LilyandGeorge
Junior Guinea Pig
Two weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our sweet darling George. The vet's diagnosis of a heart tumor was a terrible shock. He was 5 years old and had come to us just over a year ago. I'd just like to write a tribute to a very special piggie. I was feeling too sad to write it earlier.
George was a gentle and mild mannered boar, a perfect complement to his adventurous and assertive wifepig. Whilst Lily led the meal time wheeking, George would stand quietly behind, sniffing the air, although if you listened carefully, you could sometimes hear a deeper voiced man-wheek.
George was a fellow who knew what he liked and liked what he knew. After a brief craze on celery leaves, he returned to the old favourites of chicory, carrots, parsley and lettuce with the very occasional slice of banana. New fruits and veggies were rejected with a look of disdain.
This disappointed look was also used to great effect during his twice-daily hay inspections. George would visit each hay receptacle in turn and peer in to check the freshness of the hay. If it was freshly filled to his liking, he would dive in and munch appreciatively, pink ears jiggling away. If not, he would slowly step away, head down - a look too sad to bear for the piggie slave, prompting me to jump to it and refill them immediately!
George gave me lovely cuddles and piggie kisses when he was in the mood, preferably after his daily run. We did, however, see another side to his pigsonality when Lily was in season - on Big Chase Night, when he would chase his poor wifepig non-stop. Poor girl couldn't even stop to eat or seek refuge in a nest without him jumping on her! Then the next day, he would act as if nothing had happened, save for a look of slight embarrassment.
George's other favourite passtime was rumblestrutting. He discovered that he could achieve a particularly pleasing echo if he rumbled down the entrance of a tunnel, and liked to entertain us with this throughout the day. How we miss that sound!
Here are some of our favourite pictures of our handsome boar:
George was a gentle and mild mannered boar, a perfect complement to his adventurous and assertive wifepig. Whilst Lily led the meal time wheeking, George would stand quietly behind, sniffing the air, although if you listened carefully, you could sometimes hear a deeper voiced man-wheek.
George was a fellow who knew what he liked and liked what he knew. After a brief craze on celery leaves, he returned to the old favourites of chicory, carrots, parsley and lettuce with the very occasional slice of banana. New fruits and veggies were rejected with a look of disdain.
This disappointed look was also used to great effect during his twice-daily hay inspections. George would visit each hay receptacle in turn and peer in to check the freshness of the hay. If it was freshly filled to his liking, he would dive in and munch appreciatively, pink ears jiggling away. If not, he would slowly step away, head down - a look too sad to bear for the piggie slave, prompting me to jump to it and refill them immediately!
George gave me lovely cuddles and piggie kisses when he was in the mood, preferably after his daily run. We did, however, see another side to his pigsonality when Lily was in season - on Big Chase Night, when he would chase his poor wifepig non-stop. Poor girl couldn't even stop to eat or seek refuge in a nest without him jumping on her! Then the next day, he would act as if nothing had happened, save for a look of slight embarrassment.
George's other favourite passtime was rumblestrutting. He discovered that he could achieve a particularly pleasing echo if he rumbled down the entrance of a tunnel, and liked to entertain us with this throughout the day. How we miss that sound!
Here are some of our favourite pictures of our handsome boar:
