🧭 Free quiz

Which pet should you get?

Eight quick questions about your home, your days and your summers in the UAE. We'll match you with a pet that fits your life, and tell you what to know first.

Question 1 of 8

Where do you live?

Just for fun, and a starting point: every pet is an individual. Meet the animal, and talk to a shelter or your vet, before you decide.

All the results

The eight matches the quiz can give you.

A cat

Cats are happy indoors, cope with a working day, and don't need walks in the summer heat. Perfect for apartment life.

A small, short-coated dog

A small dog fits apartment life, is easy to carry into cafés and lifts, and its exercise can move indoors when it's hot.

An active, family-friendly dog

You've got the time, space and energy for a dog who loves to play: think a medium retriever-type or a rescue with a happy-go-lucky nature.

A Saluki or a desert-dog rescue

Sighthounds and the UAE's own "desert dogs" are built for the climate: lean, short-coated and calm at home, with bursts of speed outdoors.

A pair of rabbits or guinea pigs

Gentle, curious and great for families who can give them daily time and space. They're social, so they're happiest in pairs.

A pair of budgies or cockatiels

Chatty, colourful and full of character. Birds suit people who are home often and enjoy a lively, sociable pet.

An aquarium

Calm, beautiful and easy on a busy schedule or with allergies. A well-kept tank is relaxing to watch, and kids can help.

Fostering, before you adopt

With travel or a move on the horizon, fostering lets you share your home with a pet now, and helps a rescue, without a lifetime commitment yet.

Questions

What's the best pet for an apartment in Dubai?

Cats, small short-coated dogs, birds and fish all suit apartment life. The bigger questions are your time, your summer plans and your building's rules: check pet rules in your tenancy contract before you bring a pet home.

What's the best pet for busy working people in the UAE?

Cats and fish cope best with a long working day. Dogs need company and walks, which in summer means early mornings and late nights, so a dog walker or daycare may be part of the plan.

Which pets cope with the UAE heat?

Every pet needs air conditioning in summer. Among dogs, lean, short-coated breeds with longer muzzles, like the Saluki, cope best; flat-faced breeds and thick-coated northern breeds struggle. Rabbits and guinea pigs are very sensitive to heat and must live indoors.

Should I get a pet if I might leave the UAE?

You can, but plan for it: relocating a pet often takes three to four months of vaccinations, tests and permits. If you're not sure how long you'll stay, fostering is a lovely way to start.