Thank you Tinsel.

Whortleberry

Whortleberry

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 13, 2019
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Location
Devon, UK
Tinsel,

Thank you so much for coming to live with me and for playing a hugely important part in Sparkle's life.

Sparkle Tinsel.webp

(Sparkle on the left, Tinsel on the right).

The start was very random and unexpected and I had to learn an awful lot very quickly - you did too.
From only being able to pick you up using a tunnel, we worked out how to make it safe to collect you from the hay box.
Eventually you discovered it was OK to approach more directly.
You made the link between the sound of the fridge opening and the appearance of veggies and would say "hello" when I got in from work.
Sometimes I would cut an apple up and share it round between us all - everyone seemed to enjoy that! If I could wheek, I would!
I'm not sure who was more surprised or wetter when I first gave you a bath!
Fortunately we discovered that it's possible to remain hygienic with more limited bottom washes.
You loved playtime, grass, non-nail-clipping-cuddles, burying yourself in hay and lying on top of, rather than inside, fleece tunnels.
And were definitely the boy-boss.

Smaller Tinsel with hay.webp

I'm so very sorry you passed as you did.
We saw the vet twice in the space of 24 hours but you died in my arms not long after the second visit.
The whole thing was so quick you didn't even lose any weight.

Your younger-human-helper-carers miss you.
They made some lovely tributes and the whole family came to pay their respects.
"He had a small body but a big heart"

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I know your friend, Sparkle, has been missing you a lot too.

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You got through the difficult adolescent period to become firm friends in adulthood and neither of you went anywhere alone - until last month.
I'm sure Sparkle would prefer to be snuggled next to you.

Rest in peace little Tinsel.
October 2015 - July 2019

Tinsel in hay small.webp
 
So sorry you lost such a beautiful piggie. Sometimes the call from the Rainbow Bridge is so strong they just have to go. Tinsel is now out of pain, popcorning, scoffing his favourite fooe and making lots of new friends.
 
Thank you very much for such kind words. It's very nice to feel so understood!

My niece put together a little order-of-remembrance-service sheet which had a sweet poem on it. It seems to sum everything up. It's probably been posted lots of times in the Rainbow Bridge section but I'd like to put it here too.

My Forever Pet

There's something missing in my home,
I feel it day and night,
I know it will take time and strength
before things feel quite right.

But just for now, I need to mourn,
My heart it needs to mend.
Though some may say, "It's just a pet,"
I know I've lost a friend.

You've brought such laughter to my home,
and richness to my days.
A constant friend through joy or loss
with gentle, loving ways.

Companion, friend, and confidante,
A friend I won't forget.
You'll live forever in my heart,
My sweet forever pet.

Susanne Taylor
 
What a lovely tribute to Tinsel.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
Remember all the good memories and the love you shared.
Thanks for sharing the poem too
 
Thank you!
Yes, first lost piggy.
It's so lovely to have somewhere safe to remember him.
 
That’s a beautiful tribute to an obviously adored piggy. I’m so sorry for your loss. Small piggies leave big holes in your heart when they go.
 
I’m so sorry x
Tinsel is having fun over the rainbow bridge, popcorning free
Remember, he will always love you, as you will always love him x
 
A beautiful heartfelt tribute to your handsome boy, he obviously had such a wonderful life so very full of love with you, i am really sorry for your loss.

Sleep well little one

RIP Tinsel
x x
 
Thank you so much for so many empathic replies.
He played a big part in my life and I'm ever so grateful he appeared.
Sparkle and Tinsel were meant to be for my nieces at Christmas 2015.
I knew absolutely nothing about guinea pigs but couldn't bear to see teeny, clearly utterly terrified, 10 week old creatures in a hutch outside in freezing cold howling wind and rain.
Fortunately my sister listened to my concerns and they had a night or two inside. My brother in law turned out to be highly allergic and I suggested they could come and live with me until something more permanent was sorted out. Only they didn't leave...! They've even come on holiday (when not too far away and a suitable set-up).
Whilst I felt a bit bad on the child front ("stealing their presents" eek... that's a bad aunty!) I think it has probably worked out for the best all round. My nieces have been able to dip in and out of caring responsibilities without the guinea pigs being impacted by children's natural ups and downs in interest and priorities. And I discovered the joy of having pigs around :love:
 
Thank you Sparkle.

It is hard to think of you without the past couple of months and all its focus on treating you for a respiratory infection complicated by an underlying tumour being uppermost in my mind. In some ways this is a shame, for this was not Sparkle of "The Tinsel and Sparkle Show".

Annotation 2019-08-15 120354.webp

In other ways, I feel utterly blessed to have had the opportunity to develop such a deep and trusting bond with you, arising from all the time spent sat together patiently syringing medication and supplements. Thank you for all the times you "groomed" me, as you used to groom Tinsel and for all the snuggly cuddles. You appeared to bear his loss surprisingly well. There were a few days when I worried about you grieving but you seemed to perk up with the addition of your "substitute friend" (whom you lay next to as you did Tinsel), time spent watching and chatting to you as you pootled about and the radio on low in my absence.

IMG_4758 smaller.webp

When you were first new to me, we worked out that I could pick you up in a long piece of drain pipe which you would scurry to the middle of and then slowly emerge from the other side on to my lap, hair standing on end.
I'm not sure how we learnt to do hair-cutting; there was a lot of it though (both hair and cutting!) and the inevitable matted poo / hay to extricate from underneath from time to time.
You were the more submissive member of the duo. I remember once, when you were both about one-and-a-half thinking that you'd found your louder and more assertive streak, only to rapidly reframe this as Tinsel being quieter and more timid because he was poorly with a UTI. In a way I'm glad this wasn't and didn't become a top-pig battle because you made a really well bonded pair. The relatively short period between Tinsel passing over the Rainbow Bridge and your own journey may have been something of a blessing.
You loved snuggling in a fleece tunnel, lying by Tinsel's head, rolling a sea-grass ball around and doing the speediest of speedy zoomies and laps.

I had to make a difficult decision to have you put to sleep when your health increasingly deteriorated. You were very poorly and it was clear you couldn't continue. We held a service of remembrance for you and buried you next to Tinsel. You are much missed by everyone, including your younger carers.

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You were such firm friends with Tinsel that I am in many ways glad you are reunited in death. I hope you are somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge having a little squabble over the "best" lettuce leaf or piece of pepper or snuggled next to each other.

Rest in peace little Sparkle.
October 2015 to August 2019

Floor time (3).webp
 
What a beautiful tribute to your gorgeous boys. They leave such a massive hole in our hearts when they leave us.
Hope you're both popcorning free over the bridge Tinsel and Sparkle. Xx
 
What a beautiful tribute to your two special piggies.
Popcorn free across the rainbow bridge little ones.💕🌈🐾
 
Thank you @piggieminder and @YvonneBlue
Goodness I do miss them.
I went shopping yesterday and acquired only half the amount of veg I would usually. I also missed picking up cardboard boxes to fill with hay for them. It's all the little things that are big reminders.
Sparkle popcorned and came to investigate the dustpan and brush when I was cleaning his cage the evening before he died.
 
A lovely tribute for Tinsel.
I know the feeling, we lost Broly back in April and it’s still very hard.
Zoom free Tinsel!
*hugs*
 
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