Least Smelly Pets - What Pets Don’t Smell Bad?

Owning a little animal is a positive achievement that improves the quality of life. Pets give us love as we care for them. However, they also have their downsides, including the cost of maintaining them and the time spent attending them. But the less comfortable thing is when they leave pet odor in the house. If you are just about to make the decision that you will share your life with an adorable animal but still want to maintain good hygiene and a fresh smell in your home, here are the cleanest, least smelly pets to choose from!

Chinchillas

These small and furry creatures are among the most popular small pets not only because they are and they are highly adorable but because they are low-maintenance indoor animals. They are enjoyable pets that usually don’t bite, however, to be socialized, they should be kept in pairs.

Chinchillas groom themselves in order to stay clean which makes them one of the least stinky rodent pets. They bathe in dust to prevent skin disease and keep their fur shiny, so you just need to place a pan of sand in their cage, and they will take care of the rest.

Hamsters

Although hamsters live, eat, play, and go to the bathroom within their cage, they are very clean. They are among the odorless pets with good reason; they don’t like to be dirty and use their paws to groom themselves.

Hamsters don’t even need a water bath, because their fur and skin contain valuable oils that shouldn’t be washed off because those oils protect their skin. Preparing a sand bath for your hamster is the best way to keep them clean and happy.

If there is any smell coming from their cage, it can only be attributed to the owner’s negligence. Hence, their cage should be maintained because their waste does not disappear. To ensure that your house stays fresh smelling, you should clean their cage at least twice a week.

Gerbils

Gerbils originally live in the Mongolian steppe and therefore are adapted to the desert climate. Hence, they absorb most of what they eat and drink. They require very little water to survive, which reduces their urination frequency compared to other rodents making them one of the cleanest small pets.

Additionally, gerbils do not use their urine to mark territory like most animals. Also, their poop doesn’t stinky either; since they try to conserve as much water as possible, their poop is hard so has a very weak smell. If you want pets that don’t smell bad in your home, consider gerbils.

Fancy rats

Although rats have a terrible reputation associated with the black plague, fancy rats are exceptional because they are clean and do not smell bad. This rat species keep itself clean, and it has no strong body odor, hence they are an excellent choice when looking for pets that don’t smell.

Another plus for these rodents is that they are fairly low maintenance. They don’t require a lot of food or water and are not prone to getting sick. What’s more, rats are highly intelligent so can be easily litter trained which means you only need to clean the specific toilet area of the cage daily.

Degus

Degus resemble a cross between chinchillas and gerbils. Though they are rodents, degus don’t have a close relation to any other known animal. When out in the wild, you can find them in the Andes mountains in Chile.

Although they drink lots of water, causing them to pee more times, their fresh pee doesn’t smell right away. It takes a while before it becomes smelly, leaving you enough time to clean it up.

Also, they use their poop to mark their territory, but fortunately, their poop doesn’t have a strong odor either, explaining their appearance on this list of small indoor animals that don’t stink. It’s best to keep them inside an enclosure to simplify the clean-up process.

Least smelly dog breeds

Dogs are traditional man’s best friends and have been kept as pets for many centuries. They account for the highest percentage of the pets people prefer to keep. There are many breeds you can choose from, so it is essential to consider the environment you intend to keep the dog in as well as what unique features the breed you want to keep because each has a different personality and so, odor. Some breeds produce strong odors, while other dogs don’t smell that bad. To learn what are the least smelly dog breeds, here I feature 4 of them.

Basenjis

Considered to be the world’s oldest dog breed, Basenjis Most dogs are known for not having that typical doggy odor, so can be kept even indoors without causing horrible smell in the house. This is because they have short fur and because they keep themselves clean like cats. In case they start to stink, probably their anal gland needs to be checked by a vet.

Bichon Frise

This is a loving, cheerful, and little troublemaker dog. With a cute face and a soft frizzy coat, they have a lot of characteristics resembling those of a toy poodle.

Although bichons are hypoallergenic low-odor dogs and do not shed much but do require regular maintenance; they have a double coat comprising of two layers; a curly outer layer and a textured inner layer; so expect to brush them daily in order to keep them clean and fresh smelling.

Maltese

Maltese dogs are among the most popular house pets that do not stink. They do not shed much and are not prone to excessive wax build-up so are easy to take care of. Thanks to their small size, when needed, they can be bathed easily and are great for apartment living too.

These small, energetic, and playful dogs have a gentle nature too. They are very intelligent and are always eager to please and socialize. A great choice for everyone who is looking for a great, cute-looking yet low-maintenance dog breed.

Tip: Sometimes a bath doesn’t solve dog smell issues which can happen due to several reasons. Read why a dog still stinks even after a bath. For instant refreshment, this is how to make a DIY dog deodorizer.

Chihuahua

Although chihuahuas can be noisy, they are wonderful companions. They are known to choose their owner and stick to them forever. They will be attached to your side all the time, which makes them one of the best house pets to choose for elderly people or for those who live alone.

What’s more, chihuahuas are also one of those small dogs that don’t smell. They are small, have a short coat and since they are kept indoors, they are very easy to clean. When a chihuahua starts developing a bad smell, it is probably caused by dental or stomach problems which may require veterinary treatment.

Cats

Cats are generally known for being odorless since they are self-groomers. Since they keep themselves and their surroundings very clean, cats are great for those who’d like to have cute pets in their life but don’t want to hassle of constantly cleaning after them.

Although cat urine can stink horribly due to uric acid, if you regularly clean the litter box and deodorize the cat’s toilet area with odor absorbing solutions such as baking soda, you can easily keep your house clean and fresh even if you share it with cats.

Foul odor from cats only felt when a cat has a problem, probably due to sickness. Various infections that can make a cat produce a bad smell are dental issues, skin and ear infections. In case of cat odors, it may be time to visit a vet for a checkup.

Hermit crabs

If you have ever kept aquatic pets or other crustaceans in your home, then you know that they get easily stinky. Should you still want to give a try to these exotic pets, then consider hermit crabs. They are not supposed to generate foul odors, unless you neglect them.

When they start smelling bad, it is a clear sign that something is wrong; when hermit crabs are stressed, they release pheromones which give their distinct smell. This can happen when any condition in their tank is not that great or they feel lonely. Therefore, you should keep their conditions as required and when possible, keep more than one.

Tarantulas

If you love spiders, then a tarantula is the best pet you can keep in the house. They require a small aquarium of about 10 to 20 gallons to thrive and low maintenance because they can be fed once after some days. These spider species don’t weave webs but create burrows underground but not even the silk they produce to trap their preys have an odor.

When tarantulas develop a bad smell, most probably it happens due to poor ventilation, poop build-up or mold in its enclosure, or due to infection. In such cases, a quick clean-up should solve the problem.

Parakeets

If you prefer pets that are more colorful and cuter looking, then choose parakeets! Known also as budgies, these birds are clean and come with negligible smells so won’t stink up your house. Apart from taking baths, parakeets preen themselves constantly; these features make them the least smelly pets!

Under good conditions, parakeets smell like nothing; however, they may stink if they have a bacterial or fungal infection or if too many days went without cleaning their cage. Healthy parakeets’ droppings carry no odor but if it left to build up in the cage, eventually it will begin to stink. Giving them a new cage lining daily helps avoid smell issues!

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