Tribute to Buttercup

Well, I had originally intended to write a post laden with lines of humor to portray the events surrounding the recent addition to the Lucero household. But alas, my post now has different tone because our beloved Buttercup died today.

Isaac works at a feed yard and they have no use for calves there, so if a mama cow is pregnant and gives birth while in the feedlot, they have to get rid of the calf. For this reason, Isaac was able to bring Buttercup home. Isaac had actually pulled the calf from his mother. Unfortunately, Buttercup was never able to nurse because his mother didn't get anywhere near him after the birth. So, when Isaac brought him home we gave him some colostrum replacer. At first Buttercup had some trouble sucking on the bottle but he seemed to get the hang of it once he got hungry enough. On his second day, Buttercup didn't walk as wobbly and I gave him the bottle myself. I had to throw my leg over him to make sure he didn't get away while I tried to feed him. He would sometimes bite down on the nipple and try to yank the bottle away. We wrestled a bit, but eventually he would start to suck and drank up the bottle pretty good. It was kind of cute how he would rub his head against me. It was also disgusting because cow saliva is pretty thick. He also had a purple tongue which I thought looked kind of gross. But he would kind of follow me, and that was pretty cute.

Well, today we went out to feed Buttercup but he was pretty weak. Isaac was able to get him up on all fours but he wouldn't eat and fell over. I went out to try to feed him again just a couple hours later only to find that he was in the same spot and hadn't moved. His breathing was labored and he looked weak. I tried to get him to stand up by pulling his tail and basically his whole bottom came up. I tried to lift his torso up but to no avail. I knew we were losing Buttercup. When we got home from church, Isaac went once more to check on him. Buttercup was dead.

My brother asked me if I cried but I didn't. We were raising Buttercup to eventually sell or butcher him, so I knew I had to be careful with becoming emotionally attached. However, this experience has helped me gain a greater respect for animal life. I was raised by a mother who did not like animals, so the only pets we had were rabbits that had to stay in outdoor cages. Now, I have two horses and a dog, and I did have a cow. I see why Isaac likes working with animals so much. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of time, energy, patience, and sacrifice. Sometimes when Isaac leaves early to work he asks if I will feed the horses. I know you might think, "feeding horses can't be that big of deal" but when it is cold or windy, sometimes I think, "I wish I didn't have to feed those animals." And horses are big animals and there was a time when I felt that the horses were no longer respecting me so I had to carry a broom out with me to make sure they didn't get too close. The horses would start to rub up on me thinking I had food for them. But every time I walk outside and feel the air, I always feel better. And each time I would go to feed buttercup, I would have to change my clothes cause he would probably rub his snot all over me. And when I came back in the house I would have to be careful to change and disinfect before handling my baby. And when eating, Buttercup didn't just devour  his bottle. I once spent over an hour trying to get him to take his bottle. It felt like a had another baby. Well, the point of me sharing that isn't for pity but to show that caring for animals is a huge responsibility, and even if the intent is to eventually eat the animal, the time, energy, and care given isn't that different from the time, energy, and care you give to a pet. I have more respect for animals now but that doesn't make me want to become a vegetarian. I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans who abstain for humane reasons but I'm not sure they can judge caretakers of animals who later sell or eat those animals. It makes me reflect on what I have heard about Native Americans and their relationships with animals. I have gratitude in my heart for these creatures and greater sense of responsibility and respect toward all life.

I will miss my little Buttercup, but I hope we get another chance soon to try to raise a little calf.