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Changing your mindset with pigs!

alpacasqueak

alpacasqueak

Senior Guinea Pig
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Well I’ve mentioned it a few times this week to people but I’m feeling a bit bad!
I keep calling Luigi Rupert (well Poopy as that was his name after a year really)! Especially in the mornings as he’s settled in so well and wheeks the house down!

I’m also stuck in the buying very low calcium veg then getting home and thinking ‘doh!’. It’s really hard after nearly 6 years and having a newby around to get my brain back to a ‘normal’ piggy diet and allowing those things that were considered ‘naughty’ to be part of the weekly munch!
Not that I’d overdo it, after many years of research and worrying, but it’s been a bit strange this week with a new lad around that doesn’t need extra care! I’m only used to a pair of piggies too so Jess has had a very ‘sensible’ diet to avoid issues!

Just checking I’m not alone! I haven’t quite got over losing my Rupert yet of course, was a massive part of my life and meant the world, I know time will help. We just bonded so much over the years. Jess is much happier so I know adopting him was the best thing to do, just feel a bit bad that I’m still missing my gorgeous Rupert when he’s here!
Luigi doesn’t answer or respond to his name yet (was named at the rescue I think) whereas Rupert did and as soon as I see Luigi I do apologise! Not that he cares as long as I’ve got tasty things or a bit of Jess smell time!

Thanks for reading, prob sounds a bit silly really!
 
It is not silly at all.

We lost Eddi a few months ago and I still miss him so much.
Sometimes I really forget he is gone, and expect him to be in the cage.

He had a favorite wooden house, and whilst it would make perfect sense to give it to one of our other piggies (it is a fab house) I can't quite bring myself to do it yet.

I think loosing a special pig might be soemthing you never really get over - it does get easier with time and I laugh about the memories more than I used to, but it doesn't mean that sometimes I still don't miss him or feel sad that he is gone.
 
alpacasqueak said:
Well I’ve mentioned it a few times this week to people but I’m feeling a bit bad!
I keep calling Luigi Rupert (well Poopy as that was his name after a year really)! Especially in the mornings as he’s settled in so well and wheeks the house down!

I’m also stuck in the buying very low calcium veg then getting home and thinking ‘doh!’. It’s really hard after nearly 6 years and having a newby around to get my brain back to a ‘normal’ piggy diet and allowing those things that were considered ‘naughty’ to be part of the weekly munch!
Not that I’d overdo it, after many years of research and worrying, but it’s been a bit strange this week with a new lad around that doesn’t need extra care! I’m only used to a pair of piggies too so Jess has had a very ‘sensible’ diet to avoid issues!

Just checking I’m not alone! I haven’t quite got over losing my Rupert yet of course, was a massive part of my life and meant the world, I know time will help. We just bonded so much over the years. Jess is much happier so I know adopting him was the best thing to do, just feel a bit bad that I’m still missing my gorgeous Rupert when he’s here!
Luigi doesn’t answer or respond to his name yet (was named at the rescue I think) whereas Rupert did and as soon as I see Luigi I do apologise! Not that he cares as long as I’ve got tasty things or a bit of Jess smell time!

Thanks for reading, prob sounds a bit silly really!
Click to expand...

HUGS

It takes a while to adjust to a new routine and a new piggy after a loss, especially when you have lost a piggy on longer term special care.

I can't tell you how often I've miscounted my veg portions for the various cages and mave mis-called piggies, especially after losing several piggies in close succession or losing a special needs piggy! :mal:

Thankfully it eventually settles down in the new pattern again until the next loss...

Be kind to yourself and give yourself time to process your loss and to adjust.
 
Thanks so much for your replies @Swissgreys and @Wiebke x

My last pair of boys I only had 2 and a half years because they were older, Jess and Rupert so much longer, and with her being deaf and mad because of her background, and him with his troubles, you don’t realise how much they impact on your lives when they do have lots of extra love!
Or just their company, Rupert always chatted away to me, I’d sing and he’d join in :) but unfortunately Luigi doesn’t like it just yet :( (I am terrible so don’t blame him!)

Yeah I’m doing the same @Swissgreys, certain cage things are just staying with Jess and I can’t bear to get them out with Luigi! It sounds so mean! I posted the other day that I should change my avatar pic as it’s my favourite one of him, just love it and don’t want to seem like I’m ‘getting rid’ of him or something :( just sad to look at recently!
 
alpacasqueak said:
Thanks so much for your replies @Swissgreys and @Wiebke x

My last pair of boys I only had 2 and a half years because they were older, Jess and Rupert so much longer, and with her being deaf and mad because of her background, and him with his troubles, you don’t realise how much they impact on your lives when they do have lots of extra love!
Or just their company, Rupert always chatted away to me, I’d sing and he’d join in :) but unfortunately Luigi doesn’t like it just yet :( (I am terrible so don’t blame him!)

Yeah I’m doing the same @Swissgreys, certain cage things are just staying with Jess and I can’t bear to get them out with Luigi! It sounds so mean! I posted the other day that I should change my avatar pic as it’s my favourite one of him, just love it and don’t want to seem like I’m ‘getting rid’ of him or something :( just sad to look at recently!
Click to expand...

Take your time to heal and not put too much pressure on you re. Luigi before you are ready for a new piggy bond. Right now, you aren't. Luigi will burrow his very own nest in your heart once you get to know him better and he is no longer just 'Not-Rupert'. This is going to happen on its own and not something you can do arbitrarily.

It has taken a long time to build up as close a bond as you have had with Rupert. It takes time to grieve for as much as you have loved. And it takes time to build up a new and different bond with Luigi once you are open for another piggy again.
Until then, Luigi will hold - just don't expect from him that he is going to turn into another Rupert. You won't get that; what you have shared was precious and unique. But you will get another journey in a different direction and sharing different things that is more likely gradually creeping up on you without you really noticing. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
Take your time to heal and not put too much pressure on you re. Luigi before you are ready for a new piggy bond. Right now, you aren't. Luigi will burrow his very own nest in your heart once you get to know him better and he is no longer just 'Not-Rupert'. This is going to happen on its own and not something you can to arbitrarily.

It has taken a long time to build up as close a bond as you have had with Rupert. It takes time to grieve for as much as you have loved. And it takes time to build up a new and different bond with Luigi once you are open for another piggy again.
Until then, Luigi will hold - just don't expect from him that he is going to turn into another Rupert. You won't get that; what you have shared was precious and unique. But you will get another journey in a different direction and sharing different things that is more likely gradually creeping up on you without you really noticing. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks @Wiebke x
l suppose I’ve had a bad week and although the pigs are getting on well I’m just worrying, she slept more yest during free range but is that because she’s comfortable!? Stupid things! Both happy so I shouldn’t worry so much! But you love piggies like Rupert for so long you’re always on guard!
Well, chinchillas too! :doh:
 
Thanks @ClaireW xx you know I’m silly with my beasts! Think it’s the chins fault, they were here first causing trouble! And stress!:D Xx
 
alpacasqueak said:
but it’s been a bit strange this week with a new lad around that doesn’t need extra care!
Click to expand...
I can identify with this! I'm still sticking to low calcium veg since benson passed, but i did get some parsley the other day. And i did feel a bit tearful passing over the green beans, as that was one of the few things benson could manage at the end. So i used to buy sains fine beans for him and sains extra fine for me. Back to basic veg now from aldi, which is fine for healthy pigs that eat anything.

It does take a bit of adjustment for sure
 
I can't tell you the amount of times i've jumped up in a panic thinking ive forgotten someones medicine, or syringe feed. Or woken up with a start thinking I had slept through an alarm to do a night feeding. It's still very odd being able to incorporate the things I never used to buy into their diets now, like peas and apples due to how much they upset Brambles digestion.
Getting Bailey and Pippin as companions for Ebony felt very right at the time due to how miserable she was having lost 3 companions in the space of as many months, and while I have taken care of their needs as well as I do all the others, it took a very long time for them to become 'Pippin and Bailey' and not just 'Ebonys new friends' ...bonding with them has been a surprisingly slow process considering how adorable they are, not helped by my niece insisting on calling Bailey 'The one that looks like Bramble'
Only the other day I walked in and was about to say hello to her as if she were Bramble, their faces look fairly similar. Plus they are still so, so scared of everything still...I'm used to my piggies warming up to me fairly quickly, so I feel somewhat guilty that maybe they're picking up on my mixed feelings towards them.

You're definitely not alone, it certainly takes some getting used to.
 
You are not alone, I echo everything the others have said.
It took a year before I could use Willow's favourite fleece tunnel for another piggie, now it's Brillo's favourite. I miss Bracken so much and still say Rusty and Bracken when talking about the piggies.
 
Thanks so much for your replies (sorry had a seizure so was knocked out for the night! :doh: ) it does make me feel much better to know it’s not just me. It’s not that I don’t love him to bits already, I suppose it’s just such a change after all these years with my Rupert. No meds or feeds, no daily weighing etc is still a little odd! Completely new daily routines!
I feel bad he’s only been on the bed with me twice so far, was a nightly thing with Rupert (before Pedro trashes it!) and he loved just coming and having a snuggle in the blanket with me and Jess so I suppose it feels a bit like I’m cheating!
Hopefully that’ll change soon and maybe when they’re both together (well hopefully!) I’ll feel a bit better and get more used to the change in the house.
Eriathwen said:
I feel somewhat guilty that maybe they're picking up on my mixed feelings towards them.
Click to expand...
This is how I’m feeling, don’t want my new addition to not feel welcome or something, he’s a happy chap so I’m hoping not but I’m just not spending as much time with him as I normally would with my Rupert.
Maybe I should start a new routine with him this week and he can come for his veg with me on the bed to get to know each other a bit more.
 
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