First of all, I have tried one of those skeeter chasers before.  (the one
that supposedly puts up a 16 foot sonic barrier.) According to the
mail-order company I ordered it from, it should have been completely
inaudible to human ears.  Either I'm not human, or their claim was untrue:
It made an irritating whine which didn't seem to affect the persistance of
the mosquitos at all.  I don't think any of our fuzzy pals would like it
much.
 
On another note, Audrey, how old is your daughter?  I think a ferret would
be a better pet for a responsible person, at least in the teens.  I would
fear to leave my ferrets in the hands of any pre-teen just because of the
maturity level necessary to care for (and be careful in not injuring)
ferrets.  In lots of ways they aren't as sturdy as regular pets: i.e. dogs n
cats, and they tend to find nice places to sleep where people commonly step
without looking: under rugs, inside clothes or blankets, or towels on the
floor.  Being owned by a ferret resulted in a change in the basic philosophy
of my life.  Suddenly I had to become much more aware of open
doors/windows/cupboards, the rugs, coats on the floor, shoe insoles and all
kinds of chewy rubbery stuff that would cause trouble if ingested by my
ferrets.
 
Also, if your dog is aggressive, or perhaps a terrier type, it might not be
the best idea to adopt a ferret right now.  While it surely wouldn't be good
for a ferret to be attacked by fido, it wouldn't be fair to the ferret to
have to be confined to the cage at all times for fear that fido would get
him or her.  Ferrets are quite happy to sleep/eat/poop and even play in
cages, but they need their time outside the cage just as we would go crazy
were we confined to our bedrooms permanently.  Better stop rambling: I'm
sure that you'll get lots of good advice from the other FML'ers.
 
The main things are:
1) is your daughter mature enough to take on a 5-10 year relationship with
a loving animal that needs care, attention and devotion?
2) Could your home be made "ferret friendly" to accomodate the special needs
of the little fuzzy?  Are the members of your household willing to change
some of their dwelling habits to ensure the safety of the new addition?
3)  How do you feel about it?  (are you willing to deal with the occasional
surprises that ferrets leave in the most inaccessable corners of your home?)
 
Good luck and best wishes,
Jon Rex Anderson
--
"Until the circle of man's compassion is extended to all living things, man
himself shall not find peace" - Albert Schweitzer
[Posted in FML issue 1580]