2021 ANIMAL STORIES MAGAZINE

Page 20 2021 PET MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS JANUARY 21, 2021 Continue p when they molted. We very seldom just went and found one dead in the tank. It was usually a failure to get all the way out of the old shell.” But for those who made it out of their shell, Mindy said the bugs took on an interesting look for a very short time. “The coolest thing is when they molt. They are by nature, a black and brown bug, but when they molt they are snow white for a few hours and are just beautiful.” Like Devin Fry and her dragons, one of the best attractions for Mindy was the educational value and the lessons that Robert learned about caring for another living thing. “I loved that we had a pet for Robert that was so educational, they were not expensive to take care of, easily contained, and as I said, they had a lot more personality than you would think.” Now cockroaches may not be the pet for every household, nor dragons for that matter. The point is, what you love, care for, and feel is a part of your family is a pet, and it is special. There are a number of people in the world who say they are not dog people or cat people, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be a fish lover or bird lover. Like these two youngsters that thought outside the box for their choice of pet, the important part is to do your homework first. Regardless of what you are attracted to, before you take in an animal or a bird or reptile, study a little, talk to others who have similar pets, or even try babysitting. If the pet gives you joy then it’s for you. But if you find that it is more work than you anticipated, tests your patience or creates disruption that you can’t tolerate, then pass it by because what you don’t ever want is to be a neglectful pet parent. [Nila Smith]