Sadness and Sorrow...

It is with a heavy heart that I write this, but also with a feeling of relief. Hope passed away this weekend after a huge seizure on Friday night. He went peacefully in my arms and I held him as he slipped away from us. He had been very poorly for a while and I think we knew this was coming when he had his first massive seizure about 2 weeks ago. I will never forget my little pink eyed white piggy and the stories he left me with. And of course the rush of love I felt that day when I first held him back at the pet shop.

After Alphonse died, the original plan was get another piggy for Patch. Little did I know that I would fall in love with 2 brothers and later a second piggy who we now know is NOT pregnant as once thought and turned out to be a rather large and sometimes aggressive boar, who is back to his old name, Kadaj. Hope never got on with Kadaj and that would always end in some of the noisiest scraps I had ever witnessed. Admittedly getting my hand between the two of them had been a dumb idea as Hope latched himself on to my finger and wouldn't let go! When we brought him home, he was TINY! Always eating.

Even when he developed his habit of humping all the other two guinea pigs! It was so funny to watch, but I think the others thought he was a pain in the backside. But he was my Hope. He was cheeky, full of naughtiness and energy and constantly after a fuss or affection.I had noticed early on how tiny he was compared to the other pigs, even his own brother was a lot bigger than he was. I fell in love with that tiny little creature and loved to play with him. Even if he was a vocal little guy!

He stayed with us for 7 months until what was thought to be a brain tumor took him away from us. My only regret is that we didn't get too much more time together or his tribute would have been much longer. We laid him to rest today in a woodland area, somewhere close to nature so that he could sleep in peace in a place that is natural and calm. Beautiful. Like he was.

So I leave you now with my favorite photographs of Hope. Gone but like Alphonse, not forgotten. I will be getting another pig soon, but after Patch has had some time to grieve for the loss of his baby as well as us grieving for our loss as well. I love both of my special pigs at the Rainbow Bridge, a place where they all play together and there is plenty of the things they like. Popcorn in peace little ones.

Loves
Wendy xx