Your physical and mental health may benefit from including a pet into your night shift or swing shift schedule. The health and happiness of you and your future (and current) housemates depend on your choice of pet.
The ideal pet for night and swing shift workers is one that requires little maintenance, is small, and costs little to feed. Rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small rodents like hamsters, mice, and rats are some animals to think about as pets. For people who work nights and swing shifts, fish, lizards, and painted turtles can also make wonderful pets.
Depending on how much area your home needs for the pet’s habitat, you can choose the best pet for you. Additionally, since not all animals are cuddles, you should think about how much physical contact you want to have with your pet.
A Low-Maintenance Pet is what?
Low-maintenance animals can spend a lot of time alone. These animals are always playing with toys, eating snacks, and sleeping. Low-maintenance animals are often kept in an enclosure that:
- Reduces the clutter they leave in your house.
- Their risk of harm or demise by keeping them safely contained
- keeps their restrooms, food, and water in one place.
Generally speaking, the majority of low-maintenance pets just need to be fed once per day. Developing a schedule with your pet will help you get to know one another and deepen your relationship. Providing your pet with fresh food and clean water on a daily basis may motivate you to make healthy food and water choices as well.
Low maintenance pets are undoubtedly those that can eat fresh fruits, vegetables, grasses, and sources of protein. Feeding your pet from your kitchen is healthier and more cost-effective. Pet food that has been processed is frequently pricey and may include hazardous ingredients.
Unless they are an exotic breed, birds, lizards, and fish are often inexpensive to feed. Bulk seed purchases might help you save money (see these Amazon varieties). You can gather insects from your yard or the closest park. Your neighborhood lake or pond can be the closest place to find live food for your omnivores.
Low maintenance animals don’t require frequent baths or trips to the groomer for haircuts. Most low-maintenance pets take care of their own hygiene, while long-haired animals like rabbits and guinea pigs may require a comb. Your focus should be on keeping their environment clean while caring for these types of pets.
A low-maintenance pet also requires fewer visits to the doctor. A yearly checkup at the vet is recommended for some animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, to ensure their health. The majority of other low-maintenance pets, particularly fish, may typically be treated for most ailments at home for a reasonable cost.
Pets who don’t need a lot of outdoor time for exercise are likewise regarded as low-maintenance. In order to maintain good health, rabbits and guinea pigs do need a little daily sun exposure.
Pet Options for Shift Workers: Comparison
Let’s take a deeper look at each type of pet and what they will need to live a happy and healthy life in your home to help you determine which low-maintenance pet is perfect for you.
Here are some things to think about:
- criteria for space
- time tolerable spent alone
- dietary restrictions
- ventilation technique
- continuing upkeep
Rabbits
These peaceful animals require a cage with plenty of space to move around. The size of the rabbit will eventually determine the size of the hutch you’ll require. You should provide them adequate room to eat, sleep, and hop.
If you give your rabbits enough of fresh food, clean water, and comfortable bedding, they can be left alone for extended periods. Since they are sociable creatures, you should get at least two of them so that they may keep each other company while you are away. Make sure to include a couple of amusing wooden chew toys and tunnels for play and exercise.
When they are younger than 7 months old, alfalfa hay makes up the majority of their diet. After that, they only consume grass hay. Additionally, you ought to provide them with 1-3 cups of leafy greens every day. Besides, you can occasionally give rabbits delicacies like carrots, bananas, and different fruit.
You should be cautious when introducing new items to a rabbit’s diet because they frequently have delicate digestive systems. Your location and available storage space will determine if you can get a sufficient amount of hay. While pet stores often charge about $45 for 25 lbs. of hay, farmers typically sell bales of hay for $7 to $12 each.
The guinea pig
Despite being normally quiet, this animal has a piglet-like squeak of excitement. Between meals and playtime, they want to sleep a lot. A guinea pig enclosure needs to be cleaned frequently and have enough of ventilation to keep odors from developing.
Guinea pigs enjoy chewing on things, just like rabbits, therefore they’ll require a lot of secure toys to munch on every day. This is due to the fact that their teeth erupt throughout life.
To avoid harm, they will also require routine nail trimming.
Similar to rabbits, guinea pigs often eat hay, though they can also consume fresh fruits and vegetables. As alfalfa hay has too much calcium for them to digest, it shouldn’t be given to them. These animals will eat their excrement to gain additional nutrition, just like rabbits do.
To ensure their best health, daily provide their food in bowls that have just been washed. You can make sure your guinea pig stays well-hydrated by giving it a large bottle of fresh water each day. In particular, if you are unable to take the animals outside, it is imperative to keep their cage close to a window that lets in daily sunlight.
Little Rodents
Low-maintenance pets that encourage more interaction with their human caregiver include hamsters, gerbils, mice, and even rats. These animals are incredibly space-efficient and have modest entertainment and dietary preferences. Since most rodents are nocturnal and quite active at night, they are excellent for people who need to sleep quietly during the day.
As omnivores, rats and mice need a variety of meals, including seeds, fruits, and proteins from insects, nuts, and food pellets. They also need seeds and grains. Small rodents require things they can munch on to wear down their teeth, just like rabbits and guinea pigs do. They take pleasure in burrowing in their bedding and using a wheel or tunnels in their environment to exercise. Here is an entertaining item for your little but active roommates that I discovered on Amazon.
Birds
Small birds that require little human interaction, including finches, canaries, doves, and budgies, make excellent low-maintenance pets. With the help of bells, swings, and other little toys, they can amuse themselves. I enjoy this set of toys from Amazon; find out more here.
Remember that some birds can be noisier than others, making them unsuitable for those who require a lot of peace and quiet.
The majority of birds’ diets consist of seeds, and depending on the breed, they have different preferred types. Also in need of enough of pure water are birds. Since many supermarkets sell it for under $1 per pound, feeding your bird is both affordable and quite simple.
Birds can be messy eaters, so it’s important to pay extra care to keeping their cage and the area surrounding it clean. A lot of newspaper or other similar paper will be needed to line the bottom of their cage in order to keep it clean. This will lessen the likelihood of pest infestations and keep their environment smelling fresh.
