So Thursday was the last day of school for my girls and to celebrate my older one had three friends over for a sleepover. That day went fine, no troubles but they 3 guests were up at 4:30 in the coop wanting to watch the chickens lay an egg. My DH promptly woke up to the noise outside and shooed them back in. Then they decided it was a good idea to ride down a fairly steep hill in the backyard in the power wheels jeep effectively running over the rose that was planted over my kitty's grave that died last summer. After repairing what I could and cutting off what was too broken, DH and I attempted to make breakfast for everyone. After much harassing on the girls part to take one of the rabbits out to play in their exorcize pen I finally said ok. 15 minutes later I noticed no one was playing with him and they had gone to pick oranges. I told them to bring him back inside which they did.
Here's where it gets irritating. None of us, my girls included, knew one of the guests had taken out the guinea pig to the pen as well. She's not too big and tan colored so easily blended in with arms. She's very quiet usually so we didn't think anything of it that we didn't hear making noises all day. Finally discovered she was missing around 9pm when I did my nightly food and water check. She hadn't eaten the lettuce my older girl had dropped in for her which was unusual prompting me lifting her igloo house. No piggie. Rushed out to the yard flashlight in hand with my younger daughter right behind me.
There were a couple towels in the pen the kids used to sit on (which normally aren't there). At first glance no sign of her, then I lifted one of the towels that was folded over on itself. She had burrowed under trying to keep cool. It got up to around 85 yesterday. There was no chance of me keeping it from my dd till I could adjust and break it to her gently. She had died not that long before as she was still warm on her tummy but was too far gone for me to try bringing her back. The sound that my daughter made when I said she died broke my heart. My DH heard something weird and came to check on us, he realized later it was our daughter's wailing he'd heard. She's 7. He came down to comfort her as I had the pig in my arms. Shortly after that, older dd (9) came outside. That sound was repeated as soon as I told her what happened. We brought her in and placed her in a box and for the next hour sat on the couch with both girls sobbing. Even my ds (11) was crying a little.
This was a great pet. I have never liked guinea pigs before this despite my love of animals and fawning over anything with fur. This was the sweetest creature I've ever known, she changed my mind about pigs. She used to talk to me everytime she heard my voice whether I'd squeeked at her first or not. She never bit anyone and loved to be held and petted, made the cutest noise almost like purring. She even gave kisses.
To make this even more horrible, the guinea pig was our daughters' birthday present last November. Their b-days are two weeks apart and my hubby found her on craigslist being given away by a military family who was being relocated and couldn't take her with them. She was only 8 months old at the time.
I am just heartsick over this, and even though this may sound like I'm just looking for sympathy, I'm not. I just know all of you will understand how the loss of a beloved pet can affect a family. I also needed a place to vent. I can't be angry in front of my girls because they need me to be caring right now but I am so
about the whole thing. My dds are very responsible and had any of us been told she'd been taken outside they would have brought her in right away, guinea pigs are very sensitive to heat.
Here's where it gets irritating. None of us, my girls included, knew one of the guests had taken out the guinea pig to the pen as well. She's not too big and tan colored so easily blended in with arms. She's very quiet usually so we didn't think anything of it that we didn't hear making noises all day. Finally discovered she was missing around 9pm when I did my nightly food and water check. She hadn't eaten the lettuce my older girl had dropped in for her which was unusual prompting me lifting her igloo house. No piggie. Rushed out to the yard flashlight in hand with my younger daughter right behind me.
There were a couple towels in the pen the kids used to sit on (which normally aren't there). At first glance no sign of her, then I lifted one of the towels that was folded over on itself. She had burrowed under trying to keep cool. It got up to around 85 yesterday. There was no chance of me keeping it from my dd till I could adjust and break it to her gently. She had died not that long before as she was still warm on her tummy but was too far gone for me to try bringing her back. The sound that my daughter made when I said she died broke my heart. My DH heard something weird and came to check on us, he realized later it was our daughter's wailing he'd heard. She's 7. He came down to comfort her as I had the pig in my arms. Shortly after that, older dd (9) came outside. That sound was repeated as soon as I told her what happened. We brought her in and placed her in a box and for the next hour sat on the couch with both girls sobbing. Even my ds (11) was crying a little.
This was a great pet. I have never liked guinea pigs before this despite my love of animals and fawning over anything with fur. This was the sweetest creature I've ever known, she changed my mind about pigs. She used to talk to me everytime she heard my voice whether I'd squeeked at her first or not. She never bit anyone and loved to be held and petted, made the cutest noise almost like purring. She even gave kisses.
To make this even more horrible, the guinea pig was our daughters' birthday present last November. Their b-days are two weeks apart and my hubby found her on craigslist being given away by a military family who was being relocated and couldn't take her with them. She was only 8 months old at the time.
I am just heartsick over this, and even though this may sound like I'm just looking for sympathy, I'm not. I just know all of you will understand how the loss of a beloved pet can affect a family. I also needed a place to vent. I can't be angry in front of my girls because they need me to be caring right now but I am so
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