Sam and Dean
- Sef
- I dissent.
Great tribute to a very special and handsome little guy. So many wonderful memories and moments to look back on and smile. :) He sure was a character and a little energizer piggie, and had such a good life with you. I know how very much he will be missed.
I'm positive Sammy is off on his next big adventure at Rainbow Bridge, with old friends and new.
I'm positive Sammy is off on his next big adventure at Rainbow Bridge, with old friends and new.
I'm keeping a close watch on Dean since we lost Sammy. He is doing ok so far. He looks around and sniffs the spot where Sammy laid, but he's eating and drinking fine so far and he's not sulking at all. I've given him plenty of time and attention to go with fresh grass as a treat. There's not a lot of Sammy's scent in the cage since it was changed right after he went into the hospital cage. He did spend about an hour in there with Dean until I realized that the blood in his urine probably wasn't good for Dean to be around. I would think that if he was going to be depressed, it would have showed up by now. I also bet that the little clowns running around and playing in the next cage helps him too.
I almost wish I had another single male to put with him besides Mr Bubbles, who doesn't get along with other pigs. It would have to be pretty soon after Sammy and before he gets accustomed to being alone in his cage. At least he has very young and active neighbors. They keep him entertained and they remind him that he's not alone.
Haven't seen any sulking or negative effects on Dean since Sammy has been gone. It's cage day today, so I made the swap with him into the 2 by 3 foot cage and the girls in the 2 by 4 footer. The girls gained 2 square feet and Dean lost that amount. The two cages are next to each other with about 6 inches of space between them. I did as much as I could to do away with the scents in the cages. That meant washing them, changing all of the bedding pellets, swapping the water bottles with the pigs and replacing the fleece covering on all of the bumpers that hold down the fleece.
The swap was pretty seamless. Dean spent the first 5 minutes exploring and then settled down to eat his hay. The girls went right to their hay like nothings different. I think this setup is going to work out for the best for all concerned pigs.
The swap was pretty seamless. Dean spent the first 5 minutes exploring and then settled down to eat his hay. The girls went right to their hay like nothings different. I think this setup is going to work out for the best for all concerned pigs.
Dean is still hanging in there. He gets excited when it's time for food, hay or water. He had some quality time with me during which he enjoyed a handful of fresh grass. When he was finished eating, he did his soft little squeak to let me know he was content. He's good in the smaller cage by himself next to the girls. They keep him entertained. I think he's going to be ok.
No decreased appetite or interest in his surroundings. Still gets excited and nibbles the cage when I bring his food. I think I can close the book on worrying about his going into a separation anxiety depression. I'll keep monitoring him as I do all of my pigs, but I don't worry about that anymore.