General

The Big Pet Guide Part 1 Beginner to Intermediate Pets

Hello Basil, welcome to my Pet Guide. Here I will discuss various pets you can own, what to expect, start-up and maintenance costs along with the general skill level involved with their proper care. I believe that when you purchase a pet, you have a responsibility to the animal to provide it with the best possible enclosure and care possible, so this thread will deal with unconventional but ultimately highly beneficial care for your pets.

To help people chose the pet that best fits their schedule, I've devised a series of tiers based on cost, time required to maintain them, how advanced their care is, along with other considerations that may come with the animal or their enclosure. Keep in mind that no matter what you get, you [i]will[/i] have to alter your lifestyle to some degree. There is no way around this since at the very least, it means you now have to worry about the nutrition and cleanliness of another being, so even the easiest pet to get will mean at least having to wake up 15 minutes earlier or devoting 15 minutes of each day providing them food.

Keep in mind that whenever you buy substrate, you must get it from your pet store! Simply grabbing dirt from outside could contaminate your animal or be full of pesticides, so do not try to go cheap here. If vegetables must be fed, be sure to always rinse them before offering them and if insects are provided, be sure to dust them with calcium and gut load them! Research time means how much time you should spend researching the animal and their needs.

[header]Beginner[/header]
These animals are very easy to maintain, require very little attention on a daily basis, have low to no vet costs, food is easy to obtain and offer and there is little to no risk of the animal escaping its cage or enclosure. Recommended to just about anyone, these animals will be hardy, can be handled and are fairly hardy. Little space is required to house them.

[header2]Hissing Cockroaches[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $2-$15
Start-up Cost: $40-$150
Temperament: Docile
Risk of Escape: Low
Diet: Vegetables, Some Meat, Leftovers
Concerns: Breeding
Research Time: 10 minutes
Care Time: >5 minutes
Handling? Yes

When it comes to pets, nothing gets easier than these guys. You can keep them in something as simple as a $10 Kritter Keeper plastic enclosure, along with some substrate $12. A simple bowl for food and water ($5) and a place to hide are all these guys require. They are social animals so at least keep them in a pair Feed them vegetables, keep them at room temperature and you're all set. For optimum housing, provide a 10 gallon tank, add a grapevine branch that they can climb on and explore and a place to hide. This should come to about $75 but looks considerably nicer than a Kritter Keeper.

[header2]Cricket Keeping[/header2]
Cost of Animal: 10cents-$1
Start-Up Cost: $25
Temperament: Mischievous
Risk of Escape: Moderate
Diet: Vegetables, Leftovers
Concerns: Overcrowding, noise
Research Time: 10 Minutes
Care Time: 5 minutes daily, 10 minutes to clean out every weekend
Handling? Not recommended
Life-Span: 6 Weeks if purchased small

Nobody really keeps pet crickets, however, if you chose to get a lizard or other animal like a scorpion, these guys will come in handy. You want to buy the Exo-Terra Cricket Keeper. It's usually $12 but much harder for the crickets to escape. The dishes are nice and spare you the bother of providing a water bowl where they could drown. You want to feed your crickets fresh vegetables everyday to "gut load" them. This will give you healthy crickets that will give more nutrients to your reptiles. Clean the enclosure every week and avoid over-crowding at all costs. Crickets tend to stay in the keeper unless you put too many. If you do, you will find that crickets are quite the adept escape artists. They are not social animals, so you must place two small pieces of cardboard (egg carton works great!) for them to hide in. Not much else to them.

[header2]Millipedes[/header2]
Cost of Animal: Free-$25
Start-Up Cost: $15-75
Temperament: Docile
Risk of Escape: None
Diet: Vegetables, Compost
Concerns: Smell, Fruit Flies
Research Time: 15 minutes
Care Time: >5minutes
Handling? Possible but not recommended
Life-Span: ?

Millipedes make unique "pets." They're kept more for their vibrant colors (there's even a species that glows in the dark!) and useful ability with the soil. If you keep a compost bin for your garden, these little guys will make a great addition to your bin. You can make their enclosure as fancy or bare bones as you want. Even a $10 Kritter Keeper works wonders. Just be sure to keep your compost pile outside and well ventilated to avoid any bad smells escaping the enclosure. Otherwise these guys should be fine. Do not confuse with the carnivorous centipede.

[header2]Terrestrial Crabs[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $5-$20
Start-Up Cost: $100
Temperament: Mild Aggression
Risk of Escape: Low
Diet: Scavangers
Concerns: Smell, High Humidity from Body of Water
Research Time: High
Care Time: >5 minutes
Handling? Possible but not recommended
Life-Span: 3-5 Years

These neat little guys require an enclosure that's roughly 70% land, 30% water. These guys are relatively new to the pet market and there's still not a lot of information on them, however, it appears that they can be maintained in a 10 gallon tank with a few hiding spots and some fake plants or vines that they can climb. Substrate should be soil since they come from tropical islands but mine have been doing alright with sand as well. Provide some fresh water as well with some pebbles on the ground so they don't drown and can escape. Water should cover most of their body. They can be fed anything from vegetables to crickets to blood worms. The biggest difficulty in keeping these guys is in picking up the food they missed as it can quickly stink the enclosure and finding a way to fitting a body of water without soaking the soil. Be sure to plan out how you will set up their pool (look for hermit crab supplies!) and you should be all set. Most of your costs will go towards buying their hiding spots. Otherwise, they appear to be low maintenance but take note that there's still little information on their care.Be sure to provide enough substrate where they can burrow if they so desire.

[header]Easy[/header]
These animals are only a step harder to maintain than beginner pets, be it because extra care must be taken when cleaning their enclosure due to venom, a moderate risk of escape, high start-up costs or higher social needs that are easily met but require bigger lifestyle changes. For the most part, if you have 20 minutes of free time every day, you should be fine with these guys.

[header2]Hermit Crabs[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $3-$20
Start-Up Cost: $120
Temperament: Mostly Docile
Risk of Escape: Low
Diet: Scavengers
Concerns: Smell, Providing Enough Shells for Them, Molting
Research Time: 20 minutes
Care Time: >10 Minutes
Handling? Possible, with care
Life-Span: ~5 Years

These take slightly more time and preparation than the other terrestrial crabs. For one, their climbing abilities are more defined so risk of escape is higher if you aren't careful about how you set-up their climbing spots. They also require access to both fresh and salt water dishes, which may take some additional time. Despite popular belief, those small cages they come with from the mall are far from optimal and they are social creatures that will die if not kept in a community. Do not go below a 10 gallon tank for best results. Provide a hide, access to climbing spots and multiple shells around their size. Avoid colored ones as they are usually toxic to your crab and they prefer natural looking shells. Sorry to disappoint. Be sure they have enough sand where they can bury themselves. Take care of disturbing them when they burrow underground as they may be molting and you may kill by disturbing their hiding spot.

[header2]Big Scorpions/Vinegaroons[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $10-$35
Start-Up Cost: $150
Temperament: Docile-Mildly Aggressive
Risk of Escape: Moderately Low
Diet: Insectivores
Concerns: Cleaning the Cage, Venom
Research Time: 20 minutes
Handling? Not recommended
Care Time: >5 Minutes
Life-Span: 3-10 Years

Be sure to research what kind of scorpion you're getting. In general, big scorpions have the most mild venom but be sure to know exactly what species you're getting. Your best bet is the Emperor Scorpion. Depending on their size, 5-10 gallons will suffice and they need little more from a hiding spot, water dish and some nice substrate. Your scorpion will basically just stand around and the only point of action will come when you feed it. For emperors and other forest species, misting every other day wouldn't hurt and could only be beneficial.

[header2]Pac-Man Frogs[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $20-$50
Start-Up Cost: $100-$170
Temperament: Skittish or Mildly Aggressive
Risk of Escape: None
Diet: Insectivore
Concerns: Biting, Overly Aggressive When Being Fed
Research Time: 30 minutes
Care Time: >5 minutes, half an hour every 6 months to clean enclosure
Handling? Avoid
Lifespan: 10-15 years

Basically all your frog will do is sit on a corner it likes and wait to be fed. Voracious eaters, buying a cricket keeper will be a must and is included in start up cost. Can be kept in 5 gallon tanks but 10 gallon tanks would be ideal. Do not keep with other Pac-Man frogs. Avoid handling as it will stress out your frog and it may bite you. They can get a bit bigger than you'd expect but they're pretty much just a display animal.

[header2]Terrestrial Tarantulas[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $15-$200
Start-Up Cost: $75-$170
Risk of Escape: Low
Temperament: Docile to Aggressive
Diet: Insectivore
Concerns: Venom, Hairs
Research Time: 25 minutes
Handling? Possible, but not recommended
Care Time: >5 Minutes weekly
Life-Span: Up to 15 Years

Often described as the "Pet Rock" of animals, tarantulas are surprisingly boring animals despite their intimidating size and reputation. Most terrestrial tarantulas tend to be highly docile though a few species are renown for their aggression. Most can be handled with care, but know that all tarantulas are venomous but not fatal. Provide a hide and some deep substrate they can burrow in and that should be most of it. Provide additional heating with a lamp if you want. I recommend exo-terra enclosures for them but a regular 5 or 10 gallon tank should suffice. They sometimes fast and require a misting when they're molting. Otherwise, they're easy enough to take care of.

[header]Intermediate[/header]
These animals are where most of your popular pet choices fall. They have social requirements, require more regular bedding or litter changes, can be more destructive or have higher start-up costs or have more stringent dietary needs. Whatever the case may be, they can usually be maintained by a responsible and observant adult that has an hour to spare on the weekdays and can dedicate at least an hour every weekend for routine cleanliness. Consider their cage or litters as an extra room that must be cleaned every weekend.

[header2]Indoors Cat[/header2]
Cost Of Animal: Free-$1,000
Start-Up Cost: $500
Temperament: Friendly and Domesticated or Shy and Timid
Risk of Escape: Moderate
Diet: Carnivore/Dry Foods/Insects/Anything
Concerns: Scratched Furniture, Marking Territory, Aggression Towards Other Pets
Research Time: 3 Hours
Care Time: 1-3 hours daily
Handling? Necessary
Life-Span: 16+ years

When it comes to purchasing an indoor cat, try and get them from a trusted breeder. This will ensure you have a domesticate animal that has many years of history dealing with people. It is worth the extra money as they are some of the sweetest, easiest to care for animals. Getting any cat for free is a huge risk as they may be much wilder than you'd expect. Besides, bred cats look nicer!

You will definitely need to buy at least one scratch post and train your cat to use it instead of your beloved couch! Training them as kittens will require some extra work and a close eye on them as they're mischievous bundles of energy but they calm down considerably after a month. Curious creatures, they will explore every nook and cranny and if not neutered, mark them as well. Be sure to clean their litter every night to avoid having an unpleasant surprise. Grooming during the summer is mandatory and will make your cat seem nicer. Some cats may be taught a trick or two but patience and luck are required.

All cats will require some form of human interaction and will seek your attention. I suggest at least spending an hour with your cat, even if it's just sitting down by their favorite sleeping spot. These animals can be very caring and loyal, contrary to popular belief and they can make excellent companions. One of the few animals that can be considered a truly domesticated animals.

[header2]Finches[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $15-$100
Start-Up Cost: $120
Temperament: Social, but not with humans
Risk of Escape: Low
Diet: Seeds, Pellets, Occasional Insect Treat
Concerns: Noise, Messy Eaters
Research Time: 2 Hours
Care Time: 15 minutes daily min., 1 hour ideal
Handling? Avoid
Life-Span: 3-5 years

Finches are by far the lowest maintenance pet bird out there on the market. Provide them with cute little nests, daily water changes, constant food and the occasional insect as a treat and they'll be happy. Social animals, house with two or three in a moderately sized cage (one that costs $75 should do). They are not very smart, so they do not require any toys like parakeets or other, more intelligent birds would require. Be sure to clean their bedding every three days and monitor them for any aggression. Doesn't get any easier than this with birds. They do not, however, like to be handled, so refrain from doing so.

[header2]Doves[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $15-$25
Start-Up Cost: $75-$150
Temperament: Docile
Risk of Escape: Moderate
Diet: Seeds, Vegetables
Concerns: Noisy, Boring, Messy Eaters, Delicate
Research Time: 1 hour
Care Time: 15 Minutes min, 1 hour ideal
Handling? Avoid
Lifespan: 10-15 years

They're almost as easy to keep as finches, although much more delicate and much more boring. Doves, also known as pigeons, are usually considered pests but can be kept as pets. Don't expect to be able to train yours or see it do much of anything. They can look very pretty and should occasionally be showered with care (this is a very delicate thing, so research it properly). Be sure to let them out to stretch and exercise and talk to them gently; this should be enough to tame and bond with your dove. Other than that, doves really don't have much else to them. Keep them away from drafty windows and be careful since they may try to escape.

[header2]Mice and Rats[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $3-$20
Start-Up Cost: $50-$170
Temperament: Docile, Skittish, Friendly or Hostile
Risk of Escape: Moderate
Diet: Pellets/Mice or Hamster Mixes, Give a Treat of Rice, Cheerios, or Pasta once a week
Concerns: Smell, Active During the Night, Biting
Research Time: 1 Hour
Care Time: 1 hour daily, min.
Handling? Recommended
Life-Span: 2-3 Years for Mice, 2-5 Years for Rats

Mice are pretty fun because you can keep on expanding their enclosure with fun new accessories if you decide to buy the plastic cages. They're also quite colorful but keep in mind they will be a pain to clean, which needs to be done on a weekly basis to avoid their smell. Toys must also be bought as these animals are highly intelligent and can easily be bored. Only keep one male or three females. These are social animals and will appreciate your company, so be sure to handle them from the start. Give them an occasional treat ever weekend but no more to avoid fattening them. Avoid most bedding as they are too dusty for their sensitive respiratory system.

Provide fresh water and food often as they have a fast metabolism. Aside from this, make sure to wash your hands after handling to prevent disease and if you keep them in your room, make sure their running wheel is well oiled or be prepared to stay awake all night.

[header2]Rabbits[/header2]
Cost of Animal: $20-$45
Start-Up Cost: $300+
Temperament: Tame when Young, May Become Moderately Aggressive as it Grows
Risk of Escape: Moderate
Diet: 90% Timothy Hay, Pellets/10% Vegetable Supplements
Concerns: Claws, Biting, Growing Aggressive
Handling? Mandatory
Life-Span: 10-20 Years
Care Time: 35 minutes
Research Time: 1 Hour

I'm a bit hesitant of adding Rabbits to the intermediate category but if proper precautions are taken, they do fit the category well. The main problems encountered with rabbits is how delicate they are along with some unique demands. Rabbits have highly sensitive digestive systems and are notorious for pooping a lot. Thankfully they are very easily litter trained (yes, they have a natural inclination to be litter trained!) and with a fresh supply of hay and water, you should be fine with a rabbit. They may be kept indoors or outdoors. Personally I prefer outdoors, but if you do, research what breed of rabbit you have. Some are very hardy and can withstand the cold and hot alike, others are sensitive to the heat and must have an ice pack if temperatures go over 80 degrees. If kept indoors, their litter must be changed daily to avoid smell and this can become quite a chore. If you enter them, watch them carefully as they bite anything and could end up biting cables.

Contrary to popular belief, vegetables are NOT part of their main diet. Hay and water are the most essential. And yes, they can eat carrots, although they are a starchy vegetable so they should not be fed daily. Try to feed them dark greens and herbs everyday and give them fruit and starchy vegetables once a week. Wash all the vegetables as their stomachs are very delicate.

Neuter your rabbit to reduce the chance of it growing into an abrasive or even aggressive individual. With regular handling and care, they should be fine. Take them out for at least an hour for them to exercise and run around. Supervise them and never leave them outdoors unattended. They are eaten by pretty much anything. There's even been reports of hawks eating a rabbit left in the backyard, so watch out!

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Over the weekend I'll discuss the more advanced pets out there. If you're wondering why a pet was not included here in this list, it may be because they have additional requirements (most dogs require more time and lifestyle changes to truly be considered "intermediate&quot or because I have no personal experience with their care (such as with hamsters). If you're wondering, be sure to leave a comment if you think I forgot something or if you want information on any other animals in my upcoming guide. If I say that I have no experience with an animal but you do, I'll be more than happy to use your experience to update the guide.

Thanks for reading!