The Best Pets for Lupus Patients

As soon as I graduated from college and moved into my own place, I knew I wanted a furry friend to share it with. I’d grown up with dogs and have always loved what friendly, loving, and social animals they are. However, I was already sick with lupus by then, and I worried about my ability to take care of a pet. Life with lupus means I’m tired most of the time. I have to sleep sometimes up to twelve hours a night. I don’t always have energy to walk a dog or to play with it. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to properly care for a pet.

Can I properly care for a pet?

I’m not the only chronically ill person I know who worries about their ability to care for a pet. Aches and pains related to arthritis might make it difficult to walk an animal or to play with it. Having difficulty working full time might mean that having a pet might not be in your budget. Brain fog makes remembering heartworm pills, vet appointments, and feeding times challenging. And dealing with chronic fatigue can mean lupus patients like me struggle to care for ourselves, let alone another living being.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to lupus patients who want to share their lives with a pet. Some of us might have to accept that a pet is not part of the plan at their current stage of life. Others might enlist the help of family or friends in caring for their animal. If you want to have a pet and believe that you can provide the animal with everything it needs, below are some great low-maintenance pets that might be perfect for you.

Pets for people with lupus

Cats

Cats are known for being independent and self-sufficient. They are able to entertain themselves in a way that most dogs aren’t. They don’t need to be walked, and they naturally know how to use a litter box. Living with a cat can add love, playfulness, and companionship to your life while not demanding an extreme amount of your time and energy.

Snakes

Snakes seem to have a bad reputation, which is unfair because they make great pets. Corn snakes especially respond well to human contact. Snakes are low-maintenance, needing only a heat lamp daily and food about once a week. Snakes are fascinating creatures who love to find unique hiding places in their terrariums, and are fun to watch on days when you’re stuck in bed.

Fish

Fish are relatively easy to care for. They need to be fed once or twice a day and are happy to entertain themselves by swimming around their aquarium.

Guinea pigs

These adorable, social animals require less attention than most mammals. You will need to provide them with hay for bedding and daily vegetables. Their waste needs to be removed each day, which should only take a minute or two. Guinea pigs love cuddles and human interaction. As pack animals, they also need to live with at least one other guinea pig.

A low-energy older dog

While dogs tend to be high-maintenance, keep in mind that no two dogs have the same personality. I have always wanted a dog, and I was lucky to find the perfect dog for me two years after moving into my first home post-college.

I met Wilbur at an animal shelter when I was twenty-three and he was six-years-old. From the first moment I picked him up, all Wilbur wanted to do was snuggle. He wrapped his front legs around my neck and hugged me the entire hour I spent with him at the shelter. I ended up bringing him home to live with me simply because neither of us wanted to stop hugging the other.

The first week that Wilbur lived with me was an especially difficult week with my fatigue. One afternoon, I fell asleep with Wilbur snuggling on top of me. When I woke up three hours later, Wilbur hadn’t moved. My chronic fatigue was matched only by Wilbur’s chronic laziness. We would spend the next decade of both our lives moving through life slowly, taking naps often, and hugging daily.

Adopting a dog isn’t necessarily out of the question if your disease impacts your life every day. If you have your heart set on a dog, find a dog that matches your energy.