Introducing Cheerio

In addition to cleaning out closets and making a thousand rainbow loom bands with my kiddos during winter vacation, we also made a trip to our local animal shelter one afternoon.  We go from time to time to visit with the animals.  I've been contemplating adding another class pet to our classroom, and just wanted to see what was available.

My heart melted as soon as we met this guy:

He is a 1-year-old guinea pig who has been living at the shelter and looking for a home since October.  We picked him up to cuddle him, and he started to purr.  He is so friendly and calm-- just the opposite of some other guinea pigs I've known.  I knew immediately that we had to adopt him.

The process for adopting an animal from the shelter is fairly simple.  We filled out an application and planned to come back the next day with the supplies to take him home.  As it turned out, this one came with his cage so we were able to bring him home right away.  The fee for adoption was $5, including the cage.  (I highly recommend visiting your local animal shelter when you are searching for a new pet.)

His name is Cheerio, and my entire family is madly in love with him.  He loves to have his fur brushed, and he will sit on my lap or on the floor on a blanket and just let the kids pet him.  Cheerio is absolutely the sweetest little guinea I have ever met.

My younger students were introduced to him yesterday during class, and I think he made a great first impression!  I cannot wait for everyone to get to know him better next week when school is back in session.  

Enjoy playing and learning with your children today.