Gethenian
Junior Guinea Pig
It's taken me a while to post here because... I wasn't really ready to put what I felt into words. I hadn't processed it. I had her for such a short time -- only 9 days.
I was told she was 4 weeks old when I got her, which I know is early to separate babies from their mother, but the circumstances -- which I am not clear on the details of -- made it necessary. I didn't plan to adopt a second piggy the day I got her. But it was love at first sight when I saw her and I had meant to get my first piggy, Kindle, a friend much sooner. So Nook came home with me.
From the start, she had a real personality, and it fascinated me. She was very different than my first piggy Kindle. Nook was fearless and didn't mind me putting her into any sort of temporary carrying container or climber I pleased. She loved to explore -- everything, everywhere! She loved to climb and be high up. And when she'd finally tired herself out, she picked a fuzzy crinkle ferret-tunnel as her favourite place to sleep, and sprawled herself out and snoozed while I watched. All of these things are opposite to Kindle's much more reserved and cautious personality.
I only once ever saw any sign of illness in her, which I determined was due to dust from the construction going on downstairs, not her being sick. She was peppy and happy and had a good appetite until what must have been only hours before she died. The evening of April 27th, my sister went up to feed my piggies some fresh veggies since I was away that night. She told me Nook accepted them and munched them down with gusto, wheeking softly as she did.
The next morning, when I got home, I went upstairs to check on the girls. Nook appeared to be asleep in her crinkle tube. I opened her cage just to give her a poke and wake her, and knew immediately that she was dead. Her body was cold under my hand, and stiff when I lifted the tube up to look in at her. Her eyes were open, but she was lying down as if asleep.
I don't know why she died. I took the best care of her that I could, but folks on the forum have told me that sometimes ones so young just... stop living.
I do miss her. She was so spirited. And I'm sorry I'll never see her grow big enough for me to tell if she was long-haired like I thought she might have been. She would have been so beautiful.