Painted: Bamboo Brownie

When someone selects the “other” option during checkout with The Pet Shop, you can imagine how curious it makes me. I’ve tackled bunnies and Chilly the chinchilla (and a hockey loving one at that – kindred spirits, for sure), but when I found out that this mysterious pet was a late guinea pig named Bamboo Brownie, I was totally pumped.

Of course, Bamboo’s mom, Mary, had nothing but praise for the tiny squeak. I mean that in the best way, really. His momma can explain much better than me:

Bamboo was our first family pet, a Valentine’s Day gift from our parents to me and my brothers. I was 6 when we got him. We couldn’t figure on a name (my oldest brother wanted to name him something ridiculous like “Bon Jovi” and I wanted something like “Muffin” – typical), but my mom noticed he matched the carpet, so she named him after our carpet color, Bamboo (I middle-named him “Brownie,” because that’s what six-year-old girls do). Bamboo was a fabulous and low maintenance critter. My dad built a wooden frame with a screen top so we could “play” with him outside (mostly he just ate the grass and snoozed), and he squeaked for vegetables every time he heard the seal on the fridge door break. He was around for 2 years, and during that time, I can’t recall my brothers or I pestering my parents for a dog (which is surely why my parents got him – trying to divert us and get us to stop whining about wanting a “real” pet, which, of course, he was).

You know, I’m not sure what’s better – Bon Jovi or Muffin. Whaddya think? Either way, a big thank you is in order to Mary for the musings and especially fun project!

For more information on some custom work of your own, check us out at The Pet Shop, a tiny division of this here Yellow Brick Home.