Against my better judgement.
I am a mommy. I have to worry about feeding, housing, and caring for my family. My people family. I don't have time to be worrying about the furry kind.
And truth be told, I'm just not that into fur.
PETA would be so proud of me!
When my dtr turned 4, she started asking for a dog. I told her that she could have one when she turned 6, thinking how brilliant I was for scooting her dreams ahead by a couple of years.
Whatever.
And don't think she has not remembered my promise almost.daily since then. Ask anyone that knows her. She has probably told them, "When I am 6, I get a dog.".
When she turned 6, we were in the middle of trying to sell our home/dealing with the future move. We explained to her the situation, and thankfully, she understood that we needed to wait awhile longer until after the move.
Around that time also, she and her brother had become inquisitive about the animals across the street at my neighbor's/friend's house. Just call her Ms. Doolittle! She had 2 dogs, a big snake, and 2 birds. My kids became interested in the birds and I became more willing to negotiate.
Then along came the pet party they attended and our coop nights at my friend's house. They had guinea pigs.
Option #3 was now before me.
Literally just weeks before we moved, an angel, later to be called "Jake", came trotting up the drive at my in-laws property. Jake was a lost puppy that had just found his new home.
At my in-law's house!
Dog.
Check!
As the newness wore off, the begging for a pet resumed.
In my head, I debated.
Guinea pig? Bird? Guinea Pig? Bird?
Finally, 2 weeks ago, while shopping in a larger town, I caved.
They had one guinea pig left. So we left the store with the pig and the starter kit cage.
You would have thought I was a new mom taking home my first baby the way I was nervously asking all those questions.
We are all adjusting. Personally, I think he is a little too skittish still. It has been 2 weeks of loving care (food, water, bedding, play) and he still skitters around his cage nervously hiding if anyone approaches him. He has started to move about his cage more freely even when people are in the same room as him. But don't make any moves towards the cage or he is gone into hiding.
The kids are doing better about holding him, so we do that several times a day now.
I just have no interest in worrying about one more person's p**p around here.
Do they make diapers for guinea pigs?
Meet "Tex".
Seriously, if anyone has any experience with this creature, I welcome your thoughts. I think we are following all the rules; food, water, timothy hay, and some vit c fruit or veggie and a little tlc per day plus we clean up his bedding as needed. He is just so much different than any other animal I have dealt with personally, that I want to make sure he is acting ok.
And personally some more, I would be just fine not dealing with any animal at all.
Oh wait, that is not true. I can live with fish.
But I won't ever be able to give him away.
The last time I had to give away our pets, 2 beta fish, one of them, Superman, met his untimely death.
But I am not naming any names Laurie!
Stacey
p.s. In case you are worried. I don't dislike animals, I just don't have a burning desire to live with them at this point in my life.
3 comments:
Don't leave him in his cage in the sun. That's how my uncle killed his on accident. Or do, depending on your intent.
I think a lot of moms agree with you about having that one more thing to take care of. I don't want a dog for that reason.
I think he's adorable. If we were ever going to get a pet, that's probably what it would be.
He sure is cute! My brother had one when we were growing up, and he was so much fun. And he was totally spoiled rotten! Funny about what Lani said - that's what happened to him too - we would take the top part of his cage off and sit it in the grass so he could run around in the grass (and eat it.) We forgot about him, and when the shade moved off of him, he was right in the sun. I'm just glad I'm not the one who found him!
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