going through pet withdrawal!

[teeth4u]

So when I moved to my new apartment, I couldn't bring my cat :( my apartment doesn't allow cats or dogs but I'm going through some major pet withdrawal. I would love to have a cat or a dog but I can't. I was thinking about getting a hamster but they're kind of a lot of work. Any advice? I'm considering emailing my landlord and asking her to make an exception but she'll probably say no.

[Echidna]

So when I moved to my new apartment, I couldn't bring my cat :(
That's horrible, where did you leave her?
Hopefully not in a shelter :(

[ShyMer]

You know, rats make excellent pets. They're tons smarter and friendlier than hampsters. They need attention and stimulation, and of course their cages need regular cleaning, but they're a lot of fun. I've never managed it because I'm inconsistent, but you can even train them to use a litter box so cleanup isn't as much of a pain. I couldn't say which is less work, but keeping rats is very rewarding.

They're not cuddly of course, but you could try fish. College was the first time I'd lived without dogs, but keeping betta fish helped me not feel quite so lonely in between visits back home. They have a lot of personality :)

I also enjoy putting a bird feeder on my patio. They're not pets, but I like looking for unusual birds that keep coming back, and it's funny how the different birds compete for spots at the feeder.

I'm sorry you couldn't take your cat with you. I hope you could find a good home for her when you moved, poor baby. Some places will allow pets for an additional fee. Ours won't even allow visiting pets, but you never know unless you ask :) Do you have any friends that have pets that you can visit sometimes?

[Blondie]

I remember when I was younger my landlord told my family no pets at all. We explained we had turtle and he said that was okay if the turtle stayed in his tank. Well, we were only fostering the turtle until he was big enough to live on his own, so we eventually let him go into the nice pond by our house. But then, my mom's friend gave us a cat for Christmas. My dad was like "We need to get rid of her, we CAN'T have a cat." But of course with three daughters, that changed quickly. We just hid the cat each time the landlord came over. We stuck her liter box and her in a walk in closet upstairs for however long the landlord was there (which was rarely over an hour) and then let her out again when he was gone. He never noticed.

tl;dr: Some landlords won't know you have a pet if you hide them.

[teeth4u]

That's horrible, where did you leave her?
Hopefully not in a shelter :(

I left her with my brothers, they have a house but they live far so I will only be able to see her every once in a while :(

I wish I could sneak my cat in but I have roommates and they don't want to get in trouble. I'm not sure about a rat, I've always considered it but I kind of want something I don't have to keep in a cage. I was looking at miniature cats because they would be easy to hide but they're so expensive! They're so cute though!

[Mermaid Varshana]

Some people let their ferrets roam the house freely. I once had a rabbit that used a litterbox, who hardly knew what a cage was. The only thing is that it's best to keep them in a dog crate when you're not around. They can chew things. You also need to be picky about which one you adopt. Get one that's spayed or neutered.

[teeth4u]

Some people let their ferrets roam the house freely. I once had a rabbit that used a litterbox, who hardly knew what a cage was. The only thing is that it's best to keep them in a dog crate when you're not around. They can chew things. You also need to be picky about which one you adopt. Get one that's spayed or neutered.

I've heard ferrets are pretty smelly so I don't think my roommate would go for one of those. She suggested I get a Ferby :doh:

[Echidna]

I can confirm rats are smart, cuddly and cute.
Had a bunch for many years, some of them practically lived in my sweater ;)

Mice are cute and smart too, but they do smell a lot.
With room mates though, who might or might not like your choice of pet, I'd probably refrain from getting a pet at all, unless I could have an eye on it all the time.

[Mermaid Varshana]

Get a betta. They're cool.

[PearlieMae]

Chances are a landlord would be less likely to allow pet rats over pet cats. Roommates are another issue, they could always *ahem* let the cat out of the bag, so to speak and ticking off a landlord is never a good idea, especially (depending on the tenant law where you are living) if he could throw you out with no notice.

Here's an idea...volunteer at your local shelter! There are so many animals who could benefit from the love you have to give! You'll feel good, they'll feel good, and keeping them socialized and friendly makes them that much more likely to get adopted! Do you like photography at all? You could practice taking great pet portraits there and the shelter could use the photos to promote adoptions! My friend Susan does it out in California: http://www.freshsimpletrue.com/welcome-to-susan-sabo-photography/

[teeth4u]

Chances are a landlord would be less likely to allow pet rats over pet cats. Roommates are another issue, they could always *ahem* let the cat out of the bag, so to speak and ticking off a landlord is never a good idea, especially (depending on the tenant law where you are living) if he could throw you out with no notice.

Here's an idea...volunteer at your local shelter! There are so many animals who could benefit from the love you have to give! You'll feel good, they'll feel good, and keeping them socialized and friendly makes them that much more likely to get adopted! Do you like photography at all? You could practice taking great pet portraits there and the shelter could use the photos to promote adoptions! My friend Susan does it out in California: http://www.freshsimpletrue.com/welcome-to-susan-sabo-photography/

That's actually a great idea! I'm definitely going to look into the closes animal shelters. As for the photography part of it, I don't have a nice camera or much experience but it sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

[mermaidsoph]

I have a 40 gallon fish tank from petco and I just do a community tank with simple easy to care for but fun fresh water fish like cory cats, endlers livebearers, goramis, anglefish, and tetras but its a lot of fun

[PearlieMae]

Good for you! You don't need a fancy camera, a cell phone will do just fine. Capturing the animal's personality is easier once you get to know them, and shelters always need volunteers!

[teeth4u]

So I found out the nearest humane society is an hour by bus :( I will rarely have time for that. I don't have a car but maybe every once in a while I can get a friend who can drive to go with me.

[Dacora]

Maybe a bird? Something small like a budgie. Idk about there but around here a lot of apartment landlords don't consider birds and fish as pets.

I also suggest a fish tank. I love my goldfish, but if you don't have room for a big tank don't get goldfish.

Bettas are fun. Another cool aqutic animal is an axolotl. They are really cute.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[teeth4u]

I think I'm just going to have to wait a while before getting any animals. I had a bird a few years ago but he was hard to manage sometimes and not as fun to play with because he pooped everywhere. If anything, I'll end up with a fish.

[mermaidwhisperer]

My 8 month old kitty 'Katniss' got hit by a car last Wednesday. It's so awful-my little girl was so attached to her. She never prowled! I hate living near a round-about

[teeth4u]

My 8 month old kitty 'Katniss' got hit by a car last Wednesday. It's so awful-my little girl was so attached to her. She never prowled! I hate living near a round-about

That's so sad! I'm really sorry to hear that. It's so tragic when you lose a pet :(

[SweeteSiren]

Have you considered a sugar glider? My friend had some for a while and they were adorable. They're easier to care for than cats & dogs, smell better than ferrets and are more affectionate than fish. :) And did I mention they're freaking adorable?
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