Finding the Right Pet
To find the easiest pets to take care of can be daunting if you’re unsure of what pet you want. In this article, we’ll basically focus on the easiest pets for kids and provide a list of easiest pets to take care of for kids.
For each family, it will be certainly different on what’s considered the best low maintenance pets. Families with young children will likely start with small pets that are easy to take care of. Nevertheless, starting with these simple pets would be the easiest pets to have.
While the idea of having a pet sounds fun, it requires a lot of work regardless. Some pets are easier to take care of than others. When you’ve finally decided on having a pet, it will require a lot of patience, money, dedication and most important love. Therefore, all pets will need proper attention and care, so you must be ready.
Furthermore, it’s important to know more to finding the right pet than just liking the apperance of them. Every pet will have their own personality and needs. For example, pets like gerbils and mice are quick and small. Children would have to know how to properly handle them without squeezing too hard. Even certain breeds of dogs have strong traits which will require a lot of exercise and attention. More than children can offer to give.
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Meanwhile in this article, we’ll focus on common home pets excluding any cats, and dogs. They undoutbly require a step up more work than the list of pets in our list.
Note: Don’t forget to check out our public poll on who everyone thinks is the easiest pet to care for at the bottom of this article! And Free Poster for Easiest Pets to Take Care of for Kids!
Without further ado, let’s get started and look at some of the easiest pets for kids.
Owning fish can be a lot of work since frequent water change is required. Some fish are even very sensitive to the type of water and care it needs. Moreover, these are the two easiest fish to take care of since they are resilient and can survive in difficult water conditions. General rule of thumbs is normally 1 inch per gallon, so don’t overcrowd your fish bowl or fish tank.
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Length: 2.8 inches (Adult)
- Price Factor: A few bucks, depends on the housing choice and decorations.
Betta Fish are beautiful fish and can survive with a few ounces of water, hence pet stores keep Betta Fish in small cups. Even though Betta fish can live in smaller amount of water, it would just be nice to give them at least 5 gallons or more. Regardless, it’s just responsible to learn more about these fish before you buy one. Betta fish will enjoy plenty of decors such as caves, and plants. Their diet also consists of worms, daphnia, bloodworms, and brine shrimp. Additionally, it’s best to host a single sex specie in its own habitat to avoid any aggression.
It doesn’t take a lot to own a Betta Fish. They are low cost and doesn’t need a lot of water or equipment. Betta Fish also doesn’t require any human interaction, so kids aren’t required to attend to it all the time.
- Lifespan: up to 20 years
- Length: 8 to 12 inches in captive (Adult)
- Price Factor: $
Goldfish are one of the easiest fish to care for. It’s considered a low maintenance fish with minimal needs. But goldfish will still need proper care and attention for them to thrive. One thing to note, Goldfish can get big and are messy eaters. Nevertheless, some end up giving up their pet goldfish once they get bigger and no longer have the desire to care for it.
Goldfishes are low costs, very hardy and have a higher survival rate compared to other aquarium fishes. In addition, Goldfish does not require any human interaction, so kids aren’t required to attend to it all the time. Besides they also have a very easy diet and enjoy goldfish flakes that are made of veggies and protein.
- Lifespan: 3-4 years
- Length: up to 6 inches (depending on the type of hamster)
- Price Factor: $
Hamsters is an excellent pet that is easy to care for. It will require a cage, bedding, toys for exercise, water and food. Provide your hamster with enough love and they will be very return the favor. Also, hamsters are one of the easiest pets to care for since it’s not too small like mice and too big like rabbits. Moreover, this makes it easy to care for since it doesn’t require as much cleaning and maintenance. Two popular starter hamsters to consider are the Golden Hamster and Teddy Bear Hamster.
Hamsters are low costs, simple and can be taken around easily. This gives kids the chance to physically handle an animal without having to walk it. For maintenance, you can purchase bedding and large back of food for relatively cheap and will last a long time.
- Lifespan: Up to 20 years (if properly cared for)
- Length: up to 6 inches
- Price Factor: $
Hermit crabs is another easy pet to care for. Though they are not true “crabs”, they do resemble one with its 3 pair-walking legs. They have low maintenance requirement and has enough distinct personality to keep things entertaining. Hermit crabs will find shells as they grow out of the smaller ones. They require a well-balance diet including commercial hermit crab food and veggies.
Hermit crabs are easy to take care of. As long as there’s enough shells for them to grow into, they will generally thrive in their own environment. Additionally, turtles are low cost and doesn’t require human interaction.
Turtles have been popular pets for kids for a long time. They are one of the cutest reptiles and are slow so it doesn’t require a lot of energy to keep up with them. Their maintenance requirements are also minimal compared to say a dog. Turtles is one of the easiest pets to take care of for kids. They will be happy as long as the water is twice as deep as their shell and there’s crawling space . There are small turtles if that is a concern such as dollar turtles, quarter turtles and dwarf turtles which can stay under 6 inches. In addition, turtles will be required to be fed 4-5 times a week and water must be fresh as possible.
- Lifespan: 5-9 years (Finches), 5-10 years (Parakeet Budgerigar)
- Length: 3-5 inches (Finches) – up to 7 inches (Parakeet Budgerigar)
- Price Factor: $$
Two of the easiest birds to care for are the Parakeet budgerigar and Finches. To start, you’ll need a sturdy cage, with perches, toys, cage liner and food and water bowls.
Starting with Finches, they are very social and will perch on your finger. They also don’t require a lot of attention which makes it a great pet for kids. Finches will provide soothe “music” with soft chirping. However, it is best to be housed with two or more since they are social birds. Furthermore, they do not require the humans interaction though some have been able to train finches through handling.
Parakeet budgerigar (budgies) are very colorful, are easy to care for and can learn how to talk. These birds have strong bond with their owners since they can be handled.
If it comes a day where you no longer can care for the birds, they can be given to local shelters and rescue groups.
Finches and budgies do not require a lot of attention, though if given, they are responsive. Particularly, these birds are more hardy birds compared to other species and if birds are your thing, they are great for starters.
- Lifespan: Up to 5 years
- Length: 1.5″
- Price Factor: $
African dwarf frogs are among the easiest pet to take care of for kids. They are hardy creatures and can their diet consist of frozen mysis shrimp, bloodworms, and brine shrimp. In general, African dwarf frogs are small and can co-exists with fish. At minimal, plan to get a pair since they are social aquatic amphibians. They will never leave the water and spend most of their time at the bottom of the water.
African Dwarf Frogs are very easy to care for, very affordable and low maintenance. If you’re concern that they will hop around, fear not as these frogs will stay underwater. Furthermore, they will compliment a community of aquarium fishes quite peacefully.
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
- Size: 5 to 12 pounds
- Price Factor: $$
Rabbits are also one of the easiest pets to care for due to its timid nature. They are relatively cheap but overtime the costs can add up and need veterinary care including routine vaccination. The rabbit made it to our list because it’s still easier to care for than a dog. In addition, rabbits are suited more for older kids, since they are easily startled by loud noise and sleep most of the time.
Rabbits are one of the easiest pets because they are asleep most of the time. Evidently, rabbits are suited for older kids simply because they require proper attention.They also require less care than dogs, in the sense that they do not need to be walked or house trained.
- Lifespan: 4-8 years
- Length: up to 10 inches
- Price Factor: $$
Guinea Pigs are one of the easiest pets to care for but are often mistaken to be the same care level as hamsters. Unlike hamsters, they are also much larger and more active. Furthermore, they will require more attention and maintenance. Guinea pigs are great pets for kids because they have distinct personalities and thrive on social interaction. They are up majority of the day, up to 20 hours so they are active.
In addition, it’s extremely rare they bite, and if they do it’s likely because there was food in your hand. Guinea Pigs are also agile jumpers and loves fruits and veggies. Above all, it’s very easy to get started. You’ll need cage, food and water bowl, toys, hide house, and bedding.
Guinea Pigs care are like pigs, well almost. They are extremely active, which are great for active children. Especially, if they are properly handled and taken care of, they make a great addition to any home. Because of the attention it needs, it’s better suited for a dedicated owner as they thrive on social interaction.
- Lifespan: 8-12 years (Bearded), up to 20 years (Geckos)
- Length: 18-20 inches (Bearded), 8-10 inches (Leopard)
- Price Factor: $$$
Lizards are probably far from anyone’s mind as a pet to easily take care of. Fact is there are many different types of lizard, and all have different care levels. Two lizards, the Bearded Dragon Lizard and Leopard Geckos come to mind. In fact, they are one of the easiest pets to take care of for kids. They are housed in heated glass tanks with overhead lighting to keep the temperature warm mimicking warmer climates. Their diets consist of live crickets and mealworms, thawed mice and chopped veggies with occasional multi-vitamin drops.
Comparatively, Lizards are one of the more pricier pets to start with, The Bearded Dragon and Leopard Gecko Lizards care level is relatively easy. They are able to thrive as long as their environment is setup correctly and kids will be able to interact with them.
- Lifespan: 2 years (but reproduce in great numbers if taken care of)
- Length: half-inch to 3/4 inch
- Price Factor: $
Surely these are referred to as sea monkeys but aren’t actually monkeys. Instead they are a type of brine shrimp which are tiny crustaceans. So this makes sea monkeys very easy to take care of as long as the water quality is good. While getting started is simple, all you’ll need is a sea monkey kit and filter feeder (phytoplankton and algae). Maintenance is simply topping off the water from evaporation from time to time.
To start, they are very affordable. The maintenance is simple, just topping off any water that has evaporated and feeding. Also, sea monkeys reproduce in great numbers so as long as they are well taken care of, they will last for a very long time. The challenge is not overfeeding and your child getting bored quickly. However, they are great starter pets with the least maintenance and care compared to others on this list.
Deciding on the Easiest Pets to take Care of for Kids
In conclusion, pets can be a great addition for families, and it can be fun. It’s much better to understand what the pet is about and undeniably prevent any conflicts later. Furthermore, it’s great and beneficial to think about it before getting a pet. As you can see, even the most easiest pets can require a lot of time and energy. There are lots of benefits for having a pet at home and kids can learn a lot while growing up.
Interesting reading: Benefits for Children Having Pets
If a real pet is not in the cards, then consider toy pets for kids. Although, it won’t be like a real pet, toy pets will make great alternatives without the commitments. It may provide temporarily satisfaction until they next time your kids are asking for a pet again.
Check out the Top 10 Pet Toys: Top 10 Toy Pets in 2020
Lastly, you can consider adopting an animal at a local zoo! Many zoo, animal rescue centers, farms and wildlife parks offer animal adoption programs. It’s a great way for the kids to feel connected to an animal, as well as contribute to its well-being!
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