What kind of pet to get if you are rarely at home

Not suitable for busy people

Dogs

The main thing for a dog is to be close to its owner. Unfortunately, most of us are forced to leave pets for at least eight hours a day, or even all 12.

Some dogs tolerate loneliness relatively calmly, while others begin to howl, bark and smash the apartment. They do this not out of harm or revenge, but out of hopelessness and fear. If the animal thinks every time that you are leaving forever, there is no limit to his despair.

The dog's behavior can be corrected. For this, the pet is taught that the owner will definitely return. Training takes place gradually: at first, the owner leaves not far and for a short time, teaching the dog not to follow him, then leaves it alone for a longer time. So the dog gradually gets used to the idea that, no matter how much the owner is absent, he will definitely return.

This method helps to get rid of panic attacks during the absence of the owner, but does not eliminate the cause itself. After all, if the dog does not howl during your absence and does not spoil the furniture, this does not mean that it is comfortable to be alone. She just believes that you will return, and waits.

The dog suffers every day, being alone in an empty room.

She spends five days a week for eight hours without the dearest being, his love and attention. Even worse, many owners, even when they are at home, do not satisfy the dog's need for companionship. For example, they constantly kick her into the next room because she interferes, whines or tries to play.

Almost all dogs require exercise - some more, others less. If you want to run with your dog, that's great. The dog will receive both a share of communication with you, and the necessary load. If not, you have to think about how you will train her. Some owners do not walk with their dogs for long: half an hour in the morning, an hour in the evening. The rest of the time the dog spends in a closed room, where he cannot warm up properly and get food for his mind.

If you are enthusiastic about getting a dog and plan to spend a lot of time with it, just imagine it will continue for another 10-13 years. Maybe for the first few months you will communicate with your pet, walk with him for a long time, give him a good stretch and play. But then the usual routine will drag you in - the dog will be at the very bottom of the to-do list. So is it worth torturing an animal?

Parrots

Parrots are very lively and sociable pets. Left alone, without the attention of the owner and interesting toys, they begin to get bored. The stressful state leads to tantrums, which often result in self-plucking.

A similar reaction occurs when a parrot shares a cage with an unsuitable mate. So, if you decide to add a neighbor to him, it is not a fact that the pets will converge in character and will live happily.

It is often advised to buy interesting toys for a parrot so that in your absence he has something to keep himself busy. But, if you do not play, do not communicate with your pet, or do it for a very short time, no toys will save your bird from boredom.

Rats

You can't really play with a rat, but it still needs your attention. However, here the problem of loneliness is solved easier: buy two same-sex rodents and a large cage, equip it with toys, tunnels, houses and calmly go to work.

Rats are very social creatures, they need to live in company.

This is confirmed by the experiment with rats and drugs, which was described in his TED talk by Johan Harry. When the rat lived alone, without toys and communication, it easily got used to drugs and soon died of an overdose. And in a rat park, where several individuals lived, they could interact, play and mate without hindrance. As a result, not a single rat became addicted to drugs, although there was always a container with a narcotic substance dissolved in water in the cage.

Johan Harry told this story to show that loneliness and boredom lead to drugs and people. But this experiment also shows how rats feel bad without company.

If you are determined to have one rodent, it will need a lot of your attention and the ability to be outside the cage. Rats are very mobile and inquisitive, they constantly need to crawl, climb on a hill, rummage in things, find something new.

Raccoons

Raccoons are very mischievous and agile creatures that require constant attention. If you leave a raccoon alone, he will simply destroy the apartment, climb into any locker, scatter, break and tear your things.

If you lock your pet for a long time in a confined space, for example, on a balcony or in a cage, do not play or communicate with him, he will completely run wild and instead of an inquisitive pet animal, you will get a wild striped creature.

Have you decided to have a raccoon? Remember that you will have to spend most of your free time entertaining the animal and making sure that it does not break anything.

Suitable for busy people

Cats

Do cats miss their owner or are they just using it to meet their needs? There are different opinions on this matter.

Daniel Mills, published in 2015, proved that cats aren't all that attached to their owners. In the course of the experiment, he compared the reaction of an infant to the departure and appearance of the mother and the behavior of dogs and cats in a similar situation with their owners.

The child, with obvious relief, crawled to the mother after her appearance. The dog jumped around the owner, wagging its tail. And only the cat did not stop playing with a stranger and, it seems, did not even notice that her mistress was going out somewhere.

However, some cat owners disagree with the results of the experiment. They argue that these animals are just curious and quickly distracted, but just as miss the owner alone as dogs.

Here is a video filmed in the absence of people, when a cat walks around the room with a toy in its teeth and calls the owner.

This problem can be solved by having a pet partner. For example, in Switzerland, according to the animal welfare regulations, it is not allowed to have one cat if it does not go out. Two pets will definitely find something to do in your absence.

Ferrets

Ferrets get along well with dogs (but not hunting breeds) and cats, as well as other ferrets. This animal sleeps for 18–20 hours a day, and neutered animals can sleep longer. Therefore, your pet will not get bored most of your working day. And when you get home, you can give him enough time.

Hamsters

These animals seem to need no company at all. Moreover, it is not advised to keep same-sex hamsters in the same cage in order to prevent a fight. If you buy individuals of different sexes, be prepared for the fact that you will have to sell offspring.

It is quite difficult to play with a hamster, as he does not understand that he is being played with. In general, he does not need your company, so you can safely go to work. The main thing is to look after him.