The Best Pets to Have in an Apartment

Apartment living has many perks for the modern individual, but it can be tricky for the animal-lovers out there to find a pet which is relatively low maintenance and easy to take care of.

 

There’s a lot of factors to consider before choosing the pet which is the best fit for you, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the top apartment pets you can get in Malta.

1. Hamsters

Hamsters are brilliant apartment pets for two main reasons: 1) they’re nocturnal and 2) they don’t need a huge amount of space.

 

Since these furry friends are nocturnal, you won’t have to worry about being out of your apartment for extended periods of time. Just make sure they’re loaded up on food and water, and they’ll be perfectly fine. By the time you get in at night, they’ll be up and ready for some interaction.

 

The other great thing is that you can keep these pets contained in their cages at no detriment to their happiness. As long as the cages are equipped with some fun accessories like wheels or tunnels to borrow through, they’ll easily keep themselves entertained.

2. Birds

Birds can also stay comfortably in cages for a long period of time, which means they’re not going to wreak havoc on your apartment when you’re not there.

 

Birds are surprisingly social animals the longer you invest your time in interacting with them. Breeds like parakeets or parrots in general are especially adept at keeping their owners company since they respond to training.

 

The only issue with having larger birds like parrots around is that they might make too many squawking sounds for the liking of your fussy neighbours. You can avoid this by keeping your bird indoors when you’re out, instead of out in your balcony or yard.

3. Fish

Don’t jump the gun on fish, like most do, because you assume they’re too boring.

 

It’s been proven that spending just 15-20 minutes looking at fish swimming around can be so relaxing that it has a serious effect on reducing stress levels.

Aside from being pretty to look at, fish are very low maintenance. Whatever type of fish, or sea-creature, you purchase, all they need is a big tank, the right temperature, a couple of water features they can play around with, and food.

 

The only down-side is that tanks need electricity to keep filtering the water so that your pets don’t end up… well … sleeping with the fishes (we’ve all seen Finding Nemo – we know what happens when a filter stops working). But don’t worry, keep it small and the tank won’t put a dent in your electricity bill.

4. Cats

Cats are by far the most popular apartment pets, and with good reason. They’re cuddly and intelligent enough to be good company, but at the same time so independent you don’t need to worry about leaving them on their own.

 

There’s a couple of things to look out for though.

 

1. Avoid bringing in very young kittens who are still going through their scratching phase. If you’re renting, the landlord will take your deposit. If you’re not, the furniture you paid for will be ruined.

 

2. Be prepared for lots of shedding. Whether you’re interested in fluffy cats or shorter-haired cats, you should always have a couple of lint brushes on hand to wipe down your couch and bed.