Hannah
I got these walk-in cages originally for Gabe, because he would come in and spend time with our rabbit and guinea pig every day.
When I could see the joy that Gabe got out of the animals, I started thinking; there were so many neurodivergent kids that really get joy out of animals, and there aren’t many places they can go to and just be on their own, and not have crowds around them and actually touch them.
My whole idea around it was that neurodivergent people have a higher level of anxiety and stress to start with. If you can provide moments – they call it glimmer hunting – moments of glimmer within your life, where you’re reducing that stress and you’re laughing or smiling; you’re producing endorphins and oxytocin, which is good for your brain health.
We just cuddle, kiss, feed, groom. My clients can sit in the egg chair and have a cuddle or go into the cages, sit with a heated blanket and pet them.
We have 13 guinea pigs. We’ve got three cats; as soon as they hear a kid come in, they tend to sit here to wait for a treat. For my clients that have problems managing their emotions the mice are good, because you have to be really gentle with them.
This is our bug corner, and then our chickens are over here. That’s Joe Biden; she’s a really good layer. And then Waitangi our tortoise is going to go in front of the chickens when we get his pen built. That will be 30 (animals). I think 30 is good. I don’t want to be too overwhelmed!
Animals teach kids so much, don’t they? I used to take the guinea pigs into schools with me, but guinea pigs are shy. So, you can have lots of really great conversations with kids why the guinea pigs are anxious, why they’re hiding, how they feel. It feels much safer to talk about an animal’s anxiety than your own.
I’m motivated by inequality. Kids labeled as naughty, non-compliant, oppositional, the kids that are labeled as shy, but they can’t talk because they’re so anxious, their brain can’t access those words.
I’m not here to fix anything, and you shouldn’t be trying to, should you? It’s just about adding to someone’s journey in life, and what a privilege if you get asked to be a part of that.
July 2026