Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:02.081 --> 00:00:14.775
Welcome to the Starlight Pet Talk podcast, where we'll talk about and explore ways to help pet parents and future pet parents learn everything they need to know to have a happy and healthy relationship with their pet.
00:00:14.775 --> 00:00:22.932
So sit up and stay for Starlight Pet Talk rescue, adoption and pet parenting done right.
00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:28.867
Before we get started with today's episode, I want to do something a little new and different.
00:00:28.867 --> 00:00:35.979
Periodically, I want to share some information about the animals that we intake at Starlight Outreach and Rescue.
00:00:35.979 --> 00:00:50.555
For those of you who don't know, this podcast, starlight Pet Talk, is part of our Education and Information mission at Starlight Outreach and Rescue to help pets stay in good homes and to help homeless pets find forever homes.
00:00:50.555 --> 00:01:01.054
So in this episode I want to go ahead and share the story of Sassy and, for those of you who are watching on video or we will share some pictures, some links to some pictures as well.
00:01:01.054 --> 00:01:05.000
Sassy is a dog that was found here in Houston, texas, area.
00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:15.734
She was actually found by a Good Samaritan lying in the street, unable to really get up and walk and move on a day that was 107 degrees outside.
00:01:15.734 --> 00:01:29.691
She was completely emaciated, as you can see from the pictures, and she had ingrown toenails that had grown into her skin and she obviously had been used for breeding purposes and has had multiple litters.
00:01:29.691 --> 00:01:40.915
But the saddest thing well, not that that's not sad enough, but the saddest thing about poor Sassy is that not only is she heart-warm, positive, but she is 100%, completely blind.
00:01:40.915 --> 00:01:44.506
So we got the call from the Good Samaritan and we obviously knew we had to help.
00:01:44.506 --> 00:01:49.534
So Sassy is now living here with us at the Rescue Ranch, getting lots of food.
00:01:49.534 --> 00:01:54.290
She's been to the veterinarian, which is how we know that she is heart-warm positive.
00:01:54.290 --> 00:02:06.634
So she is in the process of starting pretreatment for her heart-warm situation and once we get her heart-warm under control and we get some good weight on her which has already begun we will have her up for adoption.
00:02:06.634 --> 00:02:12.932
So this is the kind of thing that we do at Starlight Outreach and Rescue every day for dogs, cats and other critters.
00:02:12.932 --> 00:02:27.000
And if you'd like to follow our stories and learn more about what we're doing at the Rescue, we do have a website, wwwstarlightoutreachandrescueorg, but really the best place to follow our everyday actions is on Facebook.
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:33.524
So get on Facebook and just do a search for Starlight Outreach and Rescue and you'll find our page.
00:02:33.524 --> 00:02:38.979
We'll put a link in the show notes and you can get updates on Sassy and any of the other animals that we have in our care.
00:02:40.264 --> 00:02:41.447
Welcome to Starlight Pet Talk.
00:02:41.447 --> 00:03:00.493
I'm your host, amy Castro, and today we're talking about what some people call starter pets, which actually is a term I don't really like, because I think it somehow implies that we're going to automatically move on from these pets or that, as some people treat them unfortunately, that they're disposable in some way when people get tired of them or they want something quote unquote better.
00:03:00.493 --> 00:03:11.574
That said, critters like campsters, bunnies, parakeets and others can be really great pets for people who either aren't ready for a dog or a cat or they just don't want one.
00:03:11.574 --> 00:03:21.835
However, just like we've been preaching all along in Starlight Pet Talk about making the right choice when choosing a pet, the same rules kind of apply to these smaller pets as well.
00:03:21.835 --> 00:03:38.516
So today we're going to talk about several different types of pets and their needs, so that anybody that's listening and maybe is considering getting a pet for themselves or for their children can make an informed decision and give even these little bitty pets the lifetime commitment that they deserve.
00:03:39.301 --> 00:03:46.243
So my guest today is a very special guest, dr Linda Atkins, and I've known Linda, I think, since I was in junior high.
00:03:46.243 --> 00:03:48.266
She saved my butt.
00:03:48.266 --> 00:03:54.735
She basically helped me get through high school, because I was not a great student, I was not good at some of the subjects and she was way smarter than me.
00:03:54.735 --> 00:03:59.979
So I think she's definitely entitled to the credit for me graduating, graduating high school, for sure.
00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:06.633
She also helped me get my very first real job at the Valley Cottage Animal Hospital in Valley Cottage, new York.
00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:21.434
She went on to college and then veterinary school at Cornell, so I was always super impressed how smart she was, like I said, and she's been a practicing veterinarian working with dogs and cats and some of the more exotic pets that we're going to talk about today for just over 30 years.
00:04:21.434 --> 00:04:30.935
She's also got three awesome kids, and one of whom actually is following in her footsteps as a veterinarian and will graduate in 2024 from Cornell.
00:04:30.935 --> 00:04:31.982
So she's super lucky.
00:04:31.982 --> 00:04:33.305
I wish I had a vet in my family.
00:04:33.305 --> 00:04:35.250
It would really save us a lot of money at the rescue.
00:04:35.250 --> 00:04:52.778
And then one more interesting fact about Linda is that she also serves as the veterinarian to the animals at the Bear Mountain Zoo, so she really does have a ton of experience working with a very wide range of animals, and so thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today.
00:04:52.778 --> 00:04:55.000
Linda, you're welcome and thanks for having me.
00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:01.000
Sure, sure, and I have to apologize, and I already did, but I'm going to apologize on air for Linda.
00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:09.309
So we actually did this recording originally in person, side by side and like a knucklehead, I left that one critical piece of equipment.
00:05:09.309 --> 00:05:11.968
I left it at home when I went to meet with her.
00:05:11.968 --> 00:05:17.372
So we went through this whole show and recorded it and found out that half of the audio was missing.
00:05:17.372 --> 00:05:21.790
So hopefully we'll be even better at it this time around, since we've had a little bit of practice.
00:05:21.790 --> 00:05:36.000
So I kind of broke the critters into three different categories, and the first one that I wanted to hit on were kind of the fuzzy four-legged critters, so things like, you know, hamsters, jibbles, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, things like that.
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:47.755
So, linda, what would be kind of maybe your choice or what you would recommend to a client as to which one of those types of critters might be a great or a more easy to care for first pet?
00:05:48.180 --> 00:06:00.980
Yeah, the fuzzies and furries are always my favorite, the four-legged ones, so I enjoy those and they kind of range from small to bigger and as you get bigger they get a little more complex in their care.
00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:09.879
So if you start small with a hamster, the small hamsters like those fuzzy teddy bear ones or the Syrian ones, those are great first pets.
00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:11.646
I had one of those in college.
00:06:11.646 --> 00:06:13.225
He traveled with me back and forth.
00:06:13.225 --> 00:06:24.774
They can be in a glass tank enclosure like a 10 or a 20 gallon tank, but I always took him out to play every day so he needs more than that small tank.
00:06:24.774 --> 00:06:26.000
But they're relatively easy to care for.
00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.000
They live about three years.
00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.000
You change the bedding, you know, once or twice a week.
00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.000
They eat store-bought food, easy to get, easy to store.
00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:39.000
So a nice pet, friendly good with like little kids can hold them.
00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:46.529
You only have about a three-year commitment, sadly with a hamster but a great addition and I think it's important.
00:06:46.591 --> 00:06:47.918
You know that you mentioned to get them out.
00:06:47.918 --> 00:06:59.000
That's one of the things that I know as I got older because I had I also had hamsters, I've had gerbils, I've had a guinea pig, I've had a bunny and you know kind of working your way up in size with some of these critters.
00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:07.175
But the glass tank for these little critters, even though it might seem like it's adequate, they really do need to get out and have that.
00:07:07.175 --> 00:07:12.416
What extra exercise Is it the exercise, or is it the human interaction, or is it both?
00:07:12.416 --> 00:07:14.024
That's so important for them, I think it's.
00:07:14.526 --> 00:07:21.000
I think it's the exercise and the enrichment, the environment enrichment, and just for other people to enjoy them too.
00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:27.000
I had one in college at Cornell and I, you know, at that time our rooms were relatively open.
00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.687
You kind of left your door open.
00:07:28.687 --> 00:07:33.000
I'd come back to my room and my hamster would be gone and I didn't worry that he had escaped.
00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:34.817
It's just that he would usually be down the hall.
00:07:34.817 --> 00:07:36.980
Somebody else was playing for him.
00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:40.925
So it was a good outlet for, you know, college students and very portable.
00:07:40.925 --> 00:07:48.608
But then as you move up, you know you're getting into guinea pigs, size-wise Guinea pigs, also great, you know.
00:07:48.608 --> 00:07:58.386
You can have them around for six, seven, eight years, often Require a little more space, though you know they'll sell them to those short-haired guinea pig.
00:07:58.386 --> 00:08:04.144
It's in that cage that's maybe two by three, and often people think that's adequate for them.
00:08:04.144 --> 00:08:07.877
But they really should have a play area or play pen.
00:08:07.877 --> 00:08:09.482
They kind of don't jump.
00:08:09.482 --> 00:08:14.622
So you can fence them in with like a little one-foot fence and you can make them a really big space.
00:08:14.622 --> 00:08:19.937
You can bring them outside as long as you're watching them, because they're fast even though they don't look fast.
00:08:20.065 --> 00:08:23.983
They, you know they eat a pelleted diet, so that's pretty easy to get from the pet store.
00:08:23.983 --> 00:08:26.733
They eat hay which is easy to store, but they do.
00:08:26.733 --> 00:08:30.867
They do require vitamin C and green so they have to have greens every day.
00:08:30.867 --> 00:08:32.995
So that's important for them to, you know.
00:08:32.995 --> 00:08:35.705
Have adequate greens once a year.
00:08:35.705 --> 00:08:38.245
Veterinary care and I say that even for the hamsters.
00:08:38.245 --> 00:08:43.140
I try and check my hamster patients and guinea pigs once a year just for a well care.
00:08:43.140 --> 00:08:47.272
Make sure their toenails are not too long For those starter guinea pigs.
00:08:47.272 --> 00:08:49.863
Try and stay away from the really long-haired ones.
00:08:49.863 --> 00:08:51.167
They have some that have hair.
00:08:51.167 --> 00:08:57.807
That's like you know, a wig gets long and it requires a lot more maintenance and care and grooming.
00:08:57.807 --> 00:09:01.977
The average short-haired guinea pigs are pretty easy as far as care.
00:09:02.306 --> 00:09:04.615
Yeah, that's good to know because those they are cute.
00:09:04.615 --> 00:09:06.644
But again, are you going to be willing to?
00:09:06.644 --> 00:09:10.004
I guess you brush them and make sure you know, make sure, kind of make sure they don't get mad.
00:09:10.144 --> 00:09:20.743
Yeah toenail maintenance because you know, wild guinea pigs if they're such a thing as a wild guinea pig are running around on rocks and hard surfaces, whereas ours are on soft bedding.
00:09:20.743 --> 00:09:27.267
So that soft bedding their nails get very long and curly and I'll see them come in with not adequate bedding.
00:09:27.267 --> 00:09:30.400
They get sores on their feet or their nails get too long.
00:09:30.400 --> 00:09:34.171
But they're really good for little kids because they don't tend to jump.
00:09:34.171 --> 00:09:35.333
They'll sit in a lap.
00:09:35.333 --> 00:09:37.339
They make all sorts of great sounds.
00:09:37.339 --> 00:09:42.413
They generally don't bite, so they're pretty sturdy.
00:09:43.155 --> 00:09:43.677
Pretty sturdy.
00:09:44.306 --> 00:10:03.111
So that's good to know, as you're kind of crossing over into getting into some of these more, the larger pets, the whole fresh element to the diet, because I know and I know we'll talk about birds in just a bit, but that was something that I didn't realize until we took some birds in at the rescue that they, you know they can't just live on the seeds and the stuff that you buy at the store, or they shouldn't just live on that.
00:10:03.111 --> 00:10:08.691
They live better and healthier if you are giving them fresh vegetables and fruits and things like that.
00:10:08.691 --> 00:10:19.895
So that's something to consider from not only a budgeting standpoint but just a prep and care standpoint, especially if you're buying one of these pets for your children, you know, are they going to be responsible to.
00:10:19.895 --> 00:10:21.634
It's one thing to make sure there's food in the bowl.
00:10:21.634 --> 00:10:24.948
It's another thing to have to chop up fruits and vegetables every day for them.
00:10:24.948 --> 00:10:26.653
So something that's definitely to consider.
00:10:27.274 --> 00:10:30.211
Yeah, and the guinea pigs you can have more than one.
00:10:30.211 --> 00:10:33.744
Ginea pigs can live in pairs if you get them.
00:10:33.744 --> 00:10:40.546
You know at a young age, boys together, girls together, obviously, but they don't generally fight as much.
00:10:40.546 --> 00:10:51.302
You know, as we move up into the rabbits Rabbits are probably my favorite as far as the other than a cat and dog type pet, that they rabbits make great pets.
00:10:51.302 --> 00:10:51.582
So.
00:10:51.582 --> 00:10:55.700
But there you're going to have that rabbit probably for 10, 11, 10 times 12 years.
00:10:55.700 --> 00:10:57.426
So it's a much bigger commitment.
00:10:57.485 --> 00:10:58.148
As long as a dog.
00:10:58.749 --> 00:11:05.335
Yes, yes, for your house rabbits, and most of my house rabbit patients are ones that they live in.
00:11:05.335 --> 00:11:06.520
They basically live in the house.
00:11:06.520 --> 00:11:13.639
They may have a nighttime cage or a playpen, but they're often free roaming rabbits like like a cat or a dog.
00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.830
They're silent for the most part.
00:11:15.830 --> 00:11:19.046
So that's good if you have an apartment and can't have anything noisy.
00:11:19.046 --> 00:11:21.009
Rabbits are great for that.
00:11:21.009 --> 00:11:30.317
But they do require a fairly big enclosure, not just a little small pen, and there are a lot more requirements as far as their diet and taking care of them.
00:11:30.317 --> 00:11:32.589
Once you're veterinarian care.
00:11:32.589 --> 00:11:42.644
We vaccinate rabbits, so they do need to see the vet once a year, toenail trimming and diet wise, the pelleted diet is really not what they eat.
00:11:42.644 --> 00:11:44.106
They mostly eat hay and greens.
00:11:44.106 --> 00:11:47.937
So I don't recommend feeding pelleted diet to most of my rabbits.
00:11:47.937 --> 00:11:53.475
They start as babies with that, but then now they eat hay and fresh greens.
00:11:53.475 --> 00:12:01.063
So a pile of greens kind of the size of the rabbit, so a large amount every day, fixing them a big fat salad every day.
00:12:01.085 --> 00:12:02.850
They're getting a salad every day.
00:12:02.850 --> 00:12:04.176
They're you know.
00:12:04.176 --> 00:12:09.432
They could be raised with kids and started out with kids, but they're a little more breakable than the guinea pigs.
00:12:09.753 --> 00:12:10.996
They have a tendency to hop.
00:12:11.184 --> 00:12:18.868
Their bones are very fragile, so we have to be very careful that they don't get dropped or jump out of arms?
00:12:19.309 --> 00:12:20.615
Yeah, I bet you've seen a lot of.
00:12:20.615 --> 00:12:23.346
I see that with puppies, sometimes too, with little little dogs.
00:12:23.346 --> 00:12:29.063
What about having rabbits, either going outside or or maybe even guinea pigs too?
00:12:29.063 --> 00:12:32.904
I don't know how that works, but you know, either going outside or living outside.
00:12:32.904 --> 00:12:36.644
If it's a domestic, you know, because you said house rabbit, because that's the way they're living Can they do?
00:12:36.644 --> 00:12:37.788
They need to be outside.
00:12:37.788 --> 00:12:38.955
Is it okay to put them outside?
00:12:38.955 --> 00:12:39.859
What's the story there?
00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:40.621
Yeah, they.
00:12:40.621 --> 00:12:47.625
They can definitely go outside for enrichment purposes, exercise definitely need to make sure they're fenced in.
00:12:47.625 --> 00:12:49.009
They're very, very fast.
00:12:49.009 --> 00:12:52.201
I even recommend people microchipping the rabbits.
00:12:52.201 --> 00:12:54.328
It's a good way of identifying them.
00:12:54.328 --> 00:13:13.672
If they are going to go out you have to make sure it's secured, because we don't want that rabbit to be end up, you know, five streets down because they're fast and lost because they will not survive, although they you see those rabbits outside, those little cotton tails, the domestic rabbits just don't fare as well outside.
00:13:13.672 --> 00:13:21.241
They become prey to hawks because they're all sorts of cool colors, like white that doesn't blend in like the brown cotton tails do.
00:13:21.241 --> 00:13:22.886
Dogs will go after them.
00:13:22.886 --> 00:13:36.660
So you definitely want to make sure you're secured, but they love to be outside and and if you're in a place where you do want to outside rabbit that has a hutch, as long as it's very, very secure, has shelter from rain and cold, but a yard too.
00:13:36.660 --> 00:13:41.913
We don't want them to just be in that three by four cell, as I call it, for their life.
00:13:42.533 --> 00:13:43.515
Yeah, that's not.
00:13:43.515 --> 00:13:45.727
That's not not a good thing.
00:13:45.727 --> 00:13:47.495
You mentioned dogs going after them.
00:13:47.495 --> 00:13:48.779
Can they coexist?
00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:54.917
You know, if you're, if you are having a rabbit around the house, can they coexist with dogs and cats, or is that not a good idea?
00:13:54.917 --> 00:13:55.605
No?
00:13:55.746 --> 00:13:56.227
absolutely.
00:13:56.227 --> 00:13:59.158
I have a lot of house rabbit clients that have cats.
00:13:59.158 --> 00:14:01.668
They, the cats, have grown up with the rabbits.
00:14:01.668 --> 00:14:04.961
The rabbits are usually the boss of the cat for the most part.
00:14:04.961 --> 00:14:11.298
If you bring the cat into the family after you get the rabbit, that usually works pretty well and a lot of dogs.
00:14:11.298 --> 00:14:13.289
Again, it depends upon the breed of dog.
00:14:13.289 --> 00:14:28.046
Certain breeds of dogs like huskies around rabbits not a good good idea If the dog has a big prey drive that you have to be very worried about the rabbit then, because if the rabbit runs because they're prey species they have a tendency to run.
00:14:28.046 --> 00:14:30.371
There could be definitely injury but they can.
00:14:30.371 --> 00:14:34.769
I have a lot of families that have rabbits, cats and dogs and everybody gets along.
00:14:35.491 --> 00:14:41.350
As far as keeping rabbits, other than the need for space, the salad, any other downsides?
00:14:41.350 --> 00:14:48.543
Because I was thinking about and maybe it wasn't rabbits, but some free roaming house critter that likes to eat wires and chew on things and things.
00:14:48.543 --> 00:14:49.607
Is that, is it?
00:14:49.628 --> 00:14:50.692
rabbits or guinea pigs.
00:14:50.692 --> 00:14:54.384
Both you definitely have to rabbit proof your house.
00:14:54.384 --> 00:14:57.191
Some of them are great and won't chew on stuff.
00:14:57.191 --> 00:15:05.860
My rabbit in vet school that I had again traveled great back and forth but chewed pretty much every textbook edge that I had.
00:15:05.860 --> 00:15:09.714
So every vet school textbook had a big chew mark down the side.
00:15:09.714 --> 00:15:15.154
You have to rabbit proof the wires because they will bite those, but they're litter box strain.
00:15:15.154 --> 00:15:16.460
Mine was completely clean.
00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:17.464
You'd never even know.
00:15:17.464 --> 00:15:19.370
He would always go back to the litter box.
00:15:19.370 --> 00:15:25.951
So they they're litter box trainable like a cat would be so great for apartments, but they definitely are.
00:15:25.951 --> 00:15:28.738
They can get into some trouble if you're not careful.
00:15:29.485 --> 00:15:29.985
Like a puppy.
00:15:29.985 --> 00:15:32.030
Yeah, that's good.
00:15:32.030 --> 00:15:33.113
Yeah, good, good point.
00:15:33.113 --> 00:15:36.407
And speaking of the litter box, I would assume is it.
00:15:36.407 --> 00:15:39.395
It's different litter than cat litter, right, and you wouldn't want them.
00:15:39.395 --> 00:15:43.635
You can't just have a cat litter box that cats and rabbits would be using together.
00:15:44.065 --> 00:15:45.009
They wouldn't share it.
00:15:45.009 --> 00:15:47.277
Now the rabbits tend to like that.
00:15:47.277 --> 00:15:50.629
Newspaper litter is one of the things you can train them on.
00:15:50.629 --> 00:15:53.578
You can use like a coarser gravel litter.
00:15:53.578 --> 00:15:56.167
Again, it's preference, what they've been trained to.
00:15:56.167 --> 00:16:00.958
I don't know any cats and rabbits that use the same litter box, but they might.
00:16:02.020 --> 00:16:03.625
Okay, good night, all right.
00:16:03.625 --> 00:16:05.431
Now what about ferrets?
00:16:05.431 --> 00:16:08.580
Because I have always thought ferrets are so cute.
00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:12.120
We used to have one that got picked up at animal control every once in a while.
00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:16.929
There he was, and then his owner would be calling like hey, have you guys got my ferret?
00:16:16.929 --> 00:16:18.433
What about them as pets?
00:16:19.402 --> 00:16:19.964
They also.
00:16:19.964 --> 00:16:23.995
They're kind of a definitely different than the rodents and the rabbits are.
00:16:23.995 --> 00:16:27.587
Ferrets are carnivores, so that's one thing that's important to know.
00:16:27.587 --> 00:16:28.471
So they're gonna eat.
00:16:28.471 --> 00:16:34.139
You know, some people feed them regular meat, but very active, definitely need to ferret proof.
00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:39.552
They will eat and swallow anything and they have a tendency to get obstructed If they eat something they shouldn't.
00:16:39.552 --> 00:16:43.360
They get into everything under everything, through vents, under doors.
00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:49.693
They can get down about as flat as you know an inch if they need to to get other things, but so fun to watch.
00:16:49.693 --> 00:16:57.440
Again, they have ferret cages but they still need outside time running around the house as long as it's ferret-proofed.
00:16:57.440 --> 00:16:59.145
But they're a lot of fun.
00:16:59.707 --> 00:17:05.249
You're committed to about seven years or so with a ferret, so not as long as a rabbit necessarily.
00:17:05.249 --> 00:17:08.240
You have to like that musky ferret smell.
00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:12.829
So definitely want to visit the pet store or the rescue.
00:17:12.829 --> 00:17:14.153
They do have them in rescues.
00:17:14.153 --> 00:17:17.213
Same for the rabbits and the guinea pigs.
00:17:17.213 --> 00:17:18.380
You can get them through a rescue.
00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:21.148
You don't have to get your rabbit through a pet shop.
00:17:21.148 --> 00:17:24.160
You can actually get your ferret anything through the rescue groups.
00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:25.305
There's a lot of them out there.
00:17:25.305 --> 00:17:28.065
But definitely test them out.
00:17:28.065 --> 00:17:29.188
Test out that ferret.
00:17:29.188 --> 00:17:31.152
Make sure you like that ferret-y smell.
00:17:33.403 --> 00:17:34.105
Yeah, good point.
00:17:34.105 --> 00:17:42.773
I was going to ask about the smell and I'm glad you said something about the rescues, because I've even and I can't remember what rescue it was.
00:17:42.773 --> 00:17:53.624
It was up in Austin but they had mice and hamsters and they would take pictures of them and promote them as adoptable pets, just like all the other critters.
00:17:53.624 --> 00:17:57.232
I remember seeing a little picture of a little hamster in a car.
00:17:57.232 --> 00:17:59.576
They took a picture in this little car.
00:17:59.576 --> 00:18:00.099
It was so cute.
00:18:00.099 --> 00:18:11.412
But, yeah, start there and save one from a rescue or a shelter, just like you would do with a dog, and then, if you're not finding what you need, then you can kind of move on to the stores and places like that.
00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:15.240
Yeah, and making sure you're not allergic to that's important.
00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:19.750
That's how they end up in places like Amy's, rescue or other people's.
00:18:19.750 --> 00:18:21.613
They haven't tested them out.
00:18:21.613 --> 00:18:23.684
So many people are allergic to rabbits.
00:18:23.684 --> 00:18:26.011
You have to be very careful with rabbits.
00:18:26.011 --> 00:18:29.951
Go and go even to the pet store, and pet them, handle them, hold them.
00:18:29.951 --> 00:18:34.260
Make sure everybody in the family is not allergic Everybody that's going to handle them Same.
00:18:34.260 --> 00:18:36.205
I have a technician at work.
00:18:36.205 --> 00:18:40.887
She's allergic to guinea pigs, which she has a very bad reaction to guinea pigs.
00:18:40.887 --> 00:18:45.450
So you can be allergic Not so much the ferrets but definitely the other ones.
00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:47.005
Or they're allergic to the hay.
00:18:47.005 --> 00:18:52.490
Those creatures need lots of hay, so you're handling it, you're moving it around.
00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:58.113
You don't want to have a hay allergy and get a rabbit, because then you're kind of dooming yourself.
00:18:59.481 --> 00:19:00.404
Yeah, that's a good point.
00:19:00.404 --> 00:19:08.200
I remember we did a fall event and rode back in the car with some hay bales that we had used for a photo shoot and my friend Michelle was like.
00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:17.481
I don't even know if she knew whether she was allergic to hay or not beforehand, but she had a bunch of hay in her car by the time she got to my house, miserable, and who knew?
00:19:17.481 --> 00:19:24.387
I never even really thought about that Along those lines of allergies, and we hadn't talked about rats as pets.
