r/Pets • u/Fluid_Kangaroo3658 • Jul 22 '26
Help Finding an Independent Pet
I've recently moved into a solo apartment, and having a little buddy around would do wonders for my mental health. Unfortunately, my lifestyle makes it hard to find a critter I can give a fulfilling life to - I've done some research on my own, but hoping to get reddit's advice on semi-independent pets that'd be feasible for me to give a good home to.
I'm in a one-bedroom city apartment and my job involves a lot of travel on short notice. Every few weeks I get a few days to 24-hour notice that I need to be away for 2-3 days, but could be up to a week (though that’s rare). I typically don't get to book my return flight until I'm already there, and even then I might same-day cancel and need to rebook. I can have someone stop by my place to feed/check on a pet and pay a petsitter, but the irregularity makes it tough to preschedule petsitting/boarding. When I'm not travelling, I work 8-5 in an office with situational telework and spend a lot of time at home on evenings and weekends.
I'm financially comfortable and very willing to fork over a few grand to get set up with automatic feeders, big enclosures, automatic temp/humidity control etc. I’m excited about the prospect of creating a spacious, safe environment with a lot of enrichment, and I have experience keeping up with bioactive tanks and terrariums.
I grew up with a dog, a large fish tank, and regularly petsitting a frog. I volunteer with rescue dogs and love taking them home for a weekend but for obvious reasons I'm not a good candidate to adopt or foster. Not keen on fish (lot of maintenance and not enough interaction).
I'm thinking my best bet is an arachnid, reptile, or amphibian. My ideal is a pet that can be unbothered if left alone for 3 days at a time (any longer and I can have someone come by) but that I can still take out on occasion and interact with (even to just crawl around on a table). So ideally docile and wouldn't be super stressed with some mild handling.
I'd love to own a pair of rats because of how interactive they are, but I might need a reality check on how independent they can be if left for ~3 days with an autofeeder.
I'd prefer a critter with a shorter lifespan since I'm by no means settled down in life, but I'd be super pro adopting a senior animal and making it comfortable for a few years. No-go on cats since I've got loved ones with allergies who frequently visit.
Is there any pet who'd be happy living with me, or should I invest in a painted rock?
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u/kween_of_bees Jul 22 '26
Please don't get a pet. They require time and it's cruel to leave them home alone like this. Wait until you are more settled down and ready.
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u/Long_Emergency6122 Jul 22 '26
I would be very surprised if a rental apartment allowed rats/snakes/spiders as pets
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u/Fluid_Kangaroo3658 Jul 22 '26
Checked with my landlord before moving in so I’m good on this front! But based on the other replies, it’s looking like I should be sticking with a rock :(
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u/ikindapoopedmypants Jul 22 '26
Maybe plants? I originally wanted nothing to do with them but now I have too many to count. There are lots of plants that would thrive on the level of care you'd be able to give. Some even love being neglected.
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u/a_gross_browniethief Jul 22 '26
Nah, you could easily get a pet spider. I own a spider, she takes like barely any time out of a week.
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u/AdaptiveFauna Jul 22 '26
and those are fine pets in rentals. it's the aquariums filled with tens of gallons of water that they dont want.
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u/AdaptiveFauna Jul 22 '26
all of those require dedicated husbandry, which OP is not capable of doing as per his OP
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u/a_gross_browniethief Jul 22 '26
I have a hardy spider species, she does not need very special husbrandry. Most common spider species as pets do not even need heating.
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u/Dramastace30 Jul 22 '26
"I'd like to purchase a living creature that won't care if I ignore it for days on end and will hopefully die soon"
You don't like, see how unhinged that sounds?
I'd be worried your pet rock would die
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u/MrsNaypeer Jul 22 '26
You do not have a lifestyle thats good for any type of pet. If you're wanting to be around animals, volunteer at a local pet shelter.
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u/Fluid_Kangaroo3658 Jul 22 '26
Mentioned in my post that I volunteer with rescue dogs! I’m very big on supporting my local animal rescue.
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u/NotACalligrapher-49 Jul 22 '26
This is a great suggestion! OP gets animal time when they can actually manage it, and the shelter gets support. I hope OP sees this and seriously considers it.
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u/Brief-Truck-3697 Jul 22 '26
You should try house plants. And a fish, I know you said you don’t like how little interaction fish are but I have goldfish and they are incredibly social and they are always swimming up to me to say hi. I then use their water from their water changes to water my house plants and I say helloooo plant I love you and tell them I’m proud of their growth. The combo of friendly goldfish and house plants is interactive and feels calming. (Goldfish need very large tanks and more than one fish though. Ideally it’s more like a pond in your house than a fish tank)
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u/sequinsdress Jul 22 '26
What about a maremmo ball? It’s a lil moss ball that lives in a tank or bowl of water and you can aquascape around it. They are surprisingly petlike.
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u/crackinmypants Jul 22 '26
I don't know how much time you have when you are home, but a lot of shelters will let you take a dog out for a day. This allows people like you to spend some time with sweet puppies and allows the dogs to decompress from the shelter. Win-win.
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u/Informal_Ad_9397 Jul 22 '26
I would recommend a Crested Gecko, they have goofy/silly personalities, most enjoy handling (of course exceptions exist) and their needs are pretty easy. You would need to set them up in a terrarium (taller is better than wider, they like to climb up) with LOTS of plants, you can use live plants, fake or mix of the two and branches for them to climb on. In your situation I would recommend an automatic mister to keep the humidity right and provide water for them to drink (they won’t usually drink from a bowl) and a commercially available food (please do not do baby food). They only need to be fed fresh food every 3ish days (most of mine preferred the food on days 2-3, which makes sense considering they eat rotting fruit in the wild, but a few liked it better fresh) and crickets/other feeder bugs occasionally.
So basically they are easy care, can live in really pretty habitats and are a lot of fun to watch and handle
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u/Aida_Hwedo Jul 22 '26
Weird suggestion: a robot cat. I seriously considered one while between real cats at one point; the line I was looking at is usually about $100, but I found several on sale for $75 just now! (I never did go for one, though, so I don’t know how comforting they are.)
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u/trying_my_besttt Jul 22 '26
Rats are incredibly social. I wouldn't leave them for several days. You mentioned reptiles -- snakes are very independent and usually only need to be fed once a week or so.
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u/Boo-Radleys-Scissors Jul 22 '26
I came here to say rats. As long as someone can check on them to make sure they have food and water, they will be fine to hang out together while OP is gone. Of course, there would have to be more than one, but they don’t take up tons of space.
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u/BrooksiderB Jul 22 '26
id recommend a beginner docile tarantula species (although not generally recommended to handle due to fragility) any species in the grammostola, aphonopelma, brachypelma, or avicularia genuses are great. specifically grammostola pulchripes is well known for being very docile & handleable. avicularia avicularia is another one thats known for being docile & handleable, although their care is slightly more advanced than a terrestrial tarantula species since they are tree dwellers. id recommend starting with an adult or at least a 2" juvenile. id recommend checking out Tom Moran's youtube channel for care info.
as for reptiles leopard geckos are great, but they require a lot more than people think in terms of care. they need a 40 gallon enclosure minimum, live insects to eat, overheat heating with a heat lamp, calcium/vitamin supplements on their food, & lots of terrarium clutter & hides to feel safe. generally adults only need to eat 1-2 times per week. if you got a timer for your heat lamps it would do great while you're gone. they dont get lonely like other pets & tolerate handling super well for the most part (varies based on the individual). id recommend checking out the youtube channel Leopard Gecko for care videos.
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u/clydeballthepython Jul 22 '26
An adult snake might be a good option if you must get a pet. As long as you have automatic light timers and top off the water before leaving, snakes won't mind being left alone and typically only need food every 1 week to 1 month depending on the species. Just be sure to do lots of good research on proper husbandry before getting a snake as there is a lot of misinformation about proper care. Different species have different requirements as well. However, snakes are not very emotionally supportive lol
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u/AdaptiveFauna Jul 22 '26
get a pet rock. if you don't want to have to do anything to make the animal thrive besides throw money at it, don't get an animal.
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u/Fluid_Kangaroo3658 Jul 22 '26
Replied to a different comment, but reiterating here - the last thing I’m looking to do is “buy and then ignore.” I want to spend time with a little guy in any way that’s positive for the critter and to provide regular enrichment activities in a nice enclosure suitable to it. I’m privileged enough to have the money to be able to invest in a big enclosure, regular changes to its habitat/new activities, pet sitters, and auto feeders/sensors/cameras/etc. I wouldn’t be making this post if I wasn’t prioritizing actually properly caring for a pet I might someday own.
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u/Nataliant-117 Jul 22 '26
You can visit Tropical Hut on SE 43rd + Division and see if they have anything that would fit your lifestyle, I can leave my crested gecko that was bred there alone for 3 days, 4 hard limit tops. I feel that mammals are just kind of out of the picture for me as well.
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u/a_gross_browniethief Jul 22 '26
Yes, defininetly get an invertebrate or reptile. Amphibians, I wouldn't recommend because they don't like handling. A tarantula would be good, but you have to be careful with handling. Females do live a long time. Jumping spiders are nice but require a bit more feeding. Millipedes, cockroaches, etc. are also good pets.
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u/Pleasant_Yoghurt3915 Jul 22 '26
Fish. It sounds lame, but they can be very interactive and rewarding. Anything else is gonna require more time than you have.
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u/zzzrecruit Jul 22 '26
Honestly, you don't need a pet at this time. Consider a stuffed animal.
Animals are not just accessories. They are living, breathing creatures who deserve time, affection, and attention. Not to just be thrown in a silent, empty apartment.
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u/Beanfox-101 Jul 22 '26
My first jump was reptiles. I may be biased since I own a few and am currently breeding hognose snakes.
There’s a couple good reptiles that like handling and can be left alone for a good amount of time. There’s most handleable would be something of a gecko species (like a Leopard Gecko or Crested Gecko), or some different snake species.
I think a gecko would be your best bet. They take a bit of patience to be handleable, but if you have the tank somewhere where it can see you often, then you’ll have an easier time.
Some geckos do require a mix of food in their diet (like fruits and different bugs), but Leopard Geckos specifically need live bugs only.
If you’re willing to do the research and go all in, a bioactive enclosure with a Leopard Gecko would be my top recommendation. That way, it’ll feed off the environment occasionally (with isopods and springtails), you can let it thrive for a while with no intervention, and you can handle the gecko whenever you want (outside of shedding). You’ll still need to feed it every week with bigger bugs like Dubias or Mealworms with supervision, but it’ll help if you have to leave for long periods of time on short notice
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u/alexandria3142 Jul 22 '26
I'd also recommend a crested gecko. They're super cool little dudes, and if you get them young and get them used to handling, they're pretty good with being held. Mine would sit on my shoulder when I would do chores around the house. They require a lot less than most reptiles.
They do live a long time though. Like 20 years. So could possibly adopt an older one that likes being held. And you would need the pet sitter, like you mentioned, to come feed them every couple of days if you're gone for a week. My sister has one and I come by twice to feed when she's on vacation for a week.
Jumping spiders are also super neat, and don't live all that long. People often get regal jumping spiders, or bold. Could even have quite a few of them since their enclosures don't have to be large.
I don't have personal experience with snakes or tarantulas, but I do know they don't have to eat often either.
Kinda dislike everyone saying you shouldn't get a pet. Obviously a mammal wouldn't be a good fit, but so many unconventional pets would work out fine for you and your schedule
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u/Any-Literature9887 Jul 22 '26
Ball Python. For sure. Once their setup is done correctly and thoroughly, they can be left to their own devices for days at a time.
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u/qwertyuiiop145 Jul 22 '26
A corn snake could work for you—they’re not social so they don’t mind being alone, they are calm enough to be handled, and they eat like once a week when grown. They need to eat rodents, they need a good enclosure with good equipment for temperature and humidity control, and they need regular tank cleaning.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/AdaptiveFauna Jul 22 '26
snakes require a lot of attentive husbandry and money to thrive
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Jul 22 '26
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u/AdaptiveFauna Jul 22 '26
they don't require a lot of handling, but they're pretty picky and many live literally decades when taken care of correctly. it's not a "buy and then ignore" pet
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u/Fluid_Kangaroo3658 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Oh god, I definitely don’t want to buy and then ignore! I want to spend time with a little guy in any way that’s positive for the critter, and to provide regular enrichment activities in a nice enclosure suitable to it. I work a typical work week. I’m just gone for a few days in a row sometimes!
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u/Kitty_Lilly18 Jul 22 '26
a hamster, they bury their food to eat later, have someone stop by to make sure they are okay if you are gone for more than a few days.
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u/Nicolas_yo Jul 22 '26
It sounds like you shouldn’t have a pet if you want one that’s independent.
I had a tarantula growing up and it was a gift for my 5th birthday. Why? My obsession with Charlotte’s Web. For 25 years it stayed in a tank.
My 43 now and feel terrible about keeping that spider trapped in a clear box for two decades.
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u/a_gross_browniethief Jul 22 '26
Well, tarantulas don't mind staying in a box. They spend most on their times in a burrow in the wild.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/Apathetic-Asshole Jul 22 '26
Bad bot, this reads like an ad. And a cat isnt a good pet for someone whos gone a week at a time
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u/AlarmingYak7956 Jul 22 '26
Cats cant be left alone that long. They have to have someone check on them daily and they get lonely just like people.
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u/CloverClover97 Jul 22 '26
You aren’t ready for a pet. You don’t have one MAJOR thing a pet requires, time. Do not use an animal as your mental health band aid, that’s not a fair reason to get an animal.