RIP Winnie

Today we lost a very precious member of our family - our guinea pig - Winnie - or Winnie the Guinea as we often call her. Not sure what caused her untimely death, but let me tell you, I've been an absolute wreck since I found her. I just happened to be on the phone with the hubs when I noticed that I walked into the room and she didn't scour into her little igloo house. I tapped the cage and she didn't respond. She was just laying there beside her auto feeder. I heard her make a little noise just 30 minutes or so earlier. I think I heard her taking her last gasp for air. The hubs coached me through what he thought I should do and wanted me to let the kids be part of the whole process.

I never knew I would be so emotional over this little creature, but I was. The worst was really anticipating telling the kids when they got home from school. I  had no idea if they'd just be like "Oh well" or be hysterical. They were the latter. The boys kept saying they wanted her alive again and that they were going to ask God to make her alive again. One of them said he was going to find a special formula that would bring her back. F4 wants us to go to the pet store to get another. I'm not there and not sure I will ever be! I love animals, but don't enjoy being their primary caretaker.

Now, the not so sad part is how grossed out I was at the thought of picking up a dead animal. After I knew she was for sure dead, I covered her with a towel just so I wouldn't have to look at her lifeless body. I was in the dilemma of just burying her before the kids got home from school or waiting until they were here and could take part in this life event. I ended up finally picking her up and putting her in a paper gift bag and placing her down in the hole I dug for her so that I would at least have that part of the process before the boys were home. I will admit that I dropped her once back into her cage because I was so freaked out by how stiff she already was. I'm still cringing at the thought of picking up her dead little body.

I put her in the hole and then told the boys as soon as they got to the house from the bus. There was weeping. F6's crying eyes are very sad looking. We walked outside to the grave and they insisted I open the bag so they could see her. Not sure if that was better or worse for their emotional state. After she was covered with dirt and a large landscaping brick placed on top of the dirt, I put a little fake flower there just to mark her little place in this world now. F6 sadly stood over there just looking at it. I'm tearing up thinking about how how sad and pitiful he was digesting all of this. 

Everyone has moved on and are doing their normal after school activities. I need to move her cleaned out empty cage to the attic so that I'm not constantly reminded of the loss we experienced today. 

RIP Winnie. You will always be remembered as our first pet! We miss your little squeaks already.