I was having a conversation with a friend looking to get a pet for their daughter. Of course the daughter wants a puppy or kitten but the child is open to anything. I suggested a tarantula but I guess that doesn't suit cuddly aspect. Does anyone have a suggestion for a cheap pet?
Maybe a fish. You just need to buy the aquarium, decorations, food, etc. Then, you're all good. Of course, I believe that having a fish as a pet is boring. I have three cats, and let me tell you. Owning cats is expensive. I guess that because the daughter is still young, she can just start with a fish. A goldfish starts long.
Maybe I might be wrong but I think that the cheapest pet to own is a dog. I think that they are the easiest to maintain and that you do not have to do too much for them to feel good and like you are taking care of them.
Hamsters are cheap pets, I had them when I was a kid. Their food is cheap, and you can feed them veggies too. As for their cage, you can place them inside any high container, like a thrash can for example. Just clean their cage always and you'll be fine.
Consider getting a rabbit because I don't think they take that much to maintain and they don't require too much food either. Another good thing is that they grow fairly big so they can almost be substitute for puppies when at full size and they are still very cute and easy to hug. The most important thing is that they are a little safer to have around children than dogs or cats because they don't bite or scratch.
A betta fish is a great pet because you don't need a full-size aquarium, as they prefer small spaces. Besides not taking up much room, they are also cool to look at and easy to take care of. The only downside is that two male bettas cannot share the same space/bowl because they will bludgeon one another. However, a male and female betta can share the same space.
I'd recommend a rat or mouse but most girls are scared of rats and mice. I've known kids who had mice and rats for pets and they were real cheap [to keep] since they ate whatever their owners ate. But they had to be kept in cages so they wouldn't go around the house chewing everything they found. Maybe your friend should consider getting their daughter a guinea pig. They are relatively cheap to keep.
With any pet, but in particular with animals that live a good 10-15 years such as cats and dogs, you need to be prepared for the unexpected when it comes to medical bills - which can easily set you back thousands if they develop something serious or are seriously injured somehow. One of our three dogs, a beagle, developed Cushing's Disease, which ended up costing us thousands of dollars overall in treatments and doctors visits. Granted, you can purchase pet insurance, which will certainly help out of something bad were to happen (we didn't have pet insurance at the time), but there will still be some out of pocket expenses and you need to pay attention to the fine print to see what it doesn't cover. With some of the other pet options, I would also perhaps factor in how humane it is to keep some of these creatures as pets. It's rather cruel to keep a goldfish in a small bowl of dirty water and neglect it, for example. Similarly, it's not very kind to leave a rabbit cramped up in a small cage all day long. Even Iguanas have drastically shorter lifespans when kept indoors as pets.
I would definitely have to say that fish are some of the cheapest pets that you can own. We were petless until a few years ago. But we won a fish at a fair ground, and then bought another fish so that the fish we won wouldn't be lonely. The fish take and some of the interior things for the fish tank were initially experience. But other than that, all you have to buy is the fish food, and it goes down slowly.
Dogs are great for interaction with children. My one suggestion is that if she does get a dog is try to get a short hair breed. Otherwise, they need to be groomed every few months. Trust me, my family has spent a small fortune over the years with just grooming costs. If we had it all to do over again. I think we would have had only short haired dogs.
I think a fish would be the cheapest pet to own. If you buy a Betta fish the tank is small and fairly cheap and the food to feed them is also pretty cheap.
Rock. A pet rock would for sure be the best bet for ensuring no extra costs are involved. LOL All joking aside, any pet can be expensive and it's best to be sure you could afford a high vet bill before getting anything that can't be flushed down a toilet. I have two dogs, a cat and a bearded dragon and my bearded dragon is the cheapest to feed and makes the least mess but also requires lights that use electricity. So... $$$$.
Most pets can be bought cheaply, many people think of horses as hugely expensive, but I know many people who have been given them for free, its the upkeep and potential vets bills that are the biggest cost. The cheapest I would say is an insect or fish that does not need a heater or any type of artificial environment. Stick insects are popular so are sea monkeys, indoor wormerys also.
I think a bird like a budgie is a good, inexpensive pet. I grew up with not a lot of money and we kept a few budgies as pets. All you need is a cage and some birdseed, and maybe a couple things in the cage to keep them occupied (swing, something to nibble, etc.). As long as you don't mind the singing everymorning, when they're hungry.
