Taming your Guinea Pig.

Hi Everybody,
If any of you are considering rescuing a guinea pig of your very own
here's a great site to help you understand your new companion and commune
with him or her gently and safely. If you have any questions regarding how
to house, feed, or care for your new Piggy, we have lots of valuable links
in the "My Blog List" section and Guinea Pig Magazine (also listed) is
the only International magazine devoted completely to guinea pigs and their
quirkiness, health, and care.

It's a terrific magazine and Alison, publisher and editor, just lost her
beloved Piglet today. We learned this from two piggy friends who saw
her FACEBOOK  (we are not on FB) so please visit her at
Guinea Pig Magazine FACEBOOK and share your condolences as they
are much needed and she and Guinea Pig Magazine - who featured our
very own Taj Mahal as their New Year Cover Pig (including an interview)
- were unspeakably supportive of our own herd loss last winter.

Yum-Yum has what Alison's beloved Piglet had: a bladder stone and
urinary tract infection, among other health issues. We think Yum-Yum's
stone is smaller and his condition less severe, but it would be a lie to
say we (o.k. FINE, piggies!) that I am not a bit shaken up by her loss 
for this reason, as well. 

For now, "the kids are all right" and so good night, sweet dreams, and our
hearts go out to you, Alison, you and Piglet both in our prayers tonight and
always...thank you for being there for us. We hope you can feel our love even
from "across the pond" for you are a treasure. You said Guinea Pig Magazine
would not exist had it not been for Piglet:
We feel immeasurably grateful to him, Alison, since
so many beautiful, sweet piggies and their slaves
benefit from the magazine he inspired.
We sure have!

We are so sorry for your loss, dear Alison...

(((Alison and Piglet))) We love you.

Chana, Yum-Yum, Bhindi, Vinny-Guinea, Peter-Peanut,
and Squirrel (our own resident Hospice Therapy Pig.)

Taming your Guinea Pig.(link)
&
guineapigmagazine.com
(great site! just press the piggies, they popcorn and leave you a poop!)

The Wait...

Waiting for results at the vet.
Yum-Yum is showing improvement
with his bladder infection and we
have discovered a cyst on Bhindi's
back which will be biopsied on Friday.
We have NO DOUBT Yum-Yum's
improvement is also the result of the
enormous outpouring of love for all
of us here at the Sanctuary/Hospice
and we are grateful beyond measure.
(the rest of this we edited out, so
if the comments don't make sense,
it cuz of we edited the rest of this out!)

He Comforts Me (and this is the one I meant to post Below! drrrrrr.......)

 

EVERYBODY NEEDS A LITTLE SQUIRREL

Thank you all for your loving support as we go from Sanctuary
to Hospice for Yum-Yum. He has his good moments and his
not so good moments but guess what? Ever since Squirrel
came into our lives - and I discovered just how hard it is to
remember how to spell his name! - Yum-Yum's seizures have
stopped. He is very happy, still eating and drinking, not liking
his meds 2x/day but otherwise enjoying himself and now that
his physical pain is also being managed we choose to be happy
as some of my near and dear ones have informed me my own
moods create an environment and it could be a morbid one
or a Happy, Joyful one as we enjoy these remaining days,
weeks, hopefully months together: so we choose Joy
and if I need to cry I will go into the coat closet.
Everyone needs a little Squirrel.
And friends like all of you!
Much love.
To my loved ones in India: Prem.

For Yum-Yum: Stand By Me (Steelpan) - YouTube

YumYum is not doing too well. I am practicing my drumming.
(With rubber practice pads, are you kidding? Guinea pigs and
migraines? No steel drum here, mon! LOL!)
Drumming may come in handy to support an inevitable grief.
Since I play a steel bucket (which I will also be painting)
this song is dedicated to Yum-Yum: I will always stand by you.
The rest of you: DANCE FOR US! PLEASE.

The video gets hip-hop and really fun towards the END, 

WAY COOL!
Dance. And please Stand by Us...

we feel you.

Stand By Me (Steelpan) - YouTube

PEEK-A-BOO!

 

Yum-Yum and Squirrel: A Miracle!

We don't know how much longer Yum-Yum will be with us.
But, we do know one thing: This morning he did NOT
have a seizure! We celebrate the moment and
are grateful to Squirrel for livening up our Pirate by
 popcorning, scooting, curiosity, adorableness,
and giving all of us, the entire herd, so much HAPPINESS!
Whatever happens will happen. But our feisty, playful, precocious squirrel making us 
all giggly: SQUEEE!

PRAY, DRUM, LOVE!

Please enjoy our next post!
The official sweatshirt worn by
my new friend says it ALL:
"WE DID THIS TOGETHER"
It really Does Take A Village.

DRUMMING FOR A CAUSE!

STOMP Opens Closing Ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympics.
They get paid.

But I believe EveryWoman deserves a drum,
even if it's just the lid of a tin bucket.
My New Friend sure likes it!

I carry my drumsticks and bucket lid EVERYWHERE
because here in quirky Bellingham you never know when
you might come across a Drum Circle for a Charitable Cause!
It's a good policy for every Bellinghamster, as you can see.

Some Bellinghamsters prefer "real drums" but decorated nicely!
(And Adobo is a Philipino food yummy once you replace the
chicken for TOFURKEY.)
Ya, real good, adobo.

Many Bellinghamsters simply dress this way because, well,
that's how we roll here in our defiant, little artsy-outdoor Paradise!

Meet Olivia. She needed a kidney transplant or she would die. A little girl donated a kidney.
Both children were playing and doing cartwheels on the grass. But she and others like her
will need anti-rejection medication for the rest of their lives. To help pay for these costs,
and to help other children do cartwheels on the grass, she established her own foundation:
www.COTAforoliviaRC.com
The event, one I had no idea was taking place (just happened to show up
at the right place at the right time) was LIV FEST 2012! WAY COOL.

So, get y'self a bucket and a sturdy pair of drumsticks, cuz ya just never know
when they're going to come in handy helping your community saving a life!

The Many Moods of Squirrel

I'm philosophical.

I can roar like a lion!

I can be a porcupine.

I am a ninja guard-pig!

I'm a caring creature.

Yum-Yum loves me!

(Yum-Yum:
"Mom, can I go back home now? 
This creature is annoying. 
I'm too old for this.
Thank you.")

When a Sanctuary Becomes a Hospice...

 

My name is "Squirrel" and
my favorite things are Yum-Yum,
cuddling into mom's warm neck
(although when she is playing
"Adele LIVE at Royal Albert Hall"
and singing along...well...
 (kinda TOTAL "Epic Fail!")
But I just act like she sings as
good as she does her hair on
her "bad hair days."
(see a few posts down and pity me.)
I also love running and popcorning
about the "Barnyard" mom made
me and Yum-Yum to keep us
separated from those other
creatures. Why does mom have
wild animals living here with us?


 

Mom's looking online and everywhere
for information about Yum-Yum's 
convulsions...they resemble "dry heaves"
but hasn't found anything other than 
bad stuff. And she and Edwin once
adopted their own vet's "hospice pig"
when the vet went to Australia once
a long, long time ago, about the time
they rescued Chai the Bengal Cat.
She was so sick from neglect (how could
a VET do that? Said it was "her daughter's")
but she died of a seizure in front of Chai
and he tried to bring her back to life and
mom and dad had already put a carpet
sample on the top of her cage because
he kept vigil while she was dying and he
remained there for at least 24 hours
silently after she passed.
So, we don't know what is happening with
Yum-Yum or how serious it is but we do
know it's my job as his squirrel to 
be happy and popcorn and run and 
sniff him and chew mom's furniture
and sleep next to him when he feels
poorly and I am a squirrel of Virtue.
Mom's a mess. But that's not my job,
THANK GOODNESS!
love,
Squirrel
P.S. will someone teach mom how
to spell it? She should've just named
me "brown box." Geez-A-Loo!

YUM-YUM WITH FAIRY DUST!

 

April, 2012
Yum-Yum moves into inspects
my birthday box from FAIRY!
HE APPROVES and is ready to
move right in!
err...ummm...Yum-Yum, it was
my birthday and I'm happy to
share but you can't LIVE IN IT! 
This morning he had convulsions
again. Squirrel has begun running
and popcorning about, chewing on
my drafting table (maybe he's a baby
beaver?) and Yum-Yum is already
enjoying his companionship in their
Extra Large, plush, Cavy Hut!
Every piggie gets individual cuddle time
at bedtime and we are carrying on 
best we can, given there is no diagnosis
 to treat convulsions. They resemble dry 
heaves, like he is trying to throw up.
Yesterday's X-Ray revealed no blockages.
Lots of love, all, and thank you for
your best wishes. We need them.
Love You, one and all.