baleofhay
Junior Guinea Pig
I am very sad to say that Zora has moved on. She went at the vets, in my arms, eating her favourite foods.
In 2010, I was given a sow. I had gone overseas and left the two boars I had in the care of someone who had piggies. Sadly my older boar, Neo, passed. The carer not wanting me to be too upset put my other boar, Spencer, in with a beautiful black and ginger sow who who of course fell pregnant. I was only told just before I got on the plane to come home and I wasn't pleased. On arrival in the country, my mum brought Spencer and the new little girl home. I have to admit, I was very upset about Neo and had trouble loving the sow for the first few weeks as she was a "replacement" for my Neo. Of course, I did warm up to her and named her Tess, Tessie for when I was feeling really affectionate. I had the best "coming home from school" experience ever when I found she had her litter and I fell in love with all the little zooming babys. My beautiful girl Zora, matching her mum in black and ginger, was one of these little babies. Tessie was such a good mum, always making sure to clean the legs of her ever complaining babies. All was not well with the litter tho, one was stillborn, two had been born without eyes and Zora was very very light. She was the runt, or the second smallest after the dead pup. A bit of extra special care of Zora had her mature into a simply amazing lady.
The three best words to describe Zora would be independent, quick and healthy. She didn't have much to do with me in her early years. She was simply too quick and would evade me with every turn. When I picked her up it was clear she didn't enjoy it, so I usually left her to her own devices and instead fussed over to her sister Widget who would walk to me and very clearly enjoyed being picked up. Did I love Zora less? Of course not, I just didn't want to stress her out by doing something she clearly didn't like.
The years passed. I graduated highschool, graduated university and one by one, that family of piggies passed. In 2017 I lost her last two siblings a couple months apart from each other and that really really hurt. Zora was still independent, but was slower and easier to catch. Cuddles on my lap proved to be very fun times because I had food she loved. She became very mellow and would purr small purrs when I slipped her strawberry. She was always very very healthy. Of her couple worries, she once ate a green plum and I had to massage the farts out of her, once she got a grass seed in her eye and another time she was found to have sludgy urine so I altered her diet. But then she hit around 7 and no longer wanted to climb ramps. She went on medication for arthritic pain relief and she got a bit of a second wind, she became quite mobile again. Soon she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and prescribed more meds to cover it.
In the last 6 months of her life things started to change. There was nothing wrong with her insides, she was still quite healthy for a old girl but her back legs were going. Her poos became messier and her mobility decreased until I was bathing poo and urine off her every day. I became worried she had a fractured foot and the vet couldn't tell me for sure, but did know she was definitely going downhill. I took her home for one more night of photos, cuddles and strawberries.
Yesterday, 25/1/19 my little girl gained her legs back and scampered over the Bridge to play with her brothers and sisters again. She was there for me for a long time. I have gone through a lot of life changes in the last 8 years and all with her to dote on. When she was in my arms for the last time, I told her to tell Tessie that I fulfilled the promise I made to her when she passed. I looked after all of Tessie's babies and in the end, found myself cleaning Zora's legs with as much love as Tess cleaned them so long ago.
I will love you forever Zora.
Sorry for the long post. I am very grateful for your suggestions and kind messages on my medical page for Zora. It helped a lot.
In 2010, I was given a sow. I had gone overseas and left the two boars I had in the care of someone who had piggies. Sadly my older boar, Neo, passed. The carer not wanting me to be too upset put my other boar, Spencer, in with a beautiful black and ginger sow who who of course fell pregnant. I was only told just before I got on the plane to come home and I wasn't pleased. On arrival in the country, my mum brought Spencer and the new little girl home. I have to admit, I was very upset about Neo and had trouble loving the sow for the first few weeks as she was a "replacement" for my Neo. Of course, I did warm up to her and named her Tess, Tessie for when I was feeling really affectionate. I had the best "coming home from school" experience ever when I found she had her litter and I fell in love with all the little zooming babys. My beautiful girl Zora, matching her mum in black and ginger, was one of these little babies. Tessie was such a good mum, always making sure to clean the legs of her ever complaining babies. All was not well with the litter tho, one was stillborn, two had been born without eyes and Zora was very very light. She was the runt, or the second smallest after the dead pup. A bit of extra special care of Zora had her mature into a simply amazing lady.
The three best words to describe Zora would be independent, quick and healthy. She didn't have much to do with me in her early years. She was simply too quick and would evade me with every turn. When I picked her up it was clear she didn't enjoy it, so I usually left her to her own devices and instead fussed over to her sister Widget who would walk to me and very clearly enjoyed being picked up. Did I love Zora less? Of course not, I just didn't want to stress her out by doing something she clearly didn't like.
The years passed. I graduated highschool, graduated university and one by one, that family of piggies passed. In 2017 I lost her last two siblings a couple months apart from each other and that really really hurt. Zora was still independent, but was slower and easier to catch. Cuddles on my lap proved to be very fun times because I had food she loved. She became very mellow and would purr small purrs when I slipped her strawberry. She was always very very healthy. Of her couple worries, she once ate a green plum and I had to massage the farts out of her, once she got a grass seed in her eye and another time she was found to have sludgy urine so I altered her diet. But then she hit around 7 and no longer wanted to climb ramps. She went on medication for arthritic pain relief and she got a bit of a second wind, she became quite mobile again. Soon she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and prescribed more meds to cover it.
In the last 6 months of her life things started to change. There was nothing wrong with her insides, she was still quite healthy for a old girl but her back legs were going. Her poos became messier and her mobility decreased until I was bathing poo and urine off her every day. I became worried she had a fractured foot and the vet couldn't tell me for sure, but did know she was definitely going downhill. I took her home for one more night of photos, cuddles and strawberries.
Yesterday, 25/1/19 my little girl gained her legs back and scampered over the Bridge to play with her brothers and sisters again. She was there for me for a long time. I have gone through a lot of life changes in the last 8 years and all with her to dote on. When she was in my arms for the last time, I told her to tell Tessie that I fulfilled the promise I made to her when she passed. I looked after all of Tessie's babies and in the end, found myself cleaning Zora's legs with as much love as Tess cleaned them so long ago.
I will love you forever Zora.
Sorry for the long post. I am very grateful for your suggestions and kind messages on my medical page for Zora. It helped a lot.
bridge little Zora with your lovely family.xx
