[Gpdd] announcement

Fri Mar 7 10:24:44 EST 2008

Nothing I write will do justice to my beautiful lovely guinea pig Augustus. Gussie and I have been readers of the digest for many years.  I usually don’t write, but instead prefer to read other peoples stories of their piggies and take comfort knowing there are others who prize their pigs as much as I do.

Tonight I came home and gave Gussie his usual heart shaped biscuit, he ate it eagerly.  I brought lettuce in few minutes later and tried lure him out of his pigloo.  When I went in half an hour later I noticed that he hadn’t eaten all his lettuce but it was scattered.  He had moved to his far pigloo and turned his body to block the entrance with his back.  He often did this when he wanted privacy or to turn in for the night.  I touched him and he didn’t move.  When I lifted the pigloo I knew he was gone... He was so peaceful with his beautiful belly and brown and white spots.  I’m so glad he didn’t suffer and he went peacefully after a snack when I was home.

When he was a baby we took him to the vet and asked how we could get a nice healthy big guinea pig.  Little did we know with some time he would grow to be over three beautiful pounds and at times we had to watch his weight.  I used to get so frustrated when he would tip over his pigloo or simply stand on top of it.  I had never had a guinea pig before and didn’t realize that he wanted out of his cage. 

Once I realized how much he liked to run I couldn’t stand the idea of keeping him caged up.  He was a free sprit and lived nearly all of his life as a free range guinea pig.  My entire apartment was an endless blockage of bricks to keep him out from under the bed and away from all cords. 

We tried to introduce another male guinea pig into his life, but he was not having it.  He had been free-range for at least a few months and got very upset when I tried to put him in the cage.  He would immediately stand on top of the igloo and refuse to be petted.  It broke my heart and I felt it was only fair to keep him as an only guinea pig.  It was a decision I agonized over because I know they are very social creatures.  

When he was younger I turned to the digest for a way to keep him from screaming for snacks in the middle of the night. For months there was a towel beside my bed and I would toss food down to him at four in the morning.  Many people told me to practice tough love, and he would stop.  It took a long time to tell him no, but in the end he was able to make it through the night. 

If I made a single move in the bed he would start talking to me.  He knew when I was awake.  He never got why I work up later on the weekend, he didn’t. I liked to lay awake at night and hear him chewing on his hay.  Sometimes he would decide to knaw on his wood late at night, it was always startling.   

My friends and family all knew how special he was.  He traveled with me on vacation to my parent’s house, hardly ever screaming on the eight hour car ride.  Everyone who meets him fell in love.  

I would be watching t.v. and he would come out to the living room and look at me.  He let me know when he needed some love.  Sometimes he would scream from the bedroom, I’d walk in to see what the problem was and he would just look at me.  Those were the times that I thought he was telling me he needed held.

He was a great lap pig.  He loved to be held, especially when I needed to get something done.  It was a great way of making me slow down and spend time with him.  My favorite thing was to push down on him gently until he stretched his back and front legs and gave a big yawn.  Gussie always resisted, but every time he would yawn and settle in for more lap time.  

He knew where the kitchen was and would show up in the doorway.  I’d look down and see him just waiting patiently for me to notice.  He was low enough I could open the fridge and close it over his head. I’d grab a snack, show him what I had and run toward the bedroom.  He would come tearing after me; he knew that he only got food in his cage area.  There was nothing better than seeing how fast he would run, if he really wanted the snack he would move his to back feet together.  Everyone that came over was very impressed with how he would run back to the bedroom.

When he was younger he would come out of the bedroom and do laps around the dinning room table.  He would popcorn and just come out and hang out in front of the t.v.  He loved to show up right when we were sitting down for dinner.  I always got up to get him something, even with guests around, he came first.

He had an amazing presence for someone who was a little over three pounds.  There were times I would ignore him and not get his treats right away.  He had no problem biting my big toe.  It happened more than once!  He knew that if he chewed on the bedroom door I would come running and say no and tap his head.  I figured out that he knew that I would come, he was smarter than me.  He knew I would give in and provide a new snack if he didn’t like the lettuce, carrot or grape.  I admit I spoiled him rotted.  

For months I agonized with the decision to put him in a cage.  I was moving in with my boyfriend who had a cat.  We custom built a lovely 8 x 3 C and C cage.  He was put out for a day, but then seemed to love his new home.  I did notice that he was not spending nearly as much time out of his setup in the bedroom as he used to.  I attributed this to the fact that he was getting a bit older.  

I saw the postings about older guinea pigs and thought about putting his name in.  I thought we would have plenty of time.  He was only six and I figured we had more time together.  I was looking forward to letting him out in the grass after we moved into a house we bought this month.  I’ve talked about the Rainbow Bridge and love the idea that all the sweet piggies are waiting.  It’s just so hard to let my piggy go.  He had such a beautiful eggplant shape and lovely whiskers. He would bite me gently when he wanted to be put down.

I’m very thankful that he didn’t have any health issue in the end.  He was able to walk into his pigloo and go to the other side.  He had his last biscuit and I was here at home.  It’s just so hard to know that he won’t be waiting for me eagerly in the morning, after work and his favorite part of the day for the three orange drops he got after I cleaned his cage.  I used to tell him there is nothing as sweet as having a guinea pig lick your hand.  I hope you are happy Gussie or Mr. Mommie as I often called him.  I’ll miss you…

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