Which is the most Mustachian pet? (In your opinion)

[Jet711]

Out of curiosity, I always here people debating about the best pet (cat, dog, goldfish, e.t.c). Which pet do YOU think is best for a Mustachian?

[Jet711]

I personally believe that cats are among the best because they can use the bathroom by themselves without a person tending to it for a bit. If they do their "funky business" in a garden, so much the better! Nobody has to clean it, the cat buries it under the soil so it has no smell, and it helps fertilize the soil. :3

[FIRE Artist]

My cat uses the human toilet, also no smell, no kitty litter to purchase.  It isn't free to feed her though, so really can't be considered Mustachian.  Really, not having pets at all is the most frugal way to go.  I consider most small animals, reptiles etc. to be more of a hobby instead of a pet, as those creatures do not really interact on a voluntary basis in the way that a cat seeks out affection, or a dog greets you with tail wagging. 

My cat is much cheaper than my dog though.

[ketchup]

Goldfish is probably cheapest and lowest maintenance (we had one survive a year and a half unattended in our back yard pond before scooping it out and giving it to a friend).

But dogs keep thieves away, keep your microbiota a bit more diverse, and annoy your neighbors as a perk.

In my past experience, cats are excellent at ruining things.

Chickens would mean free omelettes every day.

Dog person myself.  It's not all that expensive if you do everything yourself.

[Jet711]

While goldfish/turtles are low maintenance, they don't give you so much affection/love as a cat/dog/hamster/rabbit does. It's the best feeling in the world when I'm feeling depressed and one of my cats comes and cuddles with me.

Ketchup, depending on how well you train/discipline your cats, they do not destroy furniture. Sure my cats sometimes scratch the carpet instead of the scratching post, but that's about it.

Also, has anyone noticed that cat whiskers sort of look like mustaches?

[gimp]

Tarantula. Feed it once every three months, give it an infrared lamp, give it some water, call it a day.

[jrhampt]

Cats are excellent at ruining things??  In my opinion, dogs are far, FAR more skilled at ruining things.  Obviously a cat person here.  Pets in general aren't very mustachian, but I like cats as the low maintenance option. 

[shenlong55]

[Jeremy E.]

-My dog is a fantastic security system and seems to have an intuitive grasp of what he needs to do when my autistic kid is freaking out. He is my most expensive pet and I don't mind at all.

-My cat keeps the mouse population contained. In an old house like mine mice can do thousands of dollars of damage in a single winter. She earns her keep.

-My pet rats have never cost a dime beyond the initial gear & animal purchase. They eat nothing but scraps and make my kids really happy.

-Foster dogs cost me nothing - the rescue organization pays for all food, gear, and vetting. They are good for our whole house and an easy way for us to give back.

The downside of these many, many creatures is that there are always little drifts of animal hair collecting in corners and friends with allergies can't come over. Worth it.

I was going to say foster dogs are the most mustachian as well, but you beat me to the punch, some organizations don't pay for everything, but either way it's pretty mustachian. Also when you want to go on a month long mustachian vacation, you can usually do it without having to find a dog sitter.

[Glenstache]

The pet rock, clearly.

Low annual costs for food and vet bills. Is a great pet for DIYers. Put it in the oven for a few minutes and it'll warm your lap as well as a cat!

[Glenstache]

A California Cougar. She's blonde, fit, owns a paid off house and has money to spend on you  ;-)

lol. FTW

[little_brown_dog]

Free range chickens or other poultry provided you view them more as beloved livestock and not companions. If you are rushing to the vet to treat minor injuries/infections/parasites instead of DIY then they aren't particularly cost effective. A few free range hens eat very little in feed (a 50lb bag is maybe $13 bucks at the feed store and lasts forever for only 3-4 birds) and provide eggs to make up for their feed cost. They also don't come in the house so you don't have to deal with fur, scratching, litter pans, etc. They can be left alone for a few days with plenty of food and water unlike a dog. You can also build cheap coops from scrap wood, pallets, and $30 bucks worth of wire.  Downsides: most free range birds are not particularly cuddly or social with humans unless you train them to be, occasional coop cleaning, predator losses, and of course the willingness to put them in the soup pot or just keep them as non-productive pets once they stop laying.

[Jet711]

Actually, I think the best pet is the mustache. It can be worn and petted.

[Jtrey17]

How did you get your cat to use the toilet?! That is awesome! Hoping that I can teach two old cats a new trick!!

My cat uses the human toilet, also no smell, no kitty litter to purchase.  It isn't free to feed her though, so really can't be considered Mustachian.  Really, not having pets at all is the most frugal way to go.  I consider most small animals, reptiles etc. to be more of a hobby instead of a pet, as those creatures do not really interact on a voluntary basis in the way that a cat seeks out affection, or a dog greets you with tail wagging. 

My cat is much cheaper than my dog though.

[Curbside Prophet]

Probably those little shrimp that live in the self-sustaining glass bubble.  No feeding, cleaning, etc.

Dogs are the best though, the best!

[PFHC]

Cat. Cheap, self-sufficient, bad-ass mousers, and super low stress.

[pbkmaine]

Cat. Cheap, self-sufficient, bad-ass mousers, and super low stress.

Agree. Ours even present their kills to us in a kind of formal ceremony.

[arebelspy]

Some sort of native plant that takes no work, but produces edible things.  Perhaps a fruit tree?

[Scandium]

Lice? Lowers cost of social events, since nobody will invite you. And every time you stay in a hotel you can claim you got them there and threaten to leave a bad review unless you get your stay for free.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[FIRE Artist]

Litter Kwitter.  The most important factor though, is the cat can't be a scaredy cat.  If your cats are the "curious about change" types then they should be fine, if they are the "hide under the bed" types, then don't waste your time/money.

How did you get your cat to use the toilet?! That is awesome! Hoping that I can teach two old cats a new trick!!

My cat uses the human toilet, also no smell, no kitty litter to purchase.  It isn't free to feed her though, so really can't be considered Mustachian.  Really, not having pets at all is the most frugal way to go.  I consider most small animals, reptiles etc. to be more of a hobby instead of a pet, as those creatures do not really interact on a voluntary basis in the way that a cat seeks out affection, or a dog greets you with tail wagging. 

My cat is much cheaper than my dog though.

[thegardener]

A working dog of some variety. I have a husky at the moment. She was a rescue and yes, there have been some vet bills, but she is remarkably inexpensive compared to what I initially projected I might spend on her. It helps that I get free heartworm and flea prevention. I've put her to work keeping varmints out of my vegetable gardens and as a mode of transportation in the snow and cold. Just keeping stuff out of my vegetable garden helps her earn her keep both in food saved and the potential cost associated with buying animal repellants if I didn't have her.

[hypocrispy]

I'm going to throw my vote in for ferrets. All the playfulness of having a puppy or kitten but packed into a tiny package. They sleep for 18-20 hours a day and spend the rest of it filling your life with joy. Not very expensive to keep at all, less than a cat.

[AlanStache]

Along the lines of fostering you can volunteer to board an animal while a military service member is away on deployment.  search something like "foster dogs for service members".  May or may not cover food and incidentals. 

But as far as your own pets go you cant top a Tamagotchi!!!

[FIFoFum]

Chia pet.

[sisto]

I'm a dog person, but we also used to have guinea pigs and they are actually really awesome pets. They don't cost much and can usually be adopted at a shelter for pretty cheap. They have quite fun personalities, we had one that used to purr like a cat. They don't have a really long life span so you probably wouldn't need to worry about vet bills. They don't require vaccinations or medications either.

[SeaEhm]

The pet rock, clearly.

Low annual costs for food and vet bills. Is a great pet for DIYers. Put it in the oven for a few minutes and it'll warm your lap as well as a cat!

Had a pet rock when I was a kid, but my mom took him to a shelter after he broke a few windows.

[Enough]

I'm going to say the most mustachian pet is whichever pet makes you the happiest in life.


Now don't judge my turtle, dog, 5 horses and baby elephant.

[PFHC]

I'm going to throw my vote in for ferrets. All the playfulness of having a puppy or kitten but packed into a tiny package. They sleep for 18-20 hours a day and spend the rest of it filling your life with joy. Not very expensive to keep at all, less than a cat.

Don't they have a rather distinctive scent?

[darknight]

I had a fish... It was always "oh lets just upgrade this, or fix that"
soon it was a 65 gallon tank, external filter, bla bla expensive. Sold it, lowered the power bill and now pet free. Love it.
Best pet if you HAVE to have one,
https://www.amazon.com/Giga-Pets-Virtual-Digital-Doggie/dp/B004QVXOU2

[Landlady]

I saw this photo from Seattle Times and thought that maybe a cockatoo might be a good MMM pet if one was gifted to you since you could bike with it. :D
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKV8iKkD9H1/?taken-by=seattletimes

I've never had a pet bird, but they seem pretty cool and the small ones are low cost.

[nobodyspecial]

I'm going to throw my vote in for ferrets. All the playfulness of having a puppy or kitten but packed into a tiny package. They sleep for 18-20 hours a day and spend the rest of it filling your life with joy. Not very expensive to keep at all, less than a cat.

Don't they have a rather distinctive scent?

The ones sold as pets normally have the scent glands remved

[Wallygator]

Venus flytrap

[Jet711]

When in doubt, choose C. Now how would that apply to pets?

[Johnez]

A California Cougar. She's blonde, fit, owns a paid off house and has money to spend on you  ;-)

Oh wow, winner!

Fish. Once you get over the main hurdle of equipment costs, they are quite easy to take care of. Literally 10 bucks every 3 months will keep my dozen fed. Also no vet bills.

[Poundwise]

Honeybees?  Feed themselves, plus you can wear a beard of bees to go with your mustache...

[Jet711]

Honeybees?  Feed themselves, plus you can wear a beard of bees to go with your mustache...

Best. Pet. EVER!!!!

Also you can get free honey too :3

[Miss Piggy]

Tarantula. Feed it once every three months, give it an infrared lamp, give it some water, call it a day.

Ew.

[wienerdog]

A California Cougar. She's blonde, fit, owns a paid off house and has money to spend on you  ;-)

Oh wow, winner!

Fish. Once you get over the main hurdle of equipment costs, they are quite easy to take care of. Literally 10 bucks every 3 months will keep my dozen fed. Also no vet bills.

I 2nd fish as a good choice.  You might look at doing some goldfish and making a small aquaponics system out of it.  You then can grow fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes or lettuce.  I bought a big bag of pond fish food at the farm supply store probably almost 2 years ago and still using it. 

http://theselfsufficientliving.com/12-indoor-backyard-diy-aquaponics-system-designs-plans/

Look to that for ideas.  I used a small livestock watering tank and haven't cleaned it in almost 2 years beside adding water.  You only need a tank, something to hold gravel and a small pump.  I stuck an avocado pit in there back in the summer and have a 2 foot tree now.  lol

[Just Joe]

We have cats and a dog.

Our various cats have been a nuisance with some odd bathroom behavior. One took to peeing in the house when she got old (died). Current cat pees/poops in my garage. All the cats could get outside via the flap anytime they like. Nice to have around. Friendlier to DW and kids than me. Does not scratch on the furniture.

My pet is the dog. Acts like a little kid. Good first alert system. Needs walks for exercise. Not expensive to feed and vet trips are few. Likes to snuggle and play. Stays close to home automatically. Wouldn't have a dog if I lived in the city.

[Chris22]

Beta fish (Siamese fighting fish).  Fish itself is $5-10, and it is perfectly happy in a small glass bowl/dish.  I put some glass beads in the bottom the bowl and a cheap plastic fake plant.  Give the fish a sprinkle of food (a $4 bottle of food lasts probably a year) once a day. 

Something like this can probably run you, what, $10?

[Poundwise]

Just a heads-up, I think that although bettas can survive in tiny bowls, they need more space to thrive and live out their lifespan. 2.5 gallons are recommended, though we did keep our betta in a 2 gallon tank that was gifted to us.  Many live plants are also cheap to propagate if you know somebody else who will give you a cutting.

That said, they are very hardy fish. Plus, it's fairly easy to find tanks being given away free... a tube of silicon aquarium caulk will mend any leaks.

[PJ]

Beta fish (Siamese fighting fish).  Fish itself is $5-10, and it is perfectly happy in a small glass bowl/dish.  I put some glass beads in the bottom the bowl and a cheap plastic fake plant.  Give the fish a sprinkle of food (a $4 bottle of food lasts probably a year) once a day. 

Something like this can probably run you, what, $10?

Hey Chris22, I hate to criticize, but I've also had betas, and I wouldn't say that they're perfectly happy in that small a bowl, for very long.  You can't use a heater to keep the water at the optimum temperature, and water quality fluctuations are harder to manage in a small amount of water than in a larger (filtered) tank (and water quality issues will kill your fish, just a question of whether it happens quickly or slowly).  Plus, if you see how much your beta will swim when you give them more room to do so, or how they hang out in a variety of places in the tank (sometimes over by the plants, sometimes in the little hiding place log, etc) then you'll get a better sense of what makes them happy.  I'm still no expert (only had them a couple of years) but most beta enthusiasts would recommend no less than a 5 gallon tank.

Still, you can usually get a kit like that for no more than 50 or 60 dollars, the water conditioner and filters and food are not too much more and yes, the food will last for a long time!

[golden1]

The litter qwitter thing is really tempting.  I just brought home two kittens, and I would imagine they would need to be bigger to start it, but I would love to ditch the litter box.

Maybe egg laying chickens would be a good mustachian pet?  I know there are a few houses around me with coops and they end up selling the eggs so it might end up being a net money maker.  My kids really liked the chickens that were at the farmers market. 

[acroy]

1 - none
2 - rock
3 - outside cat. They keep down the rodents & bugs. Dogs are fun but destructive and not worth much except to 'scare the burglars' - which is what the 'Protected by S&W' sign is for ;)

[Poundwise]

1 - none
2 - rock

:D

3 - outside cat. They keep down the rodents & bugs. Dogs are fun but destructive and not worth much except to 'scare the burglars' - which is what the 'Protected by S&W' sign is for ;)

Actually, we have a very Mustachian pet-- the neighbor's cat.  Neighbor feeds the cat, deals with his litter box, and takes him to the vet.  Cat comes to our yard for cuddles and snuggles, and scares away varmints.

[Novik]

Dwarf hamster.

• One of the most adorable creatures you will ever see (unless you're a very anti-rodent person)
• Very low cost (cheap to buy, eats very little, can get a small secondhand cage, lose their minds in happiness for cheerios)
• Lower maintenance  (give them some food daily, clean the cage every 1-2 weeks, playtime!)
• Lower commitment (easier than a dog to convince a friend to petsit, shorter (~2 year) lifespan)

My roommate had one for most of the 3 years we lived together. The hamster was super friendly and adventurous (a bit anomalously, to be fair). There was the initial investment in hand-training so she didn't get scared and bite, but after that she was a total sweetheart. She would wake up and get excited when my roommate came home, and run around on the table when we were working, investigating everything.

This pet was particularly mustachian for me, as it was my favourite kind of pet: other people's.

[GuitarStv]

3 - outside cat. They keep down the rodents & bugs.

If you don't want a pet that's fine . . . but cats really don't belong outside of your house.  Please, either get a pet and look after it properly or don't get a pet at all.  Throwing a cat outside and occasionally feeding it is not looking after a pet.

Thanks to people around here who have taken your advice and avoid responsibility for their animals we were fighting a large feral population of cats for about four years in our neighbourhood.  There was a point where I needed to regularly trap and bring feral cats to be euthanized . . . these are animals with missing eyes, ears, tails, large open sores, ticks, etc. who have never been socialized to human contact.  I've had them attack my dog in our yard, and was concerned every time I let my son out back to run around.  These cats do not live happy lives in our environment.  They do tend to live long enough to breed before dying though.  As far as we've been able to tell, a population of coyotes moved in last year and has largely wiped out the feral cat colony . . . but I won't be surprised if it's back in a few years given the social acceptability of acting irresponsibly with cats.

Cats create large colonies pretty quickly if they're intact.  Even if they've been spayed/neutered they have a significant impact on birds and small animals in a neighbourhood.  They also don't tend to have great lives outside . . . they get hit by cars, eaten by other animals, pick up lots of parasites and skin diseases, etc.  They are an invasive species and do far more damage than any mice that they may kill.

[mm1970]

Beta fish (Siamese fighting fish).  Fish itself is $5-10, and it is perfectly happy in a small glass bowl/dish.  I put some glass beads in the bottom the bowl and a cheap plastic fake plant.  Give the fish a sprinkle of food (a $4 bottle of food lasts probably a year) once a day. 

Something like this can probably run you, what, $10?

Exactly what we have, and the bowl, fake plant, and beads were free.  A friend gave them to me, which forced us to get a fish.

[mm1970]

3 - outside cat. They keep down the rodents & bugs.

If you don't want a pet that's fine . . . but cats really don't belong outside of your house.  Please, either get a pet and look after it properly or don't get a pet at all.  Throwing a cat outside and occasionally feeding it is not looking after a pet.

Thanks to people around here who have taken your advice and avoid responsibility for their animals we were fighting a large feral population of cats for about four years in our neighbourhood.  There was a point where I needed to regularly trap and bring feral cats to be euthanized . . . these are animals with missing eyes, ears, tails, large open sores, ticks, etc. who have never been socialized to human contact.  I've had them attack my dog in our yard, and was concerned every time I let my son out back to run around.  These cats do not live happy lives in our environment.  They do tend to live long enough to breed before dying though.  As far as we've been able to tell, a population of coyotes moved in last year and has largely wiped out the feral cat colony . . . but I won't be surprised if it's back in a few years given the social acceptability of acting irresponsibly with cats.

Cats create large colonies pretty quickly if they're intact.  Even if they've been spayed/neutered they have a significant impact on birds and small animals in a neighbourhood.  They also don't tend to have great lives outside . . . they get hit by cars, eaten by other animals, pick up lots of parasites and skin diseases, etc.  They are an invasive species and do far more damage than any mice that they may kill.

Huh.  When I was growing up in rural PA, almost all cats were outdoor cats.  They were spayed/ neutered, fed at home and played, but pretty much had the run of the outdoors.

Yes occasionally they got hit by cars.

[Poundwise]

GuitarStv, that sounds ghastly!  How do the cats survive the cold, though?