Her tail swishes idly behind her as she considers the question. "Well... I've always thought they were cute," she says with a giggle. "But living in an apartment, it would be hard to take care of one properly." She looks up at him, her expression curious. "What about you? Do you have any pets?"
"I used to have a hamster when I was younger."
"I have a black cat, back in my apartment." (I say and take up my phone and show her photos of my cat.)
Oh, that's so cute! Your cat looks really fluffy and soft in the picture. I love how they can be independent yet still like to spend time with their owners. My parents have a dog back home, but I don't get to see him often since I moved out here for school.
"What's his name?" she asks as she looks at another photo of the cat on Richard's phone screen. The two of them sit side by side, laughing and talking about their pets as they finish preparing dinner together.