[Gpdd] [CARE] Blind Molly

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

Jaime
 
Three of the piggies I rescued from "that crocodile woman" here in Northern  
France were blind or almost blind, the vet said probably as the result of  
in-breeding. They managed incredibly well, as they'd never known proper sight.  
They always found their food and the water bottle, and ran around just like the 
 others, indoors or out. Their most endearing feature was that they didn't 
run  away and hide when I bent over to pick them up, because they didn't see my 
hand  coming! And if I sat in front of their open hutch, they would come out 
and sit  on my lap. Their names were Etoile, Huppe and Ourson. Their sense of 
smell  seemed to compensate for the absence of sight.
 
The reason I have to write about them in the past tense is that their  
blindness made them more vulnerable to predators. They were used to our own cats  
and dogs, who would never hurt a piggie. But one day, almost exactly 3 years  
ago, they were out in the garden in an uncovered run, and two dogs  belonging to 
a farmer who was ploughing nearby came and murdered them, along  with two 
other precious piggies, Etincelle and Cayenne. Only my three most timid  piggies, 
dear departed Poivre and Cannelle and Muscade, still with me,  survived, and 
I have always felt so very guilty at my stupidity in leaving blind  piggies 
who had learned to trust cats and dogs out in an open run. So I would  urge you 
to be aware of Molly's additional vulnerability to predators - I know  it 
sounds so obvious, but I foolishly forgot that day.
 
I am so glad that Molly has found such a devoted slave, as it sounds as  
though she's had a tough start in life. She has certainly landed on her paws,  and 
please give her an extra cuddle from the Dolly Mixtures and me!
 
Debbie