I’m not alone in having a childhood populated with sundry small critters. First, there were fish, then a hamster or two, followed by a guinea pig, hermit crabs, and parakeets. Beyond picking out ceramic castles for fish and a wheel for a hamster, though, I’m sure I didn’t spare too much thought on these little pets’ daily experiences or quality of life.
That might have been a mistake. Vox senior reporter Kenny Torrella recently spent months mulling over the question of whether or not we should keep these undomesticated animals at home. It turns out most small pets — often marketed as low-maintenance or starter pets — are actually fully wild animals, who crave diverse and challenging environments, active food-gathering, and vast spaces. (Yes, even hamsters.)
There are currently more than 100 million of these pets being kept in the US. Are they actually all miserable? Kenny’s nuanced reporting and writing carefully leads us through the unexpectedly large ethical dilemma caused by these small animals.
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—Katherine Courage, deputy editor, Future Perfect
