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Post by 3piggles on Nov 16, 2015 21:22:00 GMT
I am so, so sorry I know there's no way to make it hurt any less, that just takes time, and lots of it. Don't think it was all for nothing, though. He had friends he could rely on, friends who were with him whenever he needed them, friends who gave him everything he could possibly want and lots and lots of love and attention. Of all the ways he could have spent his time, he spent it being loved and cared for, knowing he was special to you all. I'd say that's quite a lot, and I think he would completely agree. Oscar will need a new friend, so don't forget about him. Lots of hugs to all of you
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 17, 2015 3:32:57 GMT
Oscar will need a new friend, so don't forget about him. Lots of hugs to all of you Everyone, I can't thank you enough for your empathy and compassion. My daughter seems to be taking it better than I am, but I have a much softer spot for inoffensive animals, and also because I formed a bit of a bond with Deo when my daughter was away in China when we first got him. I suspect Deo must have been a bit older than what his papers claimed; for being allegedly a few months older than Oscar he certainly didn't move like a young cavy. In any case, I'm still trying to digest it all, and taking it a day at a time. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Knowing he only had about five more months to live, I would still adopt him. I gave him everything I could, and he always brought a smile to my face. This brings me to 3Piggles' statement- I'm not wholly thinking clearly here, so I'd like some objective thoughts from you good people, because grief is clouding my thought process. I'd like to get another buddy for Oscar, and I'm finding that the local shelters do not have any guineas available right now- there's no cavys in my area that need rescuing. Most of the shelters that have guinea pigs are quite a drive away (one hour or more) and I'm debating on whether or not I should just go to PetCo and pick up another guinea pig there. They can't be living too good of a life cooped up in those glass cases. (But again, if I'm buying from a pet store, am I contributing to the problem? Or is it not going to make a difference anyway?) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Oscar could use another buddy, although he's adjusting well enough lately, having all the attention from us again.
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Post by Bean on Nov 17, 2015 9:55:06 GMT
Sounds like Deo found the perfect home where he would be cherished, for however long that was going to be.
Personally I feel like pet shops only speak in supply and demand, so buying from there really only encourages them to bring more into the supply chain. But I do appreciate that there are areas where you just can't get rescue pigs, and pet shops are the only option. It's tricky.
I think something that Oscar would really benefit from, and would be worth your travelling for if you can find it, is a buddy service - where a rescue will try to match Oscar's personality with a compatible pig and help you with those first introductions to see if they look like they could be friends.
It's certainly not a way I'd recommend ever rehoming a pet as you never know who they're going to, but if you have any local free ads websites, that might be a good place to look for a lone pig who is looking for a new home. On my local ones there are often people looking to rehome solo pigs where their pal has died or their kids have got bored of them (in addition to a lot of breeders selling off the ones they don't want to keep to show).
There's certainly no immediate rush, especially given all the attention Oscar will be getting from you guys. Given he seems quite happy, I think it's more important to make the right decision than to rush things.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 17, 2015 20:32:07 GMT
What two lovely posts and I endorse all dear Piggles has had to say. He really landed on his little feet finding you darling.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 18, 2015 3:59:39 GMT
Personally I feel like pet shops only speak in supply and demand, so buying from there really only encourages them to bring more into the supply chain. But I do appreciate that there are areas where you just can't get rescue pigs, and pet shops are the only option. It's tricky. I'm calling shelters to see if they have cavys, even if they aren't listed. The benefit of this is that even if they don't, they have referred me to a few more in the network I would not have easily found. Pickings are still a bit slim, and it's heartbreaking to see some of the piggies listed- one was five years old already. Were it not for the fact that I just went through six weeks of anguish watching a friend waste away I would be glad to scoop that one up. But I am not eager to deal with loss again so soon. It's going to be a little while- my Saturdays are the only free day for this sort of thing, but I'm booked up with a few engagements for a while. So I won't be traveling to faraway shelters any time soon. Oscar's by himself again. (sigh)
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Post by Bean on Nov 18, 2015 9:31:32 GMT
I know what you mean about the age thing. Since we had the kids, we'd always adopted older pigs (as we often had before on the basis we knew they were harder to rehome) and I felt like they were experiencing a bit too much loss. So the next ones we adopted were young 'uns (Josh and Cadders) and it's been a nice experience for them to see them grow up. Of course no matter what age you adopt, you never know what lies ahead, as you've found. But sometimes you don't feel up to lining yourself up for a potential loss.
Hopefully the people you've contacted will keep your number and let you know if anypig turns up in the meatime? (I had to exercise strong will power after having found two lady pals for my separated & neutered boys, one of the rescues I'd spoken to rang me about a lovely pair of girls who had just come in - very tempting!)
But although it's great to have ideals of how you'd like to do things, sometimes it doesn't work in practise, so just do what's right for Deo and right for you.
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Post by 3piggles on Nov 18, 2015 19:22:11 GMT
2/3 of the pigs bought in pet stores end up in rescues, and they're the lucky ones that didn't die from bad treatment, or get dumped in a park when the people no longer wanted them. Unlike pet stores, rescues vet all the pigs before allowing them to be adopted, making sure they are healthy.
That seems to be a total vote for rescues, yet my most wonderful piggy of all, Zippy, was a pet store pig. I wouldn't have missed knowing him for anything. When he died, I couldn't find a pig in New Hampshire, so I checked with the family pet store near me. They had an adorable little Teddy girl who was abandoned outside their door. She had skin problems and other issues, and she hadn't had an easy life. They charged me an outrageous amount to buy her, but with her snuggled up under my chin, knowing she had finally found a real friend, I would have paid a lot more for her. Total rip off by the pet store, and they knew it, but she was worth it.
We can weigh the moral issues forever, but I think pet store pigs have the worst possible life, and only get a decent one if they live long enough to finally get to a rescue. They don't ask to be bred for sale, but they love the people and piggy pals who love them, just as much as any other pig.
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 20, 2015 3:14:45 GMT
My daughter's classmates wrote some sympathy cards for for her; I thought they were wonderful, even if most of her classmates hadn't met Deo. (Many of them are quite familiar with Oscar, though.) My faith is the upcoming generation has been renewed. On a side note, I've sent out an application for another guinea pig to a shelter. I am currently awaiting a reply. As much as I would like to "rescue" a cavy from a pet store, I can't truthfully do it until I have exhausted all the options from shelters. Again, I appreciate the advice and support everyone has given me. I knew I'd be doing this someday, I just didn't think it would be so soon.
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Post by Bean on Nov 20, 2015 10:32:17 GMT
Adorable! I hope they gave your daughter a lovely warm, fuzzy feeling - what sweet kids!
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Post by 3piggles on Nov 20, 2015 15:28:03 GMT
So wonderful of her classmates. I'm glad she had their support
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Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 20, 2015 19:58:52 GMT
What lovely kids. I agree about shop bought piggies love, I pray every night that they find loving homes.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by 3piggles on Nov 21, 2015 17:31:56 GMT
I know what you mean about the loss, and I've been there too many times, but I wouldn't have not had any of those pigs in my life. They were all memorable in one way or another, and they all taught me more about piggies than I knew before.
While being a senior pig pretty much assures us they won't have a lot of years with us, they are also proven piggies. If they are prone to any health problems, they've shown it by then, so no surprises. If they haven't shown any inclination to certain health problems (UTIs, URIs and stones being the worst/most expensive) they probably aren't going to get any. So while you know going into the relationship, that it's not long term, every day with them is a joy, and Oscar will probably get along really well with any senior pig. They just don't have anything left to prove, so they can be great friends.
Young pigs, while they should have a really long life ahead of them, don't always. It's all in their genes, and we can't see their genes until it's too late. We don't go into life with a young piggy knowing we'll lose them soon, so the illnesses and losses can be harder to take. It's just not as black and white as it may seem. Perhaps getting to meet some of the seniors will convince you that you want to give them a great retirement, for as long as it lasts, and that will be enough. You never know.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 21, 2015 20:25:13 GMT
Most of the piggies we have had have been rescues Piggles love with the exception of the babies our piggies actually had themselves. I have never gone out and bought baby piggies, they have always been from sanctuaries. It is so nice giving a home to a piggy who wasn't happy before, knowing that you can give them lots of love and a realy happy life.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 22, 2015 2:50:00 GMT
I have a few Deo pics I'd like to post... I have a few more, but this is still hard to do. Of course, I need to complete this post with a shot of Oscar:
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Post by 3piggles on Nov 22, 2015 15:22:50 GMT
Beautiful
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Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 22, 2015 20:57:51 GMT
I adore those little whisker pads, they are absolutely gorgeous.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by bazookagoof on Nov 25, 2015 2:53:46 GMT
A few more final pics of happier times in the yard: Looking at that last one, it occurs to me that after all that time getting them to be friends, in the end they were grazing buddies.
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Post by Bean on Nov 25, 2015 9:31:46 GMT
Gorgeous pictures and they certainly do look like good grazing buddies - you wouldn't catch Josh and Cads not annoying each other if they were that close!
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Post by 3piggles on Nov 25, 2015 13:34:05 GMT
Deo was gorgeous, and he had an attitude about him I'm so glad you have Oscar to help you get through this
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Post by jolovespiggies on Nov 25, 2015 20:33:08 GMT
They are adorable love and so alike. That would be the same with ur two Bean hunni, if they were that close there would be a few swear words, at the moment anyway.
Hugs Jo xx
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