memory lane: Molly & Dinah

It's been some time since I have ventured on a Wednesday's walk; what with Easter busy-ness and visitors and a whole oddment of things life seem to be scurrying by somewhat rapidly - time to breathe in and then - wait for it - breathe out.

Ransacking my mind for an appropriate memory which didn't involve too much coherency - not something I feel i have much of this evening - I settled on one for all you animal/pet lovers that read my blog. Of course, most of you will have scampered over to Charlie's House - already with its own firm fan base ("of course!" murmurs Sir Charles).

Most of you won't have read this blog from it's gentle and somewhat stuttering beginnings of occasional posts, so won't be familiar with the following two characters. But if they had lived - sniff - they would certainly be regular features here - in fact they and Charlie would probably be the main bloggers, with the occasional post from me!

Molly and Dinah were the two lovely guinea pigs we acquired in 2005, I think it must have been. They had a long haired mum and a rough haired dad and took some time to grow into their own fur...they had little coronets on their heads and whenever they washed it looked for all the world like they were 'doing their hair' - especially Molly.

But who needs words? This is what this lovable pair of sisters looked like:

Dinah

fancy a cuppa?

... might be nice...

Molly - and Dinah's nose!


looking down

Molly chatting to Charlie one Nov 5th

(firework night in the UK -pets inside please!)

whispering secrets?




Molly's snail impression



she could do a very good disapproving look

All right, some explanation needed...we only have a lawn in our front garden, which is open right onto the road and slopes, so it's not safe to have small animals grazing...so I sowed grass seed in a seed tray thinking the guineas could reach over the side and nibble it...well you can see what happened; they got right on top of it and ate it all in one go! So, back to me handpicking from the front!

The guinea pigs were fascinated by Charlie from day one, and always very excited to see him. very aware of the problems and injuries that can occur from combining rabbits and guinea pigs, in general they were together but with some kind of barrier between them. One day I decided to see how they would do in the run all together. To keep a close eye in the proceedings, I got in too (you are allowed to giggle). Once the guinea pigs were in, they went straight for Charlie in delight and proceeding to give him a thorough sniffing. If you know how guinea pigs sniff, you'll know they do so very intently, rubbing their noses across the thing they are smelling...

Charlie, rather bemused by the attention and the two noses buried in his fur and sniffing vigorously while making interested chattering sounds, sat for a while and then hopped away. The noses followed. He hopped away. And they followed. In the end, out of desperation, he scrambled on to my lap and eyed them from a higher vantage point, while they scurried around doing their little jumps in the air (with bouncing fur).

Forgive me for waffling on about guinea pigs. I do love them! Sadly Molly and Dinah had malocclusion of the back teeth and it wasn't discovered until it was too late. They had them filed down but they were all ready too deteriorated in health and had to be put down....

They were so lovely. I can't really have any more at the moment due to my health, and Charlie is all I can manage pet wise. But I dream of a whole guinea pig building filled with 'weeenk, weeenk, weenk' - ing noises...

To finish, a short video of them as little ones...I kept the sound so you can hear a snatch of that lovely weenk- ing sound at the end.

last word on guinea pigs

Every now and then these past ten days I have almost written something, but then not got around to it after all.

Firstly, the guinea pigs - Molly was put down last Friday. My mum rang this morning to say that Dinah is now doing very badly too, losing weight, still can't eat, not even producing droppings. So she is taking her to the vet and doubts she will come back. I rather wanted to have a last cuddle with Dinah, prepared as I was for this eventuality. So I am sad about that - such cheerful little creatures. As I have been ill and limited in my activity I suppose I was even more attached to them because they cheered me so much on my bad days. But I won't get any more. Not here, not now. I will arrange for Charlie (the rabbit) to come home very soon.

Ernie, the goldfish, is looking lethargic. He may be a little lonely by himself. We lost Bert last year. We may get another fish. Andy wants to call it Bernie. I want to call it Eric. We shall see... I hope Ernie is OK. I don't feel like losing any more pets at the moment.

when life stinks, laugh at it

Have a perpetual headache. Doctor says nothing is seriously wrong with me. 'It's all fine inside your head,' he informed me. 'Well, that's good,' I replied jovially. (Andy says later - 'He obviously doesn't know you very well.') I am always stupidly cheerful at those sort of occasions. If I'm having an even worse time, it's hard to stop me making jokes every five minutes. He also suggested I might have fibromyalgia whereupon I raised my eyebrows at him. The last thing I need is another illness which only half the world believes in. Dear Lord, am I not sweet and sympathetic enough?!! Do I need yet more training? Saw Sarah recently and we roared with laughter over misery, suffering and life not going how we wanted it. Was highly therapeutic. When life stinks, laugh at it. Laugh at it so hard it feels insulted and forgets to be stinky for a while.


Guinea pig wise Molly is under anaesthetic again. She is not doing very well. I am waiting for prognosis.

Did the Big Garden Birdwatch Saturday before last. Wasn't very prepared and got a crick in the neck. However, after bemoaning we never have a single finch in our garden, went slightly apopletic with excitement when a pair of goldfinches arrived. Would not have known that's what they were if I hadn't beeen sitting there with my binoculars; they were slightly silhouetted against the morning sky. Charged into bedroom where Andy having a well deserved lie in. He was very noble about it but would have preferred I hadn't. Came back and they flew away, just to show how silly I am. Since then we have had the occasional chaffinch. Hurrah! (Does anyone say hurrah! except the Famous Five?)

Am giving up 'playing on computer' for Lent, which includes any silly time wastingness. Check for / reply to messages, write blog if desired, look up information if essential. Am not allowed to do anything else. Interesting, as I often come online when I'm tired and on my own. Still, there was a world before technology was there not? I shall have to draw blue tits or something. Goldfinches, if they ever come back. Last night I tried to design a rabbit hutch. Gave up after a while as was sure I could never get round to building the thing.Isn't my life interesting?!!



PS. Remember to laugh.

more on guinea pigs

All is well, and the pair of them have defied gloomy expectation and recovered from the procedure. To be honest, I didn't really doubt they would. The one worry is that this is a trait which will regularly re-occur - in rabbits this procedure can be done regularly, bi-monthly even, but repeated anaesthesia is not advisable in guinea pigs, and not, the vet implied, worth it if it became obvious there was no end to it. I'm hoping I'm not put in such a position, to put a sick and suffering animal to sleep is one thing, to choose to put a healthy animal down would be quite abhorrent for me. The other factor which is a hateful factor is the cost, it is expensive and we are not in a position to afford it on a regular basis. I am hoping to find some tips at how to keep the back teeth in trim, although they already have crunchy food and plenty of hay. Front teeth can be managed easily enough, but it is the back teeth that are the issue. I do hope it doesn't re-occur, and definitely not soon. It's all a bit distressing.

guinea pigs

Guinea pigs in surgery today. They've been staying with mum and dad as I've been unwell, so they're at the vets there. Molly in particular is very weak and thin. Their back teeth have curled over and are trapping their tongues so they can't eat. As it's both of them, it may be a genetic tendency (they are sisters). I will hear after 3 if all is well. I am going with 'no news is good news' as I'll only hear before then if something goes wrong. Putting a weak guinea pig under anaesthetic is risky, as they can respond badly. Dinah has been through an operational procedure before and is quite the little trooper so I'm hoping they defy all expectations and come through OK. Poor little mites.