How Do Different Exotic Pets Compare?

Here at Ferrets and Friends, we have the joy of taking care of over 40 animals that run the spectrum of different types of exotic pets.  People often ask us questions like "I have a rabbit already, but I have always wanted a chinchilla.  How do they compare?"  We think these are great questions, but researching the answers can be tough.  We hope to write more articles to address these questions, but to start we will compare some of the extremes with the animals we already work with.  We answered these questions based on our current experience taking care of parrots, ferrets, rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs, parrots, tortoises, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and invertebrates.

The Most Expensive (Overall)

Our most expensive animal overall is our macaw Jubilee.  We spend more replacing toys/perches in a month than we do on other animals for the entire year.  Many people are well aware that purchasing a macaw can come with a hefty price tag, but that initial cost is tiny compared to what you will spend over the parrot's long lifespan.  While some smaller parrots can make great pets for the average person, we would consider owning a macaw as part of a lifestyle as it is a huge commitment that greatly impacts an owners time, finances, and energy.

The Most Expensive (To Feed)

Our Argentine Tegu, Sierra easily outshines all of our other animals by the cost of her diet alone.  She eats a large rat every week which puts her annual cost total over $250 per year.  In addition, she also eats raw salmon, quail eggs, chicken eggs, ground turkey, and a mix of fruits and veggies.  We estimate that we spend at least $300 per year on her diet alone.  Our bunnies have a similar estimated cost as the pair of them cost about $600 per year to feed.  Most of our other animals are below the $200 per year threshold.

The Most Expensive (Veterinary Care)

There's really no competition for this one.  Our ferrets absolutely have the highest veterinary cost.  We typically have between four and six ferrets at a time and it would be unusual to have a year in which none of them rack up a bill over a thousand dollars in a single visit.  In addition to needing annual vet visits to check their health and administer vaccines, ferrets are prone to a variety of illnesses later in life.  After age three, you can expect some hefty veterinary expenses.  We found that on average, ferrets cost $500 per year throughout their lifespan. 

The Most Messy

Everyone will have a different definition of what they consider messy.  For example, parrots are extraordinarily destructive but it is relatively easy to keep their messes contained to their cage or play/feeding area.  Ferrets will certainly have a great time figuring out how to pull all of your books off the bookshelf or knocking over your potted plants to celebrate in the resulting dirt pile.  Hedgehogs are very active and produce a surprising amount of waste for their small bodies (larger cages are easier to keep clean).  Chinchillas will require some daily maintenance to keep their cages from becoming overwhelming.  However, from our perspective, we think that bunnies win the award for being the messiest.  We spend more time cleaning up the bunny area than we do for any of the other animals.  Changing litter boxes is a daily chore.  Hay seems to get everywhere.  Depending on the breed of rabbit, the amount of hair and its ephemeral, gravity-defying quality can make it hard to truly eliminate.  The amount of mess that comes with owning a rabbit seems to be across the board.  

The Most Clean

Our cleanest animals are our snakes and our amphibians.  Weekly spot checks and deep cage cleaning every six months to a year is usually enough to keep their homes clean.  Our tarantulas and millipedes also keep their enclosures pretty clean.  We could not pick just one animal to say that it is the most clean.

The Most Noisy

We have made a distinction between being noisy and being loud.  Obviously, parrots would be the loudest contender on this list.  Being noisy takes into account other types of sounds that may result from sharing your home with an animal.  Our animal that most consistently produces sound during the day is our Green Cheek Conure, Domino.  We like to think that she is sitting and chatting about her day and her environment.  We find the sound soothing, but other people may find it irritating if they have a preference for absolute silence.  However, our animals that are the most noisy (and the most likely to keep you up at night) are our chinchillas and our hedgehog.  Both tend to be very active at night and spend time running on their wheels or jumping about their cage.  We do not recommend keeping either of these animals in a bedroom.

The Loudest

Jubilee, our macaw, makes the list again!  Her screams can be heard from other buildings!  While Jubilee is pretty quiet most of the day, there is time in the afternoon that she likes to get loud (and also practice talking).  Our Eclectus Parrot, Missy, also has some pretty loud calls.  Anyone who wants a quiet animal should stay far away from birds.

The Most Quiet

If you covered the enclosures for our snakes, amphibians, or invertebrates, it is unlikely would even know that an animal lived there.  Smaller lizards like geckos and chameleons are also extremely quiet.  While larger lizards and tortoises don't make vocalizations, they are more active in their enclosures so you may hear them digging, scratching, climbing, or otherwise running about.  

Final Thoughts

There are lots of different qualities that go into what makes a good pet and the exact definition will vary from person to person.  Ultimately, you have to do your research and figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle.