Goodbye Sweet Friend.

I still can't believe I'm typing this. It doesn't seem real and I am still shaking with both the shock and the tears. Patch, my "Hatch-Patch" has passed away after many MANY happy years together after suddenly getting really thin and becoming almost a shadow of his wonderful self. I know it was old age and not illness this time as he had been completely fine as he was, popcorning around with Gizmo and Kadaj and wheeking along with little Gaara (who thanks to Becky is starting to become a lot more tame and loveable). His presence is sorely missed and its only been one day.

I had got up early yesterday to go and see Cat in Brum. Something we had been planning for like 2 years now but something always came up and we had cancelled and tried again later. I had got up early and began to groom myself as always, hair, make-up and the like and I had turned to feed my guinea pigs as always, their excited wheeks and leaning out for fuss had always made me feel better about things, but something was definitely off. There had been a strange smell from the cage as of late and I had thought maybe Patch had been doing his party trick (farts that can stink a whole room out!) so had thought nothing of it at the time. I sat by the cage and then I saw him. Lying on his side and not moving. My snuggly teddy bear was gone. I scooped him out and put him in a basket to get him out the cage, but he was cold and stiff. Patch had died.

It really hit home when I was on the train home from seeing Cat. I broke down and cried all the way, not even bothering with my IPod which is so not me. I kept thinking about some of the moments me and that little guy had shared, from when he was a tiny (and frankly crazy) pup who used to run around in circles or jump in to his hay-rack. I remembered that first day we met.

I'd been in quite a bad place emotionally and was planning to replace my hamster that had died, but going in to Pets At Home, I saw him. He was so small and cute, and no one had wanted him. He was an outcast like me. I brought him, his cage and everything else without hesitation. It really was love at first sight and he knew I needed a companion. We'd lived in my attic together for a few months and he'd stopped me from doing something horrific to myself. He knew I was planning it and wheeked at me until I stopped and sat holding him for an hour. He mopped up tears. He snuggled up to me. He was my first guinea pig and I doubt highly that he will be my last.

As we lay him to rest, I sat stroking those ears and I said goodbye to my gentle giant. Run free Patch and meet up with Hope and Alphonse, they're waiting for you, me, Gizzy, 'Daj and Gaara will never forget you.

Loves
Wendy xx