Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Sunshine - Our New Family Pet


On our walk today we found a new pet. He didn't seem to belong to anyone, no collar on him... and he was small enough to fit inside of an empty Slurpee cup.

His (or maybe its a her) name is Sunshine. The perfect name for a bright yellow, fuzzy caterpillar!

We think it is a Banded Tussock Moth Caterpillar A.K.A. Pale Tussock Moth.


A few years ago dd found a Wooly Bear Caterpillar and he lived with us for about 3 months...surviving various episodes of being lost, only to be found clinging for dear life on a quilt or the girl's sweater.

Anyway Sunshine is joining our family. The kids would love a dog. Or even a hamster. A caterpillar is more my speed. They can be contained in a small area, are easy to care for (no fences to purchase, no electronic collars to keep them in, no annoying barking, no messes to clean up), and do not cost anything to maintain.

I have been so surprised at the love my children have for dogs, in spite of my dislike of them (dogs not my children).


When we were out at my sister's cabin, dd fell in love with their little dog. I'm hoping they will get their "dog fix" while visiting family and friends (their American grandparents also have a dog and cat). Yes, I know they would love to have a dog - but I'm not ready for one. Perhaps someday if we live out in the country and have a large yard - we could have an outdoor dog. But I'm not promising.

So for now - Sunshine will have to do.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is no way that I would keep a caterpillar, no matter how cute! They turn into Tiger MOTHS, MOTHS I say! The caterpillar goes into a spiral shape and pretends it is "dead" when disturbed.