When my son was about 9, he wanted guinea pigs more than anything. My dad bought him a pair and Shane named them George and Martha Washington. He loved them and took really good care of them until they got loose outside one day while he was cleaning their cage. They both scampered off into the woods near our house and we never saw them again. Shane was heartbroken, but dad brought him some rabbits and they built them a nice outdoor hutch together and he got over his loss.
Martha was mean and would bite poor George all the time. George was the first one to strike out for the woods that day, so hopefully he found some peace before something got him.