Sadly while we were away on holiday, Nesta has very unexpectedly not woken up from an after dinner nap. She is the last of my piggies I have lost this year - one each month so far. 
I am very grateful for @furryfriends (TEAS) to squeeze her in on short notice after Nesta still required more medication and supervision than the pet sitter could give her. I take comfort in the knowledge that Debbie has been checking on her mere minutes after she slipped away very peacefully; but I am ever so sorry for the bad shock this has caused her!
While Nesta was still somewhat quiet and picky in her eating in the wake of her tooth extraction, her weight has been stable without requiring any top up.
Nesta arrived just before Christmas 2012 with her bonded companion Hafren from now sadly closed RNGP Welfare Rugby where they had been persistently passed over in favour of other sows despite the usually long waiting list for spayed sows. I adopted the unwanted children's pets sight unseen (they were chosen by the rescue) to help make space as the rescue was swamped with lots of newborn babies after a breeder had dumped their piggies on the rescue's drive early one sunday morning with most sows pregnant.
While Hafren integrated well into the Tribe and happily joined the ginger crested subgroup, Nesta managed to get into trouble with most piggies. The only piggy she took to instantly was lookalike Nerys, who Nesta obviously took for an auntie of hers even though they were not related.
In summer 2013, I split off Nerys and Nesta as a pair. Over the coming three years, they became a very closely bonded grumpy teddy pair with Nesta very much taking her cues from Nerys, who didn't like any piggy she couldn't dominate outright.
Nesta was very attentive to Nerys during her last months, and she was never quite the same after her 8 year old companion passed away despite my best efforts to introduce her to a new friend of her liking. In the end she found contentment as a next door neighbour to two neutered teddy boars whose antics she enjoyed watching. Nosgan was the only piggy she would not teeth chatter at, but her tolerance did not stretch as far as wanting to share a cage with him!
Nesta was 5 1/2 years old. We have buried her yesterday.
Her name is the Welsh form of Agnes, which means "chaste" - a suitable name for a spayed sow, don't you think?
Nesta and Hafren
Giving Nerys a piggy kiss on her introduction to the Tribe
With the Tribe
Nerys is standing her ground during a cage clean, much to Nesta's surprise!
Nesta and Nerys begging
Hovering around Nerys during her back leg paralysis in spring 2016
I am very grateful for @furryfriends (TEAS) to squeeze her in on short notice after Nesta still required more medication and supervision than the pet sitter could give her. I take comfort in the knowledge that Debbie has been checking on her mere minutes after she slipped away very peacefully; but I am ever so sorry for the bad shock this has caused her!
While Nesta was still somewhat quiet and picky in her eating in the wake of her tooth extraction, her weight has been stable without requiring any top up.
Nesta arrived just before Christmas 2012 with her bonded companion Hafren from now sadly closed RNGP Welfare Rugby where they had been persistently passed over in favour of other sows despite the usually long waiting list for spayed sows. I adopted the unwanted children's pets sight unseen (they were chosen by the rescue) to help make space as the rescue was swamped with lots of newborn babies after a breeder had dumped their piggies on the rescue's drive early one sunday morning with most sows pregnant.
While Hafren integrated well into the Tribe and happily joined the ginger crested subgroup, Nesta managed to get into trouble with most piggies. The only piggy she took to instantly was lookalike Nerys, who Nesta obviously took for an auntie of hers even though they were not related.
In summer 2013, I split off Nerys and Nesta as a pair. Over the coming three years, they became a very closely bonded grumpy teddy pair with Nesta very much taking her cues from Nerys, who didn't like any piggy she couldn't dominate outright.
Nesta was very attentive to Nerys during her last months, and she was never quite the same after her 8 year old companion passed away despite my best efforts to introduce her to a new friend of her liking. In the end she found contentment as a next door neighbour to two neutered teddy boars whose antics she enjoyed watching. Nosgan was the only piggy she would not teeth chatter at, but her tolerance did not stretch as far as wanting to share a cage with him!
Nesta was 5 1/2 years old. We have buried her yesterday.
Her name is the Welsh form of Agnes, which means "chaste" - a suitable name for a spayed sow, don't you think?
Nesta and Hafren
Giving Nerys a piggy kiss on her introduction to the Tribe
With the Tribe
Nerys is standing her ground during a cage clean, much to Nesta's surprise!
Nesta and Nerys begging
Hovering around Nerys during her back leg paralysis in spring 2016
Nesta was such a sweetie, my heart goes out to you. Big hugs. 
