Science has proven time and again that having a pet is really good for your health, both mentally and physically. They are known to elevate stress and increase the confidence of their owners. Additionally, the therapeutic nature of pets has been shown to reduce heart disease, high blood pressure and encouraged their owners to exercise more.

Although many apartments disallow or discourage the keeping of pets, exceptions can be made especially if the pets are small and well behaved. Several considerations must be taken into account when deciding to keep a pet in an apartment. The chief concern is whether your pet has enough space to exercise and move around. A second concern is making sure that your apartment is alright with the type of pet you are keeping.

Here are some suggestions of small pets that you can safely keep in an apartment:



Fish and other aquatic animals. Having a tank of fish is probably one of the easiest pets to keep, as long as you wash the tank regularly and pop some fish food into the aquarium twice a day.



Hamsters, Gerbils, Sugar Gliders and other rodents. These creatures are pretty furry and friendly, plus easy to maintain and they don’t require much attention from you. Additionally, they are kept in a cage so you don’t have to worry about them creating a mess around the house. Not to mention they’re extremely cute.



Cats. Cats are really huggable and can look after themselves pretty well. They are also well behaved, not noisy and clean animals. The good part is that they don’t need to be taken out for walks and rarely demand your attention.



Bird. Birds are also kept in cages and don’t have to be given baths. They’re very interesting to watch and talking birds like the Myna and parakeet can be trained to say some human phrases. The downside is that they can be noisy and easily stressed.



Dogs You have to be careful what breed of dogs you adopt. Since you live in an apartment you have to consider smaller breeds like Terriers, Bulldogs, Pomeranians and Shih-Tzu to name a few. Be sure to train them well and clean up after them when you take them on walks. Apart from that, dogs are one of the animals that can form a strong friendship bond with humans.



Lizards Lizards like Geckos and bearded dragons are becoming popular among pet lovers for their slow and calculated movements. Usually they’re kept in aquariums or cages and don’t bother anyone.

Remember that keeping a pet is a continuous responsibility in that you have to make sure you clean them ( and their cages) regularly, feed them regularly and make sure they don’t pose a disturbance to your neighbours and the management.