Description
Small, as they say, is beautiful. That's certainly true of the small pets that are ideal for young people who are beginning to revel in the joys and responsibilities of animal keeping because they are relatively inexpensive to buy and maintain. However, they are also a fascinating hobby for innumerable adults. It is estimated that there are about 4.2 million rabbits, 3.4 million hamsters, and 1.7 million guinea pigs in the United States at the present time, as well as roughly 2 million tame rats, mice, and gerbils. Indeed, rabbits are the third most common pet examined by veterinarians in their hospitals.
Although these small mammals generally cost less than dogs and cats, not to mention ponies and horses, they deserve and demand no less care and attention from their owners in order to ensure them long and happy lives. Such intriguing creatures are not to be regarded as children's toys, or disposable, second-rate pets. Housed and handled properly, and tended and treated with affection and interest, these little animals, which come in such a wide variety of breeds and colors, will provide limitless fascination, fun, and, yes, friendship.
All of them are designed and constructed as intricately as dogs, horses, or, indeed, human beings. Their delicate, complex anatomy and physiology, perfectly attuned to a particular mode of living on this planet, make man-made devices such as computers and space rockets seem Stone Age by comparison. What's more, from a practical point of view, they are healthier to have around than, say, dogs or cats. Rabbits and rats and all the other small pets, in their domesticated forms, carry fewer diseases that can be transmitted to their owners than the bigger species.
ISBN:9780764150333
