CAROL SMILLIE

I think it's a great idea to get a pet for your daughter as it will give her a sense of responsibility and a friend in the house. It's also good that you are aware of the responsibility of owning a pet. Ninety per cent of children will nag for a pet but few will make good on all the promises. Robbie, my son, had a guinea-pig, Georgie, when he was about 8. We asked a neighbour to look after it when we went away on holiday and it took him the best part of a week to notice that the guinea-pig wasn't there when we got back. So you need to be realistic and to be prepared to take on the animal if your child gets bored.

Your nine-year-old needs a tactile animal, one that she can play and interact with. Guinea-pigs and rabbits are good fun: awake during the day and happy to be handled - although you must make sure that they are picked up and stroked often. They are also portable and their cages are easy to clean out. Rabbits can also live indoors as they can be house-trained, like a cat. If you choose a hamster or a rat, don't keep it in your child's room. They scatter sawdust everywhere and they can become quite whiffy.

Last, if you have never had an pet before, you must check that your daughter isn't allergic to animals. You will need to expose her to various pets in other people's houses.

Christie, my eldest daughter, has to wash her hands every time she touches a guinea-pig or rabbit or she comes out in a rash. Once you've established that your child is OK, make sure that you buy a pet from a good breeder who has children. That will mean that the animal will be used to being handled by young people.

EMMA MAGNUS

The Animal Welfare Act 2007 makes it an offence for a child under 16 to buy a pet, so it is good that you are considering how much time you have, rather than your daughter's time constraints, as all responsibility will come down to you. Rabbits are the third most common pet in the UK and seem like a good option for younger children who can't walk a dog alone or may not be able to cope with the attention it needs.

However, a rabbit can live for between five and ten years, by which time your daughter will be 16. Will she still be interested then? Also, unless you let your rabbit in the home as a house pet, it should be kept in a pair or with a guinea-pig, as they are very social animals. Unfortunately, most live alone at the end of the garden in a small hutch, cared for by begrudging parents. Many are rehomed - or put to sleep. The Rabbit Welfare Association and the RSPCA say that more than 10,000 rabbits are brought into rescue centres each year.

Rats can get a terrible press, but they are amazingly interactive as a pet. They learn quickly, are rarely aggressive and, unlike rabbits which, as a prey animal are prone to panic, they can be handled easily. They usually live for two years so are an ideal first pet and can be replaced cheaply. Unlike hamsters they are also awake when we are, so that you're more likely to see it, and its nibbling and activity won't disturb your sleep.

To test your daughter's commitment to pet-keeping, why not get her to offer to pet-sit for your neighbours? If she reacts well to the daily chores, I would say go ahead with an animal that has a short life span. If she proves that she is more than capable of caring for an animal, you could move on to bigger pets as she grows up and is able to take on more responsibility.