Sparklepetal
Teenage Guinea Pig
After a sudden and short illness, Trudy was helped to cross the rainbow bridge on Tuesday morning 
. After spending Monday as an in-patient with no improvement seen, she came home for the night to say goodbye to her special slave, my 14-year-old daughter. It was all very unexpected and has obviously left a big gap in our world as we are now piggyless.
I never posted a proper tribute to Hazelnut when she died last winter so I want to try and do justice to both these dear little characters now.
This is glossy brown beauty Hazelnut on the left (with her caramel swirls) and her white friend Trudy on the right (with her grey-agouti and apricot patches). The girls were quite different in character, but united in love of eating, sleeping, paper bags and hay piles. Both loved the daily routine of being taken to the indoor or outdoor run in the afternoon depending on the season, and then being returned to their hutch later. There was always an excited little purr as they first set paw in each new environment. Lawn time always put an extra spring in their step, while fresh carrot cottages or hay cubes were a wet weather delight.
Nutty's favourite forage was young raspberry leaves, and peaflakes and slivers of apple were her top luxury item. She loved to lie on a human lap and be stroked from nose to butt while melting into a flat furry puddle. For absolute peak preference, this should happen while warm sun shone on her fur! She would often 'sing' little noises to the human during this attention. Hazelnut could make herself into a very long animal when following a tantalising scent with her nose but reluctant to get her plump behind moving! She was very trusting about being picked up for transport and would walk herself up the human's wrist quite happily.
Trudy loved the bitter taste of dandelion and celery leaves, or chicory on special offer as a big treat! She was not such a cuddly girl with humans, but made an exception always for her special slave. The pinnacle of delight was when her slave wore her soft dressing gown and Trudy could snuggle into it. After consuming any treats on offer she would nose into the crook of my daughter's elbow, stretch out her little front feetsies and yawn like the MGM lion. I used to make guinea pig furniture from outgrown dressing gowns because the texture was so beloved by Trudy's discerning paws! Trudy was the more agile in both mind and body, often leaving her slower and more chilled friend behind. She was a real bright spark, very quick to learn.
Thank you girlies for all the happy memories, and for teaching our youngsters so much. Although it was hard work to care for you up to the exacting standards of the GPU, I never begrudged it, and I miss you both very much. xx
. After spending Monday as an in-patient with no improvement seen, she came home for the night to say goodbye to her special slave, my 14-year-old daughter. It was all very unexpected and has obviously left a big gap in our world as we are now piggyless.I never posted a proper tribute to Hazelnut when she died last winter so I want to try and do justice to both these dear little characters now.
This is glossy brown beauty Hazelnut on the left (with her caramel swirls) and her white friend Trudy on the right (with her grey-agouti and apricot patches). The girls were quite different in character, but united in love of eating, sleeping, paper bags and hay piles. Both loved the daily routine of being taken to the indoor or outdoor run in the afternoon depending on the season, and then being returned to their hutch later. There was always an excited little purr as they first set paw in each new environment. Lawn time always put an extra spring in their step, while fresh carrot cottages or hay cubes were a wet weather delight.
Nutty's favourite forage was young raspberry leaves, and peaflakes and slivers of apple were her top luxury item. She loved to lie on a human lap and be stroked from nose to butt while melting into a flat furry puddle. For absolute peak preference, this should happen while warm sun shone on her fur! She would often 'sing' little noises to the human during this attention. Hazelnut could make herself into a very long animal when following a tantalising scent with her nose but reluctant to get her plump behind moving! She was very trusting about being picked up for transport and would walk herself up the human's wrist quite happily.
Trudy loved the bitter taste of dandelion and celery leaves, or chicory on special offer as a big treat! She was not such a cuddly girl with humans, but made an exception always for her special slave. The pinnacle of delight was when her slave wore her soft dressing gown and Trudy could snuggle into it. After consuming any treats on offer she would nose into the crook of my daughter's elbow, stretch out her little front feetsies and yawn like the MGM lion. I used to make guinea pig furniture from outgrown dressing gowns because the texture was so beloved by Trudy's discerning paws! Trudy was the more agile in both mind and body, often leaving her slower and more chilled friend behind. She was a real bright spark, very quick to learn.
Thank you girlies for all the happy memories, and for teaching our youngsters so much. Although it was hard work to care for you up to the exacting standards of the GPU, I never begrudged it, and I miss you both very much. xx
