My heart is with the "mouse"

Ren Ai Elementary School, Grade 6, Class 4, Liu Zi Rui

Supervising Teacher: Ms. Cai Ya Ru

Remember the day we met? A gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was shining, and the timing was just right. A classmate brought two incredibly cute golden hamsters, which immediately captured the attention of many students, and my eyes lit up too.

As soon as these two little darlings arrived in our class, they were showered with affection and became a part of our class. To express our warm welcome, the students and teacher researched online and busied themselves preparing a cozy home for the little ones, hoping they could feel the love from our class.

Unexpectedly, these two golden hamsters ignited my "inventor's spirit of doing things myself." To make their living space more comfortable, I thought every day about how to build their little wooden house. In the end, I decided to use popsicle sticks as the material because they are low-cost, easy to obtain, convenient to cut, and can be used to make many other items. With the students' collaborative effort, the little wooden house I designed was completed, ensuring they wouldn't fear the cold nights and could sleep soundly. I also made toys and an automatic feeder. The toys can help them grind their teeth and keep them healthy, while the automatic feeder can control their food intake to prevent them from eating too much at once. I hope they can grow up happily.

The little darlings are simply too adorable! Their comical appearance with full cheeks stuffed with food because they're greedy; the cute way they hold their water bottles with both paws to drink; perhaps the soft and cuddly way they sleep on their backs with their feet in the air, dreaming sweet dreams... all of these captured our attention. The little ones enriched and warmed our school life. My classmates and I come to school every day with happy hearts. The little ones are an indispensable and very important presence in our class.

Perhaps life was too comfortable and carefree. In the blink of an eye, only a few weeks passed, and the golden hamsters' waistlines soared from 4 cm to 5 cm. For their health, we introduced a running wheel to encourage good exercise habits, but they were unmoved. When we removed their little nests, they still slept soundly on the floor. The teacher and I tried every method to keep the golden hamsters at a moderate size and in good shape, but it was all in vain. The darlings became chubby, but they remained very cute, which did not diminish my love for them.

Taking care of the golden hamsters, apart from initially buying the cage and related equipment, the teacher said we had to do it ourselves to truly appreciate the preciousness of life. The process of raising golden hamsters allowed me to experience the importance of "responsibility." Because without responsibility, small animals can lose their lives for various reasons. We need to be meticulous, constantly paying attention to replenishing water and food, and cleaning up their waste to maintain environmental hygiene. We absolutely cannot give up after just three minutes.

"Giving roses and leaving fragrance behind." These two little darlings, who almost became stray hamsters, are living happy and joyful lives under our class's care. The students are also enjoying a campus life filled with friendship and kindness. Everything is so wonderful...