THE RIGHT PET MATCH FOR YOU
My sister-in-law loves to clip articles for me to use as resource material for my weekly columns. It's been a while since I have gotten any from her, but she brought along the accumulated file on her visit to Nantucket this past week with her family. Of course, there are many interesting tidbits included in the information she has collected, but this quiz from the April 20-22, 2007, USA Weekend, caught my eye.

I'm a sucker for quizzes. Just ask anyone who has ever applied for a job at the shop about my "which shape best describes you" test. Pop quizzes are fun, but many of them are also surprisingly insightful. These questions might bring up ideas you haven't considered or get you thinking outside the box about a less conventional pet.
1. How would you describe your
family?
a. Clean freaks (1 pt)
b. Moderately clean (3 pts)
c. A little disorganized- who
isn't? We do try to clean
up for company (6 pts)
d. Chaos is our middle name -
and we're not ashamed (7 pts)
2. Which matches your family's
schedule?
a. We're constantly traveling -
the neighbors don't think any
one lives here (0 pts)
b. We're home only in the
evening, and then we're in and
out (3 pts)
c. We're busy, but relish
the time we spend at home
(4 pts)
d. We're homebodies (6 pts)
3. What's your family's lifestyle?
a. We're retired and unable to
do a lot at this time in our
lives (1 pt)
b. We're lazy - our idea of
exercise is reaching for
the remote (2pts)
c. We're active and like to be
outside (6 pts)
d. We like to keep busy, but
we're also homebodies (7 pts)
4. Describe the personalities of
your household members.
a. Like Howard Hughes, we're
recluses (0 pts)
b. We're quiet and keep to ourselves,
although we
welcome friends and
family (2 pts)
c. We like to get
out and make new
friends on the street
or wherever we are
(6 pts)
d. We like to

show off what we have; we're
the first on the block with the
latest (8 pts)
5. What is your pet-owning
history?
a. We've never had a pet before
(1 pt)
b. One of us had a pet as a kid,
but not since then (3 pts)
c. We're experienced pet own
ers, but we pretty much stick
to dogs and cats (5 pts)
d. We've always had a zoo in
our home (8 pts)
6. How tolerant are you?
a. We're the first to complain
about noisy neighbors or trash
on the street (0 pts)
b. We're not especially tolerant,
but over time we
gradually accept change
(3 pts)
c. We're tolerant and can pretty
much go with the flow
(6 pts)
d. We can put up with pretty
much anything (8 pts)
7. Which describes your sense of
humor?
a. We have none (0 pts)
b. We're a pretty serious
bunch (1 pt)
c. About average (5 pts)
d. We never get upset -
we always laugh it off (8 pts)
8. How does your family dress?
a. We're so conservative, we
wear shoes to bed (0 pts)
b. We rarely wear ratty clothes,
even at home (1 pt)
c. We're into the latest fashion
- if it's chic, we have it
(6 pts)
d. We wear jeans and dress
down whenever possible
(7 pts)
9. What are your sleeping habits?
a. We're light sleepers and
can't deal with interrupted
sleep (1 pt)
b. We hate to deviate from our
sleep schedule and use week
ends to catch up (2 pts)
c. We're night owls and nap
during the day (3 pts)

d. We get up at the crack of
dawn, or sleep when we sleep;
we're flexible (7 pts)
10. Which describes your family's
vacation habits?
a. We love our vacations and
often travel for weeks or
months at a time (0 pts)
b. We travel a lot, but we have
many relatives and friends
who live nearby (3 pts)
c. We take the whole family on
vacation and typically travel
by car. We don't stay in fancy
places, but spend lots of time
outdoors (5 pts)
d. We pretty much never go
anywhere (8 pts)

SCORING:

Up to 9 points: Get a beta fish or a hermit crab!

10-28 points: You're most suited for a feline friend (or two), a gerbil or hamster, or perhaps a rescued senior dog.

29-42 points: Your best choice is a canine companion (or two). If you scored under 35 points, one dog and one cat might be a better option than two dogs.

43-53 points: A pet reflects your character, and you want people to know it. You're the perfect candidate to consider a snake, sugar glider or other exotic pet. If you prefer a dog, you're up for the challenge and can deal with a very active one, even an intense border collie.

54-64 points: A dog (or two) is easy. You have the skill and sense of humor to deal with a high-maintenance pet, such as a large parrot or ferret.

65-74 points: You're in the pet big leagues. You'll be happiest with a combination of pets; just having one kitty or bunny simply wouldn't be

enough fun. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos. com