Missing my Kevin 😢

Melxava

Melxava

New Born Pup
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My boy Kevin passed away this morning, peacefully and comfortable at home after a short period of ill health 😞🌈❤️. I adored Kevin, he was part of our family for the whole 5.5 years we have had him. He was such a gentle soul with the ability to leave a huge imprint on your heart ❤️🐾. Kevin is now with our vets who are arranging individual cremation for him, and I have picked him a beautiful white urn with a name plaque. I snipped a lock of his hair and have a little keepsake bottle coming in the post to put it in 🌈.

I know I am going to struggle greatly with the loss of him.

As I write this, I am sitting beside his c&c cage in our living room. His bed, blankets and hideys are all as we left them whilst he was still there. His basket of hay, nugget bowl, water bottle and toys. It’s gutting to know he isn’t there 😞. How long did it take for others to start cleaning the cage out? I don’t imagine I’ll be anywhere near ready over the next few days, but I know I can’t leave it 😞. We’ve had the cage up for several years due to us having 3 guinea pigs who have all passed at different stages of their lives. It’s going to be really tough coming to terms with the change ❤️‍🩹.
 
Melxava said:
My boy Kevin passed away this morning, peacefully and comfortable at home after a short period of ill health 😞🌈❤️. I adored Kevin, he was part of our family for the whole 5.5 years we have had him. He was such a gentle soul with the ability to leave a huge imprint on your heart ❤️🐾. Kevin is now with our vets who are arranging individual cremation for him, and I have picked him a beautiful white urn with a name plaque. I snipped a lock of his hair and have a little keepsake bottle coming in the post to put it in 🌈.

I know I am going to struggle greatly with the loss of him.

As I write this, I am sitting beside his c&c cage in our living room. His bed, blankets and hideys are all as we left them whilst he was still there. His basket of hay, nugget bowl, water bottle and toys. It’s gutting to know he isn’t there 😞. How long did it take for others to start cleaning the cage out? I don’t imagine I’ll be anywhere near ready over the next few days, but I know I can’t leave it 😞. We’ve had the cage up for several years due to us having 3 guinea pigs who have all passed at different stages of their lives. It’s going to be really tough coming to terms with the change ❤️‍🩹.
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HUGS

I would recommend that you remove the bottle of water and clean it now because that will go off quickest. The rest can wait until you are ready. Just give anything fabric a higher temperature wash and everything else a deep clean once you can face it. It is not the time of the year when you have worry about vermin, so the cage can wait for a week or two if needed until you are over the rawest bit.

What you are experiencing is a common reaction. It is the same as with clearing the home of a deceased family member with lots of memories attached - your piggies are part of your family and what you are putting away is not just the tangible remainders of their existence but a part of your own life but we all need our own time, and there is nothing wrong with that.

You may want to plan what you are putting in place of the cage before you clear and dismantle it ideally in one go. The worst is looking at a totally empty cage and at an empty space. When you get going, try to do so quickly and set up again with the new room layout ideally on the same day or within a day of taking the cage down. Ask a friend or family member to help you with the practical/redecorating side as well as with moral support for the rough bit of the changeover.

If you are still unable to face the job within my suggested time frame, then please consider getting trained support for your grieving process. It won't get any easier the longer you wait.

Pet bereavement and pet loss (UK only)
 
Take care and be kind to yourself. One day your precious memories that cause you such pain now will make you smile x
 
Today I ordered my daughter a beautiful piece of pet ashes jewellery for her Christmas. They send out an ashes collection kit, and I will provide ashes from our 3 guinea pigs Riley, Binx and Kevin 🌈 (our last 3 pigs). My daughter is 14 and is missing Kevin terribly, so I feel this will help her to know he is always with her 🩷🐾.

I got a lovely little basket with a lid today, for us to put Kevin’s toys, his bowl and bottle, and his favourite blanket. I feel this will help me move forward if I know there is a special place for his things.

We have a guinea pig rescue centre in Ayrshire and in honour of him, I plan on donating his C&C cage, and other bits and bobs.

Kevin’s passing remains very raw for me, but I take comfort in the fact that he was not in any pain in the end, and we were there to hold and comfort him as he passed ❤️🐾.
 
Melxava said:
Today I ordered my daughter a beautiful piece of pet ashes jewellery for her Christmas. They send out an ashes collection kit, and I will provide ashes from our 3 guinea pigs Riley, Binx and Kevin 🌈 (our last 3 pigs). My daughter is 14 and is missing Kevin terribly, so I feel this will help her to know he is always with her 🩷🐾.

I got a lovely little basket with a lid today, for us to put Kevin’s toys, his bowl and bottle, and his favourite blanket. I feel this will help me move forward if I know there is a special place for his things.

We have a guinea pig rescue centre in Ayrshire and in honour of him, I plan on donating his C&C cage, and other bits and bobs.

Kevin’s passing remains very raw for me, but I take comfort in the fact that he was not in any pain in the end, and we were there to hold and comfort him as he passed ❤️🐾.
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Give yourself and your daughter time. Grieving is not a quick process. But your plans for Kevin, his friends and things sound lovely and they will hopefully help you through the darkest times. :love:

Another tip for special days and holidays, like Christmas, and the black holes you can unexpectedly fall into: Light a candle in a safe bowl dish as a symbol that he is with you in your thoughts before you start celebrating. Give those that cannot be there their space because that will free you up to have fun as well because you are making the white elephant in the room a member of the party and are not trying to ignore him (which is impossible). Remember to blow out the candle when you leave the room.

My family always goes to light a candle on my dad's grave in the same village so we honour the fact that he is still with us in our thoughts and that we still miss him but having had our moment with him and having reaffirmed our love and loss, there is much less guilt and awkwardness. The firsts after a death are always the hardest.
 
Wiebke said:
Give yourself and your daughter time. Grieving is not a quick process. But your plans for Kevin, his friends and things sound lovely and they will hopefully help you through the darkest times. :love:

Another tip for special holidays, like Christmas, and the black holes you can unexpectedly fall into: Light a candle in a safe bowl dish as a symbol that he is with you in your thoughts before you start celebrating. Give those that cannot be there their space because that will free you up to have fun as well because you are making the white elephant in the room a member of the party and are not trying to ignore him (which is impossible). Remember to blow out the candle when you leave the room.

My family always goes to light a candle on my dad's grave in the same village so we honour the fact that he is still with us in our thoughts and that we still miss him but having had our moment with him and having reaffirmed our love and loss, there is much less guilt and awkwardness. The firsts after a death are always the hardest.
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That’s a beautiful idea, thank you x
 
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