Guinea Pig Connection

Moving On Without Minerva

"And can it be that in a world so full and busy,
the loss of one small creature
makes a void in any heart, so wide and deep,
that nothing but the width and depth of vast eternity
can fill it up?"
(Charles Dickens)

 

When I first visited Cindy's house in 2005, I was most struck by a small, special-needs guinea pig named Minerva -- and the obvious and tight bond that had formed between her and Cindy. When we launched the rescue's first real Web site later that year, it seemed logical to crown Minerva...from several dozen worthy candidates...as the rescue's mascot and post her photo at the top of every page.

Born on February 1, 2005, Minerva and her mother and siblings came from a home that had 20 guinea pigs. The authorities had forced her owner to turn all the pigs over to the Animal Refuge League shelter in Westbrook, Maine. Because the shelter was filled to capacity, Minerva and 14 of the other guinea pigs came to Cindy because they were in danger of being put to sleep. Minerva was just two weeks old when she arrived and was understandably scared, but with Cindy's patience and TLC, Minerva learned to trust humans and became an extremely personable guinea pig.

Tragically, Minerva had a condition called micropthalmia, a genetic defect due to inbreeding. The condition left Minerva blind, and susceptible to recurring infections. Where others might have given up on her, Cindy and the vets at Pieper Olson vet hospital tried a "Hail Mary": surgery to remove her eyeballs and stitch her eyelids closed.

Miraculously, Minerva pulled through the surgery and the post-op recovery, and grew to be a big girl with a lot of attitude, a strong will, and a ton of personality. An affectionate piggy with all, she clearly favored Cindy over all humans and seemed to radiate joy and light when Cindy picked her up and carried her around.

Finding Minerva a roommate was no easy task. Her attitude clearly stated: "I may be blind, but I'm not going to let just anyone in my cage." On her own, she did just fine navigating around her C&C cage, and knew just where her food, water, hay, pigloo, cozy cup, and treats were. Knowing that a roommate could enrich Minerva's life, Cindy patiently tried multiple matches. Minerva ultimately accepted Gracie (another special-needs pig with paralyzed back legs) and happy-go-lucky Pogo (a neutered male happy to have a couple of girlfriends).

This tightly knit trio lived together happily for years, hamming it up for visitors and photographers alike. Minerva seemed to always be aware of a camera's presence before it made a sound, and quickly struck a pose, like Madonna "vogue-ing" in a video. She always seemed to have a smile on her face, as you can see in the photo here and the other photos on our Web site. Together, Minerva, Gracie, and Pogo gave us some of the best guinea pig photos we've seen anywhere.

Gracie and Pogo passed on first, and Minerva -- now elderly -- accepted Tally and Summit as her new roommates. Unfortunately, the effects of old age began to take a toll on Minerva and for the first time in a very, very long time, she and Cindy resumed the old routine of vet visits as everyone worked to cure her or, at least, make her comfortable.

On February 17, 2011, we lost Minerva. While every loss riddles Cindy's heart with more holes, losing Minerva...her partner and her touchstone...was a devastating blow -- and giving Cindy time to grieve in peace seemed the kindest thing to do. (And, honestly, it's taken me a while to get through writing this without crying.)

More than 800 guinea pigs have been helped by this rescue in 7 years of operation, and we have many sanctuary pigs right now with stories that would qualify them to pick up the mantle of Rescue Mascot. But that title will forever be Minerva's. She is why we continue doing this work: A guinea pig who needed a second chance and someone kind enough and wise enough to fight for her.

Rest in peace, sweet girl. We hope you're happy romping in Heaven's lettuce patch with Gracie and Pogo. Holding that picture in our minds softens the grief of missing you.

Pets On Oprah

This past Friday, Oprah devoted her entire show to all things "pets". The show started off with a profile of Puppies Behind Bars, which demonstrated a point I blogged about last week, then proceeded with some unique don't-try-this-at-home wildlife adoption stories.

At the end of the show, she brought some two dozen pet owners and their pets out on stage to help show her huge viewing audience all the kinds of animals that can be adopted: cats, dogs, disabled/special needs animals, guinea pigs, rabbits, hedgehogs, birds, turtles, snakes, and more. Kudos to the show's producer and camera crew for making sure that each animal on stage got camera time. I liked what one owner said about how their pet "filled a space in my heart I didn't know I had."

I liked what Oprah said even more, stressing that we should only adopt pets when we're confident that we have the time, space, budget, and commitment to do so. Gesturing to the people and pets on the stage behind her, she encouraged the adoption option "if you're ready and committed...and it takes commitment, does it not?"

Bravo, Oprah. And thank you.

She's featuring pets in her June issue, which is on newsstands now -- and is pretty hard to miss with the pack of puppies that join her (including her newest pup, Sadie). Oprah's Web site also features a great article titled, Pick the Right Pet for You. Be sure to share the link with anyone you know who is considering bringing home any type of pet!

Final Thoughts On Be Kind To Animals Week

Last month, Nicholas Kristof wrote on The New York Times site that the U.S. and Europe appear to be on track for providing broader protections and rights to animals, in order to legislate more humane treatment of animals. His post, naturally, sparked debate from people on all sides of the issue. One commenter wrote:

I’ll never understand why human beings get passionate about animal issues when 2/3 of our own species live in abject poverty. Pampered pets in Beverly Hills and the Upper East Side live better than the millions of slum dwellers throughout the developing world. Who cares if a cow can sprawl out in a pen when babies die routinely because they lack clean water, and are malnourished from birth? I say let’s take care of our own, and when all of humanity is healthy and secure, then we can turn to protecting and improving the animal kingdom.

I would suggest that, perhaps, in improving protections of and respect for the animal kingdom now, we humans might remind ourselves how we should be treating each other — and should have been treating each other all along.

I’ve read about abused children and children from crime-ridden neighborhoods transformed by relationships they develop with animals. In caring for animals in health and in sickness, in being there when one is born, in being there when one dies, these children find generosity, compassion, responsibility, a sense of stewardship, and the respect for the sanctity of life—any life. Similarly, prisoners involved in training or rehabilitation programs for dogs and horses also report transformations in themselves as a result of their interactions with animals.

On the flipside of this, there is extensive documentation that domestic abusers and violent criminals can trace their paths back to a point that started with tormenting and killing animals. It all suggests to me that regard for human life and regard for animal life are inextricably connected. One does not come without the other. One can strengthen the other.

It is a sad commentary on our civilization that so many view animals only as commodities — for food, for circus acts, for pet store stock, for vanity collecting, and much more. It is a sad commentary that these people dismiss that animals have intelligence, emotions, the capability to form bonds, the capacity to feel pain and fear and sadness. When we finally get it through our thick heads that dominion and dominance are not synonymous, when we finally get past our selfishness and arrogance and get it through our heads that we hold one of many places in this world but not the whole world, maybe then we can start effecting some real change.

With effort, I can see why someone (like the commenter I quoted above) can't understand why some folks connect with animal causes before people causes, why they think there needs to be some kind of pecking order in who gets helped first. I see a planet with 6.7 billion people living on it -- which is a lot of people to help simultaneously divide and conquer the problems in all corners of life on Earth.

The important thing is that we humans find something that helps us reconnect with -- and stay connected with -- compassion, mercy, and generosity. For some, they may start with animal causes and eventually expand to people causes. For others, they may start with people causes and eventually expand to animal causes. It's not for any one of us to judge what inspires others to take action, to plug into the world around them, to care.

The specific route to compassion, to me, seems irrelevant. What is important is that we're all walking in compassion.

Be Kind To Animals Week

As Be Kind to Animals Week starts today, I'm reminded of a conversation I recently had with a friend.

I'll be honest, I don't like snakes. Have a profound fear of them. The bigger they are, the more I'm paralyzed by fear. Can't look at a photo of the truly big ones (e.g, the pythons) without shuddering in fear, can't be in the same room as one...even when they're in a tank made with thick glass.

To be clear, I wish no harm to reptiles. I think they all -- especially the big ones -- should be left out in the wild. I doubt The Universe ever intended for boa constrictors and the like to be brought indoors. I would just prefer it, and be profoundly grateful, if The Universe could arrange it so that my path crossed with those of snakes as little as possible. So far, It's been doing a decent job of it since I was in the 8th grade.

So, given that fear, you can imagine what went through my mind when I read this article from Australia about snakes on a plane. When I shared the link and the shudder with my friend in Western Australia (who is not keen on snakes either), she made this comment:

How would you like to be a baby, get taken from your home in the desert, put in a box, transported on the back of a truck, get handled numerous times along the way, get put in a plane -- the noise of take-off alone would've freaked them out. NO wonder they escaped.

Hmmm...hadn't thought of it that way.

During Be Kind to Animals Week (May 6-12), let us remember that kindness needs to be extended to all animals -- even the ones we don't like.

No Matter What You Rescue, The Emotions Are The Same

A while back, "60 Minutes" did a story titled "Poachers Leaving Elephant Orphans," a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking profile of an elephant orphanage in Kenya. You can read the transcript of the story, but it's a poor substitute for the touching images in the video.

When I first watched the story in December 2008, there was an exchange between Bob Simon (the reporter) and Dame Daphne Sheldrick (the orphanage's owner) that made me think of The Critter Connection's owner, Cindy Kuester.

"How do you manage going through this all the time?" Simon asked.

"Well, you don't have much option, do you? There's another one to look after, and then another one coming, and, you know, you just have to turn the page," Daphne replied.

"And you get attached after one..." Simon commented.

"But I'm not very good at it," she admitted.

"And you're not going to get any better, are you?" Simon asked.

"No, not after 50 years," Daphne replied.

As I've watched Cindy over the last months, dealing with heartbreaking abandonment cases and the heart-shattering losses of some of our oldest sanctuary pigs, I think repeatedly of Sheldrick's words. Cindy's and Sheldrick's charges are thousands of pounds apart in size, but have all suffered disrespect, neglect, and cruelty. It never stops boggling my mind that there are so many humans who don't understand that animals are our co-habitants on this planet, and deserve the same respect and regard that we demand for ourselves.

Thousands of pounds apart, elephants and guinea pigs have something else in common.

Ultimately, Daphne finds elephants more sympathetic than people.

Asked what the most extraordinary thing is she has learned about elephants, she told Simon, "Their tremendous capacity for caring is, I think, perhaps the most amazing thing about them, even at a very, very young age. Their sort of forgiveness, unselfishness. So you know, I often say as I think I've said before, they have all the best attributes of us humans and not very many of the bad."

May 6 through 12 marks not only National Pet Week, but also Be Kind to Animals Week. Please help spread the message of kindness, compassion, responsibility, and stewardship. Drop some supplies off at a rescue or shelter, donate money to an animal organization, and talk on your own blog, MySpace page, or FaceBook profile about the animal causes closest to your heart.

Maybe...just maybe...we can start making some changes on this planet we call home.

Pet Expectations Presentation in Shelton

On Saturday, August 9, 2008, from 1-3:30 p.m., Written Words Bookstore in Shelton, CT, is teaming up with Our Companions and The Critter Connection to talk about picking the right pet, where to find reliable information, and the wide array of resources available to you for Q&A about specific species and breeds.

The event kicks off with story time for the kids, featuring "The Perfect Pet," a book the whole family can relate to! Our Companions will then present on dog and cat adoption and ownership, followed by the The Critter Connection on adopting and owning small/exotic pets of the furry persuasion.

The human educators will be accompanied by kid-friendly furry ambassadors. In addition to Q&A opportunities with the presenters, there will be handouts, fact sheets, rescue lists, and book lists available for you to peruse and take home.

Local Wildlife vs. The Rescue (2007)

This time last year we reported the saga of a woodchuck who raided the rescue's vegetable garden and the aftermath of the destruction. The loss of some 50+ plants hit the rescue hard last summer, especially given the cost of lettuce in the grocery stores.

Last June, Cindy collected ideas from readers about how to deal with the woodchuck (which she's named Gertrude) if she came back this spring. Some of the folks who were reading last spring have e-mailed to ask what the plan is for this year. 

This year, Cindy and William moved the garden further into the center of the backyard, away from the hedgerow that had given Gertrude a sense of security as she scuttled out into the garden. With the garden so far out in the yard, she'd have to come out into the open to dig and pillage for snacks...leaving her (and any babies she might have this year) vulnerable. They also buried the fence three feet into the ground all the way around.

We're hoping the strategy works and the garden will be able to produce enough vegetables to substantially reduce our grocery bills this summer. Medical bills this spring for some of the pigs we took in on abandonment cases just about drained the rescue's budget. As we enter the summer months -- which are typically slow for all rescues in terms of adoptions and donations -- we're deeply concerned about how we're going to make it until fall.

Friday Musings -- Why Blog About Guinea Pigs?

Why not?

Recently, Renee over at Small Dogs Paradise and Aquarium Fish Wonders asked a half-dozen pet bloggers why they blogged about their chosen topics.

When Pig Notes was launched in May 2006, the motivations were straightforward. We wanted to talk about how to properly care for guinea pigs. We wanted to share some day-in-the-life snapshots of guinea pig rescue. We wanted to raise our visibility, on the Web and elsewhere. And we wanted to do it without tapping out the small group of volunteers we had. And we wanted to do it without taking money away from the rescue animals.

On a personal note, though, there are other reasons that keep me writing week after week.

Reason #1: Enthusiasm

Like a lot of people who own guinea pigs...er, who are owned by guinea pigs...I like talking about them. They're bright, enchanting little souls who add a lot to their homes. They talk to you in a unique vocabulary of squeaks and squeals. They have their own version of purring, which lets you know they're happy. They always greet you. They're not afraid to boss you when they want a snack. They like to cuddle with you. They like to play with you, and like to play with their friends even more. Despite the misconceptions about them, they each have very unique personalities and it's a lot of fun to watch them interact with each other and with the humans they enslave. Pig Notes gives me a chance to get some of that out of my system.

Reason #2: Sharing

I read a lot, and I like to share what I find with like-minded people. It's either blog, or fill up people's inboxes. This seems like a better, and more efficient, option.

Reason #3: Making Noise

I'd like to think I'm giving guinea pigs another voice. Dogs, cats, horses, wildlife -- they have all had armies of people fighting for them and telling their individual stories for decades. By comparison, small and exotic animals have only recently had people start fighting for them (I was happy to see this ad from Petfinder, which features a piggie). By sharing the stories of these little critters, by trying to educate pet owners, perhaps we can decrease the number of surrenders, abandonments, and neglect cases.

Reason #4: Documenting The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

I'd like to think I'm helping to document our times. Those of us working in animal rescue and welfare have an obligation to document the awful things that some humans do to animals. We also have an obligation to document the kind and compassionate and generous things that other humans do for animals. The former holds a bright light and mirror up to the ugly, dark corners of our civilization and forces them to be cleaned up, ensures that justice is meted out on behalf of the animals who share this planet with us. The latter showcases the best that human civilization is capable of, shows that we are making progress...even if we're not making it as fast as we'd like.

It all makes me think of a great quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe:

Concern for animals is a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done.

Why Guinea Pig Rescues Are Needed (Part III)

When the Catskill Game Farm closed in October, many of its animals were put up for auction to the highest bidder. With the farm's array of animals ranging from small exotics to hoofstock to wildlife, animal rescue and sanctuary organizations loudly protested the jeopardy that the auction placed all the animals in. Unable to reach an alternative agreement with the farm's owner, a coalition quickly formed, raised money, and headed to New York State to save as many animals as possible by outbidding everyone else.

Among the animals in jeopardy were 26 rabbits and 40 guinea pigs. Using donated funds, coalition members successfully bid on these animals and got them out of harm's way. Rescues in New York and Michigan stepped up to take the rabbits, and The Critter Connection was scheduled to go that Sunday to get the guinea pigs and bring them to Connecticut.

Rescuers on-site that Saturday, however, realized they had to get the guinea pigs out that day. They told us:

[One of the volunteers] had discovered the guinea pigs in a hell hole. Many of them were skin and bones, had no water, only some pellets, and were saturated with their own urine. She said the stench was unbearable. [She] also discovered a second group of guinea pigs in a pit waiting to be live snake food.

Crawling around in all the filth, [she] was able to get many of them out. [She] took all of the pregnant females, Animal Nations took others. As guinea pig space had run out, and as [another volunteer] was there and on her way to Chenoa, she helped to gather up the guinea pigs as well. Seeing the urgent need for veterinary care, she volunteered to take 24 guinea pigs to Chenoa.

Because males and females were kept together in the same pen, all of the females either have been confirmed pregnant or are assumed to be so. Although all the guinea pigs were brought out of the farm alive, nearly a dozen were so sick that they didn't survive the emergency transport to a rescue/exotic vet who volunteered to take in the pigs temporarily.

A week later, the Critter Connection took in 10 guinea pigs, including 7 new babies, and will bring the remaining pigs to Connecticut when they are strong enough to travel. Once the pigs are healthy, they will be put up for adoption.

While the guinea pigs are coming along in their rehabilitation, there are heartbreaking moments to be found in even the most routine activities. They all eat like they're afraid they'll never see food again. They all drink like they're afraid they'll never see water again. While we know they're on the road to better lives, it's devastating to think that anyone would neglect any animal to the extent that these guinea pigs had been.

When you have some time, check out the coalition's discussion board. The conversations that took place before, during, and after the auction and rescue effort -- as well as more recent discussions about some legislation up for review at the federal level -- is an encouraging testament to how many people are out there who are willing to rally and fight for the animals on this planet.

Hopefully, more will join the cause.

Placing More Value On Nature

I treat myself to a Starbucks latte once in awhile, and have noticed lately that their take-out cups have quotes printed on them under the heading "The Way I See It". The cup I got this week had a quote on it that I think would resonate with anyone who owns (or has ever owned) a pet and spent time getting to know the uniqueness of their pet's personality and spirit.

The quote, from Jenny Daltry, who is identified as being a "herpetologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer," goes as follows:

If we valued the works of nature as much as the works and deeds of people, we would all be richer by far. Any ancient forest, polar bear or species of snake is more complex and improbable than Wi-Fi, the Mona Lisa or landing a man on the moon. What price would you pay to keep such treasures?

The more time I spend with animals, reading about animals, watching documentaries about animals, and listening to other people talk about the animals in their lives, the harder it becomes for anyone to disavow me of the belief that animals of all species -- even the smallest ones -- possess as much uniqueness of personality and spirit as any human, as much ability to communicate with each other in ways that we can't pick up on, and as much ability to communicate with us in their own way...if we'd just open our eyes and ears and pay attention.

This belief also makes it hard for me to understand why so many people treat animals -- domestic and wild -- as badly as they do. Animals have emotions and intelligence. Mothers mourn the loss of their young. Babies mourn the loss of their mothers and never develop as fully as they should, unless someone intervenes. Pets mourn the loss of their roommates when one dies, and show jealousy when a new pet (or a new child) abruptly arrives on the scene. A 10-year-old dog will feel sadness and confusion and fear when she's abandoned by the side of a highway, even by an owner that didn't treat her well to begin with. Guinea pigs will experience depression when the family that owned them for four years decides to give them up due to "lack of interest".

When rescue and shelter staff come together, they swap stories of success, tales of owners who came in every day in hopes that their lost dog had been found, anecdotes about owners who tearfully had to surrender pets due to circumstances beyond their control (and sometimes donating large amounts of money and/or supplies to help with their care or to help with general shelter needs). But they also collectively shake their heads over the way people abandon animals. Boxes of kittens left outside a shelter's door overnight. Rabbits left in a lobby by owners who artfully slipped in and out of the front door without staff ever seeing them. Ferrets let loose in fields. Birds let loose in the woods. Guinea pigs left in cardboard boxes in the cold behind a church. Owners unceremoniously dropping off -- dumping -- senior animals without an iota of visible sadness or regret and with comments like "I'm glad to be rid of it."

And so we're left with questions. How do we turn the tide? How do we re-educate the segment of the public that needs to learn to treat animals with compassion, respect, and humanity? How do we teach children to treat animals well in spite of whatever they may be witnessing the adults in their worlds say or do?

We're looking for suggestions, if you have them to share.