Dealing With Loss?

[Eriathwen]

I wasn't sure where to post this, I suppose here is more appropriate. I'm just wondering how you all deal with missing your guinea pigs once they're gone? I've had gerbils, rats, hamsters, chipmunks..all sorts, you name it and we've had it at some point. With them, even the cats I guess, I can sort of deal with they had a good life with us, they passed away and now they're gone. But I can't help but wish that my old piggies were still here and i'm not sure how to move past that feeling. I'm not saying I don't adore my 2 piggies that I have now, far from it! They're the best thing that's happened to me for years and i'm sure in 10 years time i'll feel the same about Blackberry and Bramble. But it's been 3 years since I lost the last of my herd of 16 and I still find myself buying veggies for 16, trying to gather grass and dandelions for 16, I wish I could sit out in the garden with all of them again. I guess it was because I grew up with them? I had them from 13 until I was 23. All but one are buried in my old home, I had to move away after my parents separated, I guess having to leave them behind may have something to do with it...but then all our other animals were also buried there...I don't know.

I'm not even sure what i'm asking, I guess, does everyone feel like that even years after they're gone? I found a load of old pictures of them while looking for something a couple of days ago and i've popped them around my desk so I can see them. I figured i'd share those while i'm here. If anything it's just made me miss them more! I've thought about maybe getting a couple more? Create a little herd, some friends for my pair but i'm not sure.

Anyways, here they are, well most of them. I don't think I ever managed to get a picture of Sooty, our black crested rescue. The pictures are (in order) Branston. Patch (with Pickles nose poking out their pigloo) Pickle. Branston, Patch and Pickle. Pickle at a few months old. Snowball. Badger and Fudge. Snowball, Patch and Tilly at a few months old. Bovril and Marmite. And finally Honey, Patch, Tilly, Pickle, Rolo, Maggie, Branston, Tigger and Snowball.

 

[Eriathwen]

Oops, missed some...Patch and Snowball. Tilly. Bullseye. Sorry some of them are a bit blurry, they were taken with one of those disposable cameras.

 

[Beans&Toast]

Your piggies are all beautiful
I had a mini herd of 3 when I was 10.
I started with 2 sows, long story short one turned out to be a boar and I ended up with 3 babies.
Fizz, the Dad, was then neutered and lived with Toffee, the Mum and one of the baby sows, Cinnamon. The other two babies, Candy and Chocolate went to live with my friend.

Fizz lived to be around 6 or 7 but when he died, Toffee who was around the same age and Cinnamon who was around 4 both died within weeks of each other. They were very depressed with the loss of Fizz and they passed away from sadness, I believe.

I'm 25 now (well, will be in a few days) and I still think about those beautiful pigs every day. I think that's normal. If you've spend years looking after an animal and loved them greatly then I think it's natural to still think about them years later..

 

[Eriathwen]

Thankyou!
That's how we ended up with a herd to start with, Fudge was supposed to be a girl but one morning we came down to find Patch, Tilly and Snowball snuggled up in the hay! Of course even though we took Fudge straight out, Badger was pregnant again and along came Branston and Pickle, poor little monkey.
I think that must be it you know, I spent so much time with them. When I was sad or annoyed, or Mum had her awful tv shows on lol I would go and sit with the guinea pigs and give them extra veggies or groom them. I don't think I did much without one of them plonked on my lap.

 

[Cookies&Glitter]

I just adopted a new rescue and she's very sweet and I'm so happy I got a friend for my piggy who also lost her sister but I can't help but just miss my original piggie herd.
Since I got the new rescue her sister is happy with her but has regressed completely with people. She was always really shy and skiddish but now aside from acting terrified she comes and chatters her teeth at me when I clean the cage or even when I am coming to touch the new piggy.
It hurts because the girl I lost was what made the pair the wa they were so now aside from missing her I miss the dynamics. I don't know if I ever won't miss her.

 

[sport_billy]

They were stunning

Loss - where to begin eh? Grief is the strangest of all emotions, it is always present I think and at anypoint can return to the forefronts of our mind. It is completely natural to think of those we have lost in life both animal and hooman. They carve our lives and define us as people, shape our personalities and make us who we are. Love is such a powerful emotion but the flipside is loss, you can never have one without the other at somepoint. But all love is worth the loss despite the pain.. I still think of all our piggies we've lost, I was actually thinking about Putt the piggy on the right of my avatar this morning.

I think having your photos of them on your desk is lovely and I am happy you have shared some of your memories here with us

x

 

[madguinealady]

The girl in my avatar was very special.Only had her six months but miss her like crazy, proper snugly pig.Nursed her for a fortnight then helped her leave us cos wasn't doing well.That was over two years ago.Have six adorable piggies now but she was extra special.

 

[VickiA]

Some piggies, like some humans, carve a very special place in your heart. The girl in my avatar (Toffee) holds a very special place in my heart as does my beloved Mr Ted who was taken from me so suddenly earlier this year. I love all 4 of my current piggies but I'd give anything to have had longer with Toffee and Mr Ted. I feel the loss of all my RB piggies deeply. I think it's only natural.

 

[Freela]

They're very sweet! I love the pictures! I think it's really normal to miss anyone we've loved, whether it's a person or animal. None of them are ever really replaced. And some hurt the heart more and for longer than others, at least for me. One of my pigs, Linney, passed away a year ago last January, and all I can say is that I still really, really miss her. I think of her all the time. She was one of those very special pets who leaves a big emptiness in your heart when they go. I just put little flowers on her grave yesterday because I was outside in yard and thinking of her. So I guess I don't have any answers- only to say that I understand what you're saying and it's hard. I've had a lot of small pets over my life, and the bad part of having pets that only live a few years is that you end up going through bereavement overload as the years pass. I love them just as much as I would a dog or cat, but I have them a much shorter time and it's hard to process that time and time again as the years go by.