What are the best starter pets for new pet owners: cats, dogs or hamsters?
By Said Ibrahim
Are you thinking of getting a new pet? If you are, pets like cats and dogs are not good starters. Hamsters are better, and I’ll tell you why!
Hamsters don’t poop in the house, unlike cats and dogs. Dogs need two months of house-training, and cats need even more! Hamsters don’t need multiple shots each year, or lots of expensive visits to the vet, and they don’t need to be trained.
Hamsters actually save their food! They store extra food in their cheek pouches. Dogs and cats will just eat their food, and then ask for more. Hamsters can store half their body weight in their cheeks, which would be impossible for a human, and they can pull it out when they really need it.
Some might say that a hamster’s short life span of two years is a reason to get a cat or dog instead. But I think, because you don’t have to take care of them for that long, and if you’re lucky they’ll have six pups, their short life is no downside.
A hamster is definitely cheaper but not as affectionate as a cat or dog. And when your hamster lives out its lifespan, you can always move up to a harder to take care of pet—maybe even a cat or dog. But that’s for next time.
Said Ibrahim is a fifth grader at Mighty Writers West.