Residing among all the wonderful cats and dogs at the Seattle Humane Society are the many birds and small mammals like rabbits, hamsters, rats and guinea pigs available for adoption. Quietly munching on timothy hay or fresh vegetables, often these little guys get overlooked by people and families looking for animal companionship. Which is unfortunate, because they make wonderful, amusing and loving pets.

For many of us, a small animal was a first pet and an introduction to the responsibilities of caring for another living creature. Mine was a hamster named Hairball, and he--or she, I never knew for sure--lived in a bright-yellow, plastic contraption with tunnels and things to play on called a Habitrail. (I just learned that Habitrail still exists, and the new models look like something you'd see on the SciFi Channel.)

Once, in the middle of a cold Kansas winter, Hairball somehow escaped and fled into our home's central heating system. I was inconsolable, and my father dismantled several heating ducts before giving up. We left the heat off that night, and thankfully Hairball emerged, climbing into bed with my parents and nearly giving my mother a heart attack.

That cautionary tale aside, I encourage parents whose children are pleading for their own cat or dog or pony to consider first adopting a hamster, a pair of guinea pigs or other critter. They all require daily feeding and attention, and wise parents should expect to accept ultimate responsibility for the animal's care and well-being.

Small animals also make wonderful companions for people with busy lifestyles or who are limited on space. Animals like guinea pigs and rabbits need fresh fruits and vegetables just like us for vitamin C, and I'll bet that just having them on hand will improve your own snacking habits!

Critters can be found in the adoption lobby at the Seattle Humane Society, or you can preview the animals available for adoption on our Website here. I will also be posting some fun facts on each species in the coming weeks.