Chewy

May 2005 - July 29,2007

        Chewy was to be a companion for Dilbert, after Einstein died. I picked up Chewy at the Pet World pet shop, in the Silvernail mall - the same place I had gotten Einstein. When I first saw Chewy, he was the most beautiful little guinea pig I had ever seen. He had long hair, in a rich selection of Reds, browns and blacks. He was also quite friendly, and did not run quite so fast, or struggle quite so hard, when being picked up. I wanted to get a pound piggy, in the hopes of saving a life, and did leave Chewy at the pet shop, while I went off to search the pounds; but no guinea pigs were available at any of the local shelters. I returned, after a day or two of searching, expecting Chewy to be gone; but there he was. I was exceptionally relieved and happy, to see him still there, and purchased him immediately. When I think of how close I came, to not getting this little guy, I shake my head. For eight months, he was a very good and loving companion for Dilbert. For almost three years, he was a good friend to me, as well. I named him Chewy, which is a pretty appropriate name for a guinea pig. In his case, the name was not given because of the natural tendency of a guinea pig to chew everything that comes within range; but rather, because he somewhat resembled Chewbacca, from Star Wars, particularly when he stood up.

         At the time I got Chewy, I still had my little pigs in a pair of aquariums. The aquariums were right next to each other, so that my pigs could each know that the other was there. I was keeping them apart, to introduce them slowly, so that they would get along, and not fight, as strange males (humans too) sometimes do. The day after I got them, I woke up one morning to discover that Chewy had jumped right out of his aquarium, and into the aquarium holding Dilbert. The two of them were bunched up together, and seemed quite content with the arrangement. Still, these aquariums were far too small to hold a pair of pigs, and I would have to have something larger, if they were to stay together. So, I ran out and got a nice big cage. It is also a fact, that an aquarium is not a good place for a guinea pig, due to lack of air circulation. So this was really long overdue.

         The cage had plenty of room, and the two of them got along quite well. Chewy did outlive Dilbert, and was then introduced to Gipper. Gipper was a very sweet and affectionate pig, and had lived with other guinea pigs, so he was very anxious to bind with Chewy, and was a bit aggressive at first. He didn't attack, or anything like that; but was always nuzzling at Chewy, and trying to get close. Eventually the two got along wonderfully; but they did have to be separated for a while, by a wire divider in the cage. Gipper absolutely loved to snuggle in close to Chewy, as had Dilbert. The two of them could spend hours in the hallway, running around, or finding a nice blanket, towel, or hamper to hide under or behind. They really enjoyed this, and were a very happy little herd of pigs. The same had been true of Dilbert. Chewy seemed to get along with everybody. She was also very fond of people.

         Chewy would stand up and do a little dance, when food was being offered. He also loved to cuddle with people, Chewy would stand up, when I came to pick him up, and would often jump right into my hands, when he saw me reach down to get him. The pictures do not do him justice, as he was one of the prettiest little pigs I have ever seen. He  became very sick on a couple of occasions; but the vet and I always managed to pull him through, until the last time. He had the usual guinea pig issues with his teeth (points mostly), and eventually developed an impaction in his rear, due to a common problem that guinea pigs develop, with the little storage sack around the anus. Still, once you learn how to deal with it, this is not life threatening, and simply requires that the sack be cleaned out a few times a day. It is a smelly; but not very difficult process, and I usually did this right over the toilet, in the bathroom. Even with all of this, Chewy loved life, loved being around Dilbert, and then Gipper, and loved to eat his treats, snuggle with his human, and run around in the hallway.

        He died from congestive heart failure, due to his kidneys failing.  There were medications given, both to help the heart, and to get the kidneys working; but there was nothing to be done. My first clue was a swelling near the bottom of his ribcage. I thought it was a lump of cancer; but it turned out to be fluid build up. He began to get pretty large, and swollen. My last night with him, he laid in his towel, next to me, and pushed up against me, as if trying to draw strength or comfort. The next morning, I gave him the medication prescribed, and left for work. When I returned, he was cold and dead. A necropsy showed that many other organs were practically non functional, probably due to his previous bouts of sickness. So he had probably been feeling kind of weak and tired, for a while.

        Chewy was the first pig to develop a liking for crawling under a folded up towel, usually with Dilbert or Gipper. He also liked being alone down there, getting his shoulders, ears, and neck rubbed. A little rub behind the ears would generate a huge yawn, bigger than you would think could come from such a little mouth. He was also the first pig of mine, who never had to live in an aquarium, and who lived with me when I finally began to get a clue as to how to take care of the little rascals. The pictures shown here, are of Chewy playing with Dilbert, in the hall. Dill can be recognized by the little patch of brown by his butt, and by the shape of his eyes, which were a bit more slanted than those of my latter little friend, and Chewy's other buddy, Gipper.