I can hardly believe I am posting this, but today I had to say goodbye to my gorgeous Rumbling Ralph (aka Ralphie)
Ralphie came with his name already via @The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue. He was surrendered by a family who couldn’t keep him as he’d had a big fight with their boar, so they paid to have him neutered and surrendered him to the rescue. He initially moved in with my sow herd consisting of Holly, Poppy, Mabel and Sylvia. His favourite ladies were Holly (Abby) and Sylvia (long haired). It was the noisiest, humpiest, smelliest bonding I can recall. He was utterly rampant, and wore himself out with his enthusiasm. He patrolled and rumbled all day and all night long.
As the herd grew smaller due to losses, Ralph and Holly remained constant. She always tolerated his ridiculous rumbling and patrolling.
I tried on many occasions to introduce another sow to this funny little pair. I was concerned that as Ralphie was Holly’s toy boy and as Holly has had more health scares than any other piggy I’ve ever kept, if she passed before him, he’d be alone. However, despite having lived with 4 sows initially he was an absolute nightmare when I tried to introduce any other sow or sows. He took on and fought so many lovely sows. And those who he didn’t hate on sight soon grew fed up with his rampant rumbling and patrolling and made their dislike very clear. We tried him with so many sows that it became an inside joke in the rescue about my failure to bond him. Eventually however, he settled on Hazel who came to us as a little baby and who idolised her daddy boar. The trio lived happily together for over 2 years. Ralph was delighted to find 2 sows he could rumble, round up and boss about.
Ralph was an absolute delight with humans. He was the piggy who answered to his name - came when you called him, and adored being petted in his cage. He was a dream to handle, loved a mummy snuggle and despite being a nightmare to bond, he otherwise gave me no trouble at all.
The first inkling I had that anything was awry was this morning when he was slow to come for his brekkie. After he’d chomped on some of his favourite coriander he took a chunk of cucumber back to his bed and then didn’t come out to find out what I was doing while I was cage cleaning at the other end of his cage. I whipped him out and checked him over and found he’d lost a load of weight since last Sunday (weigh day). So I called the vets and got him booked in for this afternoon. He chomped his way through a large Emeraid syringe feed, but otherwise gave no indication of what might be wrong.
Sadly at the vets an X-ray showed he had multiple bladder stones. It was a heartbreaking but straightforward decision to help him to the Rainbow Bridge. I brought him home so the girls could say goodbye and he has now been buried. We are certainly going to miss him. He was such a small boar with a huge personality. Popcorn and rumble freely at the Rainbow Bridge, my little Ralphie xx
Ralphie came with his name already via @The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue. He was surrendered by a family who couldn’t keep him as he’d had a big fight with their boar, so they paid to have him neutered and surrendered him to the rescue. He initially moved in with my sow herd consisting of Holly, Poppy, Mabel and Sylvia. His favourite ladies were Holly (Abby) and Sylvia (long haired). It was the noisiest, humpiest, smelliest bonding I can recall. He was utterly rampant, and wore himself out with his enthusiasm. He patrolled and rumbled all day and all night long.
As the herd grew smaller due to losses, Ralph and Holly remained constant. She always tolerated his ridiculous rumbling and patrolling.
I tried on many occasions to introduce another sow to this funny little pair. I was concerned that as Ralphie was Holly’s toy boy and as Holly has had more health scares than any other piggy I’ve ever kept, if she passed before him, he’d be alone. However, despite having lived with 4 sows initially he was an absolute nightmare when I tried to introduce any other sow or sows. He took on and fought so many lovely sows. And those who he didn’t hate on sight soon grew fed up with his rampant rumbling and patrolling and made their dislike very clear. We tried him with so many sows that it became an inside joke in the rescue about my failure to bond him. Eventually however, he settled on Hazel who came to us as a little baby and who idolised her daddy boar. The trio lived happily together for over 2 years. Ralph was delighted to find 2 sows he could rumble, round up and boss about.
Ralph was an absolute delight with humans. He was the piggy who answered to his name - came when you called him, and adored being petted in his cage. He was a dream to handle, loved a mummy snuggle and despite being a nightmare to bond, he otherwise gave me no trouble at all.
The first inkling I had that anything was awry was this morning when he was slow to come for his brekkie. After he’d chomped on some of his favourite coriander he took a chunk of cucumber back to his bed and then didn’t come out to find out what I was doing while I was cage cleaning at the other end of his cage. I whipped him out and checked him over and found he’d lost a load of weight since last Sunday (weigh day). So I called the vets and got him booked in for this afternoon. He chomped his way through a large Emeraid syringe feed, but otherwise gave no indication of what might be wrong.
Sadly at the vets an X-ray showed he had multiple bladder stones. It was a heartbreaking but straightforward decision to help him to the Rainbow Bridge. I brought him home so the girls could say goodbye and he has now been buried. We are certainly going to miss him. He was such a small boar with a huge personality. Popcorn and rumble freely at the Rainbow Bridge, my little Ralphie xx
He was a beautiful boy who had a wonderful home with you and his ladies. (((hugs))) Sleep tight Ralph xx
