We've been expecting it for a little while now, but I will be honest, it did still surprise me.
She stopped eating a few days ago - I'm well-versed in animals enough to know what that means. We tried to get her to eat something, and to drink something, but she always just turned her head away. She was quite cold all the time, too, so I often took her out of her cage and wrapped her in a blanket. In the old days, she'd always just climb right out almost instantly, but she didn't anymore. She just lay there, all bundled up.
I've always said I'm an animal lover, but I've found that I'm a selfish one. I didn't have the guts to take her to the vet to have her put down, and I hold myself personally responsible for that. Seeg forgot about making an appointment, but I purposely didn't say anything. I wanted her to pass away here, with us. Whether that was the right or wrong thing to do, I honestly don't know.
She's not been the same for a few months. She and Sugar both always used to lick our hands - something I've never known that specific animal to ever do, having had five males a few years prior - but after the operation to remove her mammory tumor, she started nibbling instead - I do mean nibbling, not biting or even chewing. It never hurt - she never meant it to - and never once did either of them ever draw blood. Except when they tried to jump out of the bath, but that was with their claws, and it was by accident. They weren't balverines.
But we've watched her slowly deteriorate from what the vet suspected to be a stroke. She wasn't given any meds because none of us thought it right. In truth I didn't expect her to last long, but she lasted a month or two longer than I thought, and for an animal that lives two to four years, it's not bad.
But over the past few days, she's only gotten worse. She's been spoilt, too; she was unable to eat hard food - she still tried, though - so we bought lots of cat and dog food pouches for her, soft natural food that had the vitamins and minerals she needed, and gave her softer treats. She's been unable to climb since about January, so I'd moved her hammock from a hanging position to the bottom corner of the cage, but still hooked in place so it wouldn't move and she'd stil be able to get out of either the inside of it, or underneath it.
I do think that most of this helped her to last longer, and we did do our true best for her, but we knew she'd have to go sometime, like everyone and everything else. Nothing and no one lasts forever.
We got a lot of pictures of the two of them when they were fine, though, and my favourite is them standing in the bath with a little rubber duck. And while there's nothing more I'd like to do than share that picture here, there's very little that will get me to actually do it.
I absolutely despise almost every reaction I get to people finding out their species. People conform so much to stupid stereotypes, that if they knew anything about them it would turn their world upside down. I had considered just telling you all now, but the pain is too fresh for me to even pretend to listen to stupid comments about it. I will tell you all in time - and some of you may already have either found or figured it out - but not yet. But I will say this: they genuinely are wonderful animals. The only small mammal I've ever known - and I've had lots of different ones - that hasn't spent its life hiding under hay or in a little house and running away if ever you went near them. No, they all slept in the open.
In fact, their cage was at the foot of the bed (problematic sometimes, they'd pull the cover through - all of our duvet covers have massive holes nibbled out of the bottom corners) and I always used to sit at the end of the bed to do my writing. After a week or so of me doing this, both of them would climb to the top of the cage and lie down on the shelf at the top, press themselves against the bars and either sleep there, or watch me with sleepy eyes. The only other place they'd sleep was their hammock - again, in full view.
And they were both so different, Sugar and Lucky. Sugar was quiet, and if ever you opened the door, or made even the slightest noise or movement, she'd wake up. Lucky, on the other hand, as I have told you, would sleep through being poked and jostled. Sugar also never really did anything strange. Lucky would climb to the top of the cage, stand on the top shelf and grab the top bars - then she'd lift her body up and climb clumsily as if they were monkey bars. And she only had one way to turn and it was a straight 180 degree turn by repositioning her little hands. She was insane, and it was hilarious to watch. She never fell, either. She'd go from one end of the cage to the other, then back again.
No, I've been lucky with these wonderful little critters. They've made me so happy. I got them from my sister before they were fully grown, she had them a week and didn't want them anymore. I was more than happy to take them from her, and I'd have had them two years if they'd both lasted until April, but you can't always help that. I remember walking to her house - the first and only time I'd been there - and carrying them home in a giant hamster ball. I already had three cages of different sizes here. She kept them in a hamster cage - too small if they were fully grown, too small already, really - but I put them in what was a 3-storey hamster cage. When they got older I had to seperate them, and one of them would go in that cage - it became a 2-storey cage then because they were too big. I eventually moved them into a larger one when there was room for it. Lucky managed to open the smaller cage twice. I can only guess she threw her weight against it. I came upstairs one evening to grab something, then I felt something small lean on my foot, I switched the light on and there was Lucky - out of the cage - looking up to me as if to say HELLO!! She did it again while I was sleeping. I had to tie the doors shut!
They were both the best little animals. Maybe in the future, you should all consider them. But, maybe get males. They're less likely to fight with eachother, and they don't have mammory tumors.
I'm still quite upset, so I'll draw this to an abrupt close. She was the greatest - they both were. Animals are so important in my life. Everyone should have something furry - or scaley if you prefer - to hug.
Rest in peace Lucky. Sugar's up there, and so are lots of boys. If Sugar hasn't snatched
Chedder up yet, go for him. He's a big softy. Love you princess.
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