What are the best pets? Ferret; Bearded Dragon; Sugar Glider; Snake: Chinese Water Dragon???

Question

I'm in school tuesday - thursday 12:30pm - 10pm so I can't check on them all day and I live in an apartment. I'm allergic to cats, but I love animals! I'm looking for a good pet that isn't too, too much work, but smart enough to be a little affectionate, and don't smell bad. What are the best pets?

Also does anyone own any of these pets listed below that could give me perspective on them? How easy are they to care for? Are they easy to domesticate or train? Are they intelligent?

I'm trying to find a great pet so as much info as can be given is appriciated:

* Ferrett (are the smell glands always removed?)

* Bearded Dragon

* Sugar Glider

* Snake (which ones are best?)

* Chinese Water Dragon

Thank you!!

Answer 1

I do know that ferrets and sugar gliders are very expensive, and a lot of work. I've had ferrets and they do kinda smell. Though they are very intelligent, affectionate, and are great pets. They need about 4 hours of out time a day, because they sleep about 18-20 hours a day.

If you want something easy to maintain, try a hamster, gerbils, or maybe even rats. Rats need a good bit of care but are affectionate and smart like ferrets. Hamsters, gerbils, and mice don't need a lot of work but they aren't as smart and affectionate.

I'm not sure if any pets meet your requirements, sorry!

Answer 2

Immediately, you can rule out ferrets and sugar gliders. These are a LOT of work. Suger gliders in fact need to be carried around with you for most of the day and shouldn't be left alone. Ferrets need as much training as a puppy, which is a trmendous commitment if you aren't looking for too much work.

The reptiles depend on your knowledge and experience. Chinese water dragons are not a great begginer's pet. If this is your first, or one of first reptile, I would not suggest these.

Beardies are actually quite a bit of work as well, in my opinion. But they are a prefered begginer's pet on account of their hardiness and bility to survive. In other words, making a few mistakes as a begginer will be alright with them. They are pretty expensive initially as well, and will need a huge tank (around 60-75 gallons I believe). They also need to to stay on top of their diet to make sure they are eating healthy and balanced.

Here is some info:

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...

Most snakes are a lot easier. A great begginer snake is the corn. These do not need much care at all. Feeding once a week, and daily cleaning and changing the water. But you can hold them all you want, once they get used to it. And regardless of what some people will say, I do think that any reptile can be affectionate. Not in the typical sense of course, but my snakes enjoy getting out and exploring a bit, I think. Same with the beardies.

Corn info:

http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html

Answer 3

Okay so if I understand right.. you live in an apartment and are allergic to cats... why can't you get a small dog? That's what I would pick.

If for some reason you can't get a dog, out of the ones you listed I would pick a sugar glider because I think they are soo adorable! I have never had one or even handled one. I don't think they can be handled very often though, I think they just like to chill out in their cages.

I dislike lizards so I really don't have anything to say about them.

Snakes are pretty rad! Boas and other constricting snakes. But they aren't cuddly and playful which kind of sucks, depending on what you are looking for in a pet.

Ferrets look really cute but I have heard a lot of really bad stories about people that have ferrets as pets. Plus they stink.

If you want to go with something not on your list (besides a small dog) I would say get a pet rat. I have a female and she is adorable. They love to climb all over you and are very playful. You have to clean their cages often though otherwise they start to smell REALLY bad... but the smell is avoided by frequent cleaning. I have a rex rat which just means that she has soft fluffy fur instead of short silky/wire fur and her wiskers are curly.

Hope I helped!

Answer 4

I know quite a bit about ferrets:

Most come descented, including ones you find in pet stores. A breeder or private owner might have ferrets that still have scent glands. Ferrets might not be a great pet because of your lack of time at home; they are high-maintenance pets that require a few hours of playtime per day, and a spotless living environment. They can get into your keys, glasses, etc. and other items and hide them in the places where they sleep and burrow. Ferrets also require high-quality ferret food. Regular dog or cat food won't cut it; they need to have food formulated for ferrets. Some KITTEN (not cat) food will work, but be sure the ingredients are ferret-safe (at least 30% meat based protein, at least 20% fat, and not too much fiber). Ferrets come in many color varieties as well, including: sable, albino, chocolate, silver, and lots more. If you want more info about ferrets, check out some of the following sites:

http://www.hugawoozel.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret

http://www.ferretcare.org/

There are plenty more online, too.

Good luck with your pet search!