Bettas make a great beginner fish, and cockatiels are manageable for bird novices. First-timers in dogs often choose the easygoing Labrador retriever. And if you're looking for a starter reptile?

“Can I make room in my heart for a gecko?” joked my hubby Pat. When an overwhelmed Marine-wife friend of ours asked if we’d adopt her family’s pet, a house gecko, how could I say “no”? The woman is ...