Bearded dragons require a lot of care, live a long time and can grow to two feet. I had one for nearly 15 years. Tanks need careful monitoring for temperature and you could be dealing with live insect care (such as crickets, ) which is a separate ongoing task. Insects fed to dragons must be healthy and fed, and young dragons need more insects than adults. Also, beyond juvenile age is going to need a rather large habitat. I have had two, in 75 and 125 gallon as adults. They also appreciate time outside the habitat. FIsh keeping can be simple or quite extensive. My husband kept a very time consuming aquarium for over a decade. "Easy to take care of " is relative to your lifestyle and what you are looking for. If you LOVE reptiles, then maybe it's easier than say a dog, who craves much attention, training, daily walks, inevitable accident clean up, ongoing vet care, etc. I do not enjoy reptiles or smaller critters any longer, so cleaning after them, live insects etc is a sheer chore for me. Same goes for hamsters and the like, which we've also had when the kids were younger. Having said that, I would not take in a living animal and not see it through it's life to the best of my ability barring some sort of life threatening allergy. I LOVE our dog, so any work related to her is "easy" to me, because she brings a lot of joy in our home and it's just part of my day with the family. I couldn't live without a dog.

There really is no living pet that will allow you to travel without having a care taker to check in, so keep that in mind if you travel often. Maybe consider fish? There are lots of small aquarium set ups that are pretty to look at, house a fish or two, and you'd have an auto feeder as an option. A leopard gecko can be housed in a 10-20 gallon tank. They still have specific requirements daily but take up only a small space. When we had them, I was able to move the habitat to a friend's house for watching when out of town. There's a ton of research to be found online, so start there and consider visiting your local shelter. We have one here with many reptiles and turtles, because often people don't realize how much upkeep there is, and how long they can live. It's always a good idea to do your research, and consider the ongoing expense, care, and lifespan of said pet so you know what to expect. Of course since you live in an apartment you'll want to be sure to check before hand. I once new someone who asked if she could have a miniature pig, and somehow the landlord miss heard and thought she was asking if she could have a guinea pig. That was a sad ordeal. Good luck!

There is a lot to be learned in the above posts, so please read and take to heart. Don't do anything until after your trip. Actually, most pets get lonely when deprived of attention and other stimulation. Maybe not fish, but most everything else. When we are away, we pay someone to come in twice a day for the cat and bird, and it's expensive. Total isolation for days on end is tough on animals.

Pets can be fun at first when you are enthused, but the care goes on for years. Every pet poops, ok? Has to be cleaned up. Most animals require some cleanup daily. Some animals eat live food, so you have to go to the pet store often to get their food. I'm thinking a small aquarium might work for you. 5-10 gallons.

I had a tree frog during my apartment living days. That was a LOW maintenance pet. I just had to have live crickets (noisy) and mealworms (kind of gross if you think about it) on hand. She also did this serious mating call in the middle of the night that sounded like a giant dog barking. It was nuts. She also didn't really like to be handled and would projectile pee on you if she was unhappy being held. But she was cute and was the cleanest roommate I ever had.

Like the others I would suggest waiting until you get back from your trip to get any pet. Fish sound like they might be a viable option for you. However, keep in mind that the type of fish you choose can have a big impact on how "easy" they are to take care of. Fresh versus salt water makes a decent difference, and people overlook how hard it can be to establish a salt water aquarium and keep it and all the creatures in it healthy.

Get a cat and a small dog from a shelter.

they will keep each other company.

Don't have a dog in an apartment...After your trip, go look at kittens at the shelter. I bet she'll fall in love.

Hey! I used to live in a small apartment, too, and got a bearded dragon. They're awesome companions! They're easy to care for, don't need a lot of space, and are quite entertaining. Mine never seemed lonely when I was out. Check them out at https://dragonfreak.com/. Good luck with your pet search!

Hey! I used to live in a small apartment, too, and got a bearded dragon. They're awesome companions! They're easy to care for, don't need a lot of space, and are quite entertaining. Mine never seemed lonely when I was out.