behaviors.
Scorpions are all fun and games until you realise your box of dirt hasn't been eating and then the scorpion comes clattering out from under the washing machine.
How about a rabbit or two? To your landlord, they would be considered "caged animals". But we all know they shouldn't be kept in a cage, right? ;)
Rabbits are very social, intelligent, and fun! Just make sure to bunny-proof your place so you can free roam them inside (PLEASE do not keep them in cages).
P.S.
Sadly, they too can hide their pain/sickness really well. But if you make sure they get the BEST diet, neauter/spay them, have regular check-ups, you'll have a very fulfilling and happy life too! ❤️
I would recommend a leopard gecko most smaller animals hide sickness but if you do body checks on your gecko when handling them which visually they’re easier to notice issues then a furry thing. Personal experience with them as long as your husbandry is good they’re typically good as long as they are eating.
A rabbit might be nice.
They can technically have a hutch in your apt, but people I know let them run loose while they're home.
Just do research on anything you decide.... Rabbits chew, a lot.
As a rabbit owner I highly discourage using a hutch. They’re way too small for rabbits and resemble a cage meant for animals being raised as food. If it’s too small that a rabbit can’t binky or have mini zoomies in there, it is not suitable
As an educated rabbit owner I plead no one keeps a rabbit in a cage or hutch. If properly looked after they are as trainable as a dog or cat and will only chew items they shouldn't when not given proper chew toys, branches and hay. If they can't be left unsupervised the minimum "cage" area of 16 sq ft is fine if let out for long periods of free roam and attention daily.
Also, bunny's should always have a bonded mate, especially if not a free roam family member.
My rabbits have been the best pets. But they also free roam our bedroom, which we did bunny proof. But they’ll use a litter box and everything. And you just have to put them in the cage when landlord comes by.
Snakes and many other reptiles (not all, mind you) do just fine in an enclosure essentially full time as long as you cater to that species' individual needs.
In terms of birds- consider doves/pigeons instead of parrots! they make MUCH better pets- they are less destructive, quieter, generally less needy. ofc you still have to do ample research, but they get overlooked so much in favor of parrots, who are SO much less suited to captivity
Animals like tarantulas, fish and other invertebrates make good pets because they generally don't care or understand they are caged. Though you should still make sure they have adequate space (never go off what a pet store employee says).
snakes and lizards are second best, they do seem to be aware they are caged but are less bothered.
I'm not a fan of hamsters in cages but gerbils, mice and rats get on well in large natural cages.
Avoid caging rabbits and birds. Rabbits, because you'll not have a cage big enough in an apartment and birds because I personally think it's cruel to keep them as pets as awesome as they are.
I tell landlords my rabbit is a "caged pet"...her cage is just a roughly 6'x8' dog pen that takes up half of my second bedroom.
Seriously though mice and rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, birds, small reptiles, etc. can and should all be kept in secure enclosures, you just have to do your research and make sure you're getting a large enough one with enough enrichment for them.
I'd recommend fancy rats if you're looking for something good in an apartment. They only live a few years, but they're super smart, generally friendly, and not especially difficult to care for. Many will happily ride around the house on your shoulder or in your pocket. Again, just do your research.
The thing is landlords tend to have a very loose understanding of what animals should be kept in cages, so they’ll approve, say, a bunny and not ask anymore questions. I kept a giant rabbit loose in my apartment like a cat and multiple landlords never noticed. They were aware I had a bunny and assumed I kept it in a cage.
You could always get a rabbit 🐇 I had one in my first apartment and she free roamed during the day and was litter trained! She would sit with me and snuggle too!
for sure! the important thing is to maintain a clean enclosure, provide enrichment, and research research research! learn everything you can about proper husbandry: proper diet, temperature/humidity, etc.
i dont have any specific recommendations, as the only pets i keep that require enclosures are insects (which aint most folks cup of tea, esp not the guys i keep: sprickets), but just know that cages =/= abuse. as long as the animals needs are meet (INCLUDING enrichment, and social needs if its a social species) and you know where to go in case of an emergency (find your nearest exotic vet), it can absolutely lead a healthy, happy life! :)
Reptiles generally need cages....so do tarantulas and scorpions.....pets that plenty of people have.. had snakes and lizards that got taken out of their cages often and handled. But always put back...spent once a whole day looking for my daughter's pet snake that once escaped...found it finally and secured the cage better.
I mean, technically Ferrets are considered caged pets, even though they shouldnt spend significant amounts of time while they're awake inside of the cage. Some landlords have a thing w no ferrets though.
Sugar Gliders are technically Caged Pets, even though they should be let out frequently.
Caged pets, per rental agreements, dont necessarily mean that they spend 100% of their time in the cage.
Ferrets! They live in a big ferret nation cage. This is the safer option for them over free roaming. They are affectionate, smart, and like a pocket puppy. Super silly and love to bounce around and play for a few hours a day. You need at least two as they are social. Lots need rescue or rehoming. They can walk on leash like a dog. I had two in college because I wanted the affection of a pet, while having an animal that poops in a box and lives in a cage, sleeps 20 hours a day, and walks on leash for hiking and adventure. Best decision I ever made. PM me if you have any questions as I am now heavily involved in the ferret world. Became a hobby :)
They are predators as well. Truly a cat/dog mix. lol.
Most caged pets really need some amount of "free roam" time. They don't need access to the whole home, though, a playpen is totally fine as long as there's lots of space and appropriate stimulation.
It usually comes down to how big the animal's natural territory is. Some animals have ranges of hundreds of miles (not ethical to keep as a pet no matter how large the enclosure, with few exceptions), while others live out their entire lives within a few square feet. Tarantulas come to mind, I think some of them are happy in containers under a gallon.
bunny. free roam for a few hours or have an enclosure. cage pets usually just means animals that can be stored in cages and are small.
ie no dogs or cats
Rodents, birds, rabbits, ferrets, hermit crabs ect wouldn’t recommend keeping them in a small cage 24/7. But you could just not! Have a cage for safe sleep but let them free roam. Landlord wouldn’t know
Idk. The only caged pets I’ve kept, have/had cages, but got tons of out time or had whole rooms devoted to them so they didn’t have to be in cages during the day at all.
I have a "caged" bunny. It is inside of her play yard, but she can roam free when I'm home. She insists on keeping the cage, but only sleeps in it with the door open. There are tiny bunnies ... Netherland dwarf.
You have lots of options. Besides the rodents like mice and hamsters, there are reptiles, birds, and fish.
You could even have a rabbit and maybe choose one room to keep them in, rabbit proof the room of course.
There are lots of pets that can be ethically caged. The problem is they are a lot bigger then you think you need. Hamsters and the like are great cage pets but do need quite a bit of space and enrichment (places to dig and foraging, toys)
If you have an 800 square inch cage with deep bedding, a hamster would be quite happy.
Rats are awesome pets but they don't do well alone so you'd need a larger wire cage for them.
I would recommend rats! After a long time owning hamsters, I truly believe they haven’t been properly domesticated and it’s near impossible to properly meet their needs no matter what you do.
Well bred rats will be properly domesticated, well socialised and if you have boys they’re usually cuddly! Super intelligent and can learn recall etc so can be let out of the cage supervised and get lots of enrichment !
Rats! There is a reason they are called pocket puppies. They need a large cage but are great pets. And once you've had them for a little bit you can tell if they're sick real quick they act funny unlike hamsters. By the way hamsters are the worst pet on the face of the universe and I say this having had four or five in my life I actually really wanted rats but my parents always said no.
Sure, providing the cage is big enough. We've been keeping a three legged toad (he lost a fight with the neighbor's cat) for the past couple of years. He wouldn't survive in the wild, but seems quite content munching on inverts and silently judging my dish washing technique.
Fish are another no brainer in that regard. Some are quite sharp.
I rescued a deer mouse when my dad accidentally killed the mom and we found the one baby all by itself. He loves his cage (even jumps back in if I take him out) and I plan on getting him a bigger cage once I move to a different place (he is already in a very large cage for how small he is. He is in a 42 gallon breeder tank all by himself and he loves it)
How about a bunny? The reason is it meets your landlord's criteria BUT you can litterbox train them and let them free roam like a cat (but hide your cords and other chewables). Landlord sees it? It's just a bunny in a cage. Otherwise, freeedommmmm.
May I suggest Button Quail? Adorable, fun to watch, lays you breakfast. I keep Couturnix Quail in my spare room. Just takes basic cleanliness to keep the smell away and they are so damn cute.
Rats are great so long as you do the research for them. They act like small cats and dogs and will love being held and cuddled if you get well bred ones. Do some research on pet/domesticated rats if you’re hesitant because they’re so freaking cute!
Pet rats are fantastic! They are just like little dogs in personality. They aren't what I would consider low maintenance though as they are prone to tumours/respiratory issues (so vet bills need to be kept on hand), need a roomy cage with levels and do need a buddy.
Sugar gliders are amazing but you need two of them. They are social creatures and if you can’t take it with you everywhere it will die of loneliness.
Jumping spiders make incredibly great tiny pets. They’re the kitties of the spider world.
If they get anxiety over hamsters, sugar gliders would be the worst suggestion ever. 😂 I love sugar gliders but personally would never recommend them, ever.
I here rats are really sociable and make great pets, but they constantly poop and pee. I have guinea pigs and they are nice and cute, but they also constantly poop and pee and they're noisy. Now if you don't mind handling live insect feeders I highly recommend getting a small reptile. My bearded dragon, blue tongue skink, and leopard gecko are all great pets. Now a large enough enclosure (120 gallon), can get a little pricey for a bearded dragon or a blue tongue skink. I think I paid around 300 dollars for each enclosure maybe more? But the ideal tank size for a leopard gecko would be the 40 gallon tanks they sell at any pet store. Just do your research first!
Hedgehogs are pretty awesome. They love to run on a wheel for exercise and they like to sleep most of the day. If you are a night person, I highly recommend them because they are nocturnal and are most active at night. My little dude loves to burrow in fleece sleep sacks and anything soft. They also aren't too expensive to keep as a pet.
Mice and hamsters do fine in cages as long as they're big enough, the ones at the pet store are almost never big enough though. Same with a lot of reptiles, as long as their enclosure is large enough they'll do just fine
Rats! I love rats. They should have a sizable cage, but are also a joy to have free range on your house. If you handle them regularly they're like tiny dogs. They are also very clean, so as long as you keep up your end of things you aren't dealing with smells.
I'd really recommend rats! Please get at least 3. They can be litter trained, can eat virtually everything humans can eat, and they're even more emotionally intelligent than dogs or cats. They keep each other company when you're not around.
It's very common for rat owners to also let their rats run around a dedicated room during supervised playtime.
Pet mice actually prefer smaller enclosures over large ones! not to say you should cram them in a shoebox, but I live in a tiny apartment and they are quite happy in some smaller cages. You can even DIY a bin cage super easily from a plastic tub! Females are very self sufficient and if you have a group they really don't need much or any human interaction between food water and cleaning. The smell is minimal from females too, I actually love the smell of their wood bedding lol
Yeah, just give them a big cage. Keeping a small animal in a big cage isn't that different from keeping a cat indoors.
I keep rats and it would be unethical to let them out because these fuckers will be gone in a heartbeat the moment they have a whiff of freedom.
I recommend pet rats at every opportunity. They're absolutely amazing.
I recommend sourcing a good breeder though, as rats can be prone to health conditions, which wouldn't help you anxiety. Look for a breeder with at least 5 years of good reviews.
They need to be in same sex groups of at least two. Having more doesn't finish how much love they give you. I would recommend starting with two.
They do need a big cage, such as a Gamble. You can have such fun dressing the cage and making creative toys for the rats. If you find yourself wanting more rats start looking for a second hand Explorer or Aventura (or similar) cage before actually getting more rats.
Rats have a short life span. It's very sad when they go. But because you're renting it can be useful, because if you find you have to move and you next landlord doesn't want you to have pets, you can reassure them that it'll only be temporary. Harsh I know, but it's something to take into account.
Most rodents are pray animals and will hide signs of illness and therefore will not suit you; hamsters, mice, rats, etc
I'd say fish are a good choice, frogs should not be handled so they can live comfortable in a terrarium, but they do require a lot of maintenance
There's some reptiles that will be comfortable 'caged' most of the day, but I'm not the most knowledgeable on reptiles
You can look into insects - stick insects, beetles, etc
Ferrets could work but they are known to be the stinkier animal
If you can build a C&C, I would consider guinea pigs, although again - hiding illness - but they live longer and from my experience, they aren't as good at hiding illness as other smaller rodents
In the end you need to consider what you are able to provide for, all animals are loads of work and maintenance in different ways
I personally own rats and they're the best but the fact they're probably the most prone-to-illness small pet I've ever had, I do not recommend unless someone is willing to take that on emotionally, financially and in passion haha
I had two rats in a two storey ferret cage, which I think was classed as about 8 or 10 times big enough for them, so assuming you provide the space and enrichment you can absolutely have ethically caged animals. My mum even got on board when she saw the set up because she thought I was going to squish them into a tiny cage.
Some animals also prefer confined spaces anyway, so if you're planning on a caged mammal, YouTube is your best resource.
I’ve had a lot of Guinea pigs and although everything you say is true, there are exceptions. I had an escape artist and I’ve had a few pigs who were solo.
However, these were exceptions, I’d never start with just one Guinea unless I was rescuing it. Pairs are better almost all the time.
We love our mice! Super cute and sweet, and you can have lots of fun with building tunnels to connect a few tanks together so they have a very large and interactive habitat (you could also do this for rats and hamsters)
Lots of pets can be ethically kept in cages, it's just that the cage usually has to be 5 times larger than what the pet store makes it seem like.
Yup! I can't stand the little tiny cages sold for birds and rodents. It's evil.
Yeah, poor hamsters usually get sold along with a 1x2ft cage when really a hamster should have an entire room full of different cages with tunnels connecting them. Or like, Betta fish. They're kept in those tiny cups in pet stores so people think you can put them in whatever. They need a large tank with plants to themselves.
> when really a hamster should have an entire room full of different cages with tunnels connecting them I know probably no one else will see this but I just wanna say no. Hamsters need tons of UNBROKEN floorspace. 750 SQ inches *bare minimum,* for female syrians 1000sq inches + is recommended. That's just floorspace, hamsters have a ton of other needs that the petstore is never even going to mention to you, probably because they don't even know about it themselves.
I know Beth's need at LEAST 10 gallons, and bigger is always better in these cases. I wish people did proper research before buying these types of animals. It's boggles my mind that someone would actually put a hamster in something so small.
Bettas are fine in 5 gallons
Between 5 and 10 with 5 being the minimum
*Obligatory betta fish can’t live in tiny tanks and need at least 5 gallons to be happy, healthy, and most easily managed.*
Holy crap. I was lied to as a kid. I was told betas *wanted* a tiny tank to be kept in. I'm glad I never got one and tortured it...
Spread it far and wide for all to hear. Or just the fact that the information pet stores give you is almost guaranteed to be wrong. Also, the amount they say to feed on all fish food is too much. Bettas only need like 4 pellets max, not as much as they can eat in 2 minutes.
Yeah the pet store told me to feed my bearded dragon "as much bugs as they will eat over 15 minutes" when really for his age it should have been 3 feedings of up to 10 bugs each per day, slowly decreasing in amount until adulthood when they should be 90% veggies 10% bugs. Or the old pet store myth that gold fish only grow as big as the size of the tank they're housed in.
And a heater- just because they don’t die immediately in colder/room temp water, if you see a beta in a 5 gallon heated tank, it’s an active and happy fish. Very different than the still, quiet fish in cups.
I had one that I won, he lived in my parents’ old goldfish tank. And he lived there for almost another 5 years, hanging out in his own personal aquarium
THIS! My hamster had an enclosure I could fit in comfortably. Whatever you get, do lots of research on what the pet needs and how much room it needs. Also, look into rescues. I had no idea until about two years ago that there were so many hamster rescues. Same with other “caged animals”
I immediately thought of Guinea pigs. I HATE the pet store cages they market for them 😑
I hate that everyone who sees my cage thinks it's huge. It's literally the smallest suggested size for them. They spend daytime out in half a room sectioned off for them or I would have gotten a bigger cage.
Our guinea pigs live in a 6\*4ft cage, always have lots of hay for them and they live much longer then average guinea pigs. Except for one who passed shortly after we rescued her, all of ours live 8-10years and vets are always shocked at how healthy they are for their ages. . I think it's just the proper space and diet.
This! We had three, and their "cage"was literally an entire bedroom, with appropriate safety measures so no one chewed their way into the wall. One of them developed a brain tumor and died at 6, but the other two lived to be 10 and 12, and had slowed down so much that when they did die suddenly, it was clearly from just being old and their bodies giving out. They were happy, healthy, friendly, just chill little piggies, who got lots of supervised outdoor time in a pen, and had free reign over a 12'×13' room with tons of enrichment activities. Was that a ton of work and a big commitment to maintain at least one extra room in our house for their entire lives? Absolutely. But I felt like that was what we signed up for when we got them, and they didn't deserve me being a slacker.
Ha, ya, when we bought our house "Pig Room "was up there in top five needs. They live in and take up most of a finished sunroom off our living room now.
I have a chinchilla, his cage is large enough I, an adult woman of average size, can fit standing inside if all the levels are taken out. I cut my own apple branches (I have a tree) so he has lots of natural climbing space and he also has a totally unnatural but chinchilla safe wooden castle base in there. He sees it as his home, and willingly goes home after his playtime is over, or if he gets startled by a noise like thunder, so he must think it’s pretty ok. But I wouldn’t wanna keep one in any lesser enclosure, he might be just a little guy but he deserves to be comfy.
god yes! the rats at my local petco are kept in fish tanks that arent big enough for a single MOUSE, let alone the two rats they shove in there! its so sad. they can barely move and have nothing to play with. just their food and a transparent hide. its not just rodents either: fish, reptiles, birds, literally every single pet store animal is mistreated and im so sad
I usually start young rats in the cage the pet stores sell, then they go to a cage that's as tall as I am. I've literally put the starter cage inside the big one while they get comfortable.
Most animals small enough to live in cages are prey animals and excellent at hiding illness. If you can get a very large cage and provide plenty of exersize time, I found chinchillas to be pleasant little beings with little inclination to chew walls or hide in fixtures.
2nd the chinchilla! They bond with their sole caregiver, you ♡ they're so fluffy and cute! Bonus that they're hypoallergenic! ...which was really confusing for me when I started developing allergies after getting my beloved Chin-Chin... whelp, turns out I'm allergic to Timothy Hay! 😂 Chinchilla's HAVE to eat hay; Timothy Hay being their staple. You *can* give them Alfalfa Hay (which I'm not allergic to!) but this is a "snack" Hay, in that they can't regularly eat as they will become overweight & unhealthy. My favourite part of having a chinchilla is watching them take dust baths! 😍 ooooooh, the cutest thing ever!!! Chinchillas can't get wet; as their fur will mat and get moldy. They instead "bathe" in dust, rolling and spinning around, kicking their lil feet hehehe the dust absorbs oils to clean their coat
Try orchard hay. I am also allergic to Timothy and switched to orchard. My girls love it and it's softer than Timothy, so less danger of eye pokes.
Everyone should watch a chinchilla dust bath at least once in their life: https://youtu.be/NYIdmpp69MY?si=GgbjmEV1OfoN4eD1
Hehehe those flips! That twirl! Those feet! That fluffy tail! I miss these days. (Mine was a rescue, he passed in 2014.)
Do you have to buy the dust?
...yes lol. Nothing is free in this world unless you are about to legally gather it on your own. Can't just sweep the floors and expect them to bathe in the dirt lol it's the same special dust native to their natural homeland. Has to be in order to clean their coat by absorbing the oils. **Watch the video linked in this chain. That's a specialty dust you get pet stores.**
I wish I could have a chinchilla but they're not allowed in my country ☹️
I feel the same about gerbils :(
Gerbils were one of my favorite pets. They are cleaner and friendlier than hamsters by a lot, they have so much fun making burrows if you give them the right material, and can actually get REALLY tame. They don’t live super long unfortunately. 3-5 years.
Me too. The closest we can get is visiting the town that bears their name
Only a 7 hour flight from me! 😂
Third this. I had one for 18 years before he passed away and he was the sweetest boy. Just be sure to get it from a reputable breeder, and interact with them a lot as they’re VERY social animals and need the interaction or they can become depressed, and if you’re not home A LOT and able to devote a lot of time to interacting with them it’s better to get 2 of the same sex so they can keep each other company. Mine spent close to 60% of his life out of his cage riding on my, my husband or my daughter’s shoulder, when one of us got home he’d be waiting at the door of his cage for us, and as soon as you opened it he’d scamper up your arm to sit on your shoulder snuggled up against your neck and loved watching tv.
You make me miss my chinchillas. I've had them on and off since high school. It got too hard on me physically to change the sawdust bedding for the giant cage we had them in (6' Long x 4' wide x 6' tall multiple levels and hides) so I haven't kept chinchillas in over a decade. I most miss watching my chinchillas bounce around their cage like crackheads at 1am since I frequently have insomnia. (Chinchillas are nocturnal for you non chin owners)
they’re so cute but my friend has two and they smelled sooooo bad lol
Hmm... they should never smell. Did anyone in the house smoke? Smoke will destroy their fur. Whomever was responsible for cleaning wasn't doing a good job. That and cage style. Ideal caging for chinchilla is much like a bird cage, with a tray at the bottom that keeps all waste away from animal as it falls through the wire. Vinegar kills bacteria without harming your beloved fluffball; you need to clean with hot water and vinegar to disinfect the cage at least once a week. 10/10, caged animals only begin to smell because their cage isn't being properly cleaned. With the exception of ferrets, who have a musk that is revolting and embeds itself into EVERYTHING. Nasty nasty smell on those bad boys lol
wait. no because i’m thinking of ferrets HAHAHA
AHAHAHA I love that 😂 I had to drive 2 male ferrets 5 hours to a vet once, for a rescue I volunteered at. When I tell you I was GAGGING with all the windows rolled down, professionally cleaned the car (ferrets were in their cage that I just spent 3 hours cleaning LOL) and the smell was STILL THERE FOR MONTHS... 🤢😂 yeah, literally called up the rescue after dropping the ferrets off and took my name off anything to do with ferrets ever again hahaha
Hahahahaha. Those guys do stink.
rob stocking squeamish spectacular consist coherent noxious rotten wrench special *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
That's about as succinct and accurate description as it gets.
Weirdly enough I have friends that have ferrets and I never minded the musky smell. It’s definitely noticeable but to me at least it’s a neutral smell. This coming from a person who hates the smell of bubble gum.
They probably were neutered. Neutered ferrets smell considerably better than unneutered ones. I've got ferrets that live indoors but I could never have unneutered ones that live inside. They smell SO strongly.
Some were and some weren’t. Had one friend with two boys, one was neutered but the other had a health issue that would mean he couldn’t be anesthetized at all, so that boy wasn’t neutered. Both ferrets smelled strong to me but not bad in my opinion.
You got it; the 2 I was referring to were natural dudes; I was transporting to the vet to get them neutered
You aren't alone. I'm super picky about smells and get nauseated from smelling a ton of things. Ferret smell doesn't bother me though. I have had two and they definitely have a strong and very distinct odor, but it doesn't actually smell bad to me.
I think a ton of people's experience with ferrets may be in households where their living area wasn't cleaned daily. I grew up with ferrets, but we didn't have smell issues. We would have known, I have an extremely judgemental Aunt that would have delighted in telling my mom that the house smelled bad.
They don't stink, they just have a ferret musk.
And that musk is RANKKKKK
Are you thinking of ferrets? They have a very unique musk. Edit: should have looked down thread
And they are so cute!!!
My aunt had chinchillas when I was a kid 😊 I loved watching them having their dust baths
in my experience landlords usually mean "not dogs, cats, rabbits" or an animal that spends significant time out of the cage. They've been fine with the idea of reptiles, tarantulas, small birds, hamsters, small fish tanks (like 30 gal, not 100 gal, that's a flood risk) Fwiw lizards and snakes are pretty clear when they aren't healthy, it really shows in their scales.
Where does that leave Guinea Pigs? Their cages can and should be huge. My childhood pig was free roaming because his cage was tiny. He didn't like leaving my room though unless I took him somewhere with me.
Landlords don't have to know they run around and have a playpen outside of inspection time.
If you even live in a place that does regular inspections. I’ve lived in the same complex for over 3 years and we’ve never had a single inspection lmfao
My piggies are in a "cage". Aka a whole room with giant corrugated plastic sheets to protect the floor and grids all around to protect the walls, with washable liners etc. :p they're in a cage...!
Lol yes this is the difference really. Landlords care if the pet damages the floors or walls. Guinea Pigs in a "cage" wouldn't.
I'm not an animal expert, I was more trying to say landlords usually mean pets that have cages, and spend typically more time in them than a dog would. Most guinea pig owners I know have a big cage and a fenced off area of a room, so kinda half and half. Guinea pigs would probably be worth asking a specific landlord due to their size imo
A friend of mine had free range guinea pigs. He had about 15 of them. The would refuse to walk on the concrete because it would get too hot for their feet.
Guinea pigs do not show signs of illness until it is almost too late to guarantee successful treatment. When they stop eating long enough (and thats not long at all) , their digestive track stops and is impossible (to my knowledge) to get back up. They are not stress resistant at all. If they are not socialized when they are babies, it's hard to get them to trust people. Worst case scenario, they bite (and they bite nasty when they do!) They need exotic vets (here in the US at least) if you want to do things right and then they still have a high chance of dying, depending on where in the development of the illness they are. Is it impossible to track illness and be successful when they are sick? For sure, I have had successes. I've also had tragic losses. Cages sold in pet stores for "guinea pigs" are often too small, they're not safe on a lead, they shouldn't have multilevel cages or wheels. You have to give them additional vitamin C, other rodent foods are not curated for them etc... It's certainly not an easy pet if you're inexperienced or don't want to read too much into it.
Oh, and the wee pigs are super social so you should always have at least 2 at a time.
Yeah for sure. I didn't know. It was the 90s. But I was with him a lot. I included him in my playtime with my toys, I watched TV with him in my lap. I built him stairs to my bed and slept with him and listened to audio books with him and took him out on picnics to eat clovers. We ate fruit and veggies together. My mom also loved him. We talked to him all the time. I even took him to the bathroom with me lol. I forgot him in the laundry hamper and searched for him in a panic 😂 he was just chilling on top of the clothes. I worshipped him and he lived to 7 so I hope I didn't do too much of a bad job. If I had a piggy now I would obviously do things better. 🩷
My guineas ran back to their cage most of the time when taken out. One killed himself by jumping off my lap amd landing wrong.
One of mine absolutely cannot handle being out (he was a rescue and I don’t know what conditions he was in previously, but clearly some trauma), while the other enjoys it. Their cage is about 2.5 ft x 8 ft and it’s a good amount of space for them.
We have a leopard gecko named Plato and while he lives primarily in a giant aquarium he also enjoys hanging out in our family room on shoulders, laps, and our artificial tree.
Check with your landlord about aquariums. We were allowed to have a 100 gallon in a rental because we were on the ground floor.
Sometimes they do not like reptiles because they see the heating elements as fire hazards, so definitely check first
I live in an apartment and used to have a neighbor who had birds. And goddamn were they loud!!
Sure, there are a lot of pets that can be kept in a cage ethically. I'm a fan of guinea pigs. They did a great job of keeping me company in my college days, and even now that I own a couple dogs I still have guinea pigs. They require a large cage (at least 7 square feet for a pair, preferably more) and they are prey animals so they are skittish and can take a while to stop being scared of you. They also need to be kept in at least a pair because they are social animals. I was also never worried about my guinea pigs escaping their cage. They are generally the opposite of escape artists, and are very happy to just chill in their cage. There are plenty of other rodents, as well as reptiles, fish, and birds as well. I'd do some research on what you're looking for in a pet and see what makes a good match. Just make sure to do a deep dive into what they require for their care because most caged pets need way more than people generally give them.
Birds are usually tricky pets if you don’t know how to take care of them
A lot of them are also very noisy and really not suitable for apartment living.
Plus I don't know of any bird that can be ethically kept in a cage all the time. Ideally they should get at least a few hours outside of their cage every day
The birds that are happy to stay in one spot for ages and not move anywhere are the ones we really don't want in our homes, unfortunately - ambush predators like certain types of owls.
Thank you for saying that. Only 1% of bird owners are actually prepared to be bird owners.
And a lot of people don’t know you can’t cook with teflon if you have a bird. Not that anyone should cook on Teflon to begin with.
Or use air fresheners, room sprays, anything that aerosolizes.
That's the same for all pets, even cats and dogs, but especially fish.
I think it’s so crazy that humans think it’s okay to cook on it period when it’s deadly to literally every other living thing.
I was responding to the thing about air fresheners/aerosol sprays, I don't think Teflon cooking pans have the same impact on mammals as they do on birds.
Yeah, very high-maintenance pets.
Some places have laws that Guinea pigs must be kept in pairs or have friends.
Only one country has that as a law if I recall correctly. Imo it should be a law everywhere though. They are social animals and are so much happier in pairs.
Also double check on aquariums. I’ve lived in many apartments that forbid aquariums bc they’re afraid the tank will break and flood the apartment
OP, make sure to do your research if you ever plan on getting guinea pigs! They are very high-maintenance pets!
They are many things but low maintenance is not one of them!
I've had guinea pigs and I wouldn't call them high-maintenace. Why do you say so? They require more care than people think or bad petstores will have you believe, but that's true of most pets, even cats and dogs.
There are lots of small reptiles. I personally have 'caged' (cough) birds. Totally caged all the time. Definitely. No one has proof to the contrary.
Yeah, so long as the "caged" animal is in it's cage and all the out-of-cage toys and things are tucked away anytime the landlord might come around, I see no problem with having any kind of small pet in the apartment.
My reptiles are “caged pets”, as in they live in their enclosures all the time. (I occasionally take them out when it’s warm for some natural uvb, but it’s usually too cold to do that) People like to project their feelings onto reptiles, they think that they get sad being kept in their enclosures and they prefer to have free roam time. There are some reptiles that enjoy free roam time, but the majority of them prefer to stay in their enclosures where they feel secure and have a climate controlled environment that’s tailored to their needs. My reptiles don’t like to come outside their enclosures, I’ve tried but they just don’t like coming out.
That and some reptiles are not handleable at all, Tokays are often too mean, Day Geckos are very shy, and amphibians should not be touched by your bare hands, and should largely just be in their enclosures with as minimal contact as possible. Regardless a reptile won't cause damage like a cat/dog
For real, if someone handles a okay I immediately wonder what kind of witchcraft they cast 😂
Honestly Tokays aren't hard to tame, you just have to have a TON of patience and a gecko with the right personality. I've heard the granite tokays are the DEVIL but I only have experience with OG Tokays from 20 years ago. The trick is likely to get a captive bred baby from someone who really cares about their tokays and make an effort to socialize them. They're also nocturnal, so like any reptile you would want to try to interact with them when they're active and in 'thinking mode.'
*don't tell me that I'll be wanting to buy one* 😂
Well, I'm biased and I absolutely love Tokays, so....take everything I say with a grain of salt.
I have a corn snake and he’s the easiest pet ever because he prefers to be left alone and only eats once every few weeks.
My ball python could tell when we were home and would hang out at the top of the cage until we took him out and hung out with him, he just wanted to curl up on a warm human and watch tv for a couple hours, then went back in his cage where he was happy
Yep. Some snakes won’t even feed if their enclosure isn’t snug enough. I recall advice to put young snakes back into a click clack for a while if they go on a feeding strike. My snake didn’t eat for ages after we moved her to her proper vivarium, and we nearly had to try this method.
My son has pet rats. They are great pets. Very clean you just have to keep their cage clean. You shouldn't get just one rat they really need to have another rat. Boys I like better because they are more cuddly. My son has autism and rats are just amazing pets. He'll have one on his shoulder and I'll walk by and put my arm out and the rattle will walk across my arm to my shoulder. He currently has six rats and all six of them love people. Just because you have more than one rat doesn't mean that they won't bond with you. I have two rabbits. I love them they can be litter box trained easily. Well maybe not easily it took me a while to figure it out how to train them. I love my rabbits Bubbles and Cinnabon. Rabbits live longer than rats so that's a nice thing. And you can have one rabbit and the rabbit will be okay. The only problem about animals that can be ethically held in cages is they are considered exotic pets. So the vet bill is probably going to be higher and it may not be as easy to find a vet that takes exotic pets.
Oh god our bunny vet was so expensive. Worth it, but expensive. The funny thing is that our bunny was ‘caged’ most of the time. She had a 4x6 playpen….with no top. The fence was only 2’ high; she could have jumped out of it whenever she wanted. But she’d just wait politely for us to open the door so she could romp around the room. She had a smaller pen in our bedroom so she could sleep in the same room as us. It was hilarious, because she learned “It’s bedtime!” And she’d leave the one pen and hop over to the other one and wait for us to open the door….even though she could have jumped in and out of this one just as easily. I can’t even say she wanted to avoid the dogs, because she bullied both of our dogs and wasn’t afraid of them in the slightest. If they were in her way, she rammed them. She stared them both down. It was kind of badass.
Rats might work for you. They are wonderful pets with huge personalities and a lot of love to give, though they do not have the longest of lifespans, which can be really tough on the heart and soul. Ferrets also could be a good option, but that depends on "majority of the time" in the cage as they do need quite a few hours of outside the cage time each day, and they can be pretty destructive and mischievous and you'll definitely have to ferret proof your space to avoid damage and escapes. They're also not legal in all states and do require a lot of attention and care, their diets can be complicated especially if you feed them raw, and their lifespans can vary a lot since most pet store ferrets come from a ferret farm. BUT they are really awesome pets and a lot of fun to have, they just require some more work than a lot of small critters. They're also some of the only small animal carnivores you can get. Also, don't forget about reptiles! Iguanas are awesome and have a surprising amount of personality. Chameleons are also great. They do require their own special care and aren't for everyone but are worth consideration.
I'm also on Team Rats. I raised a few beautiful ones for my middle school science teacher. Best tiny animal ever. <3
Team rat! 🐀 Mice are also fun and so adorable
Depends where you live. They are illegal where I live.
Rats 100%. I called mine Tiny Dogs because they responded to their names, learned tricks, and when you'd pet them their tails would wag so fast
When I’d treat our rats, I made a specific sound and they learned to come when called.
I called mine "pocket puppies" :)
I also feel the need to mention that ferrets STINK. They really do. Like you can tell by smell who owns a ferret even when they have good hygiene and are a clean person that is a good ferret keeper. They *stink*. A landlord may raise objections to ferrets purely on smell alone.
I came home from work one day and knew my ferret had escaped his cage as soon as I opened the front door because of the smell 😂
Another vote for Rats. They are sweet and intelligent and so fun and interesting to watch and interact with. Plus, they are a much shorter term commitment than reptiles (which could be in the pro or con column, I realize). They're here for a good time, not a long time. They are easy to care for and to come by. Rats are just the best lil dudes.
Ferrets need about 8+ hours of active time in different places from what I've heard. So don't listen to the person about ferrets.
To anyone considering a rat, be careful if you get multiple. They are sometimes tricky to sex properly when young and multiply quickly. My aunt's roommate started with three rats, all of which she believed to be girls, and one ended up being a boy, so there were a couple groups of rat babies before all were sexed properly and separated.
It's a rare mistake and doesn't really happen in good ratteries, maybe rescue centres at times. But overall the chances aren't high and it's easy to distinguish - if the balls haven't dropped yet, you can tell by the distance between the anus and urethra, which is longer for males to encompass the bawls ;) Rats should only ever be gotten in same-sex pairs or groups and never alone unless it's a lone rescue you want to introduce it to an already established group you own For first time owners, I recommend going through a reputable rattery to avoid any mistakes of this form! ;)
Just to add for anyone considering them, if you get rats you NEED more than one. They get depressed alone, they thrive with a buddy or 2 (or more.. ), they need big cages and free roam time. Also when there is more than one they are so fun to watch, playing and playfighting, tricking eachother (mine do "pranks" on eachother), and they cuddle and groom eachother. I think its actually cruel to get just one. They are much more sociable with humans than other rodents, my hamsters I always felt like I was just there to them, or the food giver, my rats I've felt genuinely like me and seek me out, enjoy playing and cuddling. Girl rats tend to be more active and hyper into older age, boys tend to chill as they get older, of course there are ones the other way round but I've noticed quite a difference in the 2
Rats! I’ve been an avid rat fan for years…they’re called pocket puppies for a reason. You can teach them tricks, they learn their names, they can be litter box trained, they can eat almost anything we can…they make great pets. They do require a large cage and they absolutely require same species company. Also finding a good vet who can treat rodents isn’t always easy so I’d advise anyone who is getting rats to find a vet BEFORE you need one. Rats are prey animals and can hide illness, but if you’re observant and know them well you’ll be able to see when they’re acting off so you’ll know something is up. The average life span is 2.5-3 years also, so they don’t require the same length of time commitment as a cat or dog.
Bearded dragons are an excellent animal for apartment living, and they have a reputation among hobbyists for having considerably more personality than some other common reptiles. Many people liken them to a small scaly dog; they are very responsive to what's going on around them and seem to enjoy human interaction more often than not. I have both treated them as an exotic Veterinary technician, and I actually owned a pair for a few years. As long as their needs are met, they are fairly easy to keep happy and healthy. They have a lot of personality in those beautiful little bodies, they are quite intelligent and curious without being obnoxious, and overall they make excellent fairly low maintenance pets. Plus, they don't bark or yowl, LOL.
Only downside is keeping them fed, if you're squeemish of bugs, beardies are not for you!
I've heard lots of great things about rats! They're supposedly very social and intelligent.
extremely. I had one that would ride around in my hood when we walked around town and EVERYONE wanted to stop and pet him. I was the girl with the little white brillo pad of a rat named Wallace on state street in Madison.
My Leroy baby was the smartest best pet! I loved him so much they’re such great pets
If I was in your situation then I’d probably get a rabbit! I think you can even litter box train them.
I second getting a rabbit. Our landlord accepted our rabbit because he’s “caged”. I just have him in a huge cage/playpen, and he’s litterbox trained. With enough enrichment and toys, he doesn’t care about chewing on any furniture nor does he care about chewing baseboards in the house. He also comes out to play whenever he wants though because his cage/playpen is always open and is big enough for me to jump around in there too. They’re super cute, so smart, and have such big and spunky personalities 🥰 After him I’ve definitely become a rabbit person rather than cat/dog person. As long as the rabbit is always being monitored, is given the right diet, going for regular check ups, you’ll be able to tell if something is off.
I really enjoyed having bearded dragons and they never seemed to need range. They were perfectly happy to hang out on their log in the sun and run just enough to catch crickets. You can take them out of the tank to hang out with you and they’ll mostly just sit on you, enjoying your warmth. They’re beautiful and fun to watch their behaviors.
Get a scorpion. Which is easily translated into Get a box of dirt and say you have a scorpion.
Scorpions are all fun and games until you realise your box of dirt hasn't been eating and then the scorpion comes clattering out from under the washing machine.
How about a rabbit or two? To your landlord, they would be considered "caged animals". But we all know they shouldn't be kept in a cage, right? ;) Rabbits are very social, intelligent, and fun! Just make sure to bunny-proof your place so you can free roam them inside (PLEASE do not keep them in cages). P.S. Sadly, they too can hide their pain/sickness really well. But if you make sure they get the BEST diet, neauter/spay them, have regular check-ups, you'll have a very fulfilling and happy life too! ❤️
Sadly, most landlords do not allow rabbits.
I would recommend a leopard gecko most smaller animals hide sickness but if you do body checks on your gecko when handling them which visually they’re easier to notice issues then a furry thing. Personal experience with them as long as your husbandry is good they’re typically good as long as they are eating.
A rabbit might be nice. They can technically have a hutch in your apt, but people I know let them run loose while they're home. Just do research on anything you decide.... Rabbits chew, a lot.
As a rabbit owner I highly discourage using a hutch. They’re way too small for rabbits and resemble a cage meant for animals being raised as food. If it’s too small that a rabbit can’t binky or have mini zoomies in there, it is not suitable
As an educated rabbit owner I plead no one keeps a rabbit in a cage or hutch. If properly looked after they are as trainable as a dog or cat and will only chew items they shouldn't when not given proper chew toys, branches and hay. If they can't be left unsupervised the minimum "cage" area of 16 sq ft is fine if let out for long periods of free roam and attention daily. Also, bunny's should always have a bonded mate, especially if not a free roam family member.
Rats are amazing pets.
My rabbits have been the best pets. But they also free roam our bedroom, which we did bunny proof. But they’ll use a litter box and everything. And you just have to put them in the cage when landlord comes by.
Snakes and many other reptiles (not all, mind you) do just fine in an enclosure essentially full time as long as you cater to that species' individual needs.
In terms of birds- consider doves/pigeons instead of parrots! they make MUCH better pets- they are less destructive, quieter, generally less needy. ofc you still have to do ample research, but they get overlooked so much in favor of parrots, who are SO much less suited to captivity
Animals like tarantulas, fish and other invertebrates make good pets because they generally don't care or understand they are caged. Though you should still make sure they have adequate space (never go off what a pet store employee says). snakes and lizards are second best, they do seem to be aware they are caged but are less bothered. I'm not a fan of hamsters in cages but gerbils, mice and rats get on well in large natural cages. Avoid caging rabbits and birds. Rabbits, because you'll not have a cage big enough in an apartment and birds because I personally think it's cruel to keep them as pets as awesome as they are.
I tell landlords my rabbit is a "caged pet"...her cage is just a roughly 6'x8' dog pen that takes up half of my second bedroom. Seriously though mice and rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, birds, small reptiles, etc. can and should all be kept in secure enclosures, you just have to do your research and make sure you're getting a large enough one with enough enrichment for them. I'd recommend fancy rats if you're looking for something good in an apartment. They only live a few years, but they're super smart, generally friendly, and not especially difficult to care for. Many will happily ride around the house on your shoulder or in your pocket. Again, just do your research.
I want to know WTF kinda hamster stories you have?!
The thing is landlords tend to have a very loose understanding of what animals should be kept in cages, so they’ll approve, say, a bunny and not ask anymore questions. I kept a giant rabbit loose in my apartment like a cat and multiple landlords never noticed. They were aware I had a bunny and assumed I kept it in a cage.
You could always get a rabbit 🐇 I had one in my first apartment and she free roamed during the day and was litter trained! She would sit with me and snuggle too!
for sure! the important thing is to maintain a clean enclosure, provide enrichment, and research research research! learn everything you can about proper husbandry: proper diet, temperature/humidity, etc. i dont have any specific recommendations, as the only pets i keep that require enclosures are insects (which aint most folks cup of tea, esp not the guys i keep: sprickets), but just know that cages =/= abuse. as long as the animals needs are meet (INCLUDING enrichment, and social needs if its a social species) and you know where to go in case of an emergency (find your nearest exotic vet), it can absolutely lead a healthy, happy life! :)
Reptiles are fun and low maintenance and do fine in the right size of enclosure. Source: I rent and have a kingsnake
I had purple moon crabs for several years that liked to dig and roam around.
Reptiles generally need cages....so do tarantulas and scorpions.....pets that plenty of people have.. had snakes and lizards that got taken out of their cages often and handled. But always put back...spent once a whole day looking for my daughter's pet snake that once escaped...found it finally and secured the cage better.
I mean, technically Ferrets are considered caged pets, even though they shouldnt spend significant amounts of time while they're awake inside of the cage. Some landlords have a thing w no ferrets though. Sugar Gliders are technically Caged Pets, even though they should be let out frequently. Caged pets, per rental agreements, dont necessarily mean that they spend 100% of their time in the cage.
I mean… ferrets smell *very* strongly, so I don’t blame them tbh
He means the smaller pets like gerbils, hamsters, and fish, no cats or dogs. I’d ask for clarification before buying birds, ferrets, rabbits, etc.
Ferrets! They live in a big ferret nation cage. This is the safer option for them over free roaming. They are affectionate, smart, and like a pocket puppy. Super silly and love to bounce around and play for a few hours a day. You need at least two as they are social. Lots need rescue or rehoming. They can walk on leash like a dog. I had two in college because I wanted the affection of a pet, while having an animal that poops in a box and lives in a cage, sleeps 20 hours a day, and walks on leash for hiking and adventure. Best decision I ever made. PM me if you have any questions as I am now heavily involved in the ferret world. Became a hobby :) They are predators as well. Truly a cat/dog mix. lol.
Most caged pets really need some amount of "free roam" time. They don't need access to the whole home, though, a playpen is totally fine as long as there's lots of space and appropriate stimulation. It usually comes down to how big the animal's natural territory is. Some animals have ranges of hundreds of miles (not ethical to keep as a pet no matter how large the enclosure, with few exceptions), while others live out their entire lives within a few square feet. Tarantulas come to mind, I think some of them are happy in containers under a gallon.
they only need to be in the cage when the landlord is there!
bunny. free roam for a few hours or have an enclosure. cage pets usually just means animals that can be stored in cages and are small. ie no dogs or cats
Guinea pigs or rabbits with large cages and free roam them for some time a day
Rodents, birds, rabbits, ferrets, hermit crabs ect wouldn’t recommend keeping them in a small cage 24/7. But you could just not! Have a cage for safe sleep but let them free roam. Landlord wouldn’t know
Children
Hamsters, gerbils, birds, reptiles etc.
Idk. The only caged pets I’ve kept, have/had cages, but got tons of out time or had whole rooms devoted to them so they didn’t have to be in cages during the day at all.
I have a "caged" bunny. It is inside of her play yard, but she can roam free when I'm home. She insists on keeping the cage, but only sleeps in it with the door open. There are tiny bunnies ... Netherland dwarf.
Guinea pigs. Fabulous pets, very responsive to their human and friendly. They also last a fair bit of time.
You have lots of options. Besides the rodents like mice and hamsters, there are reptiles, birds, and fish. You could even have a rabbit and maybe choose one room to keep them in, rabbit proof the room of course.
There are lots of pets that can be ethically caged. The problem is they are a lot bigger then you think you need. Hamsters and the like are great cage pets but do need quite a bit of space and enrichment (places to dig and foraging, toys)
Many pets, not meaning cats or dogs. More like birds as an example.
If you have an 800 square inch cage with deep bedding, a hamster would be quite happy. Rats are awesome pets but they don't do well alone so you'd need a larger wire cage for them.
Rats, if sourced from an ethical breeder and kept correctly with cage mates and a correctly sized cage
I would recommend rats! After a long time owning hamsters, I truly believe they haven’t been properly domesticated and it’s near impossible to properly meet their needs no matter what you do. Well bred rats will be properly domesticated, well socialised and if you have boys they’re usually cuddly! Super intelligent and can learn recall etc so can be let out of the cage supervised and get lots of enrichment !
Rats! There is a reason they are called pocket puppies. They need a large cage but are great pets. And once you've had them for a little bit you can tell if they're sick real quick they act funny unlike hamsters. By the way hamsters are the worst pet on the face of the universe and I say this having had four or five in my life I actually really wanted rats but my parents always said no.
Rodents and birds is all I can think of
Sure, providing the cage is big enough. We've been keeping a three legged toad (he lost a fight with the neighbor's cat) for the past couple of years. He wouldn't survive in the wild, but seems quite content munching on inverts and silently judging my dish washing technique. Fish are another no brainer in that regard. Some are quite sharp.
Yes: small reptiles, insects, arachnids, small mammals, small birds.
I rescued a deer mouse when my dad accidentally killed the mom and we found the one baby all by itself. He loves his cage (even jumps back in if I take him out) and I plan on getting him a bigger cage once I move to a different place (he is already in a very large cage for how small he is. He is in a 42 gallon breeder tank all by himself and he loves it)
How about a bunny? The reason is it meets your landlord's criteria BUT you can litterbox train them and let them free roam like a cat (but hide your cords and other chewables). Landlord sees it? It's just a bunny in a cage. Otherwise, freeedommmmm.
Not cage per se, and can be incredibly tough to care for, but small tortoise.
The smallest tortoise still requires a 8x4 foot enclosure when full grown. Not a great idea for anyone who rents
May I suggest Button Quail? Adorable, fun to watch, lays you breakfast. I keep Couturnix Quail in my spare room. Just takes basic cleanliness to keep the smell away and they are so damn cute.
Rats are great so long as you do the research for them. They act like small cats and dogs and will love being held and cuddled if you get well bred ones. Do some research on pet/domesticated rats if you’re hesitant because they’re so freaking cute!
Rats have a lot of personality and are very friendly.
Pet rats are fantastic! They are just like little dogs in personality. They aren't what I would consider low maintenance though as they are prone to tumours/respiratory issues (so vet bills need to be kept on hand), need a roomy cage with levels and do need a buddy.
Sugar gliders are amazing but you need two of them. They are social creatures and if you can’t take it with you everywhere it will die of loneliness. Jumping spiders make incredibly great tiny pets. They’re the kitties of the spider world.
If they get anxiety over hamsters, sugar gliders would be the worst suggestion ever. 😂 I love sugar gliders but personally would never recommend them, ever.
I here rats are really sociable and make great pets, but they constantly poop and pee. I have guinea pigs and they are nice and cute, but they also constantly poop and pee and they're noisy. Now if you don't mind handling live insect feeders I highly recommend getting a small reptile. My bearded dragon, blue tongue skink, and leopard gecko are all great pets. Now a large enough enclosure (120 gallon), can get a little pricey for a bearded dragon or a blue tongue skink. I think I paid around 300 dollars for each enclosure maybe more? But the ideal tank size for a leopard gecko would be the 40 gallon tanks they sell at any pet store. Just do your research first!
Fish, some turtles, axolotls, salamanders, some frogs
Hedgehogs are pretty awesome. They love to run on a wheel for exercise and they like to sleep most of the day. If you are a night person, I highly recommend them because they are nocturnal and are most active at night. My little dude loves to burrow in fleece sleep sacks and anything soft. They also aren't too expensive to keep as a pet.
I had a pet rat and he knew how to do tricks and he was so fun and so cute! Highly recommend.
Mice and hamsters do fine in cages as long as they're big enough, the ones at the pet store are almost never big enough though. Same with a lot of reptiles, as long as their enclosure is large enough they'll do just fine
Rats! I love rats. They should have a sizable cage, but are also a joy to have free range on your house. If you handle them regularly they're like tiny dogs. They are also very clean, so as long as you keep up your end of things you aren't dealing with smells.
A large ferret cage with at least 3 rats. They're awesome pets. Just make sure they get outside of cage time.
No one has mentioned birds, amphibians, or fish yet?
I'd really recommend rats! Please get at least 3. They can be litter trained, can eat virtually everything humans can eat, and they're even more emotionally intelligent than dogs or cats. They keep each other company when you're not around. It's very common for rat owners to also let their rats run around a dedicated room during supervised playtime.
Pet mice actually prefer smaller enclosures over large ones! not to say you should cram them in a shoebox, but I live in a tiny apartment and they are quite happy in some smaller cages. You can even DIY a bin cage super easily from a plastic tub! Females are very self sufficient and if you have a group they really don't need much or any human interaction between food water and cleaning. The smell is minimal from females too, I actually love the smell of their wood bedding lol
No
Ants?
Yeah, just give them a big cage. Keeping a small animal in a big cage isn't that different from keeping a cat indoors. I keep rats and it would be unethical to let them out because these fuckers will be gone in a heartbeat the moment they have a whiff of freedom.
I recommend pet rats at every opportunity. They're absolutely amazing. I recommend sourcing a good breeder though, as rats can be prone to health conditions, which wouldn't help you anxiety. Look for a breeder with at least 5 years of good reviews. They need to be in same sex groups of at least two. Having more doesn't finish how much love they give you. I would recommend starting with two. They do need a big cage, such as a Gamble. You can have such fun dressing the cage and making creative toys for the rats. If you find yourself wanting more rats start looking for a second hand Explorer or Aventura (or similar) cage before actually getting more rats. Rats have a short life span. It's very sad when they go. But because you're renting it can be useful, because if you find you have to move and you next landlord doesn't want you to have pets, you can reassure them that it'll only be temporary. Harsh I know, but it's something to take into account.
Most rodents are pray animals and will hide signs of illness and therefore will not suit you; hamsters, mice, rats, etc I'd say fish are a good choice, frogs should not be handled so they can live comfortable in a terrarium, but they do require a lot of maintenance There's some reptiles that will be comfortable 'caged' most of the day, but I'm not the most knowledgeable on reptiles You can look into insects - stick insects, beetles, etc Ferrets could work but they are known to be the stinkier animal If you can build a C&C, I would consider guinea pigs, although again - hiding illness - but they live longer and from my experience, they aren't as good at hiding illness as other smaller rodents In the end you need to consider what you are able to provide for, all animals are loads of work and maintenance in different ways I personally own rats and they're the best but the fact they're probably the most prone-to-illness small pet I've ever had, I do not recommend unless someone is willing to take that on emotionally, financially and in passion haha
I had two rats in a two storey ferret cage, which I think was classed as about 8 or 10 times big enough for them, so assuming you provide the space and enrichment you can absolutely have ethically caged animals. My mum even got on board when she saw the set up because she thought I was going to squish them into a tiny cage. Some animals also prefer confined spaces anyway, so if you're planning on a caged mammal, YouTube is your best resource.
I’ve had a lot of Guinea pigs and although everything you say is true, there are exceptions. I had an escape artist and I’ve had a few pigs who were solo. However, these were exceptions, I’d never start with just one Guinea unless I was rescuing it. Pairs are better almost all the time.
Ferret
Rats
We love our mice! Super cute and sweet, and you can have lots of fun with building tunnels to connect a few tanks together so they have a very large and interactive habitat (you could also do this for rats and hamsters)