Butterscotch

Pet's Age
10 months

City
Topeka

State
Kansas

Pet's Story
After much deliberation we finally had decided to allow our son to pick out a pet of his own to care for, but it had to be a guinea pig. After a several hours and several trips back and forth to a few different pet stores, he finally decided. The only problem was that the pet store would not allow us to hold him as he had been there less than 24 hours. My son is 9 and has ADHD, and he was set on this particular pig with all of his crazy hair and cuteness. For those of you with children who have ADHD you know how hard it is for them to make a decision, and we were not trying to go back through that long process of choosing again, so we agreed to buy him. My son named him Butterscotch.

Once we got Butterscotch home, we noticed a marble sized lump on his tiny little elbow. I called the pet store and explained that we did not want to return him but wanted to know they would have their vet check him out. They had explained that they no longer had an exotic vet on staff, and we would need to contact the only one in town, and they would cover the cost. The next day the vet was able to get him in and after an x-ray and exam they determined he had an infection that caused a tumor, and he would need surgery. The surgery was going to cost $500 in addition to the $200 visit from that day. They also said that he may have joint damage and may need further care and therapy. Lucky for us the pet store agreed to take responsibility for any care that was needed. We were afraid that they would refuse to pay for such an expense for treatment of an animal they sell for $40, and would want to do an exchange or refund.

Butterscotch went in for surgery a few days later and fortunately came through with no complications. Additionally, the vet said they found no further damage to the joint and he would not need further care. It was amazing the impact of caring for this little guy had on my son, especially the care he had to provide to him while he was healing. It really taught him to be gentle and to have a greater respect for life, especially for all of God’s creature no matter how small. Some people asked us why we didn’t just take him back to the pet store and exchange him for a new guinea pig without any issues. But we feel that all life matters and you don’t just exchange it for another. Not to mention pets are like family, you bond with them, even when you just get them. He picked Butterscotch out for a reason, and there was no way we would take him back just because he needed special care.

Today Butterscotch is a very lively, charismatic little guy. He loves to EAT, especially his greens (cilantro, parsley, and apples). Every day around 6 PM like clockwork he will start squeaking as soon as he hears his bowl on the counter. He knows it is time for a treat. We all laugh and call him the wood-chipper because he mows through the goods within a matter of minutes, and he looks like a little chipper in doing so. Butterscotch also loves attention. As soon as you enter the room, he is at his kennel door squeaking his greetings, and waiting for you to show acknowledgment. You cannot tell from this photo, but he has this crazy, swirly, cow-licky hair that stands about 6 inches long. Towards his rear end his hair almost looks like a fan sticking straight up and curling over.

Butterscotch has costumes and clothes for every season. He has no problem letting you dress him up and take photos. When he is happy, he hops around like pop-corn popping in a machine, and when you pet him under his chin he makes a cooing sound and snuggles close. When my son is gaming, Butterscotch will come to the side of his kennel and watch him, and often he will make chirping or squeaking sounds as if he is cheering him on. This little guy truly is the sweetest and most animated little pig anyone family could ever have!


Pet's Best Personality Trait
Very Animated!

Pet's Favorite Thing To Do
Loves to EAT greens!