My Ketchup Piggie

I'm heartbroken......


 My grandbaby Ketchup stopped moving today.....


 She's the little red eyed girl, D-Guy's favouritest,


 This morning, mum and I went to feed MY piggies, and almost as soon as mum opened the bathroom door, she shoved me out. Made me go out in the yard. I was a little confused, so I wanted back in. After about 15 minutes, D-Guy let me in.

I knew right then that SOMETHING WAS WRONG..... because D-Guy smelled very sad.... (mum: she kept sniffing Derek and staring at him. She hadn't noticed anything yet about the guinea pigs... Derek wasn't crying or anything, but sad/upset, wondering if this could have all been avoided.)
Then mum took a box outside with my SuperDALE towel on top. I thought she had gotten me another piggie because that was how mum brought Meatball and Sesame home,


 But when I sniffed it, it didn't smell like a new piggie, it smelled like one of MINE,


 Meanwhile D-Guy was digging in one of my corners. I thought that was kind of strange, but maybe he had finally realized how fun it was to dig Dig DIG!! (I love digging so much!)

Then mum wrapped something in my SuperDALE towel, and I got worried,



I sniffed it and knew it was one of MY piggies in there....


Why did they put MY piggie in a towel!!!!


I told D-Guy to open it up, otherwise MY piggie would suffocate....


(mum: Sunshade was really going frantic. She knew there was a guinea pig in there, but she wasn't sure why it was all covered up and why we weren't letting her near it. Seeing how her anxiety was escalating, I thought it was best to just let her sniff it for herself so she would know what was going on here. We have come across dead crows, rats, squirrels, seagulls, seals on our walks before, and she ALWAYS knew when an animal was dead. She would sniff them very carefully without touching them, and then walk away very quietly.)

So D-Guy opened the towel up for me....



And I couldn't believe my eyes and nose.....

MY piggie Ketchup was lying there lifeless. I nudged her, but she didn't move or squeak.... She also smelled like she had never smelled before....


 Then D-Guy said Ketchup had to go to her new home now.....


 He said this was going to be her new home,


 In a hole??


 I mean, I love holes, but why does MY piggie Ketchup have to stay in a hole....?


 I'm so sad... who is going to clean her when she's dirty, dry her when she's wet, and snuggle up with her when she's cold??


 I asked to have a moment with MY Ketchup.... (mum: she was clearly very sad, and just laid down next to the hole.)



 Then D-Guy said it was time.....


And he covered her up with dirt. I'm glad Ketchup had my SuperDALE towel with her...


I stayed beside MY Ketchup,


 Mum wanted to take me for a walkie to cheer me up, but I said no thanks.. If MY Ketchup had to stay here, then I wanted to stay with her too...


 STINKY was so clueless,



 He kept shoving his toy in my face and then running away, and then coming back to shove it in my face again,



 Couldn't he tell I was SO sad???

(mum: Do dogs mourn? YES. I have watched Sunshade mourn the death of her Giant Georgie, and now her piggie Ketchup. She actually woke up very happy, energetic this morning. Was squeaking her toy and throwing it around. When she saw me dressed in my dog walking clothes, she started spinning and running around out of joy. I thought I would go feed the guinea pigs before we went out, and that was when everything fell apart. Sunshade knew very well that something was up when she sensed our sadness and she was concerned. The moment she got to sniff the rigid Ketchup, she became very solemn.)

Seeing that I didn't want to go out for a walk, mum went out to buy a few things, and when she came back, I was still by MY Ketchup..... (that's STINKY in front of the door)



Me and mum and D-Guy made a little shrine around where Ketchup now lived,


 D-Guy made this boootiful remembrance photo of Ketchup, and I put my pawprint on it,


 I made sure the picture was placed properly,


 A cement block was placed over Ketchup's new home because mum was worried she would get dug up by raccoons and/or skunks that frequent our neighbourhood. (mum: I wasn't worried about Sunshade or Jaffa digging her up, I know Sunshade won't, Jaffa isn't a digger and doesn't care for dead animals.)

I told mum that we should put the special rockies that I had picked from various places, around the cement block. 

 My gift to Ketchup.....


I also told mum to cut up some of Ketchup's favouritest foodables, so she wouldn't go hungry.....


 And I stayed with MY piggie Ketchup....



(mum: she fell asleep like that.... This girl would have normally gobble those carrot pieces up in no time, she loves them, not today though...)

Below is a letter to all my friends at the Rainbow Bridge:

Dear Heavenly Friends,

I hope you are all happy, healthy, and smiley where you are. I have a huge favour I need to ask of you.....

Could you please take care of MY piggie Ketchup when she gets there?

Ketchup is a very very nice little girl, just like MY Giant Georgie and MY Mousie. She was never the strong one as she was the littlest one out of the three piggie babies. She was always the last one to suckle from Meatball because the other two, stronger piggies would each grab a ju-ju to suckle on (they only have two). When they grew older, Ketchup was the last one to figure out how to eat out of the food bowl, or drink out of the water bottle. But she always did figure it out in the end. She was also the one that would just let D-Guy hold her without struggling, and she was the one that liked to snuggle up against me the most. So my friends... she will need lots of caring.....

Do you think you could please take care of her for me until I can get there? D-Guy also really liked her, she was his favouritest, and I know D-Guy would be really happy to know that someone will be watching over Ketchup.

Oh, and could you introduce her to MY Georgie and Mousie? I think they would like her lots!! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Miss Sunshade (I miss you all, my heavenly friends)


(mum: We think Ketchup's death has a lot to do with the bath we gave her on Sunday, and perhaps not having dried her properly. She was still fine yesterday, eating and running around. I have since learned that guinea pigs have pretty delicate respiratory system. It doesn't take much for them to catch a cold, and apparently, they can die from a cold pretty easily. Ketchup was the runt of the litter, she was always a little bit smaller than the rest. She was always the easiest one to catch because she never ran from approaching hand. This was part of the reason that Derek liked her the best, he thought she had the best temperament. I can't help but wonder if she was just always weaker than norm, so she wasn't able to do what guinea pigs normally do. Nonetheless, it was still very upsetting to see any animal die prematurely under your care, and then having to watch Sunshade mourn was extra heart wrenching.

The way Sunshade was acting today was a total reminder of when her giant bunny Georgie died and she mourned his death for 2 weeks. It was very hard to watch.)

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