[Gpdd] [Rainbow Bridge] - Archie and Persephone

Julia Kennedy tabithaporter at yahoo.com
Mon Sep 8 10:24:42 EDT 2008


Hello Digesters!

Normally I only ever post when I have eulogies to post and today is no exception.  I am not having the best of years - having already lost my Dad, and 2 guineas shortly afterwards.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all you of you who wrote to me.  I was very touched.

Today, I am writing to remember Archie and Persephone who both passed away last week, within 3 days of each other!

I only had Archie for a year - he was a rescue pig, and a very fine fellow.  At the beginning of July, I noticed he wasn't eating and realised his incisors had become maloccluded, so trimmed them.  I then syringe fed him for a couple of weeks (even taking him to T in the Park (a music festival) with me - I hasten to add I stayed in a friend's house and not a tent!).  His teeth grew back, again maloccluded, and again I trimmed them and went back to the syringe feeding.  On Saturday, he ate for Scotland but on Sunday, he stopped being able to eat - all the food was dribbling out of his mouth.  I was due to spend a week with Vedra at the CCT (I am a Rodent Health Advisor), so thought she would be able to sort him out,  but he went downhill very quickly.  My vet tried to help, but he passed away there.  Archie was a tri-coloured ridgeback - he came with me to the CCT last year when I did my residential course, and did not like it one little bit.  Indeed,
 Vedra said she had never seen a piggy react so badly!!!!  However, he recovered and when we came back, he moved in with my 4 girls, and lived the life of Reilly.  He was never backward at coming forward and was just a lovely character.  

Persephone (a golden agouti) was also a rescue pig - I had been looking for an older sow but couldn't find one.  I asked at my local Pets Corner who said that they often received calls from people asking if they could leave their animals there!! So I left my number.  A couple of weeks later, I received a phone call from a girl whose friend had an 8 month old sow.  This girl did not like the way her friend was looking after the pig, so had decided to rehome her.  When I saw her, she was exactly what I didn't want - however, she was being kept in a filthy, wicker cat basket, with no room to exercise, no proper food or water and, she was called Jesus!  What could I do???  To start with, Persephone wasn't a very nice pig at all - she bullied my other pigs, and was really nipply and unfriendly.  I must confess, I didn't like her very much and often thought I'd made a mistake, but, still, I would never have got rid of her.  As she grew older, she matured into
 a beautiful
 natured girl, she was really gentle, and sweet and loved cuddles and grapes.  After Archie died on Wednesday, she stopped eating and went downhill very quickly and, despite my vet and Vedra's best efforts, she died on Friday night.  In some ways, it was a relief as Vedra had advised me to take her with me to Cambridge - which is about an 8 hour drive - and I wasn't looking forward to that when she was so ill.  Unlike Archie, she reached a grand 5 and a half, which makes her the piggy I have managed to keep the longest.

Today was my first day back at home after being at the CCT, and the house is far too quiet - although I still have 3 gorgeous guineas left, 2 of the main characters have left, and life is a lot less fun without the pair of them around.  I have buried them together in the back garden.

Goodnight, Archie and Persephone - thank you for everything, I hope you are both happy over the bridge, both me and your Dad will miss you heaps!

Sorry it's so long, and thanks for listening!

Julia, Emily, Bearlette and Autumn

remembering far too many at the bridge :-(



      




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