Minte and Woody

We've heard from other parents that their kids from Ethiopia have trouble adjusting to their pets back home.

 Back at the guest house, there were stray, wild cats that hung around where we played. When I played with Minte,  I would point to the kitties and say, "Bye, bye kitties!" as they ran past. Minte caught on and everytime he saw a cat, he would point, look at me, and wave bye-bye. It was really cute and I hoped when we got home, Minte would connect our cats to the ones back in Ethiopia.

When we got home, Minte was already so upset from the car ride, that we guarded him from the cats. It wasn't long, though, before Minte noticed the cats begging outside the slider door. He got really excited and want to be HELD! Once he was up in the air holding us tightly, he would wave bye-bye to the cats, but as soon as we crouched by the cats, he freaked out.

It was a couple days before we got Woody. I wasn't around when Minte met him, but I guess, he jabbered  loudly to Dad about the huge animal by him! The rest of the day he freaked out whenever Woody got near him. He never really wanted to get down  in case Woody snuck up on him.

A couple days later, Minte felt really brave and when I held one of the cats to him, he touched it and then laughed excitedly! He kept petting it off and on. Now he hits the cat and will follow it around, chuckling and waving his arms crazily.

As for Woody, after a few days Minte felt brave enough with him to touch him and now, like the cats, hits him and laughs proudly. He still doesn't like it when Wood sniffs his face, but at least he can walk him now without freaking out!