First Pet

When Sophia was born we had been fostering kittens and cats with our local animal shelter. 

She was only a few months old when we took a break from that role. For the past six and a half years only humans and plants have lived in our home, but in the past several years Sophia and Jason have been asking often for a pet.

Recently, we had been hearing a lot about how now while everyone is staying home, it is a great time to get a pet.  However, we were not expecting our adventure along the Rockland Rail Trail to result in our bringing someone new back with us. 

Sophia was taking up the rear on her bike, when we heard her exclaim, "a real living thing!"

She then told us it was her "dream to have a pet that is actually alive". 

Technically her first pet was a barnacle, which she was thrilled to find attached to a shell and learn that it was a "living thing". However when she asked about purchasing barnacle food, we clarified that this particular barnacle washed up on the shore was no longer living.

As soon as we got home from the rail trail, Sophia and her Dad got to work on researching and preparing the right environment/foods from our backyard.

Sophia checks on her pet often, letting us know when it is eating or sleeping, and has determined that they share the same birthday and age. Coincidentally I was the same age as Sophia is now when I got my first pet, a rat named Ratchel.

Sophia also decided our slug was a "she" and named her 'Bon-bon Margaret Archambault'.