Almostperfect10
Well-known member
My sweet boy Alfie died in my arms on Sunday, just 8 days shy of his third birthday. I am devastated because this was so unexpected. Although he did have a quite complex surgery on Thursday to remove an abscess attached to his rectum, he made it through the surgery just fine and seemed to be doing as well as could be expected following. By Saturday night, he seemed weak despite handfeeding. He was so young, healthy, and full of life that it didn't even occur to be that he might not make a full recovery.
Alfie was a special chinchilla. While I was on vacation, he was given to me by a pet store owner who said he had been sitting there unsold for six months. He traveled from New Jersey to Ohio with me in a car with failing AC, and I feared I might lose him to heat stroke. Thankfully some nice people in a Chipotle somewhere along the Pennsylvania Turnpike let us all come in (Poppy, the wallaby was also in tow) and wait in the AC until sunset when we could travel safely.
Alfie quickly became Poppy's best buddy. My older girl chinchillas were infatuated with this handsome young man, and he obviously found them quite attractive too. He later became quite the momma's boy. Every night at playtime, he would sit on my pillow until I laid down with him. After using me as his personal jungle gym, he would settle in and sleep behind my knees. I would often sleep too, and he would wake me up with nibbles on the ear of eyebrow (and once even a poop in my ear!). He would often bring me his toys while I slept. Every morning, as I would eat breakfast, he would sit on a high shelf in his cage to be eye level with me.
I miss him SO much! I know eventually I will be glad that he never seemed to be sick or uncomfortable, but right now it hurts so much. I am just so glad that he waited to take his last breath until he was in my arms.
Alfie was a special chinchilla. While I was on vacation, he was given to me by a pet store owner who said he had been sitting there unsold for six months. He traveled from New Jersey to Ohio with me in a car with failing AC, and I feared I might lose him to heat stroke. Thankfully some nice people in a Chipotle somewhere along the Pennsylvania Turnpike let us all come in (Poppy, the wallaby was also in tow) and wait in the AC until sunset when we could travel safely.
Alfie quickly became Poppy's best buddy. My older girl chinchillas were infatuated with this handsome young man, and he obviously found them quite attractive too. He later became quite the momma's boy. Every night at playtime, he would sit on my pillow until I laid down with him. After using me as his personal jungle gym, he would settle in and sleep behind my knees. I would often sleep too, and he would wake me up with nibbles on the ear of eyebrow (and once even a poop in my ear!). He would often bring me his toys while I slept. Every morning, as I would eat breakfast, he would sit on a high shelf in his cage to be eye level with me.
I miss him SO much! I know eventually I will be glad that he never seemed to be sick or uncomfortable, but right now it hurts so much. I am just so glad that he waited to take his last breath until he was in my arms.
