[Gpdd] [ANNOUNCE] <Introducing the household. Rainbow bridge. Message for Elizabeth and wheekers>

[Alison Varndell]

Hello guinea pig lovers.  

I've posted one or two messages and I've been reading the digest for many months.  However, I've been very impolite, as I haven't introduced the household.  I'm Alison.  I got my first piglets when I was about 6 - two females, Beauty and Topsy.  Piggies came back into my life when I was at university.  Since then, I've had the honour of sharing my London flat with 10 pigs.  Unfortunately, my longest living piggie, Pepi, died a couple of nights ago, aged 7 years 11 months.  A number of digesters replied to my queries back in March-April when she'd stopped eating.  We've been up and down from London to Cambridge to see Vedra since then.  I've been syringe feeding her for almost 6 months; she's been treated for rheumatism; and has been receiving HRT jabs.  In short, it really was her time because she was painfully thin and hardly able stand as her back legs were too weak.  Her passing was also as pleasant as it could be: my partner went out, so I spent the evening in front of the TV, with her in my arms.  When we got up the next morning, she was curled up dead in her pet bed, with no visible signs of discomfort.  I watched as her mouth, Gouie, gave birth to her.  She was the last of a litter of four born to the gorgeous Gouie whom I'd purchased from a pet shop, suspecting (accurately as it happens) she was pregnant.  Pepi outlived her siblings by at least 2 years, so perhaps celebration rather than mourning is called for.  

On an untainted happy note: back in January this year, responding to a piggy rescue notice on-line, I rehomed two tri-coloured, alpaca boys - Marcel and Bertie. Hopefully you can see them here: http://s85.photobucket.com/albums/k55/avarndell/   (Sorry, I can't make it into a proper hyperlink.   You have to copy and paste into the address box once on the Internet)  They are extremely shy, and because I've been spending so much time with Pepi, I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to tame them.  They are, however, definitely the most glamorous pigs I've served.  

A quick note to Elizabeth Lakin from Cambridge: many coincidences - I adopted alpacas in January, go to Vedra's and keep the piglets inside.  I've also had trouble with their hair.  It's not silky like Peruvians' but like candyfloss which means it matts easily and unfortunately Marcel doesn't like anyone or anything touching his bottom, so he dances all over the place when I try to brush him.

Anyway that's it for now.  I just want to say thanks to Pepi for making my life so much richer.  After months of intensive care, I really feel the absence of her in my lap.

For the roll: London, UK, 2 masters: Marcel and Bertie, 1 yr 4 months, boars; two slaves Alison and Alan.

Happy piggerying,

Ali, Marcel and Bertie