Handbags are for poodles, right? Think again. The list of possible handbag pets is as long as your arm.
It’s important, however, that you look seriously at your personality and lifestyle before making a decision. A poor choice could result in heartache for you, your pet and your favourite handbag. A good choice could result in years of friendship, love and joy.
Take this quick quiz to find the perfect pet for your handbag!
1. ON A RAINY AFTERNOON, I LIKE TO:
A) curl up by the fire and knit jumpers for cockatoos that have lost all their feathers.
B) build cubbies out of blankets … or veg out in front of the telly … or go to the movies … or play Monopoly … It’s hard to choose.
C) go mud-wrestling with my friends.
D) collect worms and eat them.
2. MY FAVOURITE BOOK IS:
A) Anne of Green Gables.
B) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
C) Guinness World Records.
D) The Day My Bum Went Psycho.
3. I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY COOL TO:
A) plant trees for a forest rehabilitation program.
B) go to Disney World in Florida.
C) bungee-jump off a cliff.
D) glue my sister’s hand to her bedside table while she is sleeping.
A) water ballet.
B) anything that involves running around with a ball.
C) whitewater rafting.
D) cage fighting.
5. WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO:
A) be a doctor so that I can care for sick children and make them better.
B) work in a circus.
C) climb Mount Everest.
D) rob a bank so I can be really rich.
6. MY FAVOURITE THING TO PUT IN THE BATH IS:
A) lavender oil.
B) bubble bath and rubber ducks.
C) my scuba-diving gear.
D) electric eels.
7. THE PERSON I MOST ADMIRE IS:
A) anyone who has overcome adversity.
B) my best friend.
C) the great escape artist, Harry Houdini.
D) Genghis Khan.
8. MY FAVOURITE MUSIC IS:
A) Mozart.
B) I don’t have a favourite. I just flick between radio stations.
C) ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
D) Punk rock – the kind with a lot of screaming.
Turn the page to discover your perfect pet!
Mostly As: You are a beautiful person – loving, caring and as gentle as a dove. You will thrive on taking care of a delicate, high-maintenance pet. Good choices for your handbag pet include:
• a hummingbird
• a snow-white, miniature lop-eared Angora rabbit with separation issues
• a vegan Chihuahua.
Mostly Bs: You are a kind, fun-loving person, but easily distracted. The pet you carry around in your handbag should be affectionate, but not too needy. Good choices include:
• a tabby cat
• a ferret
• a three-legged mutt from the pound who will be totally grateful for adoption and any attention it might receive.
Mostly Cs: You are a happy, active, adventurous person who can become a little rough when overexcited. The pet you carry around needs to be fun-loving and extremely robust. In fact, you should probably ditch the handbag and invest in a large, sturdy wheelbarrow. Good choices include:
• a labrador
• a warthog
• a mountain goat.
Mostly Ds: You are totally feral. You should not be allowed within a two-kilometre radius of any pet. However, if you insist on stuffing some sort of creature into your handbag, try one of the following and let us know how things pan out:
• a piranha
• a Madagascar hissing cockroach
• a skunk
• a giant slug
• a Tasmanian devil
• a vulture.
