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Until we meet again Mumu

HunterRose13

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Posts
88
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
88
First I want to thank everyone that has welcomed me to this place. I thought myself crazy for how deeply I cared for my piggies and it feels good to have a place where I can see that if I am crazy then I am not the only one. I have learned a lot here and will use that knowledge to, in the future, offer a pig in need a good home and a good life.

While it has been some time since her passing I felt it appropriate to give Mumu an appropriate memorial and share the story of my girls (actually my daughters girls). At first I thought I would try to write the story of my girls in one chapter, but I found it more appropriate that they each should have their own. They were both huge personalities and one post could not possibly contain it all.

The story of ‘my’ girls began with my oldest daughter away at college. A dorm mate had a guniea pig that she did not want to care for any more. My daughter being the lover of animals took her in. The problem was my daughter was several states away and had decided to move home. What to do? My daughter put her belongings in storage and arranged for boarding for the guniea pig. As any dutiful dad, with family in tow, I drove down to her college town to pick up her stuff and to retrieve the guniea pig. That’s when I met MuMu. Our first meeting was at the place she was being boarded and she looked beautiful, smooth coat with a tuff of fur between her ears, white, brown, and black. She was gentle and terribly quiet. She stole my heart even if I didn’t know it at that moment.

The trip home was going to require and overnight stay at a hotel. With MuMu being so quiet I thought nothing of it. We would simply smuggle her carrier in and settle in for the night. She decided that as we snuck it would be a perfect time to introduce herself with a few loud wheeks. We played it off as one of the kids toys and hustled her into the room. That was our first night with MuMu. The rest of the trip was uneventful and MuMu made it to her new home with us.

Mind you I was objecting to our new addition from day one. Daughter (broken link removed) decided that since we already had one guinea pig two would not make much difference. The daughters conspired and somehow found another female. Enter Bella. She was black with a tiny spot of brown near her chin. She was our bad hair day pig, an Abyssinian. I was displeased with my daughters for some time….that would pass.

As days turned to weeks and weeks to months I learned a bit here and there about our new furry family members. Two was better than one. Lots of timothy hay, Oxbow pellets were mixed in with what they had previously, and the girls transitioned to the Oxbow pellets completely. Fresh veggies and veggie treats. Bigger homes, never as big as I wanted, but worlds better than the tiny home MuMu started with. Lots of house keeping to keep them dry and comfortable. Nail trims, brushing, and cuddling. While we didn't do everything right from the get go, we learned a lot, and made the lives our girls better as we went along.

We enjoyed lap time and floor time when we could, but not near enough, not nearly enough. On occasion in the summer we would give the girls a bath. They both took to the water and would hustle to find a deep enough spot in the tub to swim. The highlight of our year was the annual destruction of Bethlehem. We set up a toy manger scene around Christmas and hid treats in the various buildings, stalls, and trees and unleashed the girls to wheek havoc. Mu was the wearer of hats and had several for different occasions. I made a nightly ritual of tucking the girls in and telling them good night.

My oldest was to go away for college again and entrusted the care of MuMu to me. My daughter was close and home this time and visited frequently to enjoy the company of MuMu. We really had no idea how old MuMu was. Despite me spoiling her Mumu was still my daughter’s daughter. While Mu would reluctantly purr for me she would run all over my daughter and hide in her hair while purring. Months rolled to years and I found I was doing a lot of the grunge work for the girls, but I realized I did not mind because I knew the girls really appreciated it. MuMu was always boss pig even though she was smaller than Bella. Bella was Mu’s shadow.

One faithful Fall MuMu fell ill. My wife had planned a birthday trip out of town and I was miserable because I was concerned about Mu. Thankfully it was only a day trip and we went straight away to the vet when we returned. I cried tears of joy when the vet said Mu would be ok, but to be mindful she was getting up there in age. I nursed Mu through giving her meds, feeding critical care, and eventually enjoying another destruction of Bethlehem with Bella. My kids made a book for me that Christmas….”If you give a pig a pepper” in honor of the girls favorite veggie, bell pepper.
Winter set in and the year turned. I celebrated each day Mu was with us.

The weather outside had been bitter cold. I noticed Mu was slowing down, nothing significant at first, just a little here and there. The vet simply said she is old and she won’t be with you forever. He said overall she was in good health, but age was catching up with her. I did my best to spoil you with fresh hay, veggies, lap time, and anything I could.

One faithful morning my wife woke before I did and I did not here the wheeks off breakfast time. Before I could even leave the bed my wife was in the doorway with tears in her eyes. I knew that Mu had left us. I sobbed and fought to compose myself enough to inform my daughter. I pulled myself together and assembled a box and lined it with Mu’s favorite fleece. She had so many wonderful names and we wrote many of them on the box. We each wrote her our good bye. I laid her on the bed of fleece and surrounded her with her favorite treats of carrot and bell pepper and lot of hay. I stroked her soft, smooth fur one last time and quietly closed the box.

The ground was frozen solid when I went outside and the air was cold and bitter. I carried the small box out to the shed and secured it so Mu would not be disturbed. I had to work that day and while I never said a word my coworkers knew something had happened. I didn’t want to explain how I, a guy on the other side of middle age, viewed by some as a hard man had a whole blown in his heart by the loss of ‘a rodent’. I didn’t want to hear a snide comment of disrespect for Mumu. So I remained silent and made it through the day. How, as a grown man, can you really explain that you view a guinea pig as a member of the family? Especially in what most would consider a 'manly' industry and that you were devastated, knowing you would never hear the purr of your piggy girl again.

The following day the sun broke through the slate grey sky and I returned to the shed. As I took that small box in my hands I could feel the hot tears running down my cheeks. I found a spot under the lilac bush where I knew no one would dare disturb my little girl. It took a lot to break through the frozen and rocky ground, but it finally gave way and I dug for what seemed like forever, thinking about all the happy times with Mu, and smiling through the tears. I finally placed the little box gently into the ground and carefully replaced the dirt. I knelt and replaced the last bits of dirt with my hands, gently patting it into place. I prayed and hoped I had done right by you and our family and given you a good home and good life. I knew you were tired and ready to rest, but I so selfishly wanted you back. I recited so many of your names and didn't want to get up because I felt that when I did I would have to finally acknowledge that you were truly gone.

I finally went inside, cold, covered in dirt, and my face streaked with tears. After a hot shower and collecting myself I went to my nightstand and read “If you give a pig a pepper” and then slipped it inside my bible. While Mumu’s time with us had passed she left her sister Bella that would need to be spoiled more than ever.
 

SSLee

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Posts
276
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Messages
276
Thank you for sharing Mumu's story and she was such a loved member of your family. You have certainly done right by Mumu. I have never cried more than when I'm on this site.
 

Guinea Pig Papa

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 12, 2015
Posts
387
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
387
I am certain Mumu knew how much she was loved in life. She was a very lucky little lady to have found a family like yours to take her in, learn about her, love her, and treat her like the treasure that she is.

As I said before, there are so many parallels between your story and mine. The only place I could grieve other than home, was here. And I still grieve to this day. They are not just rodents. They ARE family members, to those who give them the chance to be. To take the time to get to know them, their needs and their personalities.

Mumu is now at the Rainbow Bridge. Besides at home with your family, she's in the best place she could be. She has a lot of furry friends, and more than she could ever hope to eat. Bright, warm sunshine, no house eagles, and lots of playtime.

When night falls at the Rainbow Bridge, Mumu curls herself up in a bed of warm, sweet hay. And she dreams of the day you come to find her, and take her home again one last time.
 

HunterRose13

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Posts
88
Joined
Apr 9, 2019
Messages
88
It took me several days to type this as I could feel the tears well up and I had to step away. It will be awhile before I can do this again for my baby Bella. She deserves it though and it is my duty to honor her with a proper memorial.

Thank you all for the understanding and support.
 

GayzeN

Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Posts
13
Joined
Dec 30, 2015
Messages
13
Thank you for this beautiful dedication for your very special girl. You've started my morning with tears, but they are the nice kind, because they sparkle with love.
 
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