What is the best pet for a small apartment?

Square footage decides more than affection does. Some of these barely notice the walls; others were built for a garden nobody in a flat has.

1

Cat

Needs no garden, exercises itself vertically and sleeps through most of a working day.

2

Dog

Wants walks and company, which an apartment can supply — as long as somebody is home.

3

Betta Fish

A single fish in a small heated tank, silent and entirely contained.

4

Budgerigar

Small parrot that talks, costs little to keep and lives happily in one room.

5

Hamster

Nocturnal rodent in a cage, awake exactly when its owner wants to sleep.

6

Guinea Pig

Sociable rodent that whistles for food and needs a companion of its own kind.

7

Rabbit

Litter-trainable house pet that will chew every cable it can reach.

8

Leopard Gecko

Desert lizard in a small tank, fed a few times a week and handled easily.

9

Rat

Affectionate, trainable rodent that learns its name and rides on a shoulder.

10

Ferret

Endlessly curious carnivore that treats a flat as an obstacle course.

11

Canary

Small songbird kept for its voice rather than for handling.

12

Hermit Crab

Low-noise invertebrate that redecorates by swapping shells.

13

Corn Snake

Docile beginner snake that eats weekly and takes up a single shelf.

14

Chinchilla

Dust-bathing rodent with the softest coat of any land mammal and a strong dislike of heat.