rip squeaky pigs

[ester]

This post was intended to be a welcome new squeaky pig post, as I had very sadly lost one of my 5yo girls to suspected lymphoma a month ago.
Unfortunatley bonding with said new squeaky pig didn't work out quite as well as anticipated but was happy to take a few steps back, amazon delivered me 10 weldmesh panels instead of 1 so a large pen with divider took over my living room and between the bars chats were generally convivial. Unfortunatley it became clear that my original lunar likely had a UTI, no big deal trip to vets should be sorted, but after a few days of antibiotics and not improving we went to the nearest g. pig specialist vets. Sadly she had a very large bladder stone. How she had kept that quiet (literally) previously (live indoors in winter) I have no idea.

At that point we thought it might be manageable and I arranged to take the new companion back to the rescue as it wasn't fair to keep her hanging on on her own and it seemed she might be too full on long term anyway, discussions that I could take one of the somewhat infirm long term residents that aren't usually allowed to leave if required.

Sadly lunar then went downhill, stopped eating and got some intensive care and feeding courtesy of a weekend visit from the amazing rara who brought drugs and plans. But we couldn't adquately control her pain levels, eating wasn't really happening even though she was super interested in everything still and no one was that keen to operate.

As such I made the decision for her to also be PTS.
I never expected to lose them both at much the same time, it's ridiculously quiet round here at the moment and they've left a massive hole. I keep changing my mind as to whether I need some space and a break or some more to distract.

This pic will always make me chuckle, lunar, unsuccesfully attempting to hide and making it look like her sister is just pining her head down

and so you can actually see her inbetween meds/syringe feeding last week, considering climbing my jumper (she'd head for your shoulder)

 

[Mule]

I'm sorry, they were both gorgeous x

 

[Roxylola]

Oh they were beauties, love pigs they are such characters

 

[Stiff Knees]

I'm so sorry, GPs kind of take over your life don't they? RIP squeaksters.

 

[Nicnac]

So sorry. Squeakies are just the best. Such characters.

 

[Rowreach]

Your piggies had the best lives ever ester x

 

[windand rain]

Sorry you lost them I have never been able to keep guinea pigs although I love them as they have a tendency to drop dead if I touch them. I am told it is because I had salmonella as a child but not sure why it happens you would have thought after 60 years I would be able to at least stroke one

 

[wren123]

I'm sorry ester, I'm a piggy fan.

 

[[139672]]

Sorry to hear that. We had two as kids, called Betty and Susan. I was allowed to take them in to infant school in my sister’s pink and white plastic pram.

 

[DabDab]

Oh no, I'm sorry ester
RIP squeekies x

 

[milliepops]

So sorry I loved having them as a child so have really enjoyed your pics and vids, they really had a super life with you.

 

[Tiddlypom]

So sorry that you lost your GPs. They are such grand little characters, aren’t they. I had GPs as a child, and took them with me to boarding school. Would love to have some more now, but unfortunately JRTs and GPs are unlikely to be a good mix.

They really did have the most brilliant life with you.

 

[scats]

So sorry ester x
I absolutely love guinea pigs, I currently have 2 boys and think I always will have a couple around. I just think they are the cutest, funniest things ever.

 

[ester]

Total characters, Solar (the black/white) was always a very zen pig and much the slower of the two, always happy to sit for however long. Lunar was always a bit more nervey and very very fast. So we trained an 'in the box' fairly early on for catching purposes for minimal stress all round. I'd forgotten how handy that was until I had the newbie temporarily though she was picking up on it, parsely is always the key.
She did also once fight off 3 cats, I have no idea how - she had escaped via a dip, and had one scratch mark and all the cats were lined up watching her in the garden.

When looking for a new pair I kept mentioning how I needed a zen pig, can't keep two like lunar as she pretends she's not handled at all and then we'd go places and she was all bold and curious in their play pen etc and seemingly fab compared to everyone else . She particularly liked the boy pig who free ranged the garden at the rescue (while she was in her carrier)
It was nice to chat to the lady again (who was super helpful throughout) as she saw her like 4 weeks ago and agreed she seemed absolutely fine as I worried I had missed something as it really is big on xray- and would never have started companion finding if I thought something was up.

 

[splashgirl45]

so sorry, they are still member of the family, i cried buckets when i had my last one PTS, i was in my 50's!!!!!

 

[scats]

When I lost my last two a couple of years ago, I sold everything as I decided I had enough animals and didn’t need any more. But I just couldn’t stop thinking about guinea pigs! I found myself trawling preloved, and visiting the adoption section in pets at home weekly.
Last June I put a wanted ad on preloved, not really sure if I would get any replies. A lady responded and said she had two young pigs who her daughter had abandoned at her house when she moved out and she didn’t have a clue what to do with them. Her daughter had told her to ‘get rid of them’.
Lady and her husband dropped them off about 2 hours later, with everything they had for them- tiny hutch (tiny enough that one person could pick it up easily, with pigs inside, and carry it effortlessly), some newspaper on the floor or hutch and a bowl of carrots. The pigs were very thin and scared. The people were actually really lovely and said they were just desperate for someone to take them who knew what they were doing.

By that weekend they were living in a piggie mansion, with a huge outdoor run, as much hay as they could eat and a variety of fresh veg every day. They are now 1 year old and my two little piggie princes. I named them Keaton (after Michael) and Murray (after Bill).

 

[ester]

I keep looking at the indoor, I've not cleaned it out yet.
I've been off today as was supposed to be in salisbury seeing my physio (as you do from cambs) but she's ill. I may have spent the day looking at others, I didn't really intend to but they do make my heart sing a bit. I'll update on Saturday

 

[splashgirl45]

its not true if there are no piccies

 

[Rosemary28]

Awww I’m sorry Ester. They leave a big hole when they go, don’t they. My house isn’t really set up for piggies at the moment but I love them and they are such good company. I’m making do with looking after Noel and Liam (Mum’s pigs, yes named after the Gallagher brothers) every so often

 

[ester]

My house wasn't really set up for piggy bonding. After a bit on an emergency situ (lunar ended up on top of the castle and I didn't realise it wasn't totally by choice (I'd put two of everything in but hadn't thought we would need water access on top of the castle....) A lovely lady in Cambridge loaned me a spare indoor cage so I had two cages and everything else that comes with in the kitchen and this giant mesh run for socialising in the lounge.

I knew I'd held onto those waterproof table cloths for a reason, much better than the tarpaulin which just got shoved out the way! The main issue being that walking past cheap weldmesh without getting snagged is tricky!

 

[fankino04]

So sorry for your loss they sound like real characters, and they clearly had the best home they could wish for with you x

 

[ester]

its not true if there are no piccies

 

[Clodagh]

Oh fantastic, I love pigs, so squeaky.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Are these gorgeous piggies now with you? What’s their story?

 

[ester]

Yup 2 girls no names yet, youngsters but not proper babies, I couldn't cope with the quiet in the house and having no one to say good morning to!
So I messaged a lady nearby I had already spoken to when searching for a friend for lunar (having met her in hindsight I should have gone with that option I think but I paniced a bit worrying about her) as she had said she had some younger sows - and all her sows live in a herd so they know each other already. All her boars wanted to come out and say hi too .

The funky one was trying to escape my big carrier on the way home, but everyone is a bit shell shocked and quiet at the moment. Hopefully we can all settle in.

 

[splashgirl45]

SNAP !!!!!! my 2 from many years ago, fudge and smartie, still miss their cheerful sounds...lucky you

 

[ester]

aww yes they are very similar!

No names here yet but no rush. Today they have been mostly hiding, you forget how scaredy they can be to start and how much yours know 'you'.

 

[splashgirl45]

mine used to be on the table next to me and they used to watch the tv....every time i went to make a coffee i had to bring them something as they made such a racket, cucumber was their favourite....have fun with yours....

 

[windand rain]

Love the chirruping noise I miss seeing them. I worked in a lab with loads but I couldnt touch them but loved the fantastic range of talking from them

 

[Tiddlypom]

They are super gorgeous piggies.They’ll soon settle to their new normal in ester towers and become chatty. Though I’ve done it loads of times, I always seem to forget just how long it takes a new animal addition to settle in.

Though maybe snakes are different?