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?

This is a question more directed towards people who own dogs in countries where spaying is only done for medical reasons, breeders and whatever other reason you might have to owning an unspayed dog

Im getting a female puppy soon and want to wait till shes about ~1.5-2 years old to decide to get her spayed

Ive done research on signs and symptoms of pyometra, but every source i find about prevention always just says spay them and thats it

Ok, so I have a cat who’s going to be 10 in December. I’ve had her since she was 4 months old, and she’s my ESA. She can be very chill and relaxed but only in a quiet, calm environment. She hates loud noises unless it’s music (I don’t know man, she just likes music). She doesn’t like things or people that move fast or are loud. I’ve been able to keep our environment free of these things, not including parties and some loud friends of mine, for a majority of her life. My partner of 6 years has been begging for a dog for, say, 6 years. Originally I said we had to put it off because our apartment was way too small and it wasn’t enough space for both autumn and a dog. Important to mention they want a big dog specifically. I also openly am very worried of my cat’s reaction as she can be very territorial and jealous. We got a hamster a few years back and my cat pee’d on me in my sleep😂 I laugh now but I was not laughing then. I woke up with her making dead eye contact with me sitting on my chest before peeing while maintaining eye contact. Message received, I belong to her and not the hamster, but what happens when we get a fucking dog is my question. Anyway, if you have a cat similar to this and got a dog later, what are your tips? It’s becoming clear this dog is coming into our lives within a year maximum so I need to be ready. I know we need to keep them separate for a while and introduce their smells gradually. I heard to give my cat higher spaces to be but she doesn’t use any high perches idk why but my cat is scared of heights. I know to swap toys to expose them to their smells, etc, but these are the only tips I have. My cat is set in her ways and I don’t see her liking a dog. I actually see her hating a dog. Any tips?

TL;DR
My cat is older and will not like a high energy big dog running around but we will definitely have one joining our family soon. My partner feels my cat being prioritized and doesn’t want her to be. How do I keep my cat happy and incorporate a dog?

Context:

This week we had some things stolen from our back garden the lock has since been a little bit awkward to keep locked, it unlocks itself. Reported to housing and a weed the gate with what I could which was wood

My dog has got free in the moment and been hit by a speeding car

Long story short her hip dislocated and the vets said they have put it back in, internally she's fine and damage free she's not broke the hip either

Shes dislocated it and tore the associated ligaments and tendons

In short she hasn't pooed and I think 1 she doesn't know how to do it on three legs, and two I don't know I'm scared for her tbh.i have no idea how to help her poo

Online says support her rear end using a harness so I got a harness but she won't move at all the moment the harness is on

She moves freely to move around the garden

She won't leave my side so isn't taking herself to go poo on her own

She hasn't pooed and wee in one day

If she soils herself how on earth will I clean her, I can't have her stood up long and she can't jump into the bath.

The vet popped her hip back in and said three months no movement, we still need the treatment operation to toggle pin her hip

We are raising money for it at the moment that's why she's the disabled at the moment. :(

I did set up a go fund me for her if anyone cares I wont add the link as Im likely to get slated online somehow

Heya yall.

I'm extremely overwhelmed with the amound of animals and things i need to keep alive. I currently have 4 aquariums with goldfish, pleco, snails, shrimp, pea puffers, guppies, platys, mollies, silver flying foxes and probably something else. I also have 2 terrariums with 9 african giant land snails in total. On top of that i have 2 indoor cats with gut issues and astma in my small home, 2 cats that are mine at my parents house next door that are mine to feed and take care off, 6 rabbits outside, 5 goats outside. When i got most of them ( all except a few fish) i was healthy as a horse. I was loving live and always loved animals and felt extremely guilty to the strays, shelter animals and abused animals. I took it personally that that happens to them. Now i have 4 chronic health issues and they are testing for more. I have days where i can barely walk and still all the animals need to be taken care of. I also have obsessive cleaning disorder so everything must be spotless cause in my mind all my animals will die and suffer if it isn't spotless. I know that most likely they would live but i cannot not clean everything for them. Due to my health issues im without a job. Thankfully i have always saved alot of money and if i keep going like this i can last at least 5 years. Thats including animal care and an emergency vet fund for the animals so thats fine. But i cant help but to feel guilty to my animals about not maintaining the same high level of care as i gave them before. Yeah ofcourse their diet needs, vet needs and hygiene needs are met but i feel like it isn't enough. Especially on the hard days. Im constantly thinking about rehoming them but to be honest i dont trust others with my animals since all of them came from really bad situations of abuse and neglect. Also the shelters are filled to the brim and i hate the idea of making that more since my original intentions were the opposite. Besides my animals i am also the main caretaker of my parents and the property. We have 5ha and thats alot of maintenance as well. I cant ask them to help either and dont have friends since they all left when i turned sick and couldn't be there for them anymore.

Does anybody have any tips on how to maintain this lifestyle?

Cute new app I found called Pawpularity. Post your best pics of your cute pets and people Pet or Pass.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pawpularity&hl=en_US

Hello guys. I have a persian mix cat, male, 3-4 years old. He pisses anywhere in the house- bedsheet, floor, random stuff on floor, couch, etc, you get it. We have a designated litter box kept for him, but he rarely pisses in that litrer box. My mother is troubled due to this problem. Please give suggestions and advice 🙏

We have received applications, but they are for separate homes. We received one application for both, but the person stopped responding when we reached out.

We are worried that if we cannot find someone willing to adopt them together, we may lose these possible homes too. 💔They are bonded.😿
We are completely out of capacity. The rescue is currently caring for more than 150 cats, and I am personally fostering 21 cats. More cats are needing help every day.

When her other kittens were adopted, she cried for days. She is a devoted mama and still needs to be with her baby. They play together, love each other, and share a special bond. My heart is breaking at the thought of separating them… 😿

Pet finder link:

https://www.petfinder.com/cat/kali-bonded-with-her-kitten-pebbles-9fbbba3d-53db-43eb-a0b8-09e7a7b509e9/nc/charlotte/sunkissed-acres-rescue-nc1270/details/

Mama Kali (not even a year old) and her little daughter Pebbles are a bonded mother–daughter duo under Sunkissed Acres NC looking for their forever home.

Kali & Pebbles are:

Vaccinated, Spayed/fixed, Dewormed,deflead , Combo tested negative and Microchipped

Adoption fee: $150 for both (one adoption fee is sponsored, so you are getting two amazing cats together ❤️)

Adoption application required:

https://form.jotform.com/221983264497165?fbclid=IwAR2Nr4_R9uw9ljOXNG8daDEU5DTa2IWDNPNtM1Fnd816-A2LtE8HciK2OJM

Adoption agreement required:

Vet reference required

Her Story: ❤️🥹

I didn’t find Kali… Kali found me.

I will forever be grateful to this sweet young mama for trusting me and bringing her babies to me.

Kali was abandoned when her family moved away, left behind wearing a collar that became painfully tight as she grew. Alone and vulnerable, she gave birth to her kittens under a deck during harsh weather.

She and her babies were never truly safe. They were chased away by people and were at risk of being relocated.

Every day, Kali came to my porch for food. I noticed she was nursing and started asking everyone to check their decks and garages for kittens.

Then one day…

She brought her babies to me.

She chose me.

She trusted me. ❤️

While rescuing her kittens, some were brought inside while others were still outside waiting for their chance at safety. This incredible little mama made double shifts…staying with the kittens who were safe indoors, then returning outside to nurse and care for the ones still waiting.

Her love never divided.

Her heart never gave up.

Kali is the sweetest, most gentle mama. Pebbles shares a very special bond with her, and after everything they have survived together, they deserve to continue their journey side by side.

Kali deserves a safe, indoor-only home where she will never be left behind again… only loved, protected, and cherished.

Kali is pure love. Pebbles is her little shadow. Together, they are a beautiful story of love, trust, and an unbreakable mother–daughter bond.

If you feel a connection with Kali and Pebbles, please message me.

Please share to help this beautiful mama and daughter find the forever home they deserve.

living in a high-rise with my cat means my studio gets super stuffy by midday, especially with the litter box in the same room. i desperately want to air the place out, but opening windows terrifies me because my screen is weak and he loves pushing against it.

my air purifier runs non-stop, but it just blows the same stale, dead air around. it handles dander okay, but does nothing for the stuffiness.

i've been searching for non-drilling apartment options and saw a pre-launch window-mounted fresh air intake from cozeware. i’m trying to understand if this category actually makes sense for rentals, or if a window unit is just going to leak cold drafts all winter.

anyone found a way to flush out stale studio air without opening windows?

UPDATE
Thanks all for the advice and support. After lots of calls to various vets and animal control, our dog suddenly returned to himself. It was wild to watch. When we opened the back door to check on him again he was completely himself, wagging his tail, excited to see us. We were able to safely get him to the vet and now we’ll hopefully get some answers.

Hi all - looking for some advice. In January we adopted our 2ish year old hound mix. He has been healthy, full vaccinated, with no issues since. This morning, he threw up, lost control of his body and began seizing. The seizure lasted about a minute and he then became very aggressive. I understand that can be normal after a seizure, but it’s been about 2 hours and he’s showing no signs of settling down. He’s in our fenced in backyard, just sitting in the back corner not moving. When we approach from the back door he immediately starts barking and growling. We want to get him to the emergency vet, but have no way of safely doing so. My husband and I are extremely rattled. We have toddler at home and the sudden aggression was absolutely terrifying. It’s also clear our dog is in a lot of emotional distress and approaching him makes it worst. I feel like my only option is calling animal control and asking them to help with transport? I thought about going to get a sedative from the vet, but don’t even know how I’d give it to him. I feel scared, sad, and stuck. toddler is now at daycare so at least that safety issue is handled.

Anyone have any tips?

I store several different 10-12kg bags of food in my garage. Looking for storage ideas that are rodent proof but aren’t just a ‘bin’ as they don’t make good use of space - is there a vertical storage option? That you can decant the different food into and scoop out what you want, but that are airtight when closed?

Hello, I kinda just wanted to come here to vent and try to find some reassurance.

For starters, I had a bird when I was 7, and he lived about 6 years until I was 13. Im currently 18 now. I was gifted 3 birds for my 17th birthday last april as a surprise gift. I loved them very dearly, but I simply could not take care of them to my satisfaction anymore. I got my drivers liscence in february, so i've been spending far far less time at home. Sometimes I go multiple days without being there (of course I filled their feeder and I tried to make sure they had fresh water before I left.). I started my first job recently and I regularly get home at 2 in the morning, when I come home they would always wake up and start chattering and squaking and making a ruckus which was the last thing I wanted to hear at 2 in the morning while im just trying to rest. The noise they make also just had been seeming to get to me more and more, it just grated at me and did nothing but irritate me and give me headaches.

They were not my birds originally, my grandmother had gotten them from one of her co-workers, and to my knowledge her co-worker did not interact with the birds all too much. Over the course of time that I owned the birds I made neumorus attempts to get them used to me, even hang out with me or come out of the cage, but nothing. Even if I left their cage door open for hours they would not step outside it.

I had been considering rehoming them for a while, and I felt it was for the best. I found a family in a rehoming group that had other birds so I knew they would be in good company. I dropped them off today with their cage, and now I am suddenly struck with a massive wave of guilt and greif. Did I do the right thing?

In some instances he’ll pick up the cat , carry her TO me and inch her closer to my face so I just awkwardly sit there while she struggles to leave and hisses at me. Or in other instances were chilling on the couch and he’ll take the cat and put her right next to me and I have to do my best to respect her space (I can’t move because if I do she’ll lash out)

there was even one time I remembered (years ago in high school) he bought the cat into my friends car and while the cat was clearly uncomfortable he shoved the cat onto my friend and the cat scratched her. then he put the cat onto me , surprisingly she didn’t scratch me , but I sat there fearing this little gremlin is going to scratch me.

i do have a cat at home so I’m not sure if it’s 1. my scent or 2, the fact his cat isn’t socialized.

fast forward to about june, when his parents returned back from Mexico to their old apartment surprisingly the cat was nice to me? she came up to me and let me pet her but she was still very vocal and I had to walk on egg shells not to piss her off. even before his parents returned the only time his cat is nice to me is when I give her snacks

point 3: this also makes me wonder if the cats aggression is a result of my friends parents leaving for months.

Just recently he moved in with a roommate who has 4 other cats And he’s informed me that she hasn’t adjusted well to moving. Moving is very stressful for cats (new scents, new enviroment, etc) so I try my best to leave his cat alone. I peak under his bed to see if she’s around and she snaps, so I back off and give her space, then he tries to grab her from under the bed while she’s snapping at him. later while we’re sitting on his bed watching TV his cat is pacing around the bed. She wasn’t in my eyesight and I adjusted myself in his bed, she snaps at me and I flinch accidentally dropping a pillow on her little head. He then asks what did I do to her which kind of irritated me.
which again brings me back to point number 3 if two of his parents being gone and me coming back contributes to her anger

his cat is mean but I care about her, I care about all animals especially when it comes to their well being. what can be done ? He claims she is spayed but I don’t believe that, I even had to trick my friend into going to the vet for free to see if something was wrong with her but nothing came up

I’m trying to make my instructions clearer and shorter. Right now I include food, water, bathroom habits, medication, and emergency contacts. Anything else you’d add?

Hello everyone my fiancé and I are newly engaged we are both 23 and have been together 6.5 years. We have a great opportunity to move out of my mom’s house in a couple of months. It is about 45mins-1 hr away and we attend college there as well (our last semester). We have been commuting everyday since our first semester so this would be a big help. My animals mean the world to me. Literally. Anyone who knows me knows my love for them and animals in general. We have a 9 year old GSD, 12 year old chihuahua, 12 year old cat, 4 year old cat, and 3 of my own personal pets that we will be taking with us. I feel so sad leaving my childhood/family pets behind. They are very loved here and will be perfectly okay but I think about them getting older and not being there as much. It’s not far away at all but thinking about leaving them makes me so so sad. I’ve been with them for so many years.
We also just got back from vacation and I could tell our GSD missed us😭😭😭💔

Taquito only eats the carrots because i make it look like seeds, if anything else, he won't eat it. He doesn't even like millet spray. I've tried pellets too. Anyways, I wanted to try taming him with a "reward" or whatever that method is called, but nothing is rewarding to him cause he doesn't like that stuff. Is there other methods? anybody's budgie the same?

I made a one time payment donation of $9.99 and it subscribed me to a $29.99 subscription without my permission unauthorized and I have not seen a receipt to my email and they have not emailed me back and their phone number is out of service. Anyone else have the same issue? My bank is disputing out and will try and reach out them. I cant cancel the subscription myself because I cant find it.