Q: We want to get a small pet for our 8-year-old son. We cannot
decide which would be better, a guinea pig, a hamster or a rat. Any
suggestions?
Q: We want to get a small pet for our 8-year-old son. We cannot decide which would be better, a guinea pig, a hamster or a rat. Any suggestions?
A: All the Keesling kids have had these interesting and entertaining pets. Contrary to what so many people think, all of these “pocket pets” can be affectionate companions that are easy to maintain. They are particularly nice for people living in small homes or apartments because of the limited space they require.
But consider these facts. Hamsters and mice and rats have an average life expectancy much shorter that guinea pigs. Hamsters live an average of just two years. Mice and rats have a life expectancy of about three to five years, while guinea pigs live anywhere from five to eight years. Quite a difference, don’t you think?
Nonetheless, I have a better suggestion. Why not let your son look at a few books about these little critters and then he can decide which one he would like. Whichever he chooses, he’ll have a fun and an educational experience.
Q: We recently got a ferret named Mimi. She is a wonderful pet! How important is it to spay her? A friend of ours read that ferrets can die if they are not spayed. Is this true?
A: Female ferrets like Mimi are called “Jills” and they have an interesting and unusual estrus cycle. Jills are induced ovulators …. this means they will remain in heat (or estrus) until they are bred. Unbred Jills maintain high blood levels of estrogens for prolonged periods, and this can lead to serious problems with anemia and some blood-clotting disorders.
If you have no plans to ever breed Mimi (and you should talk with someone experienced in breeding these animals before you try this), she definitely should be spayed. Even though there is an injection that can bring her out of heat during the breeding season, it works only for a while and must be given by a veterinarian. And this treatment has some risks associated with it. So if you don’t plan to have her bred, I would strongly recommend she be spayed.
Q: The cat in our apartment was recently neutered. Ever since, his fecal droppings stink. Is there anything we should worry about here?
A: This is an interesting question, because even though this surgery shouldn’t have any effect on a cat’s droppings, we are asked this same question several times a year. Neutering, a simple castration, simply removes the testosterone-producing testicles. That hormone dramatically affects the behavior of a male cat, and once these guys lose that hormone, they mellow and become less likely to wander and be aggressive.
Neutering may affect food and water intake and perhaps that’s the reason things seem a bit more smelly in the box. But I wonder if you have recently changed the food he eats. Any change in diet can also cause a change in his output.
The bottom line here (if you’ll excuse the choice of words) is that unless he has diarrhea or feels ill, I wouldn’t be too concerned. If the smell is too much to bear, try switching to a different cat food and see if that helps. Otherwise, remeber that there are several different types of litter and some are more odor-absorbent than others.
Whatever you do, don’t banish him to the outdoors. Outside cats have a life expectancy less than half that of inside cats. Try some changes before you give up.
