Dealing with Loss

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DonkeyBrainz

Post   » Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:27 pm


My guinea pig passed away 2 weeks ago. His name was Buster<3 He was my very first piggy. I adopted him about 3 years ago. He was about 3 at the time. He was the sweetest, most loving chubby guy :) He purred so much. If I was ever sad or had a bad day I could always count on him to cheer me up. He'd sit on my lap for hours and cuddle while I talked to him about all my problems.

About a year after I got him he was diagnosed with cancer. It never really got to him. He lived happy and pain-free for over 2 years. So it wasn't a complete shock that he passed away, but it was kinda out of nowhere. The day before he was wheeking and running around like normal. The next day I woke up and took one look at him and just knew he was dying. He wouldn't eat his carrot (his favorite!) and he wouldn't move. I held him in my lap on a hot water bottle and comforted him as much as I could. After a few hours he took his last breath in my bf's arms. (He came home from work to be there. I think Buster waited to see his Dad one last time.)

Even though he went in the most peaceful way I could imagine, it has been devastating. His brother, Poppins, wouldn't talk for a week. Now he has finally started wheeking for treats again. They weren't in the same cage, but were bonded and Poppins hasn't known life without Buster. I'm worried he is lonely. I know he had to grieve and I'm glad he's acting more like himself but I can tell he still misses Buster. Buster was also close with my oldest cat, who just lays where Buster's cage should be and looks around like "where'd he go?"

I wanted to just put this out there because many of my friends and family don't understand how sad it is to lose a guinea pig. I cried the other day because I grabbed 2 slices of green pepper. It's such a habit.

To make things worse, I recently moved back in with my parents who have forbidden getting another pig. I tried to tell them they are social creatures and it is absolutely crucial that Poppins have someone to talk to. Idk what I'm going to do. It's hard enough trying to cope with the loss of one pet without having to worry about the other one becoming depressed and lonely.

Thanks for reading
I miss you Buster! You were my "purr monster" and I'll always be grateful to you for helping me discover what amazing creatures guinea pigs are<3

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:50 pm


I am so sorry for your lost of Buster! RIP little man, run free cancer free! Have fun in paradise! Maybe Jaffa and Joy will show you the best places to find the best grass. Sending hugs to you and your boyfriend and Poppins.

It never gets easier when you lose one of these little guys. They are thieves, they steal your heart! We lost Jaffa of December 9th 2019 and then January 13th we lost Joy and it hurts like crazy. We use to hand feed Joy and we find ourselves looking at the clock.

Try putting Poppins in a high traffic area where he can hear and see people. Give he lots of cuddles and treats. Weigh him regular. Maybe a stuffed toy would help too!

I am so happy Buster didn't suffer and went peacefully in his daddy's arms! As before sending you all big hugs! Be good to yourselves! For us the pain eases but the tears never do! But that's just us!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:54 pm


I am so sorry for your loss. It is just as hard to lose a beloved guinea pig as it is to lose any loved pet. They are each so special and close to us.

Read over this too:
https://www.guinealynx.info/alone.html

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:40 am


My sympathy to you, the people on this forum understand how hard it is to lose these little ones. Hopefully, with some extra attention, Poppins will adjust. I agree with the stuffed toy idea. Choose one that that doesn't have any plastic pieces or ribbons that could be chewed and swallowed. And maybe try to rearrange the cage so Poppins will explore the new layout. That will give him something to focus on. Take care of yourself.

DonkeyBrainz

Post   » Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:17 pm


Thank you all for the replies! daisymay, I am sorry to hear about Jaffa & Joy. Losing two that close together must be very difficult :(

What I ended up doing was re-arranging Poppins' whole cage setup and his floor time setup because it was too weird to look at without Buster in it. I've been spending extra time with Poppins. I put one of my "backup" cages in the living room so he could be around me and my niece while I babysit and they both loved it! Pop already had a toy hedgehog named Helga that he likes to hump but we gave him a stuffed guinea pig that looked like Buster. It's so cute because he just cuddles with it :)

I know Pop needs real guinea pig interactions so I'm going to the shelter tomorrow to pick up his new friend, Caleb :)
He's very friendly and around the same age. I hope they will get along and be able to live together but if not, that's ok. I know it could be hard to get males to bond sometimes.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 20, 2020 8:34 pm


I hope they do get along. Poppins sounds like a dear little guinea pig. Caleb is lucky you are bringing him home.

DonkeyBrainz

Post   » Thu Jan 23, 2020 1:02 pm


I just brought Caleb home today! He was at the shelter in a room alone since the beginning of December. I know the staff pretty well, and they said he seemed fine and they hadn't had any other guinea pigs or rabbits in the "small pet room" while he was there. Should I still quarantine him? Or do you think it would be ok to put his cage in Poppins' room?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:09 pm


I would probably still keep him separate for a few days, just to monitor. A dog/cat shelter may not know a whole lot about exotics or what to watch for in terms of illness. Plus, things sometimes have a way of flaring up with a change in environment.

Congrats on your new guy!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:04 pm


Yes, congrats! Change can be stressful. Likely he can go in Poppins' room sooner but I agree on at least a few days apart.

DonkeyBrainz

Post   » Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:16 am


Thank you both!

As soon as I brought him home I noticed one of his eyes is watery so I have him on quarantine procedures until I can be sure he’s ok. I hope it’s not conjunctivitis. It really doesn’t look like it but I want to be safe. I think it was probably due to the freezing cold walking to and from my car because it wasn’t like that at the shelter when I put him in the carrier.

Or like you said it could be stress. When I moved to another house about a year ago Poppins passed a stone and I was sure it was stress that brought it on. It happened again when I moved back home a few months ago and I was terrified each time but he went to the vet and was fine. They agreed that stress caused it to flare up. Piggies are so sensitive💙

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