How important are your piggies?

Status
Not open for further replies.
karonus

karonus

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
1,996
Reaction score
2,194
Points
965
Location
Dudley, West Midlands
I felt I needed to write this so members of the forum can understand how our much our piggies mean to us. In October 2007 we lost our 10 year old son to an accident, agreeing to turn of the machines was hard, less hard surprisingly was to donate his organs (stunned some nurses as we volunteered). The following year we had a huge whole that we needed to fill, more especially for our daughter Katy.

She initially wanted a dog, but as Katy was 9 by then I knew muggins would be doing all the walking and scooping. With the best will in the world I am a cat person and knew I couldnt commit so that was shelved. Then some one suggested piggies.

My only previous experience was my ex wifes piggy in an outside hutch and wasn't keen on the idea. I was introduced to the concept of indoor piggies. I was "persuaded" so September 2008 we introduced Sunshine and Flower into our home. It wasnt long before I was smitten, as I was the only one who could handle Sunshine initially. (This became a close thing, when being cuddled when she got the chance she would french kiss me - its a little unnerving).

In September 2009 we lost Flower and we were joined by Flower Junior, Moon and Star. All of our piggies have adjusted to caravan holidays. In January this year I noticed that Sunshine had increased in size but as she was a greedy piggy we thought a diet might be needed. Then she went of her food, I spent a night snuggling her before a mad early morning dash to emergency vet. I had not found this forum then.

The vet diagnosed a tumour, a big tumour around her kidney. The prognosis was not good and Sunshine seemed to know this and we ended up with Sunshine PTS.

I have written elsewhere about Midnight joining us and how we then lost Junior.

All of this, the loss of Flower, Sunshine and Junior always results in taking of the scab that covers the wound of losing Michael. Each lost piggy means as much as the loss of Michael.

We let our pets into our hearts to the extent we love them unconditionally, in exactly the same way we love a child. When we lose a piggy we lose a member of our family, this is why it hurts.

But we should never forget them, keep your photos, look at them periodically and remember fondly the times you had fun (and trouble) with them.

Above all remember how important your piggies are to you and look after them as you would a child.
 
What a wonderful, wonderful post, brought tears to my eyes. I am so so sorry to hear about the loss of Michael, how terrible for you. I think losing anything you bond with whether it be human or animal is just awful and as you say, it takes a little part of you away each time. Sometimes its hard to focus on the good things when you feel so bad but with time I guess the pain gets less.

I always remember the saying 'Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all'

Everyone on this forum will know how you feel and can equate to what you say. Its lovely to meet you via the forum, thank you.
 
You guys have been through more than any family should ever have to go through, and come out the other side :) I'm also honoured that you feel able to share that with us.

I agree with you with how much these furry little creatures mean to you once they get into your heart. The amount of times I heard "it's only a guinea pig" when faced with a £2000 vets bill for one of mine made my blood boil! I'd never hesitate to spend that kind of money on my dog, why should a guinea pig be any different?

You can love an animal unconditionally and they will return that love :)
 
Thanks for such a lovely post - sometimes people without pets dont realise how they are as much part of the family as a human member.
I am really sorry for all your losses :(
x
 
I have to say, that brought me to tears too, and I thank you for sharing it with us. I never had children, so have "only" known the loss of beloved pets, but I would wholeheartedly endorse what you say.

My sincere condolences to you on the loss of your son.
 
what a lovely heartfelt post, it bought tears to my eyes. My pets like my children mean the world to me too. I have lost many pets throughout my life and cry buckets for each and everyone of them. I have not lost a son or daughter, but I have lost a baby grandaughter at 4 months. I have also lost both my parents, but I can say that the loss of a pet is just the same heartache for me. My pets are and always will be a part of my family. :rose
 
Thank you for your replies, we try not to be maudlin and something that helps (with Michael as well as piggies) was the quote on the Basra war memorial. I think that this applies equally to our piggies as well.

'Honourable age does not depend on length of days, nor is number of years a true measure of life.'
 
Thank you for posting this, it's so heartfelt and I think anyone who says (like my work colleagues) 'it's just a guinea pig' should be made to read this.
You put into words how I feel.

I'm sorry for what you have been through, no parent should have to go through that. I admire your honesty and bravery.
 
:(
I am really sorry to hear about your son. I am a little overwhelmed by reading your post.

I lost my nan when I was 7, round about the same time I started to have piggies in my life. As I always say is animals are magic!
 
I am so very very sorry to hear about Michael, this post brought a tear to my eye. (actually I'm lying it bought several which consequently have soaked my face) :red
You have put into words, something that I have struggled to explain to people for years, and very beautifully too may I add.
I have never had a child and so cannot say 'i know how you feel' but what i can say is you are wonderful, I have so much respect and admiration for you, you have come through a terrible time and in doing so opened your heart to some piggies who needed you.
Many hugs to you and your piggies. x
 
As a parent I can only imagine what it would be like to lose a child that age, it would be devastating & I'm not sure if I'd be as strong as you are :red I am so sorry for your loss.

Your post brought tears to my eyes too, my piggies are also like children to me, as much as real ones; when I lost my 7 year old piggy Poppy last year I cried for a week solid, I don't think I'll ever really get over her loss. I could never tell anyone outside of my family & this forum as they just wouldn't understand how much we all loved her & how much she was part of our family.
 
Just made me and my teenage son cry - hugs to you xx
 
You're right Steve, it is like a scab that gets picked off and makes the wound bleed fresh.
It never gets any easier and it's feels just the same every time, sometimes I think it gets worse because we're worn a little thinner each time so it becomes more difficult to cope with, each loss adds to the loss of the last one.
But that is also a measure of how much you love and have been loved and so that must be better than growing a callous over our hearts.
x
 
wow what a touching story...I actually let out a sob8... I feel so sorry for your loss...and I could not agree with you more that they are our family as much as a child would be. If you dont mind me sharing a story I would love to express how much hurt I'm feeling right now and such dissapointment with some of our family members. My husband and I feel the same way as you, we treat our piggis like they are our children. One of our piggis had to go into surgery lst week and it ended up costing us $500...we didnt even think twice or question the amount, we just said do everything you can and whatever you have too. Later that night we were both feeling fragile when we brought our little bundle of joy home with stitches from under her chin to her lower belly...the phone rings non stop...first it is the in laws, then my parents...we told them what had happened and how much it cost (as they both asked and we didnt think much of it at the time) well firstly my father in law was disgusted that we spent that on a guinea pig and started going on about how we should have just brought a new one and had her put down...this KILLED me and I believe this was the first true arguement I have had with him in 7 years. Then my mum was mortified at how expensive it was and proceeded to tell me that I'm 28 years of age, when am I going to sort out my priorities...that money could have being used towards a ticket back to my home country for a visit...I then told her that it was that kind of attitude that makes me not want to get a ticket home! I cant believe it, did they really bring me up? Are my in laws and my own flesh and blood that ignorant to realise the true value of a much loved family pet? It breaks my heart to think people would have chosen to have her put down than to try everything to save her life. They constantly tell us that guinea pigs dont even live for 2 years and its wasting our money...I cant wait to prove them all wrong and have all our healthy guinea pigs die of old age...REALLY old age!
Thank you for your post....reminded me that not all humans are awful. Just my families
 
this brought tears to my eyes (an i was at school so everyone was thinking i was crazy) i cannot imagine ever going through what * guys did, however i know how ** daughter feels i lost my little sister when i was seven, and i understand the emptyness that leaves behind in a child alone, i hope * guys are coping still, its been 10yrs for my sister and i am still the same as the month after she died, so my thoughts are with * and ** family and wish the luck that one day things could seem a little better as i know it could never be the same again
my thoughts are with * x
 
Well that was straight from your heart...... you took my breath away, i've cried and i'm sympathising with you all XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Michael was a very lucky boy to have had such beautiful parents and sister XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I'm sure that each time one of your piggies leaves to go to the bridge, they're welcomed by Michael and they both look down and chat about living with you all XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thankyou for sharing

Glynis XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
And yes my girls mean everything to me...... i'm also a hooman mum too!
I think it's something to do with the fact that you really are their carer just like a young child. My three kids are all grown up, two still at home at the moment, but i love and enjoy the caring of my girls...no task is difficult i actually love clean out days, it takes me at least an hour but i chat and watch the girls.

When my Mum passed away in 2008 i found solace in Duke ...... i used to hug him and cry all over him and he'd just sit and listen and look at me. He went and joined my Mum 7mths later...that was really hard. Then my girls came into my life 6 mths after that. I have photo's of both the boys beside my bed.

Yes piggies are part of our lives and each time one goes to the bridge, part of me goes with them......

I must say tho that not everyone thinks like this i have a MIL (mother in law) that thinks they're dispensable (no i'm not that close to her as you can understand). My Mum was the only person in my family other than my OH that understood what i was feeling.
 
Thank you for such an incredibly moving and heartfelt post, didn't half take the breath out of me :(

You and your family have my utmost respect and admiration for your strength and courage.
 
What a incredibly moving and honest post. Thank you so much for posting your story. It was really touching. I have nothing but admiration for you and your family.
 
Wow what an awesome thing to be able to say.

Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one human or piggy but the ones we have left help us through.

I am unlikely to have my own kids but have my furry babies instead and they have helped me through some seriously difficult years.

No-one should underestimate the power of love even that of a small animal like a guinea-pig. Often their unconditional love, cuddles and wheeks have held me together when everything else can't.
 
What helps us with Michael is that the only organs we could donate were his eyes and heart valves. We know his eyes have been used to help 4 different children.

We like to think that our piggies are now keeping Michael company as well. Perhaps as micro surgery becoomes more common place vets could be trained and transplants become feasible for animals.
 
How beautifully said.

I think that some people will never know the love of an. Animal until they have kept one.

My budgies mean the world to me and sometimes ppl think I'm crazy but i treat them as If they are my babies. I don.t know how I will survive without them. The thought of it is beyond what I can feel.

Thank you for sharing your post and I am sorry for the loss of your family members x
 
I'm very sorry to hear of your little boy
I don't ever want children myself so my guinea pigs and my other animals mean the world to me as they are my children
 
So sorry to hear about your son, but what a positive way of lokking at the way his organs have helped others. I never had children so my lovely animals have always been treated and loved as such. Losing them is heartbreaking, but you never forget their special little ways.x
 
Your post made me cry, it was so beautifully written. My daughter is 10 years old and the thought of having to live without her is unbearable, my heart breaks for you.

I can also understand the joy of piggies....I've only had my two boys for a few months and I'm besotted by them already, they are my other children...

thank you for sharing your story
 
karonus said:
What helps us with Michael is that the only organs we could donate were his eyes and heart valves. We know his eyes have been used to help 4 different children.

We like to think that our piggies are now keeping Michael company as well. Perhaps as micro surgery becomes more common place vets could be trained and transplants become feasible for animals.
Click to expand...

I'm glad someone else thinks like this. I've been thinking something similar since the suicide of a 13 year old I knew well last year. She had her own piggies and now I know that she's looking after my boys when they passed over the bridge not long after her death. It helps me deal with her death and theirs to know they are together. Chelsea also left as part of her final wishes that she wanted to be an organ doner and as such has helped 11 people. I think it brings her family and friends huge comfort to know that although Chelsea chose to leave us, her life was not wasted.

Hugs to your family on the loss of Michael. With my greif as one of Chelsea's youth leaders I can only imagine how hard it must be for a parent who has lost a child.

Hugs & wheeks from Rachel & the boys. x
 
Thank you. That was so totally heart felt.

I don't even want to imagine losing my two children. I guess I am still in the ferocious love stage of it all (I wold protect them with my life) and don't even want to "go there" as it says. But I remember well losing my first "beloved" GP, and it was heart breaking. I can be very blunt about emotional things, but I tend to 'feel' animal loss easier than human loss (if that makes sense, I find it easier to grieve?). I see the loss as different tho? Not 'less'. I am a mild tempered person but when some one described the dog I had grown up with, was my first word and my protector, as 'just a dog' (after he died) I nearly had to be restrained. I suppose I box things in different ways. I would always ensure my piggies were well loved for and well cared for and ALWAYS that they had a sound quality of life. I just wish it were as 'easy' to promise that for my children.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top