It is with great sadness that we said goodbye to our precious little pet guinea pig, Mac, on Wednesday. He has been a part of our family for the past six and half years, and when that length of time is over half of the lifespan of our youngest child, it is hard to imagine our home without his presence. Since February when he had his first bought with pneumonia, he has been struggling on and off with his health. But he was our fighter and always seemed to pull through and overcome volatile moments. However, when respiratory problems came again over the past couple of weeks the treatment for pneumonia was not successful. He died in my arms as I whispered words of love and affection to him. Truly, there was no guinea pig more loved than him!
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MacGyver "Mac" Kleis
April 28, 2011 - November 22, 2017 |
On the Eve of Thanksgiving as the sun was setting we buried little Mutty in our garden. With hearts full of gratitude for his life we also have been carrying sorrow in our hearts the past few days. Laughter and tears, they don't seem like they should go together, but they do. And both have been healing to us as we reflect on all the fun and joy Mac brought to us. He will be greatly missed!
He was our "hello" on the other side of our "goodbyes". When sadness gripped our hearts in saying goodbye to family in the US, he was the comfort that awaited us upon our return. He was my morning welcome, greeting me with a chatter as I poured myself a cup of coffee. He was our cuddle buddy to study, to craft, to keep warm and provide companionship. He was our garbage disposal for veggie scraps and would always know when I was cutting an apple. I am already noticing the increase in our organic waste bucket without him around. He dined with us at meals always on his carpet by the door and chewed so fast that it never lost fascination with us.
The nicknames he was given over the years have been tallied and they number 31. "Mut-mut" and "piggie" make their way into more phrases and random responses than should be considered normal. Emma and Jonathan even have their own piggie-language and the inside speech is quite absurd, but it has been our comic relief always guaranteed to bring a smile. (And mild annoyance to the boys, but even they have been pulled in to the crazy lingo use).
We will always love Mac and he will forever hold a special place in our hearts as our first family pet. He was beyond cute so it is only fitting that we share loads of pictures. Here are some of our favorites out of the thousands that we must have in our photo stream. Rest in peace, Mac.
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| It's amazing he didn't get squeezed to death on his first day home |
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| Emma begged and begged for a pet and we are so glad she persisted! |
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| Oh my, the kids have grown and changed in 6.5 years! |
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| Thankful to have lived in two homes with a yard. He loved fresh grass and dandelions! |
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| Mamma: groomer, feeder, and nurse provider for for this little guy |
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Mac loved basil! He could down a whole plant in one sitting.
In fact, his final niblets of food were four basil leaves. |
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When he was held he had to be on your left shoulder. If you put him
on your right he would squirm over to the other side every time. |
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| The most intelligent pig ever! |
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| Crafting with Emma |
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Mac was free to roam the house, hopping in and out of his cage
mostly to scurry across the kitchen for food. |
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| He had a sweet tooth for apples |
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| Playing under the towel |
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| Seriously, check out those lips |
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| Zoe, the only cousin to meet Mac |
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| Mac's First Christmas - 2011 |
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| Mac's Last Christmas - 2016 |
1 comment:
Mut-Mut was a very special and loved guinea pig. We always enjoyed seeing him on our trips to Italy and hearing of his exploits. He knew how much you cared for him! He was a very blessed piggy, indeed.
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