Lilemor
2000 - December 23, 2004

Lilemor, passed away two days before Christmas in 2004. She was with me for almost five years and she was an equal part of our family. She usually woke me up and crawled into my bed and then purr for hours. She had a big cage but she was never in it, since she was always free to walk around and explore. How many toys have we made and buy for her... And she would travel everywhere with us. She died so sudden that even the vet couldn’t help her anymore. I am constantly wondering, what if I noticed something was wrong earlier, what If a vet could help her earlier… We all loved her so much, I can’t even describe it. I can only say that even my father cried when she died, and he didn’t even cried on his mother funeral. She will be forever in our harts, we miss her beyond words!

I hope you are OK now LILEMOR. Love!

- Irena

Nyomi
December, 2004

I got Nyomi a year ago. She was a tri-color teddy bear Guinea Pig. Nyomi was there when no one else was. She would sit on my lap and eat salad with me while I watched a movie (I'd like to think she watched the movie too). Nyomi always seemed to know how to make me smile. People say "she was just a rodent", yeah she was a rodent but she was so smart and she was my friend too. I never thought I would be this upset over a two pound animal but when Nyomi died... it crushed me. SHe was such a beautiful animal. SHe loved to play games and follow me around the house or sit on my shoulder while I did my thing. She knew how to walk on a harness and we'd visit the pet store frequently. People knew her by name and she loved the attention. Nyomi was one of a kind. I think of her everyday. I'll love her forever.

-Kristi

Guinea

Now that I have moved I miss you more than ever.
You're squeaks were cute and so where you.
I remember you like yesterday and I miss you're little nose.
I wish you where here and now that Halloween has passed I cried on Halloween night.
Halloween was you're favorite Holliday and I will pray to you when Halloween comes.
I miss you piggy, I want you to come back. I meant for you to get well but the time never came.
I love you Guinea, please come home.

- Chelsea

Gizmo
July 2000-November 2004

Gizmo was my husband's first introduction to guinea pigs. I'd had guineas before and talked about getting one, but my husband couldn't understand what was "so great" about them--he kept saying "they don't DO anything but sit there, right?". Once Gizmo came into our lives though, he understood why they were so special.

At first Gizmo was very nippy, and I was worried that he would never be very friendly. As he got older he mellowed out, and really began to enjoy being held. He would sit in our laps and just purr like crazy. He was a very talkative pig, too...he always had something to say! And did he love the ladies--if a woman held him, he would purr and stretch himself out and lie there like a king. Sometimes, he'd even rumblestrut for his human female fans.

When Gizmo was about a year old, we thought we'd almost lost him. He wriggled out of my husband's hands and hit the floor with a thump that I could hear in the next room, and he squealed like I'd never heard before...I was so afraid that he was dead, and my husband, the tough Army guy, almost broke down in tears. Luckily, MoMo (my nickname for Gizmo) was just shaken. He also learned a valuable lesson: he never tried to squirm out of our hands again after that.

Gizmo was a well-traveled piggy--he flew on a plane all the way from Hawaii to Maryland when our military tour ended. He went on several car trips as well, traveling to meet his "grandparents" and going to see Daddy Slave before he went to Afghanistan on deployment. That was the last time Daddy Slave would ever see him.

The last year of his life Gizmo started losing weight, and he started getting cranky when we tried to pick him up. I thought he was just turning into a grumpy old man, and his nickname became "Grumpy Pig" or "Cranky Boy" or "Grouchy Man", or any combination thereof. How I wish that I could turn back time and see those things as symptoms of his illness. It's easy to say that now, hindsight being 20/20 and all.

In November of 2004, I took Gizmo in for a check-up. He was 4 years old, so I wanted to make sure my old man was healthy. He had always been extremely healthy his whole life, and I never had any problems with him, except for the occasional broken tooth--he never jumped out of our hands but he still liked to jump in his cage. Sometimes I believe he fancied himself a squirrel. On 15 November, I received the diagnosis: my baby had leukemia. My stomach felt like I was on an elevator and the cables had been cut.

I felt that since Gizmo was already 4 years old his treatment options probably weren't very good. Despite that, my hopes were raised when the vet mentioned that maybe, just maybe, chemotherapy might extend his life a bit. While we waited for the doctor to consult with a veterinary oncologist, I decided to spoil my Grouchy Pig. He got extra servings of all his favorites: carrots, grapes, parsley...and even some of the "no-no's" like granola and frosted mini wheats cereal. He ate with enthusiam and even managed to popcorn a bit when he got an extra treat. That all changed when, exactly a week after the diagnosis, I came home to find my baby staggering drunkenly and laboring to breathe. When he refused to eat, I knew something was wrong. I called the vet, crying hysterically that my baby was dying.

Gizmo was a fighter right to the end. He didn't want to stay wrapped up in his towel as I pushed the speed limit driving him to the vet. And he fought to get away from the tech as they examined him. I still find it amazing that he had the strength left in his little body to do that. The vet told me what I already knew: there was nothing else that could be done and it was time for Gizmo to go to the Bridge. I held him in my arms and talked to him gently. He looked in my eyes and I know that he was "there" enough to understand that I was upset. He looked at me as if to say "Don't cry mama. I want to go. I want to be with those other pigs I've heard about, like George and Beethoven. There's no pain there--and I'll be able to breathe again. You'll see--when you see me again, I'll be just like I was when you first got me. And don't worry mama, I'll be waiting for you." And then they took him away...

I wish now that I had insisted to stay with Gizmo. But right then, he was the first pet that I'd ever had to put to sleep and I just didn't know if I could watch and still be able to drive home. I wish that I had noticed sooner that he was ill--maybe I could have done more. There are a lot of "I wish"s. But I'm still glad that Gizmo came into our lives, and I'll always have the memory of one sweet little guinea pig and how he drew yet another Guinea Pig Slave into the fold.

Goodbye Gizmo--I'll always love you!
-Stacy Harvey

Frodo
December 20 2003 - November 10 2004

Today I lost my best friend Frodo. He was my first guinea pig. My dad gave him to me for Christmas. When I first seen him out of the two guinea pigs I knew he was the one. When I took him home my mom fell in love with him.
When I am having a bad day Frodo would always be there for me. The day he died I was very sad I wished that he had not had go away but we all knew that it was his time to go. That day I was very sad.
I will miss you my little baby you will allways be in my heart and I will never forget about you !!

Rest well my little Frodo !!

Love steph

Silky
November 1, 2004

Silky, my guinea pig was so nice,
She would look at me with her big, bright eyes
and I would feed her,
When ever I came into the room
she would try to squeak, although she couldn't.
As she grew older her appearance showed it, but how she acted was different,
She loved me, and I loved her,
To the last minutes of her life.

Charlie
October, 2004

This is just a little note to let our Charlie pig know that we are always thinking of him. He was a beautiful little boy with lovely blonde hair and cute little ears that went red when he was hot or had been running. One of our favourite things was watching him in the run in the garden - when he turned around he was so fast that his head re-emerged from the covered end of the run before his bum had disappeared into it fully! We loved watching him waddle and listening to the involuntary noises he made at the same time - as if he was talking. The end was hard, but we hope he is happy and strong now.

To our placid little boy with love always,

Richard, Mum, Caroline, Dad and Billy Pig. xxxxx

Penny (aka Pen Pen)
October 20, 2001 to October 27, 2004

Penny was one of my 5 girlie girls. She was in a cage to herself as her cagemate passed over the bridge in 2001, her name was CoCo. Penny's father also passed over the bridge just before CoCo. They are both on the Rainbow Bridge (here).

Pen Pen loved it when you called her that. She was just starting to give you kisses instead of nibbles. She loved floor time with the girlie girls Pinky, Sundae, Sunshine, and Theadora. They would always have a bath together and huddle up together. Penny was my daughters favorite. She would always give her kisses. She must of sensed that Becky was special. Becky has mild brain damage from birth. In fact all the piggies ( 7 of them in all) just love her. She helps take care of them. She is 16.

What can I say Penny was very well loved and we loved her coloring. Have fun at the bridge Pen Pen say hello to Squeaky, Tiger Face, CoCo, and Sunny Boy. We will see you again sometime.

Renee and Becky Bostic ( slaves)
Pinky, Sundae, Patches, Sunshine, Theadora, Oreo and Blackie the girlie
girls and manly men.

Stan
October, 2004

Stan was a neglected old guinea pig when we adopted him. From the moment I saw him I was in love. I tried my best to make his life better but cancer was already taking its toll on his tiny body. The day before he died I knew he was in his last hours and felt helpless against his pain. All I could do was hold him and let him know, for once in his life, he was loved. We have two new babies now but I still think of Stan every day and how he is no longer suffering. Stan, you will always be missed and loved deeply.

- Carissa & John

Fluffy Marie
October 2004

Bye my "little" Fluffy Marie...You were my "big girl"...I will miss our cuddles...Say hi to my Harvey, Chocolate, Monster and Piggles La Rue....Sad smiley emoticon

- Lisa