#Middlebury
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I decided my 10-year-old daughter was ready to have a pet after watching her interact with friends’ dogs and cats. When I asked her if she’d like to have a kitten, she said she would rather have a pet hamster. I’m surprised, as I thought she really liked taking care of cats. What are your thoughts? – Jared L. in Indianapolis
DEAR JARED: There may be a couple of reasons why she asked for a much smaller pet. Perhaps, after experiencing different dogs and cats, she decided she doesn’t want the responsibility of caring for a bigger pet. Or, she may think that asking for a smaller, less costly pet would make you happy.
That said, having a hamster for a pet can be very rewarding. They do require quite a bit of care – their cages must be cleaned regularly, they must have the right balance of nutrients in their food, and they react badly to temperature changes and other stressors. As long as she does the research and is ready for the responsibility of caring for a pocket pet, she should do fine.
In fact, kids today may be gravitating toward pocket pets rather than larger pets. A survey by RightPet found that children ages 10 to 17 preferred a pet rat to a dog or cat (cats were second, followed by dogs).
The survey didn’t investigate why so many kids were into rats. (Though I’m sure parents who were dreading being asked for a pony are breathing a sigh of relief.) Your daughter may be following a trend toward owning a pocket pet, or maybe just would like a smaller pet.
Send your tips, questions or comments to ask@pawscorner.com.
(c) 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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