• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Epsilon Cumin ~ 10/01/17 - 01/11/17

tlcwrites

Mama Doe
I am sad to announce that our big, beautiful piggie, Epsilon Cumin, passed away very unexpectedly yesterday evening.

She was absolutely fine at 4pm, wheeking excitedly when being given some hay. By 6.30pm, she was gone. We have no idea what happened. She was so young, so full of energy, and so friendly. We believe that she might have choked shortly after 4, when there was nobody in the lounge, and the house was noisy. It's absolutely awful and I feel terrible for her.

Delta piggie, meanwhile, is doing very well. If anything, she's popcorning evening more. :roll: Mum feels like she's cursed when it comes to guinea pigs; we've been so unlucky with them lately. :(

However, this isn't much of a dedication to our lovely Epsilon, so I'm going to write about her now, rather than the circumstances that led to her death.

Epsilon was born on the 10th of January, 2017. She was the largest of her litter of five, weighing in at a whopping 130g. Her poor mum, Treacle Honeypig, was carrying babies weighing altogether more than 500g. Julia at Honeybunnies was actually lucky enough to witness the birth of her and her siblings. Treacle and her babies were lucky to be born in such a safe environment. :love:

QFQ3UTA.jpg

photo courtesy of Honeybunnies Rabbit and Guinea Pig rescue.

Last year, we took on 3 neutered boys from a family friend who was downsizing - Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Beta and Gamma started bullying Alpha, so we had to separate off Alpha. Alpha was quite under the weather as a consequence, and never truly recovered. Then, Gamma died unexpectedly, leaving us with two single neutered boars. We tried re-bonding them, but they fought so we left them single. At the same time, my rabbit Iris left for the Rainbow Bridge, leaving Arce bereaved. We'd contacted Honeybunnies to adopt a boyfriend for her, and I suggested Mum contact them too to see if they had any single piggies we could try with the boys.

There was only one pair available at the time - Snowcone and Cumin. They had been bonded at Honeybunnies and were being offered as a pair. However, Jill said we could consider separating them so the boys could have a girlfriend each.

When we came home, we had "Winter" (now Yuki) for Arce, and "Snowcone" (now Delta) and "Cumin" (Epsilon) for the boys. I'd spoken to Julia at Honeybunnies at length about what to do about our piggies. Alpha had begun to turn downhill again, and we thought it best to bond Beta with both the girls instead. Alpha remained in the same room, so he could at least still hear other piggies. He was also a loving boy who preferred people to a certain degree anyway.

On that day, I was bonding rabbits and guinea pigs at the same time. It sounds like it should have been manic, but in reality it was ridiculously easy. Arce and Yuki were pretty much love at first sight. And Beta took to the girls straightaway too. I was relieved because I don't know what I'd have done if I had any difficult bonds. For Mum, Epsilon was also love at first sight. She adored her and hadn't felt that way about a guinea pig since her soul pig, Sammy, left for the bridge nearly 10 years ago.

We lost Alpha shortly after we'd bonded the girls to Beta, and then Beta unexpectedly joined his brothers at the Bridge too. Although it's been a sad time for us regarding guinea pigs, I was also relieved that I hadn't chosen to split Epsilon and Delta up. It meant that they still had companionship and I didn't have to rebond them at any time.

All the while Epsilon - who was increasingly being called "Epsie" was growing both in size and confidence. By the time of her death she was already considerably bigger than Delta (who is a little older than Epsie) and we'd been talking about making them a larger enclosure to share because she was going to be a very big pig.

Epsie had the loudest wheek, and always had to say hello to people when they were in the room. She also wheeked at even the slightest rustle of a pack. She was full of popcorns, almost all the time. She hated being picked up but loved to be held. She adored exploring, and once tried to break back into her own cage. The cats, who have always been scared of piggies, were even more scared of Epsie the ever-growing pig and always scarpered when the piggies were out to play.

SBJI8dR.jpg

Epsie in a pigloo

In the summer, to increase the size of their cage, we made them a new level with a guinea pig loft. It was out of recycled material, but Epsie adored that extra level and spent most of her time chilling up there, usually hogging a snugglesack so that Delta scarcely got a look in. She also loved jumping on top of pigloos and always found it ridiculously easy to get up there.

At this time we "litter trained" them as best you can litter train guinea pigs. Naturally, they still pooped everywhere, but they mostly peed in their litter tray, which was surrounded by hay racks. It made looking after them much easier and we got them onto fleece (but still with puppy pads underneath!)

Like many piggies, she also penchant for running up onto shoulder and hiding in people's hair. She especially liked mine because it's long and blonde. Maybe she mistook it for hay. Though thankfully, she didn't try and eat it. Unlike one time when she decided to try licking and then biting my finger through the bars. That was the start of her improving at being hand fed and actually enjoying being hand fed. If she didn't particularly want what she was being hand fed, she would take it and then drop it. Of course she loved her food too, and particularly enjoyed being treated with apple.

All in all Epsie was a big guinea pig, with an even bigger personality, one that was too big for this world. She will be missed.

Popcorn free, Epsie. We'll look after Miss Delta for you. xxx

iGUzCt6.jpg


e0XbUzW.jpg


fuza3GJ.jpg


P9LiS6c.jpg


mR27W4B.jpg


qByQ5KF.jpg

The Great Cage Break-...in?

hi48Vd3.jpg

"Whatcha doin up there, Epsie?"

6hG5UUz.jpg


waoYvoa.jpg

from Delta and Epsie's last photoshoot together.

pXIZML0.jpg

again, from that last photoshoot.

Tn5DaVJ.jpg

Delta and Epsilon lived here. :(
 
I'm so sorry you've had to say goodbye suddenly. Looks like she had a lovely life xx
 
What an adorable sweet piggie who lived a fulfilled life with caring parents. We're sorry to hear of your loss.
Hugs xx
 
Thank you everyone.

Delta's a bit quiet, so I'm hoping to get her some new friends very soon. It doesn't change the fact that Epsie is - and will be - missed. xxx
 
Back
Top