Moving closer towards adulthood can be an interesting change for most teenagers. With the large load of schoolwork, possibly holding a job, dealing with friendships; lives often get filled with stress and many teens become overwhelmed. What if I told you a great way to help manage stressful situations is having the company of a non-human friend. I’m talking about animals! But with lots going on, teens need something easy to take care of. Here are some of the easiest pets to take care of. 

Snails: These slow-pokes are a unique choice for a pet, but deserve your love and attention. The snail itself is about $3 at Petsmart and they need to live in a 1 gallon tank for $18.  Now for their diet: snails eat algae on the tank, but you can feed them raw produce like vegetables and fruits. To take care of them, you just have to clean the tank every once in a while and make sure they have enough food and water to keep your snail comfortable! You can physically hold them, for those of you who cherish physical touch, but they tend to feel slimy. These unique friends are definitely the easiest and most low maintenance of them all.

Fish: Even if you can’t touch them, fish are great pets! With prices starting as low as 16 cents, they’re extremely affordable. Tanks can get relatively expensive, so if you are looking to save money you could just use a round fish bowl for $10. Depending on the type of fish you choose as your newest companion, their food flakes range in price. For example, if you get a simple goldfish, you would get TetraFin Goldfish Flakes for $7.49. Swimming around in circles all day seems pretty boring, so decorate your fish tank to give your fish a unique home. Petco offers a wide variety of home decor for your fishy friend! Like snails, your fishes’ home can get pretty dirty and you’ll need to keep it clean to keep your companion healthy.  Fish are very easy to take care of and strangely relaxing to watch as they swim around in their tank.

Lizard:  The Bahaman or Green Anole Lizard is a great starter pet! For $8, you can get your very own! They can grow up to 7 inches in length and live about 5 years. In order to house the lizards, they need a terrarium. Petsmart offers a 30 gallon tank terrarium for $149.99; you have to ensure that your lizard is comfortable. Lizards can eat different types of bugs, including mealworms, crickets, roaches, but they should have a nice balance since those bugs are very fatty. For a 4 oz bag of dry food omnivore mix, it costs $9.99 and for a 1 oz container of freeze dried crickets, it costs $8.99. For a small dish to put their food in, it costs $6.99, lizards will definitely appreciate the showmanship of their food. Both Bahaman and Green Anole lizards enjoy climbing, and for $22.99, you can support your lizard’s love to climb with a 30 inch branch from PetSmart.  Even though these pets are on the more pricey side, they’re interactive and have tons of personality and a longer lifespan. 

Frog: The friendly Green Tree Frog is a great pet for beginning pet-owners. At Petsmart, one of the frogs cost $10.99. A great deal! They stay very small throughout their life, staying at about 2.5 inches. They live on average about 5-6 years, but in some instances, they can live up to 15-20 years! You should be very aware though, they are a loud reptile; their call can be heard from more than a mile away. You can house up to 3 frogs at a time in a 10 gallon terrarium tank; every frog needs a friend. Frogs tend to be very timid towards humans and don’t particularly like to be handled, so try to rarely touch them. Like the lizards, frogs also feast on live prey like mealworms, crickets, fruit flies, etc. They aren’t a cuddly companion but if you don’t care so much about the physical aspect then this pet could be good for you. 

Hamster: A cuddly little hamster is a great choice for those who love a cozy companion. For $22.99, you can own your very own too! Hamsters are very athletic and have tons of energy. They are nocturnal rodents, sleeping during the day, and roaming around their cage at night. Since they are active at night, they tend to get pretty rowdy; so be prepared to hear rustling while you sleep. For a cage, which includes a wheel, food dispenser and water bottle, it costs $69.99. It’ll give you and your hamster everything you need to ensure its happiness. A hamster’s diet consists of pellets, fruits, vegetables, and timothy hay. A 2.5 pound bag of gourmet blend, full of all the necessary nutrients, costs $8.29. Again, on the more expensive side, but so lively! You won’t get tired of having this fuzzy friend to play with and keep you company. 

At the end of the day, there are so many animals that deserve a loving home and a happy life. You’ll make one lucky animal so beyond happy and blessed.