What's a good small cheap pet I can have?

fish are both. but not fun. I’d go for a pet rock

A “Chia Pet” would be good and low maintenance.

Baby?

yeah hun?

A reptile (lizard, gecko snake)? I think the most costly thing to provide for them is a heat lamp that you have to keep on at all times.

Reptiles can be great pets, but please carefully research their housing, environmental and dietary needs thoroughly. Remarkably few exotic pets survive anywhere near their normal life expectancy because they’re not cared for properly.

I know you said no fish, but have you considered a betta? They have an astonishing amount of personality for a fish. I have one on my desk at work. He begs when he is hungry (but will only eat one piece at a time – he doesn’t like soggy food), is very offended by my mouse cord and flares/displays aggressively when it comes near, and wiggles his way into the center of a plant when he wants to sleep. He’s surprising good company.

Doesn’t get cheaper than a goldfish. But hamsters and mice are a little more fun.

pet rats are cool and very intelligent! Also, hedgehogs are SO cute!!!!! Maybe a lovebird or two?

A turtle would be easy I would think.

turtles smell really bad. i think that was the factor nixing rodents.

a leopard gecko. Look for a care sheet in google. They are very easy and cheap to mantain. They just need heat source and no specific lights as they are nocturnal and dont need uv light.

You can never underestimate the hermit crab. Give them a little… and they give back just that.

Parakeets are very smart

a bird or a ferret they r very cute and playful but need to be taken care of alot

A bird might work. What’s a good one that isn’t too loud or expensive.

Ask yourself this: why do you want a pet in the first place? Is it for companionship? Is it to show your friends that you have a cool pet? Please consider the welfare of the animal before you go ahead and acquire one. Dogs and cats make the best pets for a reason – they are domesticated and tame (mostly). Outside of those 2 animals, some small rodents and fish, I would not recommend another type of pet.

Birds can live for 50+ years and are way too smart to be caged. Reptiles require specific levels of light, humidity, temperature, food, etc. that they almost always die as pets. Ferrets have a novel quality about them that people like, but after a while the smell gets to even the most tolerant of pet owners, and the novelty quickly fades. You should also think about veterinary care – most vets don’t see exotics either for ethical reasons or because they don’t have the experience. If you pet gets sick, there may not be accessible or affordable health care available.

If you have any more serious questions about animal ownership, please ask me. I have worked with hundreds of species in my life, most of which would make horrible pets.

Well said.

You could get a finch. They are small and easy to care for. They don’t make too much noise.. They just make little “peep” sounds, and they are pretty active hopping around their cage, so they are fun to watch.

How about a Sugar Glider?

Sugar gliders are social animals that live in groups. Keeping one as a pet is just mean.

Also most people who get gliders get rid if them when they realize quite how much work they actually take. You will never get a good nights sleep again if you don’t make absolutely sure that they’re not bored.

I justed ended up getting another Beta.

Hermit Crabs ROCK!!! I have been keeping them since 2005 and have done a lot of research on their care. There is quite a learning curve to keeping them successfully, but once you know what you’re doing, they aren’t really difficult to care for. Definitely join a forum that is related to whatever pet you choose because the advice you get there will be superior to anything they tell you at the petstore. and check out my site http://freewebs.com/crabotanicals !