Guinea Pig Died, Handling Grief/will Sister Be Okay?

[laurens758]

Hello, yesterday afternoon, my vet informed me that my guinea pig, Peanut (6 years old), has cancer. We took her to the vet after we noticed she had stopped eating or moving around their cage. I wasn't expecting the outcome to be good, but I also did not realize how limited her time here would be. We planned to take her this morning to the vet to be euthanised, but when I went to see her this morning, I found that she had already passed away . I'm heartbroken and have not been able to stop crying. I just can't believe she's gone. How do I cope with this grief? And now I'm worried about her sister, Peaches, who is also 6 years old. She kept trying to snuggle up to Peanut last night, and I'm afraid she will be so sad and lonely. If she were younger, I would consider getting her a friend, but I think that would do more damage than anything else due to her age. What can I do to keep her happy? I'm devastated.

 

[Toffee321]

Possibly u could adopt another bereaved guinea pig as the same happened to mine and it worked now are both really happy

 

[Swissgreys]

Welcome to the Forum, and I am so very sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your lovely girl Peanut.
Six years is a good age for a guinea pig, and she was obviously very much loved and had a wonderful life with you.

There is a useful guide here on helping Peaches cope with the loss of her friend:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

The Forum also has a Rainbow Bridge section where you can post about your girl when you feel ready.
You can also get some ideas there on memorials or special items to celebrate her life.

 

[Claire W]

I am so very sorry for your loss

@Swissgreys has given you some great advice that I can't add too.

Thinking of you and Peaches xx

 

[Toffee321]

I am very sorry for your loss too and I have lost a guinea too so know how difficult it is
I hope your guinea pig is ok.

 

[Flutterby]

Welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry for your loss x

 

[Toffee321]

Or u could get a cuddly toy
My old guinea pig used to love snuggling up to it

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, yesterday afternoon, my vet informed me that my guinea pig, Peanut (6 years old), has cancer. We took her to the vet after we noticed she had stopped eating or moving around their cage. I wasn't expecting the outcome to be good, but I also did not realize how limited her time here would be. We planned to take her this morning to the vet to be euthanised, but when I went to see her this morning, I found that she had already passed away . I'm heartbroken and have not been able to stop crying. I just can't believe she's gone. How do I cope with this grief? And now I'm worried about her sister, Peaches, who is also 6 years old. She kept trying to snuggle up to Peanut last night, and I'm afraid she will be so sad and lonely. If she were younger, I would consider getting her a friend, but I think that would do more damage than anything else due to her age. What can I do to keep her happy? I'm devastated.

Hi and welcome

If you can please get a new friend of her choice for peaches once she comes out of deep mourning. ASAP if she stops eating and is suffering from acute pining. We may be able to help you better if you please added your country, state/province or UK country. What you decide for usually depends on your local options, but we be able to give recommendations.
@Swissgreys has given you our guide link already.

 

[laurens758]

Welcome to the Forum, and I am so very sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your lovely girl Peanut.
Six years is a good age for a guinea pig, and she was obviously very much loved and had a wonderful life with you.

There is a useful guide here on helping Peaches cope with the loss of her friend:
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

The Forum also has a Rainbow Bridge section where you can post about your girl when you feel ready.
You can also get some ideas there on memorials or special items to celebrate her life.

Where is the Rainbow Bridge section?

 

[Wiebke]

Where is the Rainbow Bridge section?

It's in in the Chat section, but here is a direct link: Rainbow Bridge Pets

 

[laurens758]

Hi and welcome

If you can please get a new friend of her choice for peaches once she comes out of deep mourning. ASAP if she stops eating and is suffering from acute pining. We may be able to help you better if you please added your country, state/province or UK country. What you decide for usually depends on your local options, but we be able to give recommendations.
@Swissgreys has given you our guide link already.

Do you think a new friend would help a six-year-old guinea pig? If that's what would help then I would consider but I thought it might upset her more

 

[sport_billy]

Do you think a new friend would help a six-year-old guinea pig? If that's what would help then I would consider but I thought it might upset her more

Just saw your RB post. It may do yes. Is Peaches eating acting okay? Piggies do grieve but get on with surviving after the loss of a friend as their survival instincts are strong and kick in. She will have known Peanut had died and that will help her understanding. We were in a similar position with our first piggies Pitch and Putt, they were sisters and did everything together even slept in same house. Putt was quiet for a few days after we lost Pitch but she coped well. We unfortunately couldn't get her a new friend due to medical reasons so she became a lone piggy for a year until she passed over the Rainbow Bridge too but she actually thrived on her own. I would however if possible always try to find a new friend as piggies love company of their own kind. Where abouts are you located? Some rescues offer piggy dating you see. When Cookie lost her sister to cancer we got her two new friends from Walsall RSPCA and she bonded very well

I do know how you are feeling, it is so hard to lose a pet who are part of our lives and family and then you have the worry of the piggy left behind. Make sure Peaches is eating and spend some extra time with her. This will help you both. We are all here for you if you need to talk about it the forum is very supportive

 

[Stayc1989]

Hello I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my beautiful fudge back in April and his friend frankie was devistated chewing the bars of his cage trying to get out and was in a state of depression. Iam still devistated about fudge because he was so important to me and I still to this day think about him every day, he is the screen saver on my phone and I refuse to ever change it because I feel like I would be disrespecting him. I was crying about him last night again but it does get easier.
I adopted a little friend for my frankie and I called him Freddie, It wasn't long after fudge passed away. And it did frankie the world of good back to his old self again. I would definitely look into adopting another one maybe an older girl to keep peaches company. It may also help your grief too. It did me, because I thought I know I've lost fudge but if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to adopt a guinea pig in need of a loving home. And with Freddie having pink eyes the lady at the rescue said they have a harder time finding a forever home (I have no idea why because I love pink eyes) and he could have ended up looking for a home for years.
I miss fudge so much it's unreal. He had a hard life before I got him and he was nasty but with a lot of time and patience he turned into a little angel. He was absolutely beautiful and so funny the things he used to do were hilarious like if he didn't get cucumber before bed and I gave him something else instead he would literally punch his food so it would hit the plastic house and sound like someone throwing a load of stones around the room. He was a real little character. At the time I felt like I was replacing him but I wasn't, I was doing what was best for frankie and ended up with a lovely little boy who deserves a loving home. He will never replace fudge and I don't want him to, I love the memories I have of fudge and love all the new ones I'm making with Freddie. I hope you and peaches are doing okay x