The 20 Cleanest Animals to Keep as Pets? (2023)

Ordinary freak and animal lover are two terms that don't always go together. As a neat closet freak, I long for a perfectly clean house. But as an animal lover, I wish I lived in a house full of pets. But pets can be messy, leaving you with lots of fur and dander and food, and did I mention fur needs cleaning?

No worries! Because we're going to be looking at the cleanest pets for your house (and mine!). If you love animals and also love a clean house, read on to find out what are the cleanest animals to keep as pets...

1. Celebrate

I get it. Pigs have a reputation for being dirty animals. When people think of pigs, they think of dirty, muddy, smelly pigs, rolling in the mud and eating disgusting things. But pigs have a false reputation for being dirty. In fact, they only roll around in the mud to protect their skin from insects, sun and heat.

But pigs are one of the cleanest animals for your home because they refuse to defecate near their feeding area. They can also be trained at home and are intelligent! They love to be bathed and pampered, so pigs are a lot cleaner than you might think.

2. Fighting Fish

The best thing about fish is that they can't run around destroying your freshly cleaned house! Betta fish are easy to care for and don't need other fish to keep them company. So a small fish doesn't make a big mess at all. In fact, you only need to clean their tank or give them fresh water about once a week. So not only are they clean little pets, but they are also easy to care for.

3. Hassle

As a child, I always wanted more pets and my mother always wanted a clean house. So finally we made a compromise and I got the Sea Monkeys. Sea monkeys are some of the cleanest pets for your home! You can have a lot of them and they don't leave fur or toys around the house.

Sea Monkeys are hybrid Artemia bred in the 1950s. You can raise them in a small, closed aquarium. They only feed them once a week and rarely need to clean their tank.

These clean little creatures can't escape, can't wreak havoc, are very quiet and never make a fuss.Check them out here.

4. Cats

You might think cats are dirty, but they're actually fastidious, clean creatures who spend half their waking hours grooming and bathing. They just love to be clean!

And since they use a litter box, all of their poop is in one place, making cleanup easier. In fact, most cats don't pee or poop near places where they eat or sleep, so accidents are fairly rare.

However, some cat breeds keep your home cleaner than others as pets. So check out these purebreds.

British shorthair

A British Shorthair is an intelligent and affectionate cat, but what sets them apart from other cats is their cleanliness! British Shorthairs have a short coat and shed less than other cat breeds. This makes them ideal for a family that wants both a clean home and a cat. If you brush your cat weekly, you can take care of any small hair loss.

Sphinx

If you really love cats and really hate cat dander, you might be interested in a Sphynx. A Sphynx is sometimes referred to as a hairless cat because it doesn't have a furry coat like most other kittens. This cat is definitely one of the cleanest pets to have in your house as she has only a peachy down coat so she does not shed and has very little dander. Regular baths may be required, however, so be sure to do some research on Sphynx care before purchasing one.

American Forest Cat

Although these kittens have long coats, their silky fur doesn't shed much and doesn't require much grooming. It almost never tangles, so you won't spend a lot of time brushing that soft head.

5. Dogs

If the thought of sweeping dogs' fur has you, try one of these breeds. Dogs are pretty clean animals when you think about it. They do their dirty business outdoors, so if you can take care of the skinning you'll have one of the cleanest animals for your home (as long as they're not chewing on the furniture, of course). Check out these low-maintenance dog breeds:

Basenji

Basenjis are medium-sized dogs with a clean, short coat. They were originally bred for hunting, but a well-trained Basenji can make a great family pet. Their coat is short, fine-grained—and they rarely shed, making them a nice, clean pet for your home. Basenjis don't seem to have the "wet dog smell" that other dog breeds have, leaving your home not only cleaner but smelling better too.

American hairless terrier

These dogs make great family dogs with loving and playful personalities. But you don't have to worry about fighting with these dogs. The American Hairless Terrier doesn't have a coat, so it can't roam your carpet.

Bichon Frise

This little dog is so tiny that he just can't make much of a mess in your clean home. But he also has hair, not fur, which also makes him a hypoallergenic dog. Plus, this all-around clean pooch doesn't have many oil-producing glands either, so he doesn't have many unpleasant canine odors.

A bottle

If you love dogs but hate fur on your furniture, a poodle might just be the pup you're looking for. Due to their silky hair, they hardly shed and keep the fur where it belongs - on the dog! They also don't have a very unpleasant dog smell, so they won't make your house smelly.

However, cleanliness comes at a price because while poodles are great for your home, they need professional grooming every 4 to 6 weeks. The sacrifice can be worth it for a clean house!

You can read more about pure puppies here.

6. Budgie

People don't always associate birds with cleanliness, but budgies aren't that messy! Budgies are intelligent little birds that are very sociable and highly trainable. A budgie does not need a large cage. Although he tends to give off a bit of bird seed, keeping him in a small area of ​​your home is easy.

Like most birds, budgerigars leave some droppings, but their droppings are significantly drier and less smelly than most pet birds. So even if you give them some time to roam around your house, they won't leave you with a lot of clutter to clean up. A quick vacuum and your house is clean again!

7. Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are cute little creatures that keep themselves pretty clean! They groom themselves and their cagemates so they're pretty squeaky clean creatures!

And while they may be a little messy in their cages, your guinea pig won't leave you with any unpleasant odors as long as you spot clean them. A weekly change of cage chips is all it takes to keep these critters—and your home—free of pet poo and odors.

8. Green Angel

Green anoles make good starting pets for children. You can easily fit one or two in a 10 gallon aquarium. Of course, they do need special care with heat, moisture, substrate, and food, but they don't leave much of a mess to clean up.

These little lizards enjoy human interaction and love to eat insects. But don't worry that they will leave a mess in your house. They are quite content to live in their cozy aquarium. Even though you may need to clean their cage from time to time, they still make one of the cleanest pets you can find.

9. Leopardgecko

Another easy pet for beginners is a leopard gecko. These are beautifully colored little lizards that are more than happy living in a 10 gallon aquarium.

They don't need much grooming and can be left alone for a few days at a time if needed. Even better, these little lizards are pretty neat! They keep all their droppings in the same place. Their droppings are dry and hard, so all you need is a small aquarium net or even a spoon to scoop them out. Your home is clean - and so is yours.

10. Reis

You might think these little fuzzy friends to be messy, but they have a wonderful household habit of always conducting their business in the same place. Rabbits are actually quite nice creatures. Plus, they're easy to dispose of (once they're sterilized), so you can let your little bundle of fluff bounce around your home without worrying about it making a mess.

This makes rabbits one of the cleanest pets for your home. However, keep in mind that they like to chew and keep electrical cords out of reach. Otherwise, you can keep your rabbit in a hutch. As long as you clean it occasionally, they won't smell or make a big mess that you have to clean up afterwards.

11. Gerbils

Gerbils are fun little animals that are active throughout the day. They can be affectionate and enjoy being held, and they rarely bite, making them good pets for younger children.

They're pretty clean too! Gerbils are desert animals and therefore have very little urine and very dry droppings. This feature makes cleaning your cage a breeze!omelette sea.us,You only need to clean your gerbil cage once a week or so and they really don't have an unpleasant odor at all.

The messiest part is their shavings, which are easily retained in their cage or aquarium.

12. Fancy Rot

Unlike their wild counterparts, domesticated rats are actually pretty clean! They are less likely to carry viruses and parasites than their canine and feline counterparts, and they groom carefully throughout the day.

Rats are very intelligent, love to cuddle and show empathy. You can eat rat pellets, fruits, veggies, and some treats. Fancy rats also have very little smell. As long as you keep up with the cage cleaning, your little rat friend will be clean and tidy, and your home too.

Learn more about domestic rats from Peta here.

13. Chinchilla

If smells offend you, consider a chinchilla as a pet. Not only do they love to groom themselves, they also have little to no unpleasant odors. These cute little creatures jump happily around their enclosure, trapping dirt and dust inside.

You don't even have to bathe these little beauties, because they love to squirm in a dust bath. This dust bath will keep their fur clean and free from bugs and dirt.

Chinchillas don't need a lot of messy food either. Just a few commercially available chinchilla pellets will keep your critters happy without making a lot of a mess.

You can read all about caring for chinchillas here.

14. Tarantulas

Tarantulas may not be cute and cuddly, but they are clean and easy to care for. They don't smell much, and you probably only need to clean a full cage a few times a year.

Adult tarantulas only need to be fed about once a week. Their diet consists of live prey such as crickets. And while you should otherwise remove unfinished food within 24 hours, tarantulas take very little work to keep them clean.

Of course you should safely lock them up in their enclosure as their bite is venomous.Sprucepets.com has an informative care sheet if you are interested in pets like tarantulas.

15. Hermit Cancer

While not pets, hermit crabs make interesting pets and one of the cleanest animals for your home. You can keep some of these small crabs in a small aquarium.

They only need to clean their enclosure a couple of times a year as they don't have any offensive odors and really don't make a huge mess.

Once a week you only need to scoop out gross or uneaten foods. Other than that, you won't see much clutter and you won't have to spend time cleaning your home because of this type of pet!

16. Snakes

Some snakes like to be handled while others are best left alone. Either way, a snake's clutter is confined to its enclosure, which is great news for keeping your home pet clutter-free! Because of this, snakes are among the cleanest pets for your home.

Many snakes eat meat, so you must follow their feeding guidelines and remove any uneaten bits of food immediately to keep the cage from starting to smell. Otherwise, snakes are low odor and low maintenance since you don't have to feed them every day. You only need to do a thorough cage cleaning about once a month.

Here is a detailed guide on how to keep a snake cage clean.

17. Ant farms

Some of the cleanest — and easiest — pets you can have in your home are ants. Why? Because ants clean up their own mess! Ant farms are fun and easy to maintain. You won't be shedding fur around your house or even dropping pellets.

Ant farms are housed in closed, see-through cages where you can watch them tunnel and socialize. They only need to be fed about once a week and almost no cleaning is required.

18. Stick bugs

Another calm and low-maintenance pet for your home is a stick bug. Possession of these fascinating creatures may not be legal in all areas, so make sure you do your research before bringing one home!

They can be a bit creepy, but they won't leave any unpleasant odors, messy droppings in your yard, or fur on your furniture. In fact, these creepy crawlies are about as low maintenance as you can find. They do well in an aquarium with a well-ventilated lid and newspaper on the bottom.

They eat a lot of leaves and on top of that their droppings are small and dry so all you have to do is scoop them out making them some of the cleanest pets around.

19. Slug Killer

If you love snails, you might want to keep a predatory snail. These docile creatures get their name because they love to devour less harmful snails that can take over your aquarium.

These snails won't leave a mess in your home. They live in freshwater tanks and can eat a variety of foods, but other snails are their preferred prey. However, they will not damage your plants or disturb your fish. Instead, they actually help keep the tank clean and burrow into the sand when they want to rest.

20. Pet Rock

Finally, the cleanest pet you could ever want for your home is the ultimate favorite: a pet rock.

You never have to clean his cage. You never have to vacuum his fur. And you certainly don't have to feed it or remove feces. A pet rock just wants to be a part of your everyday life. So keep it close.

You can putt with it if you want, or just leave it to its own resources. The absolute cleanest animal for your home is the amazing pet rock.

Since you don't even need a permit to own it, you'll find your favorite rock here.

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