The Newest Member of the Family

Maggie turns five (!!!) next Saturday and we decided a while ago that we'd up her responsibility in the household and get her a pet.  We already have too many cats and I don't want a dog, so it had to be a rodent.  We briefly considered a Sugar Glider until we looked at the price ($500 for pet and cage - no thanks!) and so we settled for a Guinea Pig.  Kids love Guinea Pigs, they squeak, they're affectionate, they "popcorn" around in their cages, and they're easy to take care of.  And they only live 4-8 years.  So on Saturday morning I popped over to Rochester intending to get the cage and what-not that a new pet would require.  Low and Behold they had everything on sale at PetSmart and I just couldn't resist getting the pig, too.  (I had grandly talked up how we'd go as a family and Maggie would get to pick out her very own pet.  However they never have more than one in stock anyway - I reasoned - and it is sort of a let down to get just a cage, right?)  So, I picked out the nice little calico piggy and swore Beatrice to secrecy.

On the way home Rob and I talked strategy.  How would I get piggy into the house?  How would we keep piggy secret for a whole week?  How would we keep Beatrice quiet for a whole week???  After I briefly tried to convince Rob that the pig could be hidden in the closet in our bedroom, we agreed that the unveiling had to be that day.  Rob took Maggie on a hike while I set everything up.  And it's a good thing we decided not to wait because the moment they got back Bee shouted, "Mag!  There's a surprise!!!"

Here's Maggie and her new pride and joy!

He doesn't have a name yet, but there have been many discussed.  Among them: Piggy, Ariel Princess (Thank Heavens I got a boy pig!!), Max, Miles, Velvet, Silky, Spotty, Mr. Twitchy Drawers, Penn, Squee, and just this morning Beatrice told us his name was Jeff.  That last one cracks us up!  Jeff the Guinea Pig.  We'll keep you posted on this hot topic!

Maggie loves him and calls herself his Pet Parent.  (A title from the PetSmart Brochure.)  While she's holding him she takes great big sighs of happiness.  She and Beatrice are very careful with him and we have yet to have him poop on one of them.  He's a great little piggy and last night got comfortable enough on Maggie's lap to make little bubble noises of contentment. 

I think we made a great choice for her big 5.