Accepting the fragility of guinea pigs - do i carry on keeping them?

[Megham]

Hello everyone this is my first post so please forgive me if I've done something wrong.

I've had Guinea pigs since I was around 10. My first 2 lived to be ripe old men dying of old age at around 8 with no other problems. I think this altered my expectations so when I got pigs when I was a teenager, I was surprised at the way they could go so suddenly.

We got another three in 2016, between 2020 and 2021 one died of old age, one of a tumour and the last which was particularly horrific from a respiratory infection which took her in 3 days. Now one of my current two is sick and I'm in the hard position of deciding of what is fair.

I wanted to ask you guys, how do you cope with their fragility? The fact things can go wrong so quickly? And berehevement after. I am debating if I want to carry on keeping guineas as their passing weighs heavily on me. But I also adore their little personalities and how loving they are.

If any of you have advice for how you accept and cope with this that would be wonderful, thank you x

 

[Swissgreys]

Welcome to the Forum.
It is lovely to have you here, and you will receive many different perspectives from our members.

I am sorry you are struggling with your piggy losses - it is something we all go through - and i think it is perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed with this.
A good place ot start would be here:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

For me personally I feel I am slowly coming to the end of my current piggy ownership journey for now.
I have owned piggies off and on for years, but my own personal circumstances mean I feel I need a break for a while, and this is in part due to how hard it is to loose them.
I have been very lucky over the past 6+ years and had a fairly hardy bunch of pigs through my home, but I still find their sudden demise (in some cases) difficult.
Having said that when we do loose our final piggy I also wonder how long I will be happy not to have any.
I feel the bereavement, whilst hard, is also worth the daily joy they bring into our lives with their funny little personalities, their wheeking and the general interaction with them.

But of course only you know what is right for you and your family, and I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry for your losses. It doesn’t get any easier does it? The more we love the more it hurts. You gave all of your piggies a wonderful life no matter how long that life was. Take care.

 

[Lady Kelly]

I'm sorry that the passings have taken their toll. I don't think there would be many on here who could honestly say that they considered stopping keeping pigs after a spate of passings. Sadly it does seem to be the way that you can have years of no problems but once one gets ill you end up at the vets with almost everyone. I've lost 3 out of 4 this year alone after 2-3 years of not needing to see my vets and it really doesn't ever get any easier. Of course you have to do what's right for you and there is never any harm in taking a break if that is what is right for your health. I have found in the past that adopting new piggies has kept me going but last year we decided that after these ones we would have a break, maybe stop altogether but maybe we'll pick up where we left off in 5 years time, who knows. We didn't expect to be losing 3 so quickly and thought maybe just the elderly one would have passed by now.

 

[Megham]

Welcome to the Forum.
It is lovely to have you here, and you will receive many different perspectives from our members.

I am sorry you are struggling with your piggy losses - it is something we all go through - and i think it is perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed with this.
A good place ot start would be here:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

For me personally I feel I am slowly coming to the end of my current piggy ownership journey for now.
I have owned piggies off and on for years, but my own personal circumstances mean I feel I need a break for a while, and this is in part due to how hard it is to loose them.
I have been very lucky over the past 6+ years and had a fairly hardy bunch of pigs through my home, but I still find their sudden demise (in some cases) difficult.
Having said that when we do loose our final piggy I also wonder how long I will be happy not to have any.
I feel the bereavement, whilst hard, is also worth the daily joy they bring into our lives with their funny little personalities, their wheeking and the general interaction with them.

But of course only you know what is right for you and your family, and I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

ahah that's the thing, once you're down to one you realise how you can't quite quit them. I'm sorry for the losses you've gone through, and I hope that whatever you choose brings you happiness and peace. I don't think I want to be without that faint rustling and squeaking in the evening. The happy chirps, that's my favourite thing of all.

 

[Megham]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry for your losses. It doesn’t get any easier does it? The more we love the more it hurts. You gave all of your piggies a wonderful life no matter how long that life was. Take care.

Thank you so much <3

 

[Megham]

I'm sorry that the passings have taken their toll. I don't think there would be many on here who could honestly say that they considered stopping keeping pigs after a spate of passings. Sadly it does seem to be the way that you can have years of no problems but once one gets ill you end up at the vets with almost everyone. I've lost 3 out of 4 this year alone after 2-3 years of not needing to see my vets and it really doesn't ever get any easier. Of course you have to do what's right for you and there is never any harm in taking a break if that is what is right for your health. I have found in the past that adopting new piggies has kept me going but last year we decided that after these ones we would have a break, maybe stop altogether but maybe we'll pick up where we left off in 5 years time, who knows. We didn't expect to be losing 3 so quickly and thought maybe just the elderly one would have passed by now.

Exactly, it's been quite relentless with the last few, especially after so many years with no issue. The worst thing is it makes you walk on eggshells around the remaining piggies, hoping the bad luck won't carry on. After this situation we still have my girl Fernie, and I couldn't bear giving her up, but she also can't be alone. So the maths is done for me really. I think for me the best thing to do is accept they are fragile creatures and you can get unlucky, but to love them as much as you can in the meantime. I'm sorry for your losses, its horrific when one goes but when there's a quick succession of a few it's just grief building on grief, I certainly know what you mean.

 

[Eriathwen]

Growing up I ended up with 16 thanks to some mis sexing issues etc, in my early 20s they all began passing one after the other very quickly. It was quite traumatic at the time and I decided I didn't want to go through that again. I took a 3 year break from having piggies.

I tried again, the 2 piggies I got were both incredibly sickly, as were the next 2 I got, taking me to 4, all of which have passed in the last 5 years, 1 only a few months ago. The next 2 seemed to be doing fine, but are now palliative with cancer.

I have 22 piggies in total at the moment, I have pretty much come to terms with how prone to illness they can be, in fact I go out of my way now to take in ones with health issues, special needs, or ones that have been neglected. I figured if I cant make it better, I will just go along with it. I would rather they were with me where they were guaranteed veterinary treatment and as good of a life they can have, than who knows where, suffering.

That being said, it really is hard. I've struggled with burn out, compassion fatigue, stress and illnesses related to it. I think it really helps to have a goal that outweighs the negative, that you can refer back to. It helps me when I'm feeling a bit defeated to remember my aim is to give them a good life, not to make them live forever, and as long as I know they had the best life I could provide, it takes a little bit of the sting out of it.

 

[Lorcan]

Hello!

Sorta just wanted to add my piece to this - I haven't had pigs for about 3.5 years now. I couldn't have pets where I live at the minute and I can have them when I move, and in that entire span of time, I've missed them. I know how quickly things can go wrong (Comet needing surgery when I was under a section was an...interesting...time), and I've lost 5 over the years. Does it get easier? Nah, and that's okay. Some things are allowed to hurt, y'know? But I've had that thought of "I don't know if I can do this anymore" and it took a while, but aye, I could. So come January (or maybe Boxing Day sales) I'll be buying the stuff and preparing to start all over again. Even if I only get 3 months with one - it'll hurt, but I gave them a home and they will be loved for that 3 months. I don't want to stop having that privilege.

 

[Megham]

Just to give everyone a bit of a update, I made the hugely difficult decision to put down my beautiful girl Sweetpea this afternoon. She hadn't been eating for weeks, and I was syringe feeding her every few hours since it began. She wouldn't respond to medication to help cover whatever pain she was in to hopefully put more weight on for investigation, sadly she just kept depleting every day. It was a horrible choice but the pain she was clearly in felt too unfair. She was a beautiful pig, came from a big rescue opp at 4 months and had barely had human interaction, amazingly she became the bravest and cheekiest pig I'd ever owned. She'll forever be in my heart.

We're now left with Fernie (left in the image) , a quite shy and gentle guinea pig. She got most of her confidence from Sweetpea (who was younger strangely enough) so I do worry now she is gone she'll go into herself. I have made the decision that I'd never want to rehome Fern, and I think the love of hearing their happy chirps, rustling and wheeking outweighs the heartache they can cause. So I'll be looking into getting her some friends soon. Thank you all for your words! I'm glad I'm not alone in this complicated feeling, and thank you for introducing me to the community, guinea pig owners are one of a kind.

 

[Megham]

Hello!

Sorta just wanted to add my piece to this - I haven't had pigs for about 3.5 years now. I couldn't have pets where I live at the minute and I can have them when I move, and in that entire span of time, I've missed them. I know how quickly things can go wrong (Comet needing surgery when I was under a section was an...interesting...time), and I've lost 5 over the years. Does it get easier? Nah, and that's okay. Some things are allowed to hurt, y'know? But I've had that thought of "I don't know if I can do this anymore" and it took a while, but aye, I could. So come January (or maybe Boxing Day sales) I'll be buying the stuff and preparing to start all over again. Even if I only get 3 months with one - it'll hurt, but I gave them a home and they will be loved for that 3 months. I don't want to stop having that privilege.

That's a lovely mindset, it's more what you do in the time you have, rather than how long it is. Best of luck with your new piggies to come.

 

[David Piggie Lover]

@Megham
Wow what can I say
You have been very very brave letting Sweetpea go tho it’s deeply hurting it’s also the great act of love we can do to help our wonderful piggies to rainbow world
Reason it hurts it’s because you care so much and that for me tells me you are a great piggie person and them that come across you are very lucky.
Most of us have and will do the same I’ve lost piggies no way near your oldies and yes it hurts deeply but I tell my piggies when I get them 2 things
1 you will never suffer and I will do everything to make our time together fun.
2 Reason I tell them no 1 is because the ones I’ve lost will make me love you more.
You new on here and I for one hope you stay and reward us with new and old piggie stories x

 

[David Piggie Lover]

Just to give everyone a bit of a update, I made the hugely difficult decision to put down my beautiful girl Sweetpea this afternoon. She hadn't been eating for weeks, and I was syringe feeding her every few hours since it began. She wouldn't respond to medication to help cover whatever pain she was in to hopefully put more weight on for investigation, sadly she just kept depleting every day. It was a horrible choice but the pain she was clearly in felt too unfair. She was a beautiful pig, came from a big rescue opp at 4 months and had barely had human interaction, amazingly she became the bravest and cheekiest pig I'd ever owned. She'll forever be in my heart.

We're now left with Fernie (left in the image) , a quite shy and gentle guinea pig. She got most of her confidence from Sweetpea (who was younger strangely enough) so I do worry now she is gone she'll go into herself. I have made the decision that I'd never want to rehome Fern, and I think the love of hearing their happy chirps, rustling and wheeking outweighs the heartache they can cause. So I'll be looking into getting her some friends soon. Thank you all for your words! I'm glad I'm not alone in this complicated feeling, and thank you for introducing me to the community, guinea pig owners are one of a kind.

View attachment 190699

Cute piggies
That rainbow world has lots beautiful ones

 

[Lady Kelly]

Exactly, it's been quite relentless with the last few, especially after so many years with no issue. The worst thing is it makes you walk on eggshells around the remaining piggies, hoping the bad luck won't carry on. After this situation we still have my girl Fernie, and I couldn't bear giving her up, but she also can't be alone. So the maths is done for me really. I think for me the best thing to do is accept they are fragile creatures and you can get unlucky, but to love them as much as you can in the meantime. I'm sorry for your losses, its horrific when one goes but when there's a quick succession of a few it's just grief building on grief, I certainly know what you mean.

Yes it's very difficult. I think the only way to try and make it less painful is to focus on the positives. You have given these piggies a loving home, when they have become ill you have sought medical care. When these piggies have passed they have been loved and cared for, they have had the best chance of overcoming illnesses but sometimes there is just not enough that we can do. Any piggy that ends up with you will be lucky but at the end of the day you need to be kind to yourself. There is no difference between losing a member of our human family than losing a member of our fur family, grief hits the same, the love is just as strong. Don't feel like you should just have to cope with it

 

[eileen]

i agree its very difficult loosing piggies.i have found that those i have a close bond with the most difficult.i like to think ive given each of my guinea pigs the best home.i have had guinea pigs only for last seven years.for myself,they give me a sense of purpose.ive got severe depression and i find they really help to give me stucture to my day.cleaning,feeding,handling my guinea pigs daily gives me alot of joy.as one passes i can give a home to another guinea pig.i wish you all the best,any guinea pig that has a home with you is very lucky.

 

[Freela]

I'm really sorry for your losses. It is definitely one of the hard parts of having pets (any pet!), though the process is speeded up for smaller animals. We have guinea pigs and hamsters... most of our guinea pigs have lived to be 6+, which feels like a decent lifespan, but the 2-3 years for hamsters is starting to emotionally wear on me. Watching them go from little babies to elderly to gone in 2 or 2.5 years is really difficult. Ultimately, to me, it comes down to whether the time you have balances the loss you feel. And ultimately, what it comes down to for me is that, much as losing hurts, my life is richer for having these little guys in it, so I keep going back even though I know inevitably where it will end. I think ultimately everyone has to weigh this balance for themselves, and the answer may change over time. Grief is hard, no doubt. Be kind to yourself as you go through your feelings. I know, for myself, that not having pets at all would be a bigger loss than loving them and losing them. They are my passing guests, I know that they have not come to stay forever, but I am very thankful to have them while they're here, and when they're gone I know I will always miss them but will pay my love forward to the ones to come in the future, if that makes sense.

 

[EmmaNorth]

I'm so sorry for your loss and sympathise with the feelings you are experiencing. I think you've been incredibly brave and open to ask people on this forum and I hope you find the path forward that works for you. I too had a "crisis of faith" this year after losing 3 pigs in 1 year. I felt like I spent of the year grieving and wondered if my health could tolerate more. We adopt one or more pigs a year from our local guinea pig rescue and this year I honestly thought about stopping and not expanding our herd. I spoke to my husband and best friend who both told me this - you provide them with a lovely home, companionship and top notch vet care so please don't stop rescuing. It helped me to think yes I can do this as rescuing is important to me and I know I can make a difference to those guinea pigs lives. Only you know your unique circumstances and what is right for you. What is right for you will be changeable and you don't have to make permanent decisions. Please be kind to yourself and keep reaching out to others for help. There are no right decisions only decisions. Take care of yourself xx xx

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
So sorry for your losses.
Your feelings are perfectly natural and as others have said, we all come to a point when we question whether it is time to give up.
This is a good place to explore those feelings and find support.

 

[Wiebke]

Just to give everyone a bit of a update, I made the hugely difficult decision to put down my beautiful girl Sweetpea this afternoon. She hadn't been eating for weeks, and I was syringe feeding her every few hours since it began. She wouldn't respond to medication to help cover whatever pain she was in to hopefully put more weight on for investigation, sadly she just kept depleting every day. It was a horrible choice but the pain she was clearly in felt too unfair. She was a beautiful pig, came from a big rescue opp at 4 months and had barely had human interaction, amazingly she became the bravest and cheekiest pig I'd ever owned. She'll forever be in my heart.

We're now left with Fernie (left in the image) , a quite shy and gentle guinea pig. She got most of her confidence from Sweetpea (who was younger strangely enough) so I do worry now she is gone she'll go into herself. I have made the decision that I'd never want to rehome Fern, and I think the love of hearing their happy chirps, rustling and wheeking outweighs the heartache they can cause. So I'll be looking into getting her some friends soon. Thank you all for your words! I'm glad I'm not alone in this complicated feeling, and thank you for introducing me to the community, guinea pig owners are one of a kind.

View attachment 190699

Hi!

I am very sorry about all your losses.

Considering the numbers I have, losses are very much par for the course. It never hurts any less although you learn to spot and cope better with some repetitive bits of the grieving process because you do not have to solve all the ethical dilemmas anew all the time and you have a better idea of what is going on.
But especially the early and the sudden deaths (and we have them all) can really bug you. And as every bond you have with any pet is unique, the pain from the loss is never less. You also never completely stop missing any of them, however many you have.

8 years is a grand old age! Sadly in this day and age of mass produced for sale pets (including piggies) wherever you get them from, there is even less of a guarantee that they will live to or even past the average life expectancy.

I have been blessed to not lose any of my 27 piggies between February 2020 and August 2021 as the pandemic coincided with a bit of a gap in between generational wodges but I have lost 7 of them in quick succession in the last three months; 3 of them to different causes in the space of just a week - and only one I could brace for. They have been between 3-8 years old. That's a quarter of my piggies. It can really whack you; no matter how long you have had pets.

However, like @Lorcan has said, loss is the flip side of the joy that having pets is giving us. Even my hub would find life without any piggies at all eerily quiet.

I want to reduce my numbers again somewhat over the coming years, but during my years living in small inner city flats I have learned to really appreciate how much my piggies enrich my life. The inevitable loss is like the shade that makes the light pets bring into your life shine brighter. When the shadows gather, it can be tough but then you'll have times of nearly pure light, so it all balances in the long term.

You will always have pets for only a while; it is not getting any easier when you have longer lived ones. I see my piggies as a loan from God; he can call them back at any moment but I cherish every single day with them while have them. Guinea pigs don't have a concept for an average life span. They measure their life in happy todays. As long as you provide those and concentrate on filling the days with love and enrichment, then you will always come out of it ahead because you know that you have given your pets the happiest of lives. The rest is out of our controll.

If you are looking to find new company, please consider good welfare standard rescues that allow you to bring your bereaved piggy and let them have a say who they are getting on with and not come home with unwelcome hidden passengers. There are so many no longer wanted guinea pigs with the post-pandemic dump that all rescues are quite literally bursting at the seams. By adopting, you are not only saving the piggy or piggies you bring home but also help to make space for more on the waiting list or an emergency intake to ensure that the ones that take the place will have a safe future, too.
Rescue Locator
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs (which tells you more about rescue adoption and especially rescue dating)

 

[Megham]

Growing up I ended up with 16 thanks to some mis sexing issues etc, in my early 20s they all began passing one after the other very quickly. It was quite traumatic at the time and I decided I didn't want to go through that again. I took a 3 year break from having piggies.

I tried again, the 2 piggies I got were both incredibly sickly, as were the next 2 I got, taking me to 4, all of which have passed in the last 5 years, 1 only a few months ago. The next 2 seemed to be doing fine, but are now palliative with cancer.

I have 22 piggies in total at the moment, I have pretty much come to terms with how prone to illness they can be, in fact I go out of my way now to take in ones with health issues, special needs, or ones that have been neglected. I figured if I cant make it better, I will just go along with it. I would rather they were with me where they were guaranteed veterinary treatment and as good of a life they can have, than who knows where, suffering.

That being said, it really is hard. I've struggled with burn out, compassion fatigue, stress and illnesses related to it. I think it really helps to have a goal that outweighs the negative, that you can refer back to. It helps me when I'm feeling a bit defeated to remember my aim is to give them a good life, not to make them live forever, and as long as I know they had the best life I could provide, it takes a little bit of the sting out of it.

wow I'm sorry that sounds awful, that's lovely how you've switched it on it's head so now your intention is to deliberately make a difference for ones struggling.
Thank you for your thoughts!

Hi!

I am very sorry about all your losses.

Considering the numbers I have, losses are very much par for the course. It never hurts any less although you learn to spot and cope better with some of mechinal bits of the grieving process because you do not have to solve all the ethical dilemmas anew all the time and have a better idea of what is going on.
But especially the early and the sudden deaths (and we have them all) can really bug you. And as every bond you have with any pet is unique, the pain from the loss is never less. You also never completely stop missing any of them, however many you have.

8 years is a grand old age! Sadly in this day and age of mass produced for sale pets (including piggies) wherever you get them from, there is even less of a guarantee that they will live to or even past the average life expectancy.

I have been blessed to not lose any of my 27 piggies between February 2020 and August 2021 as the pandemic coincided with a bit of a gap in between generational wodges but I have lost 7 of them in quick succession in the last three months; 3 of them to different causes in the space of just a week - and only one I could brace for. They have been between 3-8 years old. That's a quarter of my piggies. It can really whack you; no matter how long you have had pets.

However, like @Lorcan has said, loss is the flip side of the joy that having pets is giving us. Even my hub would find life without any piggies at all eerily quiet.

I want to reduce my numbers again somewhat over the coming years, but during my years living in small inner city flats I have learned to really appreciate how much my piggies enrich my life. The inevitable loss is like the shade that makes the light pets bring into your life shine lighter. When the shadows gather, it can be tough but then you'll have times of nearly pure light, so it all balances in the long term.
You will always have pets for only a while; it is not getting any easier when you have longer lived ones. I see my piggies as a loan from God; he can call them back at any moment but I cherish every single day with them while have them. Guinea pigs don't have a concept for an average life span. They measure their life in happy todays. As long as you provide those and concentrate on filling the days with love and enrichment, then you will always come out of it ahead because you know that you have given your pets the happiest of lives. The rest is out of our controll.

If you are looking to find new company, please consider good welfare standard rescues that allow you to bring your bereaved piggy and let them have a say who they are getting on with and not come home with unwelcome hidden passengers. There are so many no longer wanted guinea pigs with the post-pandemic dump that all rescues are quite literally bursting at the seams. By adopting, you are not only saving the piggy or piggies you bring home but also help to make space for more on the waiting list or an emergency intake to ensure that the ones that take the place will have a safe future, too.
Rescue Locator
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs (which tells you more about rescue adoption and especially rescue dating)

Thank you for your beautiful reply!
I'm so sorry for the losses you've been through recently, that's so brutal. It really does show there is no telling with these little creatures and you just have to love them in the now, not worrying about what could happen tomorrow. I think my biggest learning from this is to leave behind that 8 years lifespan concept, with less expectation it's less painful if they go 'before their time'. That's probably my biggest takeaway from this and everything you guys have kindly said.

As for finding a friend for Fern, no worries at all, they both came from a rescue near me that I've gotten all my last 5 piggies from and they're wonderful (Hazelcroft on your rescue finder) . I've already informed the owner of Sweetpea's passing and when Fern has had some time to process her loss, we'll look into getting her some friends and giving some pigs in need of a home a place of love (quite a luxurious one as they're inside in the living room right next to a radiator!) . - I love your thought process that doing these also helps future pigs that need rescuing, I never considered that before.

Learning that a lot of people experience these sudden losses and that I'm not alone in this really helps, while the heartache I have for those who have gone in a horrible way will probably always be there, I hope I always have a little bundle of piggies wheeking in the background wherever I live in the future.

Thank you!

 

[Megham]

I'm really thankful and overwhelmed by the amazing response here, thank you to everyone for sharing your stories and encouragement! You're all incredibly kind.

I'm very happy I decided to join! - I have decided to carry on keeping the pigs. They own a big piece of my heart and for me their small size is why their capacity for love and personality is so amazing. Thank you for all your advice!

 

[My Piggies]

I'm so sorry for your losses

I've had guinea pigs for 8 years now, starting with my first pair Rosie and Violet in November 2013. They were a mother daughter pair I adopted from a rescue (Rosie being the mother, Violet the daughter). At the time, Rosie was 6 months old and Violet was 8 weeks. Sadly, Rosie passed away at 4.5 years old very suddenly in November 2017. That was really hard on me, and I blamed myself for a long time.

I then adopted Daisy, who is now 4 years old. In August this year, I made the tough decision to put my 8 year old Violet to sleep as she was suffering from multiple serious health issues.

Currently, I have three piggies, a neutered male Oscar and two girls, Poppet and Daisy. Unfortunately, Daisy has developed arthritis and will now be on medication for the rest of her life. It really worries me as I don't want to lose her, but I hope her last months/years are pain-free and happy.

I don't think it ever gets easier, but I tell myself that they had wonderful lives and were very loved to the end.
I don't know where I heard this:
"To us, our guinea pig's life is only a small portion of our own, but to them we are their whole life."
My ultimate goal is to make sure that their lives are love filled and happy.

 

[Engel]

I'm so sorry for your loss.
The way I see it, it's quality of life not the quantity. As long as I know I did everything I could for them and they enjoyed every minute on Earth.

 

[Wiebke]

wow I'm sorry that sounds awful, that's lovely how you've switched it on it's head so now your intention is to deliberately make a difference for ones struggling.
Thank you for your thoughts!

Thank you for your beautiful reply!
I'm so sorry for the losses you've been through recently, that's so brutal. It really does show there is no telling with these little creatures and you just have to love them in the now, not worrying about what could happen tomorrow. I think my biggest learning from this is to leave behind that 8 years lifespan concept, with less expectation it's less painful if they go 'before their time'. That's probably my biggest takeaway from this and everything you guys have kindly said.

As for finding a friend for Fern, no worries at all, they both came from a rescue near me that I've gotten all my last 5 piggies from and they're wonderful (Hazelcroft on your rescue finder) . I've already informed the owner of Sweetpea's passing and when Fern has had some time to process her loss, we'll look into getting her some friends and giving some pigs in need of a home a place of love (quite a luxurious one as they're inside in the living room right next to a radiator!) . - I love your thought process that doing these also helps future pigs that need rescuing, I never considered that before.

Learning that a lot of people experience these sudden losses and that I'm not alone in this really helps, while the heartache I have for those who have gone in a horrible way will probably always be there, I hope I always have a little bundle of piggies wheeking in the background wherever I live in the future.

Thank you!

All the best. Hazelcroft is currently drowning in sows so there is plenty of choice; ideally before Christmas so they have space for the usual Christmas emergency if you can bear it.

I have adopted a couple of baby girls from them a month ago to be companions for my very far-aggressive and insecure 2 years old Dryw (Welsh: 'Wren') and her by now very frail 8 years old Pioden 'Magpie'. Thankfully, the babies couldn't challenge Dryw and she did accept them. They have helped her to bolster Pioden's death 10 days ago and while Dryw has been mourning, she has not been pining and has picked up her life much more easily again.


Please keep in mind that piggies don't mourn any less deeply but that they have a stronger survival instinct and pick up their life sooner again. By the time you have set up a bonding date with the rescue straight away, your girl will be ready for new company; even if you aren't.

Bonding little Lleian 'Smew' and Llinos 'Linnet' with Drwy and Pioden - Dryw with the baby girls finishing off Pioden's last uneaten support feed


I hope that this helps you?

 

[Megham]

All the best. Hazelcroft is currently drowning in sows so there is plenty of choice; ideally before Christmas so they have space for the usual Christmas emergency if you can bear it.

I have adopted a couple of baby girls from them a month ago to be companions for my very far-aggressive and insecure 2 years old Dryw (Welsh: 'Wren') and her by now very frail 8 years old Pioden 'Magpie'. Thankfully, the babies couldn't challenge Dryw and she did accept them. They have helped her to bolster Pioden's death 10 days ago and while Dryw has been mourning, she has not been pining and has picked up her life much more easily again.


Please keep in mind that piggies don't mourn any less deeply but that they have a stronger survival instinct and pick up their life sooner again. By the time you have set up a bonding date with the rescue straight away, your girl will be ready for new company; even if you aren't.

Bonding little Lleian 'Smew' and Llinos 'Linnet' with Drwy and Pioden - Dryw with the baby girls finishing off Pioden's last uneaten support feed
View attachment 190731 View attachment 190732

I hope that this helps you?

I love the names of your guineas they're so unique! I'm glad you had the little pair to help Dryw with Piodens passing. They're a beautiful bunch!

I've had several guineas from Hazelcroft so will definately want to help again when looking for Ferns new companions. From my point of view when shes ready, I'm ready. Hopefully the next week or so we'll get the ball rolling, just seeing the first few hours shes been without Sweetpea her confidence is nowhere near what it was with her friend around. She really does need company to give her that security. (She is eating and drinking like normal so not acutely pinning but just shyer and sticking to one hidey.) So I want to get her company as soon as necessary. Thank you!

 

[Wiebke]

I love the names of your guineas they're so unique! I'm glad you had the little pair to help Dryw with Piodens passing. They're a beautiful bunch!

I've had several guineas from Hazelcroft so will definately want to help again when looking for Ferns new companions. From my point of view when shes ready, I'm ready. Hopefully the next week or so we'll get the ball rolling, just seeing the first few hours shes been without Sweetpea her confidence is nowhere near what it was with her friend around. She really does need company to give her that security. (She is eating and drinking like normal so not acutely pinning but just shyer and sticking to one hidey.) So I want to get her company as soon as necessary. Thank you!

Go and enquire tomorrow. Piggies usually come out of deep mourning within about 4 days (plus/minus) in my own experience. That is when they are ready for bonding.

Seeing Fern getting her sparkle again with a new mate will help you no end because you can then concentrate on your own longer grieving process but without it being compounded by your worries about Fern. The issue why I am pushing you so much is that rescues will very soon close for the long Christmas break. If possible you want to hav Fern sorted before that. This is always a very difficult time; especially with the new variant and further restrictions looming after Christmas.

 

[Megham]

Go and enquire tomorrow. Piggies usually come out of deep mourning within about 4 days (plus/minus) in my own experience. That is when they are ready for bonding.

Seeing Fern getting her sparkle again with a new mate will help you no end because you can then concentrate on your own longer grieving process but without it being compounded by your worries about Fern. The issue why I am pushing you so much is that rescues will very soon close for the long Christmas break. If possible you want to hav Fern sorted before that. This is always a very difficult time; especially with the new variant and further restrictions looming after Christmas.

Oh dont worry I've already made contact about it, we shall hopefully see who's avalible in the next few days. I'll keep you all updated! She is quite shy without company so I'm eager for her to meet company asap. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Merab]

Hope everything works out well for you

 

[Megham]

Just a update, we're waiting to hear on possible new cage mates for Fern, but I'm a little concerned about her behaviour.
She is eating well and finishing her dinner each night, and is a consistent weight when I weigh her every day, as I'm tracking in case she drops out of grief - but this all seems fine. However she is almost exclusively staying in her favourite hidey, I varied her setup today but it hasn't seemed to make her want to venture out more. She has a little potter about after I give her a cuddle, and when fed but apart from that she's hidden away in her hay. Should I be concerned?

I knew she would have a confidence crisis as Sweetpea is no longer around, but I'm quite surprised how obvious it is!

 

[Megham]

Hope everything works out well for you

thank you!