Choosing a pet is one area where size really does matter. Smaller pets are becoming more popular with families with children, or those who have limited money, space, and time to devote to the care of larger pets. Your hamster won’t need the same amount of space, food or exercise as your German Shepherd for example. So, we thought it would be interesting to discover what are the most popular small pets in the US… let the countdown begin.
In at number 5… Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are fun and expressive. They live for a relatively long time and enjoy human interaction and attention.
Pros: Great for kids, approximately seven-year lifespan.
Cons: Need companionship from other Guinea pigs, and safe shelter out of harsh weather with room to run.
Steady at number 4… Rabbits
Rabbits are great to watch hopping about their run. However, you need to think carefully about everyone’s needs before getting one.
Pros: Entertaining, can be handled – carefully and gently.
Cons: Should be kept in pairs or groups – make sure you get the ‘right’ pair, they need space to run and a rabbit den to hunker down in, can bite and scratch if mishandled.
Surprise entry at number 3… Hamsters
These small rodents make great companions and if well-handled from an early age will be tame.
Pros: Easy to look after, cheap to buy, lots of fun.
Cons: Depending on the breed they may thrive best in pairs or alone, nocturnal so not great for playing in the day, can bite.
An old favourite at number 2… Cats
Cats are a small pet – unless you have one of those giant cats – so they definitely belong on this list.
Pros: Very independent, entertaining and fun to play with, pest control.
Cons: Allergies to dander, litter trays, scratching walls/furniture.
And number 1 in our popular small pets list is… Small Dogs
Ok, that might be cheating, but as dogs are at number one in the overall popular pets list, their small varieties – your Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Bichons et al – make it into second place on our popular small pets list too.
Pros: Lifelong love and companionship, great for mental/physical health.
Cons: Expensive – to buy/feed/keep healthy, need ample time, attention, and space to thrive. Please note this is not an exhaustive list. Unfortunately, most of the available data doesn’t break down the ‘small animal category’ much further than rabbits – so we have conducted our own, very unofficial, research to bring you what we think is a great list. We hope you enjoyed it.