Some people have been so busy struggling to be the next Jeff Bezos that they forget about taking care of themselves 🙂 Or they may be in a job with a heavy workload and are bent towards just surviving the day’s work. With an immense workload comes tremendous pressure and anxiety. Many people face loneliness when they get too busy in their work-life, and studies show that pets can massively improve their quality of life.
Pets bring out the best in you as they make you feel alive and awesome; they cuddle, love you unconditionally and make you forget the stress and struggles that you’ve been through all day. Pets can be useful in helping you kick-start your day and go back to sleep stress free at night.   Â
How do pets help with the stress and loneliness of a busy lifestyle?
- Pets can help you recover from anxiety and depression as they are very lovable and loyal whenever they are around.
- Animal owners are less likely to be depressed than people who do not have pets.
- In difficult conditions, those who have pets typically have a lower blood pressure than those who do not. According to one report, people with borderline hypertension who rescued dogs from a shelter had their blood pressure drop substantially after five months.
- Playing with a dog or cat will increase serotonin and dopamine levels, which help you relax and calm down.
- Pet owners have reduced triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than non-pet owners.
- Patients who have dogs have a better chance of surviving a heart attack than people who do not.
- Animal owners over the age of 65 visit their doctor 30% less often than people who do not have any pets.
Source: Helpguide.org
The primary cause for these calming benefits is that pets satisfy a fundamental human desire for interaction. It’s a known fact that even inmates in jail improve due to their experiences with dogs, feeling reciprocal love for the first time. When you’re stressed or nervous, stroking, loving, or otherwise embracing a caring animal will quickly relax and soothe you. Pets can significantly alleviate stress by simply being around. Some pets like dogs can be excellent stimulants for physical exercise, which can substantially improve your morale and help you overcome anxiety.
Now the question arises: how can a person who’s busy all day take care of another member of the house? To answer that, here’s a list of 9 lovable and low maintenance pets that might be able to get your life back in shape.
1. Dogs
No dogs are the same even if they are of the same breed, so one must choose wisely and according to their needs. Dogs can play with you all day, even if you ignore them. They will be an endless source of fun and cheer, making sure you feel good. They can give you unconditional love, unlimited cuddles and endless fun.
For a busy person, a smaller dog that requires shorter dog walks would be more manageable, such as an English Bulldog or a Chow Chow.
Diet – Although you can feed your dog a pure kibble diet, if you want to, you can mix their diet with some cooked or raw meat, fish, vegetables and rice. For super busy people, you can buy an automatic feeder like the one below from Amazon (click the image to view it over there yourself). This will keep your dog fully fed at all times.
Cons – Dogs might prove a mess for Germophobes. They like to play around, and they might ruin your neatly stacked possessions just to have fun 🙂 So tread carefully. Also, owning a dog is quite an investment as you need to get its vaccinations done, purchase food supplies as you would for yourself and other grooming products. Many people aren’t prepared to spend money on themselves, nevermind a pet.
2. Cats
Cats are independent creatures. They can be quite moody animals and often act according to their mood. If you like the idea of having a pet with a more independent outlook on life than a cat might be preferable to the endless obedience a dog gives 🙂
Cats can sometimes be more demanding than they are giving, and so you ought to make sure their food is delivered on time and that you hold up your end of the deal. Owning a cat comes down to what type of person you are, just like any pet. Some might find a cat pressing their laptop keys the cutest thing in the world, and some quite the opposite!
Diet – If you thought cavemen like to eat meat, you clearly haven’t seen a cats diet yet! Cats can consume a variety of food, such as fresh or cooked meat or fish. Meaty bones or fresh meat is right for them, but make sure that it’s human-grade as some bone products and pet meat might contain preservatives that can be harmful to your cat. Again, you can use an automatic feeder if you are super busy. The one linked above also works for cats.
Cons- Cats are a little harder to train to obey commands, and they tend to like scratching furniture. Someone might get an allergic reaction from cats, too. Also, they are not good with moving house or travelling. While some cats might give you all the love and attention in the world, others may prefer to be left alone. And it is hard to tell the personality of your cat when buying or adopting one 🙂Â
3. Rabbits
Rabbits are active and social, but they need plenty of stimulation, or they can get bored and destructive. You can leave your bunny to explore the ins and outs of your house but make sure you’ve serious bunny-proofing done because they like to chew a lot. And train them to use a litter tray, as I am sure you don’t want poop all over your house 🙂
Diet – Hay is an essential component of a rabbit’s regular diet. The majority of a rabbit’s diet consists of unlimited, high-quality grass hay, such as Timothy, orchard, or brome.
Cons – Rabbits scratch and bite if not properly socialised. They need an inside home when temperatures are too hot or too cold.
4. Guinea pig
Snuggling and exploring are guinea pig’s favourite activities, but they need regular time outside of their enclosure. Grooming, cage washing, and keeping relevant equipment on hand to do this would be everyday responsibilities. If you already have a guinea pig, it’s relatively easy to keep another one due to its size though.
Diet – The preferred essential diet for guinea pigs is unlimited amounts of Timothy or other low-calcium hay, supplemented with smaller amounts of commercial, high-fibre, Timothy-hay based guinea pig pellets. A guinea pig should be consuming Vitamin C every day, and grass should be available to them freely throughout the day.
Cons – They can be quite shy animals, and their cage requires fairly high maintenance. Otherwise, they are effortless to look after and one of the best pets to keep for busy people.
5. Turtle
Turtles are adorable and their slow pace will be soothing to such a busy person; however, it can be quite challenging to look after them. To survive, they need a particular climate. All must be just fine, from the weather to the lighting, so you must be ready to adapt to your turtle’s requirements. Once everything is in pace, the ongoing maintenance is quite manageable..
Turtles have exceptionally long life spans compared to most other pets, so you might be looking after them long after your kids are off to college.
Not all states allow keeping a turtle due to some bacteria issues, and it’s suggested that you shouldn’t own a turtle if you have children below the age of 5 years or live with someone with a weak immune system.
Diet – They are omnivores, so you can serve them both veg and meat. They can also consume fruits, feeder fish and insects.
Cons – They eat a lot and are not for beginners. They need large enclosures and are not cuddly like other pets you might consider.
6. Birds
Birds make excellent pets because they are intelligent and social. Even if they spend most of their time in cages, it’s lovely to provide them with a comfortable spot in your home where they can travel easily once in a while. Some say birds may also serve as a warning system for mishaps that can arise in your neighbourhood or your own home; what a bonus 🙂 These are the ultimate easy care animals for busy people!
Some birds, such as parrots, can be noisy or disruptive, and they can live up to 25 years, so they’ll be in the nest for a lot longer than your kids. Chlamydiosis (psittacosis) and avian tuberculosis, according to Petfinder.com, are two health problems to be aware of since they can make those with compromised immune systems, such as infants or the elderly, ill.
Diet – Most birds can consume fresh fruits, herbs, seeding grasses, native flowers, green foods, and other food items that are suitable and nutritious for the specific bird species.
Cons – Birds can be noisy for some people, while others think a bird’s chirp is the soothing sound of nature; others might find it annoying. Although they don’t need a lot of attention, owning a bird is a lifetime commitment. Also, finding a bird doctor might be a little tricky, depending on where you are in the world.
7. Lizard
If you or your family has a busy life and are looking for a low-maintenance pet, you might want to get a lizard. Lizards don’t require an expensive or high maintenance habitat but what they do need is excellent care. Make sure you know about the specific lizard you are getting, how large it can grow, its lifespan and dietary requirements.
Diet – Generally, they eat a wide variety of worms, spiders, beetles, flies, and other insects, fruits and veggies, eggs etc.
Cons – They are low energy pets, so they don’t like to be held for long. Chameleons need a mixed diet of food and vegetables, which can become slightly high maintenance for busy people.
8. Hamster
Hamsters are also very easy pets to look after for busy people, I can remember owning one as a child.
Hamsters are nocturnal, so only night owls might get to see this creature in action. They have a relatively lesser lifespan, which is about two to three years, so if you have kids, you’ll probably have to take them through the loss of a loved one (kids usually love hamsters!).
Adult supervision is required when a child younger than eight years handles a hamster because, like guinea pigs, they can be startled and even bite. Younger children may not be capable of making a hamster feel secure and could be at greater risk for diseases like salmonella, which hamsters can carry.
Diet – Timothy Hay, Commercial hamster pellets (not a muesli-style mix), small amounts of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Occasional treats like nuts, boiled eggs or mealworms. They also need access to new and clean water.
Cons – They bite, are nocturnal, and have a shorter lifespan than most pets one might consider. Adult supervision is also required around children.
 9. Fish
They make excellent first pets for busy people because they do not require much personal attention and are amazing to watch, regardless of age. You simply need to feed them and clean out their tanks regularly. The frequency of tank cleaning depends on multiple things, most importantly, the kind of fish you have. Generally, the tank should be cleaned every two weeks. These aquatic buddies will be perfect companions if your home life is too hectic for a dog or even a kitten.
And with fish tank pumps and filters improving all the time, good ones will mean you have to do a full tank clean out a lot less.
Fish have several advantages: their colours and swimming habits will relax you, they’re quiet, don’t take up a lot of space in a room, and they don’t shed — but they do need care and attention, but after all, it all takes place inside a tank so there’s only so much that you can offer to your fish.
Diet – Live fish food, including earthworms, sludge worms, water fleas, bloodworms, and feeder fish.
Cons – You might splash dirty water around when changing the water out of the tank. If you don’t have a top on your aquarium, water will also evaporate. It may cause damage to your walls and electronics, especially if you don’t have a way to dehumidify your room. In the worst case, if you have an open tank, the fish may even jump out and die.
A pet can truly transform one’s life because pets remind you to love yourself before anything else in this world. All pets are wonderful, and one animal might mean more to you than another, rightfully so. But research shows that pets can be a great source of health and wellness for busy owners. We hope you can find a pet that does this for you after reading this article.
