Mildly related, but domestic rats make really great pets, especially if you live in an apartment. They're a lot less work to take care of than a cat/dog, but al

Mildly related, but domestic rats make really great pets, especially if you live in an apartment. They're a lot less work to take care of than a cat/dog, but also startlingly intelligent, curious, and social. - very little odor compared to 'musky' animals like ferrets, especially if you get females. - smart enough and social enough to recognize their owners, explore around, learn tricks. They can even be leash trained (although I wouldn't recommend taking them outside). - if you get them from a reputable breeder that screens for aggression, they're incredibly gentle, which makes them a lot safer around kids than a typical cat would be. There are a few downsides, the biggest one being that they only live 2-5 years, and they do require some research and prep. It's really easy to be irresponsible and give them a miserable life, which stinks for any pocket pet, but especially for rats because they're so intelligent. But if you want a social, 'interactive' pet but are worried that you wouldn't be able to handle a dog, I'm hard-pressed to come up with another animal I would recommend more.