Courtney
... and the Dynamic Duo!
Hey everyone. It’s been a while…
Cuda (Monster) passed away at some point between midnight and 6am this morning. He was just over 3 years old (born on November 7, 2006) and the life of the party. He wasn’t ill at all, but had recently lost partial (if not all) sight in one eye. I noticed the tell-tale cloudiness in his eye about 2 weeks ago, but never noticed any other ill effects. He played just as hard as always, and was just as much of a wheeler as before. More often than not, I’d catch him running his little legs off on his wheel, with his blind eye facing out. He didn’t have a fear in the world.
Last night, I cleaned cages and had a nice chat with Monster. He came right out of his igloo (where he always had a nice tshirt nest built), sat between his dishes and chattered to me as I talked back to him. We ‘talked’ for nearly half an hour while I cleaned and rearranged the cages. I did my last check on the hogs at about midnight, and found him wheeling quite persistently on his wheel.
When I checked on them this morning at about 6am, I found him tucked behind his wheel. He had his head rested on the stand to his wheel and his little legs splayed out in all directions. At first, I thought he was just sleeping as I’d found him in that spot more than once, but when I opened the cage and didn’t hear a hiss… I knew. I’m not sure how long he’d been gone for, as blood hadn’t yet settled… but he was cold and rigor mortis had set in. I spent the next half hour cuddling him while I waited for a vet clinic to open so I could take him in and make arrangements to have him cremated. He will be home in 2 weeks.
Rest in peace, little guy. You will be missed… even your charming habit of biting for no obvious reason. You had more personality than most animals I’ve had the privilege of knowing, and your nightly chatters will be sorely missed. Say hello to Hemi across the Rainbow Bridge, but please, mind your manners. She was double your size, and I’m sure she’s not afraid to give you an attitude adjustment.
Cuda (Monster) passed away at some point between midnight and 6am this morning. He was just over 3 years old (born on November 7, 2006) and the life of the party. He wasn’t ill at all, but had recently lost partial (if not all) sight in one eye. I noticed the tell-tale cloudiness in his eye about 2 weeks ago, but never noticed any other ill effects. He played just as hard as always, and was just as much of a wheeler as before. More often than not, I’d catch him running his little legs off on his wheel, with his blind eye facing out. He didn’t have a fear in the world.
Last night, I cleaned cages and had a nice chat with Monster. He came right out of his igloo (where he always had a nice tshirt nest built), sat between his dishes and chattered to me as I talked back to him. We ‘talked’ for nearly half an hour while I cleaned and rearranged the cages. I did my last check on the hogs at about midnight, and found him wheeling quite persistently on his wheel.
When I checked on them this morning at about 6am, I found him tucked behind his wheel. He had his head rested on the stand to his wheel and his little legs splayed out in all directions. At first, I thought he was just sleeping as I’d found him in that spot more than once, but when I opened the cage and didn’t hear a hiss… I knew. I’m not sure how long he’d been gone for, as blood hadn’t yet settled… but he was cold and rigor mortis had set in. I spent the next half hour cuddling him while I waited for a vet clinic to open so I could take him in and make arrangements to have him cremated. He will be home in 2 weeks.
Rest in peace, little guy. You will be missed… even your charming habit of biting for no obvious reason. You had more personality than most animals I’ve had the privilege of knowing, and your nightly chatters will be sorely missed. Say hello to Hemi across the Rainbow Bridge, but please, mind your manners. She was double your size, and I’m sure she’s not afraid to give you an attitude adjustment.
