All through my life, it was either my parents or my wives (2) who assumed the responsibility of cleaning after and grooming our dogs and cats and taking them to the Vet when necessary. I just sat there and enjoyed them. I don't want a small, caged pet, but either a small Dog or Cat. I see seniors at Solstice carrying small dogs with them. My neighbor across the corridor has a Shih Tzu, which looks like fun to me..... What say ye? Hal
Just as I told Lon, if you aren't willing to invest time and money into caring for a little animal, DON'T BOTHER GETTING ONE. Pets aren't cheap and aren't "low maintenance." They are living creatures that deserve a loving home.
I believe you to be right, Beth...in that case, I'll just enjoy the pets of my Solstice neighbors. Hal
Try an aquarium. Watching them swim around is peaceful. If some croak, flush and get a different variety. To do it right takes time and is a learning process. Any messes are confined to the tank. Start small. It's been something I have been thinking about myself.
The last aquarium I had was expensive and not low maintenance. I wouldn't advise a senior citizen to get one. And fish don't love you. You can't hug and cuddle them. And they don't keep the bad guys run away.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=guinea+pigs+playing I was making shepherds pie tonite and wishing I had a guinea pig. No not to eat but to clean up my carrot peelings, celery tops etc. I think guinea pigs are the perfect pet. (But hubby doesn't cuz I like to keep them in the kitchen.)
I had a hamster once, when I was a kid. I let it out of its cage and it escaped. That thing lived like a mouse in the house for a year and a half, or two years. We'd see if every now and then, but it was feral. I put out food for it, but it also got into things, like any other rodent.
Fish can be low maintenance if you have an auto feeder and a rugged type of fish. You can also set up an aquaponics setup on the top and grow salad greens on top of the aquarium. They don't scare off bad guys, but then neither do cats other than cougars. Small dogs will alert you, but no evil-doer is really scared of a small dog. Fish do have a relaxing way about them, though. That is why they are in many waiting rooms.
A little glass bowl with a gold fish or a couple of Beta’s might be sufficient to appease that need to have an aquarium. Aquariums are nice and are indeed relaxing but are a lot harder to clean than cleaning behind a dog, cat or even a birdcage. If the fish dies ya can clean the glass and use it for your rum and coke.
There is no such thing as a low-maintenance living pet. There are many options in choosing a fake pet. I would advise a fake dog at your entry door. What kind of message do you want to convey? Put this one on a stand by your front door and I promise every lady will stop to pet it. I recommend a stand because some may have trouble getting down to floor level.
At one time, we had a 5-gallon aquarium with a beautiful Betta in it. Betta are fighting fish, so you don't want a two in the same tank. We had a few real plants, a few shrimp and a couple of snails in it to help keep the tank clean, but still had to change the water in it every couple of weeks. Gravel on the bottom also. We had to buy some fish meds, to put in the water a few times, when the Betta wasn't swimming around much. Went thru two Bettas, the said "enough is enough". Sold the tank and everything we had bought for it.