I think the best pets are probably cats. They are incredibly independent, for the most part. Most cats don’t mind being solitary animals, and as long as someone provides them food and fresh water and keeps their litter boxes clean, they are happy. If you have a cat and have a job that keeps you away from home longer than normal or you like to travel a lot, cats can do okay. The like attention and affection on their own terms, generally, which gives them a reputation for being high maintenance, but it’s actually the opposite! I have owned cats and dogs, and I always found dogs to be much more work. They need more personal attention, and they need to be potty trained and need to be let out and exercised. Cats don’t need quite as much work.
I think the worst pet is anything that might be classified as an exotic pet. They can be challenging to care for in terms of health and medical needs as well as food and proper housing. It can be hard to find vets who treat exotic pets, and it can be hard to find someone to properly care for them if you need to be away for a time. People often think because they don’t need a lot of social interaction with people, or because they can live in a cage or aquarium and they don’t need to be potty trained, that makes them easier, but they really need specialized care and attention, which can be a real challenge. It takes a very special type of pet owner to take on the care of an exotic pet.
The View from the Cheap Seats 