The author says “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long” because Toto was extremely mischievous and destructive , making it impossible for the family to manage him without constant trouble and financial loss.

What Toto was like

Toto, the pet monkey in “The Adventures of Toto” (Class 9 NCERT), is shown as very playful but also wildly troublesome. His actions go far beyond normal naughtiness and turn into serious damage around the house.

Some of his key behaviours:

  • Breaking dishes and kitchenware.
  • Tearing clothes, curtains and even wallpapers.
  • Disturbing and frightening visitors, even tearing their clothes.
  • Not getting along with other pets in the house.
  • Stealing food (like pulao), running away with it, and then throwing the plate down and breaking it when scolded.

These repeated actions show that Toto was not just cute and clever, but a constant source of chaos.

Why he could not be kept for long

From the author’s point of view, there are a few clear reasons:

  1. Continuous damage and loss
    • Every day Toto broke something or destroyed clothes and furnishings, which meant regular financial loss for the family.
 * The grandfather finally felt he “could not bear the losses” anymore.
  1. Unmanageable mischief
    • Toto did not improve even after being given several chances.
 * His nature was too mischievous and uncontrollable for a normal household.
  1. Disturbance to others
    • He irritated family members, neighbours and visitors.
 * Other pets in the house were uncomfortable with him.

Because of all this, the author concludes that Toto was not the kind of pet a family could practically keep for a long time. He was fun to watch, but his mischief made him unsustainable as a permanent pet.

Mini takeaway (in exam-style)

If you have to answer in 1–2 lines for an exam:

The author says that Toto was not the sort of pet they could keep for long because, despite being pretty and clever, he was very mischievous and destructive. He kept breaking dishes, tearing clothes and curtains, troubling other pets and visitors, and causing constant financial loss, so it became impossible for the family to keep him any longer.

Meta description (SEO-style):
Why does the author say Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long? Learn how Toto’s mischievous and destructive behaviour in “The Adventures of Toto” made him impossible to keep as a long-term pet, plus key points useful for Class 9 exam answers.

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