Spooky Animals That Make Great Pets!
Snakes, rats, and spiders are among some of the most feared and disliked animals, and they are often featured this time of year as “spooky”, but once you get to know them, they actually all make fantastic pets!
Snakes
Snakes are some of the easiest reptiles to keep as most of them don’t have complicated diets or care. Setting up their enclosure is the most complicated part of their care, and even that isn’t too hard! They just need enough space to stretch out, lots of things to hide in and explore, and a few supplies to keep their environment at the correct temperature and humidity levels. Once they are set up, they only require a few minutes a day to check for waste, make sure they have water, and check that their heat and humidity is still correct. They only need to eat once every 5-7 days as babies and once every couple of weeks as adults and their infrequent meals translate to relatively infrequent clean up as well! Most of the species that are kept as pets are very docile and handleable, making them interactive pets too. Thinking about diving into the world of snake keeping? Consider a corn snake!
Rats
Rats are actually some of the friendliest, smartest, and most cuddly small pets you can have. They can be trained to come when called and do tricks, and they love to play, they can even be ticklish! They need a nice large cage full of toys, hammocks, hides, and activities, as well as daily care and feeding, and the cage needs a good cleaning typically about twice a week. They also thrive with lots of time to play and bond with you outside of their cage. Rats should always have at least one rat buddy as they are incredibly social!
Spiders
Spiders are gaining massive popularity as pets! From the tiny jumping spider to the massive goliath birdeater tarantula, these pets are probably the lowest maintenance pet you can keep. They don’t need much space, and as long as the room is a comfortable temperature for you, they don’t need additional heat or lighting. All they need is a couple minutes a day to make sure they have water and appropriate humidity for their species. For small or young spiders, they might need to eat a bug 2-3 times a week, while large adults only need to eat once a week at most! They come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, patterns, and temperaments too. Tarantulas in general should be more of a hands-off pet. While not deadly to humans, their venom varies in strength depending on species, from “like a bee-sting” to “medically significant”, and the urticating hairs that they may flick at you can be very uncomfortable. Handling is risky for the tarantula too because if dropped, a tarantula has a high chance of not surviving the fall. Possibly the best spider for a beginner is the jumping spider, these little fellows are small, active, curious, and they are the safest pet spider to handle since bites are extremely rare and harmless, and they use their webbing like a bungee jumper to catch them if they jump or fall. Prefer something bigger for your first spider? A curly hair tarantula is a top choice! These fluffy dudes are generally very calm and are often out on display rather than hiding away in a burrow. Already have some spider experience and feeling brave? Venture into the old-world category, where the tarantulas have more attitude! Such as an OBT, which can stand for Orange Baboon Tarantula, or Orange Bitey Thing!
For more detailed information on the care of these animals, see our care sheets and visit any of our stores to see the animals in person and talk to our Zamzoo pet experts!