[Gpdd] [ANNOUNCEMENT] Lightning's gone

[Jaffe, Merle]

It is with heavy heart that I let the list know that Lightning, our 5 year
old boar is gone.  I have been lurking on GPDD for 5 years and learned a lot
(but obviously not enough) and have enjoyed keeping tabs on the GP-lover
community at large. Lightning was a unique guy-- mostly free range and very
smart.  He obeyed simple commands,  and had me trained to meet his schedule.
If I didn't come fast enough with breakfast in the morning he would start
ringing the bell that hung from his cage; when I got home from work he would
go crazy sucking and banging his water bottle till I let him out.  He would
stand at the bottom of the stairs wheeting until I brought him food.  He had
a special begging position.  In the morning we had a special routine before
I let him out of the cage-- he sniffed my hand (to make sure I was genuine I
guess) then let me give him a long pet, then run around the cage for a
"stretch pet".  While not a cuddle pig, he would love to be brushed and
rub-up against you.  He would jump on my lap to get his favorite treats.  He
traveled with us every weekend in the summer to his beach house that he
loved because it all was carpeted and he could go and stand right by the
refrigerator door and wheek. Most importantly, he loved to be talked to --
he would just look in your eyes while you went on-and-on about anything that
mattered at the moment.

The vet is not sure what killed him.  He went fast.  I knew he wasn't
himself on Sunday but at least was eating and pooping and peeing.  But he
wouldn't come out of his cuddle-cup bed. Of course all the vets are closed
and I really wouldn't have known what to tell them was wrong .  In
retrospect I think it might have been bacterial enteritis (sp?).  He had
been having little bouts of loose poos off and on for a couple of weeks, but
they never lasted long and I assumed I had just fed him too much greens.  I
wish I had thought to have a culture done.  I put him to bed Sunday night
knowing he was not well, but not knowing what to do.  When I went to check
him at 7:00 am on Monday, with a 10:00 vet appt, he was terrible and making
horrible noises. I got him out of his cage and he died in my arms. He was my
daughter's pet but in fact he became another member of the household.  It is
very sad and quiet and lonely. Even our housekeeper of many years is
grief-stricken.

Our Lightning will be so missed; I can't believe he is gone. 

________________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email
Security System. For more information on a proactive email security
service working around the clock, around the globe, visit
http://www.messagelabs.com
________________________________________________________________________