These days’ pets have gained a lot of popularity. It’s kind of a status symbol for people. Though unwillingly but they want to have a pet. Some do it because they saw it somewhere. Others do it because their friends have it and yet some to just flaunt about it. In this race, we often overshadow the main person of the show – the pet. He is the one who is most affected in this game. No one really bothers to care for him.
We ultimately get a pet after the buzz created by people. But once you have you fail to value it. Who will go for a walk daily? Who will feed him? Who will do the vet’s appointment? Who will play with him regularly? ………etc, etc, etc. All these questions start concerning you which earlier you have not thought about. But still you want a pet!
Despite of all these consequences if you still manage to stick to having a pet, try for something that requires less efforts. Some pet that don’t really need to be taken care of, someone who can manage without its owner. How about a snail????????? I know, I know what you might be thinking – ‘how can a snail be a pet? Is it even possible?’ Well, let’s find out!
Usually snails are animals seen in rainy season. They are small creatures that crawl in our surrounding/gardens. They are mostly seen in damp places. This is because they require moisture to survive. In dry surrounding they cannot adapt and die. But if you think this can be a reason for them to not be a pet then wait a second…! You are thoroughly mistaken. Snails can be one of the best pet for our fast-food generation. Our generation don’t like the hard work and toil but still expect to bear fruits! Snails are just what you are looking for. You don’t need to take it for a walk, or keep playing with it, or need high maintenance. You can have a snail as pet and your parents won’t even notice it. Yes, that’s how less care it requires.
Although, a snail is a cake-walk for petting there are following you should not ignore:
- IT’S HOME: You don’t need to prep up for a snail home. It can be easily placed in a small plastic container that you already have at home. Make sure the container is transparent so that you can enjoy seeing its activities. The container must be filled with a substrate of soil at the bottom. This is necessary as the snail cannot be totally kept devoid of its environment. Even see to it that the containers have holes in it. Because, similar to humans even snails exhale carbon dioxide and it becomes difficult for them to breath in a packed home. You can even place a small bark, or a coconut shell or a walnut shell that provides a hiding place for the snail. It even becomes easier for you to pick it up.
- FEED IT: Snail’s diet is not at all expensive or difficult to find. They are huge lovers of lettuce, baby carrots. You can even feed them with dandelion leaves. That can come across as their favourite food. But apart from that you can always hail on cucumber. That’s for them what rice and chapatti is for us. Keeping an egg shell in the cage helps. It provides the snails with lime content. And research says that increase in the lime content in the snail’s body helps them in their mating process. Snails even need calcium for their growth so place a cuttlebone.
- CLEAN THE CAGE: well, to be precise no one likes to be living in a dirty place. Everyone expects and wants their homes to be clean. So it is your duty to keep your pet’s home clean too. Clean the substrate regularly. Make sure it’s not sprayed with any pesticide or chemical. This can be extremely dangerous for your pet – can lead to death. Keep the place damp. Sprinkle some water on the soil. Be careful that you don’t make it mushy. A snail cannot survive in dry environment. Clean the faeces from the container.
A snail thus, fills all the criteria of being a pet as well as a silent one. You need to even have a lot of patience while dealing with a snail. Unlike other pets, snails can be less interactive. A dog is a playful and super active animal. He gives you all kind of entertainment you need once you take him as a pet. On the contrary, a snail can be typically boring. Less mobile and not at all active. So make sure when you are opting for a less-work pet like snail, it even has its consequences. But then you can just wish your snail gets some super power like the TURBO (movie ) snail and gets super fast.