"Actually, a pet would need more room than my cousins," said Heiji. "Maybe it'd need protection from my cousins."

A bunch of fox kits loose with a kitten or a bird or even a little lizard?

"O-on second thought, maybe we should table the pet idea for now!" Heiji gave a nervous little laugh that was absolutely not suspicious at all. "You know how kids are, they'd probably bug anything I got nonstop."