I spoke to a few students who own some common and uncommon pets! I asked them about what the animal’s needs are and how simple the pet is to take care of.
Bonnie the Ferret, owned by Caitlyn C. Grade 10
I own Bonnie the Ferret! She’s a pretty simple pet to take care of, but she can be a lot to handle sometimes. Bonnie requires food, of course, but since she has tons of energy, she drinks plenty of water. To help her get ready for bed, she plays with her toys throughout the day and runs around the house freely, then sleeps in her hammock. The only time she needs to be caged is when she unsupervised. Bonnie needs attention, too, so playing with her is the best thing to do!Clementine the Bunny, owned by Mary T. Grade 10
I talked with Mary about taking care of her rabbit, Clementine Claire. Rabbits are easy pets to take care of! They don’t need too much, except rabbit pellets, water, and sticks or wood to chew on. Clementine needs to be fed every day, but mainly because she tends to flip over her bowl. Because their teeth never stop growing, it’s necessary to have something they can file them down on, which is why Clementine has wood! She is not very affectionate or playful, but she does enjoy being pet sometimes. Last, she cannot sleep in the same bed as her owner, so she sleeps in her cage.Brillo the Hedgehog, owned by by Morgan F. Grade 10
“Hedgehogs are pretty simple to take care of,” Morgan said. They like nice blankets, dark places, and baths. “We used to stop up the bathroom sink and fill it with water. We used a disposable toothbrush that we did not use,” to bathe it, she explained. They eat regular food made for hedgehogs, but they also like veggies and mealworms. Morgan’s hedgehog enjoyed being loved on as well! Generally, hedgehogs live 2-5 years and you can find them in limited pet stores for around 70-250 dollars.
Theo the Bearded Dragon, owned by Keaton I. Grade 12Theo’s a really lazy lizard! He used to be fed crickets, but Keaton switched to worms, vegetables, and fruits because he refused to catch the crickets himself. However, as a baby, he had to be fed protein. Whenever Theo’s hungry, he gets aggressive and his beard gets bigger as well! Since he’s messy, his cage needs to be cleaned often. He doesn’t require much, except his food and a big water dish so he can relax in it, too. In his cage, one side needs to be 110 degrees to digest food, and the other side 80-100 degrees.
Jumbo the Dog, owned by Mary T. Grade 10
Mary T. also owns a dog named Jumbo! Dogs don’t require much besides food, water, and attention. Typically, the dog food Mary buys is around 8 dollars. Although Jumbo isn’t extremely affectionate, he still loves to be petted every now and then. Whenever he’s not being loved on or eating, he’s caught sleeping underneath his blankets.
Hazel the Cat, owned by Grace D. Grade 12
Just like dogs, cats are easy to take care of and they’re common pets. Grace D. told me about her cat, Hazel. “Her food is about 15 dollars,” Grace responded when I asked how much cat food costs. Her cat is very loving, so she has to pet her often, too. Some
cats love playing with toys, but most of them enjoy napping more.