A couple of months ago I got a new pig, a skinny boar (as in the breed, not size). He and my elderly boar Wendell got along really well.
Unfortunately Wednesday night I went to feed the pigs and found that Wendell had unexpectedly left us. It appears he lay down in a pig pocket and just drifted away. I got him in about 2019 and his former owner got him (and Reggie and Flame) during 2017. He was the second oldest. Best guess is that he was 6ish years old. Junior lamented that she didn't get to say goodbye. I said neither did I - he was slowing down but still perky and eating well. My only signs that he might pass anytime soon was some of that old pig weightloss and that he allowed me to pet him more without running away first. We didn't have any health scares like with the other two.
I sent a message to his old owners telling them they all had long, reasonably happy lives. They were very loved and very spoiled. The old owner thanked me for firstly giving them such a good home (they were rehomed because a family member had asthma that was triggered by them) and secondly for telling them. If it were me, I'd want to know, too.
I took the body to the vet and will get his ashes back in a week or so. It's been a hard year. Unfortunately this is the third time this year - Reggie, Fizzgig (the cat) and now Wendell. And Flame was end of last year.
I don't know what I'm doing next yet. We *just* moved. However, Archie is only about 2 yrs old and likes company so I'll probably look for another boar in a few weeks when I regroup. Arch seems to be doing OK, though. He's eating well and spending time outside his pigloo on his cuddle cup.
And then there was one
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RavenShade
- Thanks for the Memories
He did. My pig sitter friend got them hooked on Oxbow treats a few years ago and I gave him extra a day or two before he passed. I'm glad I did.
-
RavenShade
- Thanks for the Memories
I reached out to that rescue and most of their boars were paired. One that wasn't has arthritis. While it's controlled, I already have an elderly cat that's a walking pharmacy and I passed on adopting him. I just felt like I was at my limit for now. I keep an eye on Archie but he seems to be doing alright. He's enjoying not sharing his cookies and I will often find him lounging on his cuddle cup (if anyone remembers WindeSpirit, it's the one she made for me a long time ago). A new friend is still a likelyhood but there's been a lot of moving parts here lately so not soon.
Wendell's ashes came back about a week later. I now have a sad collection of little engraved boxes with names on them. When I brought the body to the vet, one of my favorite techs saw me coming through the door and mouthed "who is it?" thinking maybe it was the geriatric cat. They've been incredibly kind to our family. My mom was here for Elmyra's wedding so I left Junior home with her while I ran my sad errand. It was a complicated couple of weeks, as we had *just* moved.
We're doing OK, though. It brings me a lot of comfort that he wasn't sick, just old. He was a good boar.
Wendell's ashes came back about a week later. I now have a sad collection of little engraved boxes with names on them. When I brought the body to the vet, one of my favorite techs saw me coming through the door and mouthed "who is it?" thinking maybe it was the geriatric cat. They've been incredibly kind to our family. My mom was here for Elmyra's wedding so I left Junior home with her while I ran my sad errand. It was a complicated couple of weeks, as we had *just* moved.
We're doing OK, though. It brings me a lot of comfort that he wasn't sick, just old. He was a good boar.
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