[Amys_Mum]

I have that one, it's the book sold in P@H. As Harvey is (sort of) my daughter's pet, I bought the book so she could read the basics. It is written simply, so IMO, good for a child and a new pet owner. My daughter is only 7, she wouldn't be able to come onto a forum, but she could read the book and I supplemented the knowledge coming on here when we ran into problems.

I used to fully clean my old hamster's cages every week, had never heard of a potty or a sand bath, nor feeding vegetables regularly. The book covers all this, as well as basic healthcare I.e. watching out for wet tail, looking after teeth and nails.

It's not comprehensive, and whilst saying cages and wheels need to be big, stops short of any recommended sizes. I don't think there's anything in there that's at odds with advice on here, just that it's a start point. Surely it's better she's reading something than nothing at all?

I don't know if you've ever had a baby, but I'd liken it to someone recommending you read "what to do when you're expecting" vs a more comprehensive medical title that is harder to read. When you have zero knowledge, you'll go for the easy to digest version. When you're feeling more confident, you might also buy the other book or instead sign up to babycentre forum to get weekly updates and opinions from others.

Incidentally, I was surprised to see the NHC saying minimum floor space for a syrian is 1000cm2 and 19cm high - the ferplast Laura that Harvey outgrew within a month is bigger than that!