Rona

When I wrote to the neighborhood Facebook group about hamster adoption in anticipation of Gabi's upcoming birthday (TWO months away), it turns out there was a cutie already ready for a home. This little lady's friend was moving and couldn't take her, so there's now a new COVID baby in the Cohen Clan! Meet "Rona Jewels." ("Jewels" being her previous name)

Mommy and Daddy hadn't had a hamster at "home" since my beloved Fred in the dorms and apartments of UF. We were excited about the nostalgia.

Nikki was the first kitty to express interest. She offered to take the first night shift.

We were gifted two different cages and promptly bought tubes and tunnels to connect them. The display took many different iterations, until landing on the perfect playground. (Fun fact: this wasn't it.)

Dewey offered to take the day shift:


We upped our crafting game, inspired by our new family member, using perler beads and rubber bands.


I woke up in the middle of the night, heard little noises, thought "awww, cute, the hamster's up and about," then lifted up my facemask:

#nightshift

At the end of our first weekend adjusting together, TCDC arrived Monday morning to meet Rona. We enjoyed our new class pet, engaging in conversations about gentle touch, caring for our pets, and a responsible amount of treats.



We are thrilled to have Rona in our family. She has already brought much joy to Team Cohen.


No one could have predicted 2020 for countless reasons, but we're especially grateful for these two!