Everyone suffers from old age. Humans, animals, and even stuffed toys.
But unlike humans and animals, ailing stuffed toys are often disregarded and not taken seriously when they’re ill, mostly because they’re inanimate.
But it’s 2019 and now inanimate objects are demanding equal rights, as they should be. Well, after years of silent protests in the bedrooms of their owners, these chou chous might finally have gotten what they want.
Soft Toy Hospital
Unless your parents discovered an alternative to the traditional method of procreation, you were probably a baby once. And you probably had a stuffed animal when you were a kid to keep you company when you slept.
But then you grow older, and your beloved stuffed toy gets neglected, hugged only by the accumulating dust under your bed.
And when you take it out many years later to reignite your friendship with it, it’s too old, frail, and tattered to interact with you.
But now there’s a special hospital in Japan that’ll give your old soft toys the medical care and attention it requires.
Nuigurumi Hospital, is a stuffed toy hospital that treats elderly or broken toys that most doctors would reject.
Checked-in by mail
The indisposed toys are first sent to the hospital through mail. Then, they are placed under the care of the world’s top soft toy doctors and nurses in the country.
I’m not sure why the doctors are three times as big as the nurses, but rest assured that their small size does not in any way impair their nursing abilities.
Stuffed animals at Nuigurumi Hospital will even get separate wards with comfy beds so they can have some privacy as they recuperate.
And once they recover from their illnesses, the toys will be restored to their original condition.
Also has spa, physiotherapy & rehab centre
There is also a spa and a physiotherapy and rehab centre for those stuffed animals with serious injuries and illnesses.
For instance, for this sick bear, doctors ordered a long soak in a herbal spa bath to ease his muscle aches.
He then underwent physiotherapy where he learned to ride on a rocking horse again. This was a big step, as he worked as a cowboy before his injury.
Surgery too
Those with stuffed animals who required surgery may have given up hope before Nuigurumi Hospital was established. But many tattered toys have undergone surgery at the Japanese hospital and come out as good as new, even those who lost an ear!
Discharge
And then comes discharge day. Toys who have had long stays in the hospital will have discharge parties to celebrate their full recovery.
They are then sent home on an express cardboard shuttle bus service.
The cardboard & postal ‘vehicle’ will deliver them back to their worried owners. As part of their discharge, patients will also receive flowers, get-well letters, & gifts.
Charges
Charges depend on the type of animal and how big it is.
For your info, 1 yen is about $0.01, so if your cat needs to be hospitalized, it’ll cost about SGD$200. That’s if your cat is smaller than the length of an entire MRT train (don’t ask me what the hell is wrong with the calculation and price; maybe the soft toys in Japan are different).
Take care of your stuffed ones
Singaporeans aren’t as fortunate because there isn’t yet a soft toy hospital in the country. That’s why we should take extra care of our stuffed ones and make sure they receive the care and attention they need.
Remember, they’ve always been there for us. Now, it’s our turn to be there for them.
