sad good-bye

We have had our guinea pigs, Milo (left) and Chase (right), for two years already.  We adopted them from a rescue shelter as a "bonded pair". They have been a fun pet for the kids, especially Lydia, who has read every book about guinea pigs in the library and picked out a guinea pig lunch bag for school this year.  From a mom's perspective, guinea pigs are a good pet for the following reasons: (1)their mess is usually contained to a small area, (2)they can be left for a weekend without any care, (3)they are relatively inexpensive to feed, and (4)they are a bit less fragile than a hamster and more cuddly than a fish (but not much).  Lydia has "trained" Milo to climb from the floor up into her lap, which is cute.

Which brings us to Chase.  We noticed Chase had lost some weight and for a couple weeks, his fur under his chin was always wet, so I took him to the vet.  He needed extensive dental work, which would require surgery under anesthesia, much discomfort, a big bill, and no there was guarantee that the problem would be fixed for good.  I needed time to think, and talk with Bryan, and mostly, anticipating our decision, wanted our kids to have a chance to say good-bye.  So, I brought him home with a package of powdered food-to be mixed with water into a paste-and a syringe for feedings. That night, Bryan and I made the decision and devised a plan for how to be attentive to our kid's needs.  As parents, we know that when we agree to our kids having a pet, the time will come when we have to hold their hand through the loss. Loss is sad, but it is also a part of life.

The next day, I had already picked up some craft supplies when we told the kids our decision.  The kids decorated a box for his remains.  We gave them the choice if they wanted to say good-bye to Chase at home or at the clinic (a conversation I had already had with the clinic).  All three wanted to go, so the kids and I took him in after school the next day.  The staff at the clinic was amazing, but the experience was still very hard. Two of the kids cried bawled, and it felt like the vet was never going to return with the little box we had decorated. They gave each kid a clay imprint of Chase's paws, then we took his remains home where Bryan was ready to bury him-next to Rocky. 

Chase may have been a rodent, but he was special and important. He was Milo's best friends - really, when they were separated, they would look for each other and squeak for each other.  Sometimes they would fight, but mostly they would cuddle.  One time, I let Lydia take them outside, and Chase escaped from her grip.  Bryan had to take the lattice off the deck and crawl under to pull him out.  He tolerated more interaction with unpredictable kids than Milo does, and was the subject of many entries in Lydia's school writing journal. Chase is missed, but won't be forgotten.