ive only really had fish but ther enothing close to a buddy like, something like a dog or a cat. pets are also pricey and im allergic to cats and dogs plus my home is kinda messy. i do wish i could get something besides a fish but you know it is what it is.

so what type of pet do you have or what is the best type of pet to have?

      • With that said, I think that a companion pet can often help one make those changes. Since it sounds like money and allergies are a bit of an issue, I would suggest looking at rats. They are incredibly loyal and affectionate, clean, intelligent. They only live about 2-3 years, which sucks, but if you find that pet ownership isn’t for you (and it’s okay if it isn’t), you aren’t beholden to an animal that will live 4-5 times as long.

        • Rats are ace.

          As I type this, there’s one scuttling about in his cage next to me. It pains me that he’s alone, but his brothers have all passed away now, and we aren’t planning on getting any more once Wilbur’s shuffled along. He’s getting old now, so it wouldn’t be fair to rehome him. So he’s a grumpy old bachelor boy who still loves his Cheerios and stealing my toast in the morning.

  • If you know how to take care of fish, there’s some fish that are more personable. I had a Butterkoferi Tilapia at work who was fun, he would play with a ping pong ball, we had a constant fight on how we decorated his tank, I like gravel to be nicely spread out, he liked it all in one corner.

    There’s things like flowerhorns who like being stroked, or puffers who recognise their owners.

    It’s not a dog but it’s definitely a buddy.

  • I had cats all my life. I was born into a home with cats. There has never not been a cat living with me.

    That said, I finally got dogs a few years ago and they are so much better at being your buddy than cats.

    I still love cats, but dogs are so vastly different they don’t even compare. Having dogs is, I think, as close to having children as you can get without having kids. They act like toddlers, but they also learn, have unique personalities, show their affection more like a human, and are loyal as fuck.

    The phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” isn’t bullshittin’.

  • Depends on what you want in a buddy. Dogs are the obvious buddy choice since every dog actually wants to be your friend. I have a very dog-like cat who is very affectionate and follows along on walks etc but it’s hardly the norm.

    But I do want to mention reptiles, especially crested geckos, as being a surprisingly practical pet and while you aren’t going to cuddle with them much they give you a lot of attention during feeding and are very calming to be around and watch while they roam around their terrarium. Sadly many lose interest fast but that means craigslist and similar websites are crawling with them so you can get a terrarium and gecko pretty cheap and if you live where the indoor climate is steady taking care of them is very easy and lower maintenance that both an indoor cat or a dog.