A Tail of Four Guineas

Maddie and Max, holding Penelope


Jane with Nutmeg


Emmy


Sam's Wild Thing, Hazelnut

Okay, so I've avoided the pet thing for so long. I've been pretty proud of myself. For Maddie's birthday, she begged and begged for a guinea pig. I didn't want one because of the stink factor. Cara refused to share a room with a guinea pig (not that they share now, but she meant ever). And really, I didn't want something else to take care of. Finally, the day before her birthday, I thought to myself, "Who am I to deny her from loving one of God's creatures?" Famous last words, ie, I caved.

So I took a beaming Maddie to the local Petsmart the next day to pick out a guinea pig. She picked out Penelope, lovingly named after a fictional character in a nightly animal story I made up for the boys. Penelope was the love interest of a guinea pig named Bob. She took her home and after a day, the two had bonded. Penelope would come to the cage door whenever Maddie opened it. And I was surprised at how well Maddie took care of her guinea pig. She originally wanted to get two, because they do better in pairs, but decided that one's poop was enough. 

After a couple of days, Sam wanted a guinea pig. When he saw how close Maddie was with hers and how possessive she was, Sam decided the only way to get some pig time was with one of his own. He begged and begged for a couple of days. I held him off, and so did Maddie because she wasn't willing to share the cage. Then Maddie relented because she wanted her piggy to have a friend, plus, Sam would help with the chores. So, after 10 days of being on her own, Penelope got a cage mate.

Nutmeg came and Penelope wouldn't leave her alone, outside. Nutmeg was a little scared. Then we put them in the cage together. Nutmeg took over the hidey house and wouldn't let Penelope inside. So Penelope guarded the water bottle. And had to sleep outside her house. 

The next day, Friday, is when the true trouble started. Up until this point, Max had left the guinea pigs alone until the kids got home from school and let him pet them. His cousin, Jane came over and Max wanted to show her them. Me and Ella took the pigs on the lawn for the kids to play with. They did fine (except for an incident when Nutmeg tried to hide in Jane's underwear, then a little screaming ensued).  We took them back upstairs in their cage. Then Ella and I started to make lunch. I gave Max and Jane some lettuce to put in their cage. Max and Jane came down. Max went up a few minutes later. I wasn't paying too much attention. Max came back downstairs holding Penelope (not correctly) and proudly held her out to Jane, "Jane, I got Penelope for you."

I rushed over and took her from Max. I told him he wasn't allowed to pick up Penelope on his own. I brought her back upstairs and put her in her cage. I thought she was just scared. When I went to check on her an hour later. I knew something was wrong. She wasn't moving and breathing heavy. Ella was almost in tears, being reminded of some pet rats in her past. And Max was upset also. He really loved Penelope. I went to pick Maddie and the kids up from school and explained the situation. When we got home, Maddie went straight up to her room and started crying. I helped her get Penelope out and she put her on a pillow and petted her. After awhile, it seemed like Penelope was rallying. By Friday evening, she seemed alright, except for the heavy breathing. 

On Saturday, we decided we had to take Nutmeg back to Petsmart. She wouldn't let Penelope in her hidey house and Penelope was very sad. So Steve and the boys took Nutmeg back and immediately, Penelope looked much happier. She went in her cage and went straight to her house. I took the girls to the bookstore. When we got back, Maddie's friend came over and they played with Penelope all day. She looked great.

On Saturday night, she took a turn for the worse. She tried to go in her house and got stuck halfway. Maddie was crying again. We were really hoping things would work out. Steve went up Sunday morning and when he came down, it was favorable. Penelope was up and about. I went up a few minutes later. Penelope was layed out dead and Maddie was sobbing. The poor girl. I felt so bad for her. We buried Penelope later in the day (the 14 day guarantee at Petsmart doesn't cover little brothers). Max kept denying that Penelope was dead. But he knew what he had done. He kept asking everyone if they still loved him. To her credit, Maddie was very sweet to Max and didn't lash out or blame him to his face. Only once when he kept denying her demise. 

So on Monday, I took Maddie and Sam together to the pet store. We were trying to get two who were already cage mates. I was avoiding Petsmart because I thought they might not have any new ones (okay, I was embarrassed to show my face there again). But Animal Ark just had two, and they were boys, and they were old. So back to Petsmart we went.  Sam found his wild looking thing that he dubbed Hazelnut. Maddie found Emmy. We brought them home. They put them in their cage and they both shared the hidey house. 

Then they took them outside, and that is when Hazelnut showed her true personality. She took off, squealing. And she was fast. Sam had to run to catch her. All the other guineas would just sit by you and eat grass. We weren't used to this behavior. And Emmy also likes to run, but she just runs for a hiding place. She went under the ground cover. Needless to say, these ones require work when you take them outside. Hazelnut is starting to get better about staying put, on Sam's lap, but not outside. Emmy keeps trying to jump off Maddie to go hide. She hasn't quite bonded yet. 

I will say this, I didn't know that such tiny creatures could have opposite personalities. It gives me a whole new picture when I look at our world. No wonder we all debate issues and think so differently. It's because we feel so differently. Some of us can't wait to run free, and squeal with delight. Others are happy enough to share a quiet moment with a friend. Some are more cautious in our dealings, and some of us jump right in. It's all okay and it's what makes the world interesting. Best of luck to Maddie and Sam with their new guineas. We still have 10 more days on the warranty!