corvidae
Junior Guinea Pig
Today we said goodbye to my beloved guinea pig, Lola. She was 8 years old. She was a fantastic companion, and it was a privilege to get to know her. She figured out how to open the door of her C&C cage, so she spent the last few years free-roaming in my apartment. I worked from home beside her most days, but on the days I had to go in to work, she would run to greet me by the door to ask for a snack. She had a host of old-age complications in the end - ovarian cysts, arthritis, cataracts, and a mystery neurological problem that left her temporary paralyzed for a couple days at a time. The vet told me she was palliative two years ago, so I am grateful for all the extra time that we had since. She loved eating grass, but we lived in a basement suite, so I frequently carried her to the park in a big banana-shaped dog bed. She recognized the route and would put her paws on the edge and crane her neck out of the banana when we got close to her spot in the park. I am very glad she made it through the winter for one more spring.
After one of the first bouts of her mystery illness a couple years ago, Lola resumed eating on her own but not drinking on her own, so I kept syringe-feeding her water even though she seemed to be recovered. She loved the syringe water, and would sit beside her little water bowl and sniff at me until I came to work the syringe (she would never drink from the bowl herself). Quickly she learned that she could pick up the syringe and hit it against the metal bowl to make a loud ringing sound that was guaranteed to get my attention and make me immediately come to give her water. Soon she learned that I would always give a small snack at the end of each water session, so she started to call me by ringing her bowl, then rip the syringe out of my hand and toss it aside to fast-forward to the snack. While Lola never liked to be pet or held, I've never had a guinea pig who was so interactive and communicative with me. She went deaf in the end, but while she still had her hearing, she could distinguish between normal human speech (boring, ignore) and the voice I use to call her name (she would come over from across the room to get a treat).
She was an amazing pig, and I am heartbroken to say goodbye. She was my 7th guinea pig, and I think she will be my last.
After one of the first bouts of her mystery illness a couple years ago, Lola resumed eating on her own but not drinking on her own, so I kept syringe-feeding her water even though she seemed to be recovered. She loved the syringe water, and would sit beside her little water bowl and sniff at me until I came to work the syringe (she would never drink from the bowl herself). Quickly she learned that she could pick up the syringe and hit it against the metal bowl to make a loud ringing sound that was guaranteed to get my attention and make me immediately come to give her water. Soon she learned that I would always give a small snack at the end of each water session, so she started to call me by ringing her bowl, then rip the syringe out of my hand and toss it aside to fast-forward to the snack. While Lola never liked to be pet or held, I've never had a guinea pig who was so interactive and communicative with me. She went deaf in the end, but while she still had her hearing, she could distinguish between normal human speech (boring, ignore) and the voice I use to call her name (she would come over from across the room to get a treat).
She was an amazing pig, and I am heartbroken to say goodbye. She was my 7th guinea pig, and I think she will be my last.
