“Ma’am, he’s going to have to spend the next few days in intensive care, but we’re pretty sure he’s going to pull through,” the doctor told my friend Sue. Sue collapsed into the doctor’s arms, weeping with gratitude at all they had done to save her darling Hamilton after the accident.
That surgeon was worth every penny of his $3,000 fee. Ham “Hamilton” Hamster had been part of their family for nearly six months and even Sue, who would never have described herself an animal lover, was starting to form an attachment to the little fur ball.
That morning, after an unfortunate near-miss with the vacuum cleaner, Hamilton looked ready to run on that great big hamster wheel in the sky. But, one look at her daughter Lauren’s face and Sue knew they had to try and save him. Making her minivan into a makeshift pet ambulance, they sped to the veterinary hospital in record time, Hamilton carefully resting on a stretcher made from a shoebox and some dishtowels.
When they arrived, Hamilton was rushed into the back and Sue and Lauren were left alone in the waiting room with only a copy of Cat Fancy to entertain them. When the doctor came out and said the surgery would cost $3,000, Sue didn’t hesitate. And it was worth it. Lauren would have been devastated to lose Hamilton. She loved him with all of her seven-year-old heart. There was pure joy in her eyes when, a week later, Lauren had to bring a cage to pick up Hamilton; he was too frisky and curious to stay put in the shoebox during the slow drive home.
Lauren, like most children I know, has an intense love of animals that started as soon as her mother started reading to her. My kids, Brother and Sister Bear, loved to spend hours reading books about animals and our shelves were stacked with books about Curious George, Franklin, and Maisy. As a toddler, there was the Fisher Price barn toy that “Mooed” when you opened the gate. In preschool, the class trip to the dairy farm was the highlight of Brother Bear’s year. And now in elementary school, Sister Bear has a stuffed animal collection that rivals the Bronx Zoo.
Among those stuffed animals are Webkinz, which are stuffed animals that come with access to an online virtual world where users may build and furnish a home for their animal, entertain them, and feed them by playing games to earn virtual money. As Webkinz have become more popular, their website has grown by leaps and bounds and if I let her, Sister Bear would spend hours tending for her cat Butterscotch, one of many animals she has brought to life online.
Yesterday, Sister Bear complained that her Webkinz are hungry and in need of some “nutritional food.” While earning enough money to buy Butterscotch a bag of virtual kibble is as easy as a game of Tetris, Sister Bear would much rather spend her cash on more essential items such as a hovercraft, a bed made out of candy canes, and a flushing toilet for her animals. After allowing her online for a quick game, I fought back the urge to lecture her on how Mama Bear and Papa Bear must spend their paychecks on real cat food and not hovercrafts.
And we do spend some of our paychecks on Butterscotch’s real life “sister,” Tiger. Our cat Tiger has been a faithful and furry friend for almost seven years. But, two years ago, our love for her became complicated when we learned that Brother Bear has a severe cat allergy. At first, we questioned whether keeping Tiger was even a possibility. After all, shouldn’t we put our son’s health first? But if we gave Tiger away, we would be disappointing both of our children. A bit of research showed us that we could keep the cat as long as we took some measures to keep her away from Brother Bear.
Easier said than done. Tiger was allowed in the house but not in Brother Bear’s room. And not on the blue couch because that’s where he likes to rest. Tiger sleeps on our bed and that’s where I usually fold all the laundry. And if you pet Tiger, please wash your hands before playing with the kids. According to the internet, even if we got rid of the cat, her dander would live in our furnishings for years. I found myself resenting Tiger for simply being a cat.
But, like all new routines, the ones we began with Tiger became part of our daily life and we did not second guess ourselves. I worked out a way to fold the laundry and Brother Bear has learned to keep his distance from Tiger. Even the stubborn cat knows she’s not allowed in the green bedroom upstairs.
Even though I will admit that I’m not the world’s biggest animal lover myself, I know that having an animal is an important part of growing up. Animals teach us patience, compassion, and remind us that humans are not the only creatures on earth. Teaching a child to love and care for an animal may give them a taste of what it’s like to be a parent someday. Just remember that the next time you’re sending a check to the vet for three thousand dollars.
That surgeon was worth every penny of his $3,000 fee. Ham “Hamilton” Hamster had been part of their family for nearly six months and even Sue, who would never have described herself an animal lover, was starting to form an attachment to the little fur ball.
That morning, after an unfortunate near-miss with the vacuum cleaner, Hamilton looked ready to run on that great big hamster wheel in the sky. But, one look at her daughter Lauren’s face and Sue knew they had to try and save him. Making her minivan into a makeshift pet ambulance, they sped to the veterinary hospital in record time, Hamilton carefully resting on a stretcher made from a shoebox and some dishtowels.
When they arrived, Hamilton was rushed into the back and Sue and Lauren were left alone in the waiting room with only a copy of Cat Fancy to entertain them. When the doctor came out and said the surgery would cost $3,000, Sue didn’t hesitate. And it was worth it. Lauren would have been devastated to lose Hamilton. She loved him with all of her seven-year-old heart. There was pure joy in her eyes when, a week later, Lauren had to bring a cage to pick up Hamilton; he was too frisky and curious to stay put in the shoebox during the slow drive home.
Lauren, like most children I know, has an intense love of animals that started as soon as her mother started reading to her. My kids, Brother and Sister Bear, loved to spend hours reading books about animals and our shelves were stacked with books about Curious George, Franklin, and Maisy. As a toddler, there was the Fisher Price barn toy that “Mooed” when you opened the gate. In preschool, the class trip to the dairy farm was the highlight of Brother Bear’s year. And now in elementary school, Sister Bear has a stuffed animal collection that rivals the Bronx Zoo.
Among those stuffed animals are Webkinz, which are stuffed animals that come with access to an online virtual world where users may build and furnish a home for their animal, entertain them, and feed them by playing games to earn virtual money. As Webkinz have become more popular, their website has grown by leaps and bounds and if I let her, Sister Bear would spend hours tending for her cat Butterscotch, one of many animals she has brought to life online.
Yesterday, Sister Bear complained that her Webkinz are hungry and in need of some “nutritional food.” While earning enough money to buy Butterscotch a bag of virtual kibble is as easy as a game of Tetris, Sister Bear would much rather spend her cash on more essential items such as a hovercraft, a bed made out of candy canes, and a flushing toilet for her animals. After allowing her online for a quick game, I fought back the urge to lecture her on how Mama Bear and Papa Bear must spend their paychecks on real cat food and not hovercrafts.
And we do spend some of our paychecks on Butterscotch’s real life “sister,” Tiger. Our cat Tiger has been a faithful and furry friend for almost seven years. But, two years ago, our love for her became complicated when we learned that Brother Bear has a severe cat allergy. At first, we questioned whether keeping Tiger was even a possibility. After all, shouldn’t we put our son’s health first? But if we gave Tiger away, we would be disappointing both of our children. A bit of research showed us that we could keep the cat as long as we took some measures to keep her away from Brother Bear.
Easier said than done. Tiger was allowed in the house but not in Brother Bear’s room. And not on the blue couch because that’s where he likes to rest. Tiger sleeps on our bed and that’s where I usually fold all the laundry. And if you pet Tiger, please wash your hands before playing with the kids. According to the internet, even if we got rid of the cat, her dander would live in our furnishings for years. I found myself resenting Tiger for simply being a cat.
But, like all new routines, the ones we began with Tiger became part of our daily life and we did not second guess ourselves. I worked out a way to fold the laundry and Brother Bear has learned to keep his distance from Tiger. Even the stubborn cat knows she’s not allowed in the green bedroom upstairs.
Even though I will admit that I’m not the world’s biggest animal lover myself, I know that having an animal is an important part of growing up. Animals teach us patience, compassion, and remind us that humans are not the only creatures on earth. Teaching a child to love and care for an animal may give them a taste of what it’s like to be a parent someday. Just remember that the next time you’re sending a check to the vet for three thousand dollars.
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