It is said that when we lose a friend, there is a new star in the sky at night. On these cold, bleak Winter nights I look up, and through my tears I see the stars of a constellation twinkling in the sky. I hope your spirits run free, dashing and playing in meadows of sweet timothy grass, with cool waters to sip and sweet fruits to nibble and play with. May you have places to explore, treats beyond measure, and cardboard to nibble.

To all our gentle beloved piggies, we will always love you.

- T. Green, 1996

Wiggy

I met little Wiggy only yesterday - he was brought to my house late last night as a patient, after the rabbit he lived with had jumped on top of him and hurt his legs several days before. He was in a bad way - very weak since he had stopped eating. My husband and I did our best to get fluids and syringe food into him and planned to drive to our rodentologist today to get the right anti-inflamatories for treatment. Sadly at 11.15pm last night, he died in our arms. Although we'd only known him a couple of hours, we were extremely sad to see him go. He seemed like such a lovely little piggie. He was nearly six years old and will be sadly missed by his loving owners.

Rest in peace little Wiggy, in a place where there is no pain.

With love, Karen and Phil xxx

Tuffy

Tuffy came to us in August 99 from the Toronto Humane Society to join our existing GP. But the night we brought her home, she bled profusely. It was learned the next day she was expecting a baby, but in danger.

Over the next months, I kept her in my bedroom to wake up to Tuffy's little wheeps in the early morning. It was so nice!! But this pregnancy was not to be. Shortly after more bleeding, and then an entire hysterecotmy was ordered for her survival. We did it willingly and then watched her recovery night and day.

From October to now, she was well and happy. Then two days ago, I noticed one tooth was in decay, she was rushed to the vet and he was very surprised at this sudden turn of events. Antibiotics followed for two days and then today my 9 year old daughter Tara came upstairs carrying Tuffy, limp, head lolling. I felt her fading before us. We rushed back but that afternoon, she died. She died a sweet angel, an innocent victim cast aside in a shelter to languish and suffer. Try as we could, we couldn't give Tuffy the life she so deserved.

I loved her. My heart is breaking. We buried her in a tiny shoe box in the back garden. I will plant spring flowers there in her memory. Tuffy, tread carefully across the Rainbow bridge. Go in peace, little one....

Dehlia,Keith,Tara, Serena, and 4 surviving pets

Lilith
December 1998 - March 12, 2000

Lilith had a hard life in the beginning. She was dumped at my vet's by an owner who no longer wanted her. She was about 2 months old, had lice, a large abrasion on her back, and her back legs were paralyzed. Through the diligence and caring of the vet, Lilith regained about 70 percent use of her back legs, got rid of the lice, and had the abrasion heal. My vet asked me if I would like her - of course!

Lilith was a cuddle-muffin from day one. I continued to work with her back legs until she regained the use of them almost 100%. She was a very passive guinea pig, just wanting to be held and petted. Lilith got along well with all other guinea pigs. I never saw her chatter her teeth, assume an aggressive posture, or try to attack another guinea pig. She would just lay next to them and tuck her nose under their belly.

Lilith was the first in the food dish and even though she was the littlest guinea pig, she had the loudest slave call of any guinea pig I have owned! She was always the first to run to me to be picked up and rarely had an accident. She could spend hours in my lap, under my neck, just watching TV or relaxing with me. Lilith never bit anyone and anytime a child came over, Lilith was the piggie of choice!

I miss her wheeks and cuddliness terribly! I would have to say Lilith had the best personality and was the most domesticated guinea pig I have ever owned. I am lucky the vet thought so much of me to give me such a wonderful gift! I only wish I was able to keep this gift longer than the two short years she spent with us.

I know Lilith is running with her former cage mate Nebula, who went to the bridge in November 1999. I know she is free from any pain and discomfort she felt before she went to the bridge. I have wonderful memories of her and know she will always be in my heart.

Carol, Grendel, Cinnamon, Sonic, Lyra and Europa Bunny

Fabio

I adopted Fabio from a local shelter a little over a year ago. I already had 2 guinea pigs living quite comfortably together and I was not looking to add another guinea pig to my life, but there was just something about him. Sometimes you meet a special animal that you just can't walk away from. He was never a thriving piggy, in fact, it turned out he was suffering from a rare disease (at least for guinea pigs) call Listeriosis that caused him to have creeping paralysis on the left side of his face (he couldn't blink his left eye), and eventually he lost his ability to wheek. But treatment for the disease did wonders for his general attitude, and for the last few months of his life, he was one perky little guy. Best estimates on his age put him at 5 or 6 yrs old, so he had a pretty good run all in all.

I can still see him scooting around my livingroom begging food. Everyone who met Fabio loved him. There was just something very vulnerable, sweet, gentle and yet enthusiastic about him. He loved his piggy friends Pearl and Marvin, and they loved him back. Pearl would occasionally take a nap using Fabio as a pillow. His time came to cross the bridge a rainy Sat. morning a few weeks ago and he went from begging for canteloupe to having major seizures, just like that. I rushed him to the nearest vet and held him in my arms while he was quietly and gently euthanized. We knew our time with our boy was limited, we just didn't expect it to end so soon.

We only lived with Fabio a short time, but he made a big impact on our lives and we will always miss him. Someday there will be another special piggy like Fabio in dire need at our local shelter, and when the time comes, we will take in that piggy as a tribute to our gone-but-not-forgotten sweet big-haired boy.

I love you Fabio

Kate

Oreo

My beloved angel, Oreo, crossed the rainbow bridge March 3, 2000. He was 4 1/2yrs old and he had surgery to remove a bladder stone the day before. A cancerous tumor was discovered growing in his abdomen which was too dangerous to remove.The vet and I chose to remove the stone and let nature take its course regarding the cancer since Oreo didn't appear to be sick from the cancer. He came home the night of the surgery but I knew in my heart the end was near when I saw the condition he was in by the morning. I returned him to the hospital and the vet felt that he needed more time to recover from the surgery. He called at 4:00 and advised me to come there because he had grown weaker and was breathing heavy. He passed away before I arrived to say goodbye to him.

Oreo, I know you are having a good time where you are and I miss you so much! I know you knew how much I loved you because you made sure I knew how much you loved me back! You were a real good boy and a joy to have in my life. I never felt alone with you around here, even when I traveled every week to work out of town. You kept me company in the car and in the hotel room every night and you never complained once! You even made friends wherever we went. Because of you I had someone special to love and to love me back. I will always have a guinea pig in my life now because the love you showed me and the pleasure you were to have around. But, you will always be my 'first love' guinea pig. Someday we will meet again my sweet angel! I will never forget you and I have your pictures to remind me of how cute and beautiful you are! I know that your spirit will live on in all the guinea pigs which are to follow in your footsteps and come into my life. I hope they will all be as sweet and precious as you were! Goodbye my love!

Love, Mommy

Nosy

My tiny angel and friend, Nosey, died last night (February 22, 2000). It has been five years since we brought him home from Elizabeth's second grade classroom. In all that time he has been so sweet and gentle and affectionate. He liked to sit on my lap and watch TV. He liked to run up the stairs. He liked talking with us.

About a week ago we noticed that Nosey was getting really skinny. We took him to Carrboro Animal hospital but the vet there couldn't find anything wrong with him except his back teeth were grown to the side. The vet thought maybe Nosey couldn't get enough nourishment that way. So for the next week we hand fed him peeled apple and banana and other foods that you don't have to chew as much, trying to build him up. My daughter fed him orange juice with vitamin C from an eye dropper. Last night my husband called me and told me that Nosey was lying on his side, unable to get up. I held him close to my heart for about an hour until he stopped breathing. My husband and daughter petted him and whispered "I love you" to him. His last few breaths were gasps. I will never forget holding his tiny body close and watching his life go away. Nosey we miss you and you will always be in our hearts. I want to believe that you are happy and healthy in heaven and thinking of us.

Love forever,
Mary

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