HEARTBREAK COMES FROM WEIRD PLACES

It is widely known in these parts of the internet that I'm having a baby and remodeling my kitchen. In order to prepare for both of these things, I've had to do a pretty significant home purge. I've sold off some of our older and/or bulkier furniture items to make room for the remodel and for new furniture.

At some point, your home should stop looking like a dorm room full of thrifted/gifted items, and you should start acquiring some higher-quality furniture. So out with the old pine hutch from the nineties. Out with the $30 thrift store coffee table. Out with the floor lamps from our wedding that we only used a little bit. And to my great dismay, out with the chinchilla who has been my little buddy for the last three years.

Guys, I'm not joking or exaggerating when I say this is breaking my heart. If it's past 8:00 at night and you bring up "getting rid of Ninners" to me, I'll stay up all night crying and petting him. He's been my little thing. The little thing I take care of. The little thing who stays home with me during the day. Who barks at random and never ever bites (except once or twice by accident, after which he is very sorry and nervous).

Is it normal to be so sad over the giving-away of a rodent? I know in my right mind that it might be a little irrational. But in my pregnant mind, the dominant mind, I feel like I'm losing my little friend. I've stalled for weeks, saying "I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready to talk about letting him go." And that pesky due date just gets closer and closer. It's relentless. And so I stalled some more, convinced that no one would provide the proper home for him. They wouldn't know him and the amount of attention he needs. Nightmares of little kids leaving his cage open or swinging him around by the tale haunted me.

And I imagined the dreaded Craigslist transaction, so matter-of-fact. No sappy goodbyes. They'd think I was crazy. A stranger would come into my home and walk out the door one minute later with my chinchilla in tow. Ninners, of course, is simply not advanced enough to understand a home-change. Which somehow breaks my heart. I also couldn't wrap my head around the idea that my pet would no longer be mine, but someone else's. They might even change his name. I just can't allow that.

So I found a chinchilla breeding farm (pets only, no fur) that said they would home him. And I feel like that's the best option for me. I have peace of mind knowing he'll be taken care of by people who really understand these animals. They are, after all, very sensitive creatures. They can't become too hot or too stressed. They can't be agitated or over-handled. They require certain foods and certain wood chippings and certain dust for their dust baths. It's a whole thing.

Any advice on how to handle this? Feel free to tease lightly. LIGHTLY. I'm very fragile. You guys are awesome.