Welcome animal lovers and the creatures they care for. You’ve found Lisa Burton Radio, the only show on the air that brings you the stars from the books you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my special guest today is Buddy, a South American Degu. “Welcome to the show, Buddy.”

“Hi Lisa. Do you have any nibbles? I like nibbles… Especially cereal. No sugary kinds though, because I’m not allowed sugary foods. My favourite is Shreddies – do you have any Shreddies?”

“Maybe we should start off with exactly what a degu is. My research shows you are in the same family of animals that chinchillas come from. Care to expand on that for us?”

“A degu is a kind of rodent most closely related to guinea pigs. We look a bit like rats with furry tails, but our care needs are more like the care needs…