We Have A New Member Of The Family

"Can I get a dog?" Natalie asked a few months back.

"Nope," I answered. We have two cats, one of which is prone to biting. I could not imagine adding a dog to the mix. That cat would tear the poor mutt apart, I just know it. Plus, I'm more of a cat person, I won't lie.

"Please? I'll take care of it!"

"Like you take care of your cat?" I motioned towards Ruby. She's the moody one I mentioned. Natalie was supposed to feed her and change the cat box but she rarely does it.

"It's just," Natalie explained, "the poop is gross."

"It didn't stop you from pooping up your backside," I answered.

Natalie glared. "I was a BABY, I didn't know what I was doing."

She kept asking for a dog. A pug, specifically. "But I'd take ANY dog!"

I kept saying no.

She'd slide letters over to me. "Please let me get a dog!" it would say in pink ink.

"No," I'd write back in blue ink.

I wasn't going to change my mind because I knew I'd be stuck taking care of the dog.

"Well," Natalie huffed. "If I can't get a dog can I get a hamster?"

I thought about it. Hamsters were small. And cheap. "If you do well in school, we'll get one on the last day," I relented. I never had a hamster growing up. I just had cats. But a hamsters could be something Natalie could take care of on her own.

It was the last day of school on June 1st. Natalie showed me her final report card.

"All As and Bs, thank you very much," she said proudly. She even bowed. "Now. Let's go get that hamster!"

She had been counting down the days. And so we set out to Petsmart to pick out a new friend.

Now, I didn't know there were so many different kinds of hamsters. Robo hamsters. Dwarf hamsters. Russian hamsters. Syrian hamsters.

"They're all so cute!" Natalie cooed. Most of the hamsters were sleeping.

"Which one do you want?" I asked.

"Hmm." Natalie tapped her chin. "Hmm." She went from one cage to the next.

"Natalie," I said. "Could you please pick one?"

"This is a serious job!" Natalie explained, annoyed. She went to another cage. "Hello!"

Finally, she had it narrowed down to two. One of those dwarf hamsters or a syrian one. I called a worker over. I asked which one was nicer.

"Oh, the syrian one for sure."

There were three syrian hamsters.

"Hmm," Natalie said, tapping her chin.

FINALLY Natalie picked one of those. Then she said she had to pick out a welcome home treat.

We FINALLY made it out of there $234897 later. The hamster was in a box with holes and Natalie was all, "I think he's stuck. A flap is trapping him," on the drive home.

"Just don't let him out," I warned. I pictured the hamster racing all over the car and stopping underneath the brake and me pressing down and....

"Just don't let him out," I repeated.

There were shuffling noises in the back. And then, "He got out! Pumpkin, come back!" She had named her new friend Pumpkin. The new friend might not last very long if she didn't catch him in time. "Pumpkin! Come here!"

Then I heard a strange hissing noise.

"What's THAT?" I shrieked. It sounded like the noise I make when I desperately need Diet Coke.

"Pumpkin. He got scared when I grabbed him. But he's back in his box. He pooped everywhere."

Oh, fun.

But seriously, I never knew hamsters made that noise.

Anyway, meet Pumpkin:

He's pretty cute. He hasn't escaped again.

I just hope he lives past a year.

Otherwise there will be drama, because says she "just loves him so much!" She's been taking great care of him so far.

What was your first pet?