Pets and CondosDon't fret. You can still be a pet owner whilst living in a high-rise condominium. Text by James Hipkiss.An ever increasing number of Malaysians are choosing the condo lifestyle. At the same time, more Malaysians are also becoming or thinking of becoming pet owners.The question then arises, is it possible and more importantly, is it practical to keep pets in condos?The answer is a qualified yes, but with a number of provisos and conditions of course.The first thing a condo dweller has to consider when contemplating pet ownership is what rules and regulations may exist regarding pets in the condo, and in some instances is there flexibility within these rules. For example, it seems that there is a general rule that dogs are not permitted in condos. However, it also appears to often be the case that if a dog is quiet, clean, well-supervised and no case of the neighbor objecting, then a blind eye may be turned to its presence in a condo. Of course, a potential dog owner must also consider that they would not be in a very strong position, if a neighbour did decide one day to complain officially. If one is considering keeping a dog in a condo, better then that it is a dog that does not bark and requires little exercise. Probably a small dog too as one will have to clear up its mess from the balcony or wherever on a regular basis, unless neighbours do not mind sharing the lift with it several times daily when it is taken out to "perform".
Dogs aside then, let's consider other pets which may be suitable for condo living. Cats are a clear choice. They do not make a noise, they do not require a lot of outdoor exercise, and they are easily trained to do all their business in a litter box. They are by nature very clean animals. They differ from dogs too in terms of being social animals. Make a habit of leaving a single dog locked up in an apartment all day, all week, whilst one is out at work, and you will not have a happy, well-adjusted dog when you get home. Prepare for possible mess and destruction. Cats on the other hand, seem contented with their own company, and although happy to see you when you come home, they are by nature far more solitary creatures. One word of warning though, they can be destructive. Cats do enjoy sharpening their claws and will think nothing of shredding your furnishings if you do not put a scratching post or some such to cater for this habit. Climbing is their other problem, some cats love climbing curtains, other just scaling their way to the highest point in any particular room. Do look out for delicate ornaments that you have around the condo.
Going down in size comes to a variety of rodents, hamsters, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs and rabbits. These animals are particularly popular with children, being cute, cuddly and not generally prone to biting and scratching. Rabbits may actually be a little large for keeping indoors in an apartment as they need quite a large cage, and if not cleaned out regularly, can smell. Guinea pigs is a great consideration as they do make great pets. Smaller than rabbits, they are gentle, get used to being handled, are clean and almost odour free. Like rabbits, they do require a little space for exercise, either a large cage or smaller cage but then with the option of being allowed out of the cage for a few hours daily to run around. Hamsters, gerbils and mice are considerably smaller, and can easily be kept in a cage smaller than table-top size in the case of gerbils or considerably smaller still for hamsters and mice. They all become used to being handled gently, are not smelly and as long as there are toys (wheels for example with hamsters) in their cages, they can entertain themselves all day, or indeed all night too. As children's pet, hamsters or gerbils are the best choice, mice are almost too small, and tend not to be as entertaining to watch as they do not have the same level of curiosity and playfulness. With rodents, it is tempting to get more than one. Well, a solitary hamster looks so lonely. That being the case, remember if you out a male and female together, expect a deluge of babies in the near future! It is clearly better to have only animals of the same sex in one cage. Also, do take note that introducing a new animal into an already occupied cage can lead to territorial fighting. If there is intention to keep more than one animal in a cage, always introduce them to the environment together, at the same time.
Another indoor pet that is a little more chirpy is a budgerigar / parakeet. They were very popular at one time. Like canaries, they require only a relatively small cage, little maintenance and will sing all day, filling the house with their music. These and other small song birds make good pets, and are not too labor-intensive for the pet owner. Larger birds such as parrots can also be kept as pets, but take up considerably more space and require more careful handling. My aunt used to have a large parrot in her kitchen which would sit on her shoulder, looking the very picture of innocence, but if anyone else got too near, it could strike like a cobra. My mother list the tip of a finger to this vicious creature's razor sharp beak. The trade in exotic birds is now subject to many regulations though, due to the near extinction of many species. So, if you are considering a tropical bird as a pet, check carefully the bird that you many consider purchasing is not on a restricted pr endangered list. It is also kinder to buy a bird bred in captivity than one trapped in the wild. It seems so sad to see a creature that once flew free now confined to a small cage.
Reptiles seem to appeal to some people as the perfect house pet. Though there are some others who wonder why as reptiles are not exactly hug-gable, animated or particularly friendly. Even terrapins, or 'ninja turtles' though cute when they are small, will grow and climb out of their pen if they can. Most alarmingly, they bite and do not let go! Lizards and snakes especially demand very careful handling, and a secure cage. Some of them have rather unpleasant feeding habits: think dead mice, baby chickens, etc. and this only food for the baby snakes. Think what your baby python may be eating in four or five years time. Some reptiles like exotic birds, are also subject to various restrictions and controls, so again do your research carefully before considering buying a particular reptile.
Lastly as house 'pets', there is the option of fish-keeping. Well, they are silent apart from the 'bubbly' noise fom the tank, but again they do not have much of a 'hunggability' factor, and do not look particularly excited whenever they see you. Ok,the greedy little things cam work themselves into a frenzy when you open the top of the tank to feed them though. Goldfish are popular as they seem to exist in almost any sort of tank as long as the water does not get too dirty. They are easy for kids to look after and take some responsibility for, which is after all what pet ownership should be about. Next, there are the colourful fresh water tropical fish, tetras, Siamese fighting fish and so forth. However, these fish are more sensitive and may require a tank with a proper filtering system, and all the other accessories. A fascinating alternative to the aqua life is a tropical salt water aquarium, with a piece of coral reef in it and a population of radiantly coloured reef fish. This though is an expensive option requiring plenty of fairly expert attention, and should one have a power outage or similar breakdown in your system, you could loose everything in your tank. You will also need someone reliable to take over tank supervision from you should you ever want to take another holiday of more than a few days.
There are then actually, plenty of options for those who wish to share their condo lifestyle with a pet. Just think through your choices carefully as you are taking on responsibility of a living creature's life and well-being. Even a solitary goldfish is a commitment.
