Some of The Best Exotic Family Pets (Pros and Cons)
Owning a pet is a big responsibility, so be sure to do thorough research. Researching pets is one of the hobbies I often return to. Animals fascinate me and I’m very interested in animal husbandry and giving domestic animals the best possible care. I've done a lot of research on different family pets (maybe an embarrassing amount of research!), and in my opinion, here are some of the best exotic family pets. (For anyone wondering, "exotic pet" is a fancy way of saying a pet that’s not a cat or dog. They require an exotic pet vet, rather than a normal vet that focuses on dogs and cats. Exotic vets could be more expensive as well.)
All of these pets are fairly easy to care for, pretty affordable, require less space than a dog or cat, and are readily available (easy to find and purchase).
1.) Guinea Pigs (Cavies)
Guinea pigs are so cute, fluffy, docile, and have such fun personalities. Their scientific name is “cavy/cavies” and they are native of South America. However, they have been domesticated for a very long time. They are pretty easy to handle and care for, as long as you are ok with cleaning the cage every day or every other day. Guinea pigs poo a lot. They are social creatures and should not be kept alone. Having at least 2 is essential. They also need to be kept with the same gender, or they will multiply like crazy. It is also no easy feat to introduce guinea pigs who have never met each other (I tried unsuccessfully for a month or so to introduce new guinea pigs to each other, using all the proper procedures). Depending on the guinea pig’s personally and temperament, it’s doable. But don’t try it without doing lots of research first. Guinea pigs also need to eat timothy hay (or another suitable hay) every single day. It’s essential they always have access to hay. They’re like mini little horses... so cute. They also eat pellets (with appropriate levels of vitamin c since they cannot produce vitamin c on their own) and fresh veggies everyday! It’s important to research a list of veggies that are best for guinea pigs, like leafy greens, carrots, or green pell peppers, as well as what amounts to feed. It’s also essential to provide adequate space for the number of piggies you have. Don’t buy a cage at the pet store! Do your research and find a good sized habitat on Amazon or build one (research C&C cages). Guinea pigs need flat cages- no hamster style cages and definitely no hamster balls! Putting guinea pigs in balls to run around in is very bad for their backs. They like to have lots of hides of different materials- wood, plastic, cardboard box, etc.
Before buying guinea pigs at the pet store, there are actually a lot of guinea pigs that need to be adopted! So check for local rescues! Guinea pigs at pet stores also aren’t always healthy. Try to buy two guinea pigs that are already bonded to each other.
Pros of Guinea Pigs:
-Social and interactive
-Can be easily tamed
-Very cute to watch and soft to touch and hold
-Tend to be very docile and gentle. Unlikely to bite.
-My kids LOVED feeding our piggies their daily veggies. It’s so fun to see them eat hay and veggies.
-Pretty inexpensive
-Can let them roam around the room (supervised) for floor play time
-Make a variety of fun, cute, and interesting sounds!
Cons:
-Poo a lot
-Need to Maintain cage
-Provide daily attention and food (constant hay and water, pellets once daily, and veggies twice a day)
-Can be messy depending on how frequently you maintain the enclosure
-Fragile. Cannot be dropped or handled roughly.
-Need finger nail trimming. Must be done very carefully.
-Could be loud depending on the piggie’s personality
2.) Parakeets (Budgies)
3.) Corn Snakes
4.) Crested Geckos
I have a crested gecko, and it is my only pet currently. Crested geckos have become my current favorite animal and pet. I just think they are perfect! While I love all of the pets I've mentioned in this post (and many more), I feel a crested gecko is perfect for my lifestyle right now. Crested geckos are unique to other reptiles because they don't require all the heating and lighting that most reptiles do (as long as your house is between 65-75 degrees and stays the right temperature, and if they are getting light and dark to create a natural day and night cycle). They are arboreal reptiles (meaning they climb and need plants to climb on). They need a tall tank, rather than a long one. They come from New Caledonia and need a humid climate. So it's super important to mist their cages regularly (most people recommend twice daily, but it depends on where you live and how your enclosure is set up). There is a lot of research to do on crested geckos, but I'll just share a few things.
They are nocturnal. So they will sleep most of the day and be active at night. I love this because I'm quite busy during the day. But by the time our family is settling down and I have free time (around 8 or 9pm), my gecko is awake and ready for her day (night technically)!
These guys are very fun to hold! They can climb right up a tank wall, so it feels pretty neat to have them climb your arm with their suction powered hands. Their fingers actually bend upwards to release the suction as they are walking. It's very neat to watch.
I've found that because my crested gecko is quite slow moving (they are often very slow and thoughtful creatures), watching and holding my gecko is extremely calming for me. I think it's a great pet for someone who struggles with anxiety or struggles to calm down and focus.
Also, crested geckos have a much easier diet than other reptiles. You can buy crested gecko diet (Rapashy and Pangea are highly recommended brands) powder. You simply mix the powder with the right ratio of water. This is much simpler to me than feeding a variety of insects (like most other geckos and reptiles require). There is controversial research out there as to whether you need to feed your crested gecko insects on a weekly basis or not.
Anyways, crested geckos are very low-maintenance, and I've found that the amount of satisfaction and happiness my gecko brings me is huge compared to the amount of maintenance that she requires. Keep in mind that if you are busy, and/or have constantly varying interests (I am both), then a lower maintenance pet will probably be better for you. I love that I can enjoy my crested gecko whenever I want, but that she requires little maintenance. I need to invest a total of under 5 minutes a day (30 seconds squirting down cage and opening my window in the morning, 3 minutes preparing food and misting cage in the evening) to keep my gecko healthy and happy. So if I want to spend more time handling her and watching her, or rearranging her habitat, I can. But those things aren't required. So if I am interested in spending my time on something else (like my latest hobby, or getting sleep, or board-gaming with hubby), then I don't need to feel any guilt for neglecting my pet because my gecko is perfectly content.
This pet also fits my needs for a non-allergenic pet.
...You can tell which of the exotic pets on this list I was most excited to write about... I love all of them, but am very grateful that my research eventually lead me to the crested gecko! My crested gecko is the perfect pet for me.
Pros:
-Low-maintenance (feeding is easy, cleaning is minimal)
-Cute
-Very handle-able and have cool suction power
-Affordable
-Small enclosure space
-Quiet
-Solitary (they are happy to live alone and should usually live alone)
-Did I mention SO CUTE?
-Look at that face
-Allergy friendly
-Not stinky or messy
Cons:
-Are there any??
-They are a living pet and require care.
-They can jump (which is actually a pro!)
-May not always like being handled
If you are interested in geckos, another popular species is the leopard gecko!
I hope you enjoyed this list and learned something helpful! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions about these animals or others! I can point you to lots of good resources, and I know a nerdy amount of details about most of these animals.
All of these pets are fairly easy to care for, pretty affordable, require less space than a dog or cat, and are readily available (easy to find and purchase).
1.) Guinea Pigs (Cavies)
Guinea pigs are so cute, fluffy, docile, and have such fun personalities. Their scientific name is “cavy/cavies” and they are native of South America. However, they have been domesticated for a very long time. They are pretty easy to handle and care for, as long as you are ok with cleaning the cage every day or every other day. Guinea pigs poo a lot. They are social creatures and should not be kept alone. Having at least 2 is essential. They also need to be kept with the same gender, or they will multiply like crazy. It is also no easy feat to introduce guinea pigs who have never met each other (I tried unsuccessfully for a month or so to introduce new guinea pigs to each other, using all the proper procedures). Depending on the guinea pig’s personally and temperament, it’s doable. But don’t try it without doing lots of research first. Guinea pigs also need to eat timothy hay (or another suitable hay) every single day. It’s essential they always have access to hay. They’re like mini little horses... so cute. They also eat pellets (with appropriate levels of vitamin c since they cannot produce vitamin c on their own) and fresh veggies everyday! It’s important to research a list of veggies that are best for guinea pigs, like leafy greens, carrots, or green pell peppers, as well as what amounts to feed. It’s also essential to provide adequate space for the number of piggies you have. Don’t buy a cage at the pet store! Do your research and find a good sized habitat on Amazon or build one (research C&C cages). Guinea pigs need flat cages- no hamster style cages and definitely no hamster balls! Putting guinea pigs in balls to run around in is very bad for their backs. They like to have lots of hides of different materials- wood, plastic, cardboard box, etc.
Before buying guinea pigs at the pet store, there are actually a lot of guinea pigs that need to be adopted! So check for local rescues! Guinea pigs at pet stores also aren’t always healthy. Try to buy two guinea pigs that are already bonded to each other.
Pros of Guinea Pigs:
-Social and interactive
-Can be easily tamed
-Very cute to watch and soft to touch and hold
-Tend to be very docile and gentle. Unlikely to bite.
-My kids LOVED feeding our piggies their daily veggies. It’s so fun to see them eat hay and veggies.
-Pretty inexpensive
-Can let them roam around the room (supervised) for floor play time
-Make a variety of fun, cute, and interesting sounds!
Cons:
-Poo a lot
-Need to Maintain cage
-Provide daily attention and food (constant hay and water, pellets once daily, and veggies twice a day)
-Can be messy depending on how frequently you maintain the enclosure
-Fragile. Cannot be dropped or handled roughly.
-Need finger nail trimming. Must be done very carefully.
-Could be loud depending on the piggie’s personality
2.) Parakeets (Budgies)
Budgies, or budgerigars, are native of Australia. We commonly call them ‘parakeets,’ but technically the term parakeet refers to more species of parrot than just budgies. So if you want to talk about these little feathered cuties in a more specific way (and impress people with your knowledge), use ‘budgies.’ Parakeets are a good family pet because they are quite simple to take care of (similar to guinea pigs). Of course when I say simple, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of research and care involved! Budgies are very social, and wild budgies in Australia can live in flocks as huge as hundreds or thousands of birds! So they should not be kept alone. They need adequate space in their cage, properly sized and textured perches, as well as nail and wing care. The question of whether to clip a bird's wings in captivity is controversial. So you'll want to do research on the pros and cons of clipping wings or leaving a bird flighted. It's not as simple of a question as it might initially seem to be. If a bird is raised in domestication, by humans rather than it's birdy-parents, it won't have its parents to teach it how to fly properly. That's right, domestic birds don't just naturally know how to fly well. Sure, they can fly- but often a domestic bird that is flighted will fly somewhere and then not know how to get back to where it needs to be (like flying down to it's cage at a certain angle, or flying down from a tall tree it gets stuck in). A flighted bird might get out of the house, and want to get back home, but simply not have the flying skills to make it back to its home. There are also certain dangers involved with flying in a house (like ceiling fans, hot stoves, boiling pots of water, toilets, kids, dogs, cats, etc). On the other hand, it seems natural that a bird should fly! It must provide some natural benefits that birds are born to have. Anyways- do your own research before deciding to get a bird.
If you have more than one budgie, which is healthiest for the bird, you'll also need to socialize them and spend time with them if you want them to be tame and interested in you. Otherwise they'll just stick together and prefer each other over you (which is fine depending on what you are hoping for from your pets).
Some pros and cons...
Pros:
-Visually appealing (and so many color mutations!)
-Making tweeting sounds
-Very goofy and fun personalities when they play together
-Easy to feed and care for
-Many budgies are quite good at mimicking the human voice! But this varies from bird to bird, and budgies also tend to mimic in a higher, faster pitch.
Cons:
-Poo a lot
-You will probably find feathers and seeds all around their cage area!
-Cleaning
-Could be very noisy. Budgies are one of the less loud parrots- but while their volume isn't as intense as other parrots', they are almost constantly chattering. So their noise is a lower decibel, but is constant. And it also can get pretty loud!
3.) Corn Snakes
I used to be squeamish about snakes. It's not uncommon. (And I'm still a bit squeamish.) But I recently went through a phase where I was totally fascinated by snakes, and literally couldn't stop thinking about them day and night for like two straight weeks. It made me question why I've been squeamish about snakes and why I had a negative idea about them. The more research I did the more I came to like them! By talking to snake lovers, I also learned that some people just naturally like snakes, and put them in the same category as cute puppies and kittens! Isn't that interesting? I wonder why some of us have a natural love for snakes, and some of us have an almost sub-conscious aversion to them?
Anyways, the reason I think snakes are a great family pet is because they are quite low maintenance! Many snakes only need to be fed once a week or so! As long as their enclosure is properly set up, they can be super low maintenance and easy to care for. Less eating also means less clean up. This is a benefit I've found of keeping reptiles- they need significantly less clean up and time invested than guinea pigs or birds.
Corn snakes are one of the most common, least expensive, and easiest snakes to keep.
Some pros:
-Holding a snake feels so cool! They feel amazing!
-Very cool to watch (and lots of color morphs to choose from!)
-I've noticed that slower moving pets, like reptiles especially, can be very calming for someone with anxiety. In contrast, a hyper animal like a guinea pig or bird (prey animals) might cause more anxiety for some people. But higher energy pets (birds, guinea pigs, etc) might be perfect for someone with depression or who needs more energy and to-do's in their day.
-Very low maintenance (infrequent feeding and clean up)
-Solitary (can -and should in most cases- house only one animal in habitat).
Cons:
-Feeding frozen or live mice/rats (research to know proper size to feed to your snake and how often)
-Not everyone would agree with this, but snakes could be less social than other animals
-Snakes are harder for us to read than other animals. It could be hard to tell whether or not your snake recognizes you or enjoys being around you. Although experienced snake keepers often feel they recognize when their snake likes to be around them and enjoys their company.
They are nocturnal. So they will sleep most of the day and be active at night. I love this because I'm quite busy during the day. But by the time our family is settling down and I have free time (around 8 or 9pm), my gecko is awake and ready for her day (night technically)!
These guys are very fun to hold! They can climb right up a tank wall, so it feels pretty neat to have them climb your arm with their suction powered hands. Their fingers actually bend upwards to release the suction as they are walking. It's very neat to watch.
I've found that because my crested gecko is quite slow moving (they are often very slow and thoughtful creatures), watching and holding my gecko is extremely calming for me. I think it's a great pet for someone who struggles with anxiety or struggles to calm down and focus.
Also, crested geckos have a much easier diet than other reptiles. You can buy crested gecko diet (Rapashy and Pangea are highly recommended brands) powder. You simply mix the powder with the right ratio of water. This is much simpler to me than feeding a variety of insects (like most other geckos and reptiles require). There is controversial research out there as to whether you need to feed your crested gecko insects on a weekly basis or not.
Anyways, crested geckos are very low-maintenance, and I've found that the amount of satisfaction and happiness my gecko brings me is huge compared to the amount of maintenance that she requires. Keep in mind that if you are busy, and/or have constantly varying interests (I am both), then a lower maintenance pet will probably be better for you. I love that I can enjoy my crested gecko whenever I want, but that she requires little maintenance. I need to invest a total of under 5 minutes a day (30 seconds squirting down cage and opening my window in the morning, 3 minutes preparing food and misting cage in the evening) to keep my gecko healthy and happy. So if I want to spend more time handling her and watching her, or rearranging her habitat, I can. But those things aren't required. So if I am interested in spending my time on something else (like my latest hobby, or getting sleep, or board-gaming with hubby), then I don't need to feel any guilt for neglecting my pet because my gecko is perfectly content.
This pet also fits my needs for a non-allergenic pet.
...You can tell which of the exotic pets on this list I was most excited to write about... I love all of them, but am very grateful that my research eventually lead me to the crested gecko! My crested gecko is the perfect pet for me.
Pros:
-Low-maintenance (feeding is easy, cleaning is minimal)
-Cute
-Very handle-able and have cool suction power
-Affordable
-Small enclosure space
-Quiet
-Solitary (they are happy to live alone and should usually live alone)
-Did I mention SO CUTE?
-Look at that face
-Allergy friendly
-Not stinky or messy
Cons:
-Are there any??
-They are a living pet and require care.
-They can jump (which is actually a pro!)
-May not always like being handled
If you are interested in geckos, another popular species is the leopard gecko!
I hope you enjoyed this list and learned something helpful! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions about these animals or others! I can point you to lots of good resources, and I know a nerdy amount of details about most of these animals.
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