After 8 wonderful years together, it was time to say goodbye to Twixy. His condition quickly got the best of him these last few days and he had his final breaths two nights ago in my arms. I have never had a pet for so long and I have never developed a bond so close with one before the way that I had with Twixy. He was a special boy who really made me a proud guinea pig mama.
When I first adopted Twixy and his brother, I knew nothing about where they were coming from. All I knew was that they were brothers and that Snickers was a bit feisty when held. They were also older then all of the other guinea pigs in the store but I decided right then and there that I would be their new guinea pig mama. So I took them home and built my first C&C cage for them and they absolutely loved it. Compared to the small tank enclosure they were in at the store, their new home was like paradise.
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| Their C&C cage |
Many years ago, when I was little, I came home from school one day and found my guinea pig, Fluffy, gone (we were moving and could not have them where we were going). I was so devastated since I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him. From that point on, I told myself that I would get a guinea pig of my own when I grew up and sure enough, fifteen years later I did. While most people have cats or dogs, I adored having guinea pigs because they were funny, demanding, loved food, had so many ways of expressing themselves that I knew nothing about, and they were complex in their own ways.
Since Snickers did not like being held, even with food, I mostly held Twixy. He would enjoy lying in my lap or resting his head on my arm as I worked on the computer. His number one favorite place to be though was on my shoulder. As soon as I picked him up, he'd crawl right up to my shoulder and give me kisses on my cheek. I never knew guinea pigs gave kisses until Twixy did it to me and it was the best feeling a guinea pig mama could have.
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| Twixy's favorite spot - my shoulder |
The first big scare I had with Twixy was when he was deficient in Vitamin C. I thought I was giving him and his brother enough but it was only after he stopped eating and lost weight that I took him to the Vet. She didn't confirm that he was deficient in Vitamin C and after many tests later, she was confused. So I took him home and decided to care for him myself even though I feared the worst. I gave him more Vitamin C and tube fed him critical care 3x a day. After 2 weeks, he went back to being his usual self and it was a relief, but a major lesson for me.
The thing that I didn't think to look into was the fact that whenever Twixy ran, he would trip over his legs. I thought he was just clumsy but as he got older, the tripping increased and I started to worry that it would get worse as he aged. It wasn't until two years ago that I started to give them both joint supplements, hoping that it would help him move around easier, as well as CBD.
Last year Twixy started to have issues with his hind legs pretty bad though, so I took him to the Vet again. She found he had a mass on his stomach but that his bones were in decent shape. Since he was older and underweight, he didn't qualify for the surgery to see what the mass was, so I just decided that I would do my best to make his time with me comfortable and stress free.
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| Piggies waiting to be fed |
Having Twixy and his brother made me realize how remarkable these animals are. They're small and may not be as mobile as some pets, but they're precious. At the same time, how these animals are bred for pet stores is heart breaking. Most of Twixy's conditions were genetics that were hard to treat once he got older. For anyone who has bought a pet from the pet store, it is better to adopt from shelters since the truth behind pet store's breeding process is often inhumane and horrific. Even with that said though, I am still blessed to have adopted my fur babies because I know my love and care has helped them live a long happy life.
With Twixy now in piggie heaven, his brother is alone. I have been reading up on how to care for a guinea pig that is mourning, and so far Snicker's is doing well. He keeps to himself a lot but he still continues to eat and drink. I do take him out of the cage multiple times a day to feed him in my lap and so far, he has been very receptive. To keep him calm, I also play music around his cage with guinea pig sounds paired with it. Because guinea pigs are very social by nature, I have plans this weekend to go to the animal shelter to look for Snicker's new cage mate - if all goes well, Snickers will have a new companion very soon.
Since his brother fell ill, I saw a whole new side of Snickers that I have never seen before in these past 8 years. A few days before Twixy's final moments, Snickers had stayed by his side often and was very protective of him every time I tried to pick his brother up. Normally, Snickers does his own thing and his brother would follow him around, but I felt like Snickers genuinely wanted to comfort his brother when he wasn't doing so great.
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| 2019 Christmas |
Twixy's passing hit me hard because I wasn't expecting his health to decline so fast; I truly thought I had more time with him. In only three days though, he had stopped moving completely and became depressed; he didn't even want to eat or be picked up. It caused me so much stress to see him like that but deep down I knew he was telling me it was his time to go which was hard to accept. Right before he passed away, I had picked him up to give him kisses and told him how much I loved him. Within a few seconds in my arms, I knew he had moved on.
So to my Twixy Pooh, thank you for all of the wonderful memories shared with me, Dimitar, and your brother. You were a wonderful piggie that gave me so much happiness and laughter, even during my hardest times in my life. I hope where you are now, you're happy and loved. I love you so much and will miss you forever.
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