Hi all
I've had a bit of a time of it over the last few months.
The long and short of it is I have lost 3 piggies since September last year, one after a long battle with the dreaded bladder sludge, one on Xmas morning and the most recent last week very suddenly.
I now have a single 5 year old sow who is coping very well. However I am really struggling with my emotions through this difficult patch of trying to find a new friend for her due to the guilt of her being alone. To make matters worse, I'm supposed to be going away on holiday next week and I feel awful about leaving her.
BIG HUGS
I am very sorry for your string of losses. It is hard because each loss brings the others and all not yet processed grief up again. Please try to be kind with yourself and to give yourself time. If you have several piggies, deaths don't happen evenly spread out; they happen in wodges. I call my wodges 'stampedes to the Rainbow Bridge'.
Here is our grieving guide with helpful information and practical tips for the owners themselves:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
If your old lady is coping (eating and drinking and going about her life again within a few days of maybe somewhat withdrawn), then you have ideally 1-4 weeks' time to find her a new companion but if necessary, it is worth holding out even longer for a special one or in the case of neutering a bereaved boar for sow company.
I hope that this will take you past your holiday.
Here is more information on what you can do for a bereaved piggy but also how you can balance your own grieving with your piggy's needs:
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
The biggest mistake you can make right now, is to run and try find a companion in a hurry - let your old lady have a say in how she wants to live out her life. That is not a quick process if it doesn't work out easily or at all so it is better to wait until you are back and can then adapt to her idea of how she wants to live out her life. Some older sows (especially under-sows) can be desperate for company but many old ladies prefer to rather keep their company on the other side of their grids even though they still need that stimulation.
It also depends on whether your girl is open to sharing her territory or whether she would prefer a neighbour to interact with. Are you thinking about continuing with guinea pigs or are you thinking about stopping? In the first case, I would consider a bonded pair young sows that can grow up together as neighbours if needed as your plan B without you having to find a new mate again anytime soon. In the second, an older single (of either gender) as a next door neighbour may be a solution.
Please make sure that you enjoy your holiday and that you take the time to do spend regularly sensory moments - feeling your environment with all senses - in order to relax and to anchor yourself again. This will not just improve your state of mind but it will also help you to process your grief.
If you wish, collect every day a little pebble or shell or a flower for your little much missed furryfriends and put them in a little dish in your room while you are thinking of them and while you send your love to them at the Bridge. It is a little ritual that can help you battle any feelings of guilt but it can focus your grief and then - having addressed the white elephant in the room - allow you to enjoy yourself afterwards without a bad conscience.
