Well a cat is your onlybest option . Cats don ' t mind being left alone , whereas dogs require socialization to avoid behavioral problems . Cats also require very little training . They will use the litter box even as kittens mine started at 5 weeks , and are unlikely to have accidents except under certain circumstances bladder infection not neutered territorial smell another cat can ' t access the box box is too dirty litter on the floor . A lot of people think they should get two cats if they ' re going to be gone a lot it ' s not really needed . But if you want to do that , get two kittens from the same litter or two grown cats that have been raised together , otherwise you can ' t be sure they ' ll get along . EDIT Whoops , thought you were deciding between cat and dog . If you want a lower maintenance pet , a bearded dragon is great once you know how to care for it and get a dubia roach colony established . They only need to be fed once a day for a few minutes , and are even okay going every other day . You can bathe them to prompt a BM , and this cuts down on the cage maintenance . If this sounds good I can explain more about their care .