Good bye old friend....

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Moo-Cow

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I know I'm new, but I'm a long time reader. This place helped me out so much last year when my beloved Moo-Cow had an abscess on his jaw....

Anyway...today I had to put my beloved pet to sleep. It was a hard decision to make..but I felt it was time.

For a week and a half now Moo-Cow wouldn't eat hardly anything. I'd fill up his bowl only to see it full the next day. He was barely drinking any water either, wouldn't accept grass from the yard or a bag. Basically, all he'd do all day was lay in his cage and not make a sound. He had access to the rest of the house since I kept the door to his cage open 24/7, so this was obviously worrying me since he is usually running around the living room and leaving little presents for me under everything.

This morning my Dad's girlfriend asked if I wanted to have him put to sleep. At first I said no, as I thought he'd be able to pull through. She said she would be back later to check up on him.

I don't know how old Moo-Cow was, but he was old. Fully grown when I acquired him from my ex-pot dealer in 2004. He was kept in a cage that was so small that he could barely turn around. I really didn't want a pet but I couldn't stand to see an animal kept like that, so I took him in. We got him a huge bird cage, and let him have the run of the house.

He went from begin a pretty mean SOB to a chill guy in a couple of weeks. He'd week when certain people came in the house, and he always only purrred for me. But god forbid you try and pick him up, for all these years I've never been able to have "lap time" with him. He just wasn't that type of pig.

Anyway back to this morning, my Dad's girlfriend leaves and I try to feed Moo-Cow some grass. He wouldn't take it, he wouldn't drink water even if I put it in a bowl and placed it next to him. He just didn't want to move at all.

I decided to pick him up and hold him....for the very first time.

He struggled a bit at first, but I don't think there was any fight left in him. He gave in and allowed me to hold him for the first time in his life. He laid in my lap, let me pet him, and purred for awhile. I think it was his way of telling me it was his time.

He'd become very thin, a fact that his thick fur had been hiding from me. He felt like skin and bones. One of his eyes was sealed shut, and like I said...just not fight in him what-so-ever. The local vet doesn't have a doctor that tends to pigs...so I had no way to get him any medical help.

I made the call, and my Dad's girlfriend picked me and Moo-Cow up and took him into the back of the vet's office. I was assured that he'd feel no pain, and after holding him one last time and saying goodbye I allowed them to give him some knock out gas, and inject him with whatever they use to "put the animal to sleep".

The body was returned to me in a shoe box.

I live on a farm, so I set about finding him a good place to rest. I decided on an old oak tree next to a pond on our farm. I dug him a deep grave and covered it with river rocks and cement to hopefully prevent anything digging him up. I said my good byes.....

Moo-Cow, I know you're up in heaven eating grass and chasing pig tail, we will always remember you. Even though the vet never believed you were over 10 years old I know in my heart that you were. You lived a long time little buddy, and I hope the spot I picked out for you is to your liking.

Rest in peace moo-cow.

I don't think I'll be keeping pigs again any time soon. I get too attached. I cried for the first time today in about 4 years...
 
So sorry for your loss :( it's so hard when we lose our little ones. Rest in peace Moo-cow and big hugs to you x
 
I am sorry that you have lost your very special guy. He and the memories he leaves will live forever in your heart!

That is a wonderful resting place you have chosen for him!

RIP Moo-Cow
 
I'm sorry to hear you lost Moo-Cow, sounds like he had a long and happy life with you instead of being cramped up in a cage.

RIP Moo Cow x
 
Thank you all for your kind words. I assure you I'll be watching over his resting place to make sure nothing disturbs him. I rode over there this afternoon and added some more rocks over his grave in an attempt to keep the animals from digging him up.

I gotta take his cage apart and all that good stuff later tonight. I've been avoiding it. Its sad knowing that his squeaks will no longer be waking me up at 4am.

Rest in peace little buddy.
 
..That nearly made me cry8... What a horrid start to life he had. I'm glad that you took him in. I am not surprised that he was so skittish. How sweet is that to have the last cuddle with him:0 If you have any, we would love to see some pictures of Moo-Cow. Personally I think it would be good to get more guinea pigs, to help you get over it. That's if you want more pets of course... I am so sorry for your loss...
From Guineagurl, Pete, Ninja, Daisy, Smokey and Sweet Pea
 
Don't give up on caring for guinea pigs, the fact you cried today proves you are a caring person and could give so much love to another little piggie in the future, when you are ready....
 
guineagurl said:
If you have any, we would love to see some pictures of Moo-Cow.
Click to expand...

I'll do you one better, for some reason I made a video of him on my phone about two months ago:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps52Ttx6gEw[/ame]

As for keeping more pigs. I'm at a point in my life where I can't really care for more animals atm. I've had pigs on and off since I was a boy, and they've always been great pets and I have nothing against 'them. I'll just be traveling so much and so busy in the next few years that there is no way I could care for one, much less bond with one like I did with good old Moo-Cow.

Thank you all again for your kind words. I might not keep any pigs anymore, but I'll always be lurking around and maybe I can offer some advice and help a fellow pig keeper.
 
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So very sorry for your loss

RIP Moo Cow
x x
 
So sorry to hear your sad news, you had me in tears 8...
I've only recently lost one of my beautiful piggies so I know how hard this can be. Rest in peace Moo-Cow.
x
 
Oh no this is so sad, whee are sorry to hear about your friend Moo-Cow 8...8...8...
RIP Moo-Cow run free at the bridge, enjoy eating the lush green grass and dandelion leaves, and popcorning thru the meadows, you'll be very sadly missed by your Daddy, but NEVER ever forgotten xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) and lots of loves from Glynis, Velvet and Onyx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Another little star now twinkling in the sky ............... :(


Thanks so much for sharing some of Moo-Cow's life and that beautiful vid x) You will have so many wonderful memories of her!
Hope you pop on everynow and then for a chat too :)
 
So sorry to hear about Moo-cow,
Hope your ok, think of all the happy times you had with him :)
RIP little man xx
 
Once again, thank you all for your kind words.

My only regret is I never got another pig for Moo-Cow to be buddies with...but knowing his personality (he was a bit of a loaner) I'm not sure he would have enjoyed that anyway.

At any rate....I think he thought he was the only pig on earth lol. :D

First thing this morning I rode over to his grave, added some more rocks and finally finished getting it all set up real nice. He's got an awesome spot man...I'm jealous. Its where I someday hope to build my own home.

Anyway (and I don't know the rules so sorry if I'm breaking one here) I hung out with him for about 15 minutes and burned some grass with him. Smoked one for him basically. I also brought him some of his favorite fresh grass from the yard and put it there for him. Told him I'd see him sometime tomorrow. :)

I plan to visit him once a day if I can, if not once a day, at least a few days a week.

Also, you guys keep mentioning "pop-corning". Moo-Cow didn't get in that mood very often, but when he did it was sooooooo funny to watch. I swear I've never had a pig like him before and I doubt I'll ever have another one with his type of personality. He was one in a million and I can't believe he lived to be that old... I wish I could verify his age somehow, he might have broken the record! :D

You guys are so nice....if I can ever offer any of you any help I'll do everything I can. Thank you all for listening. :)

Also, I think I might have posted this in the wrong forum? If that's the case, feel free to move it to the proper location and sorry for the extra work to whichever moderator gets stuck with that task.
 
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I hate to bump, but I kinda just stopped visiting suddenly and didn't want to make a new one.

I just wanted to thank you guys again, and after some thought and some changes in my life over these past two months I've decided that at some point next year I'll probably look into keeping another piggie or two. I came back around to look into rescues and will be lurking around those forums more often. I guess I got a soft spot for animals...I've already taken in a stray dog since Moo-Cow passed on.

We also had another death in the family shortly after Moo-Cow. Our old cat (a stray we took in about 13 years ago) suddenly went blind and two weeks later she died as well. She was restless the last two weeks, very restless, wouldn't eat, barely slept, barely drank water. They were trying to flush her kidneys at the vets for those two weeks and nothing was effective, finally told us there was nothing we can do and gave us the option of having her put to sleep.

My grandmother would have none of that, and brought her back home. Anyway, the last two days the cat was "at peace" (not my words) sleeping nearly all the time. She passed away peacefully in the middle of the night.

I was never a big fan of cats, but I gotta tell you. That was the most well behaved cat I've ever seen in my life. She had so much personality, for example, she always had to at least be offered the "people food" at supper time, and would raise hell until someone cut a piece of meat for her and put it in her personal plate near the table (a chair in the corner by the supper table >)). She always went outside to do her business and wouldn't use the litter box unless she was sick and forced to stay in. When I used to work around my grandparents house in the summer she'd always come down and hang out with me until the work was done. I swear, any time I was working over there I'd hear a "meow" about 15 minutes after I got started and she'd always find a spot to relax and keep me company.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you again. This was really helpful to me...it ain't exactly right for a grown man to go around crying about his beloved piggie where I live, so it was good to vent on a place where people are understanding :).

Y'all have a good'un, you hear? ;)
 
I am sorry that you have had more losses and glad that you are thinking about rescuing a pair of piggies at a later stage.

The funny thing about men is - they cuddle our piggies and faff over them as soon as they think nobody is watching... :)) My hub always cries worse when we have to bury a piggy than me!
 
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