Oolong and Pu'er the Guinea Pigs @oolongandpuer - Tumblr Blog

Oolong - 2014-08-01 - 2019-04-14

Oolong passed away last night. She was an amazingly sweet and loving piggie, and we miss her dearly.

Oolong was born, together with her sister Pu'er, on Xishan in Suzhou. Even more than Pu'er, she loved to be held and petted--but especially together with Pu'er. Later, when she met Barley, she took to him immediately, licking and nuzzling him from the first moment they met. Last night, when we said good night to them both, he was right next to her, licking her ear.

At UWC, Oolong has introduced countless students from around the world to guinea pigs. They have all seen how loving and trusting she is: I think she has done her own tiny part to make the world a more caring place.

I love you, Oolong. Thank you for being our guinea pig.

#oolong #guinea pig

Rye Ball, their new favorite toy, snack, and companion.

#guinea pigs

Barley, with another majestically-fat friend. Ever since one of my students gave us the cat for Christmas, it has been like having a cat in the house again - makes me miss the meows.

#guinea pig

Last month’s freak snowfall. Oolong didn’t find it very interesting, but Barley enjoyed a few nibbles :3

#guinea pigs #snow

thoughtsdrawninpurple

Can’t not wake them up.

daysofourpigs

Their thoughts are above our thoughts. Their ways are above our ways.

Pu’er - 2014-08-01 - 2017-06-22

Our sweet, brave Pu’er passed away last night. She was a wonderful pig. She showed Kristina how amazing guinea pigs are. She was an ever-faithful friend and protector to her sister Oolong. When she met Barley, she helped teach him how to be a good pig, and now he is a strong, kind, gentle boar.

Pu’er was born on a farm on Xishan in Suzhou. Her first humans grew organic green peppers for their baby cavies, and impressed on us the importance of feeding her green peppers: she loved these, as well as the mandarins her hometown is famous for, the wheat grass Kristina grew for her, and all manner of other fruits and veggies. In her last month, she discovered a love for cherries, and ate fresh basil from Kristina’s garden.

When I first brought her home on the bus, she and Oolong were in a tiny cardboard box. As I peered in, Pu’er nosed back at me, chin held high, in the warning display we would soon come to recognize. Even as a two-week-old piglet, she fearlessly put herself between giant me and her sister. This summer, when we moved to our new house, she was brave as ever: the first nose out from under the blankets in the car, then the leader of the piggle train exploring the new house. Even as she weakened, her spirit was as strong as ever.

Thank you, Pu’er, for welcoming me into your life. A little bit of me will always be a little guinea pig thanks to you. Oolong and Barley miss you, but don’t worry, your herd is in good paws. We love you, Pu’er.

#puer pig

It’s been a quiet blog lately, as we’ve been constantly worried about Pu’er. For no reason we can understand, her back right leg is completely numb. She has thus been reluctant to run around or leave hiding. She eats all her normal things, but slowly. As a result, she has been steadily losing weight for the last few months, down near 700 from a previous average closer to 800.

She continues to enjoy her favorite foods (plus a spoonful of apple juice + Critical Care each morning for extra vitamins), and the company of her best piggle and human friends. She will run and play just a little bit, especially for the morning tomato. Oolong and Barley are kind and considerate to her, never kicking her out of a fleece or house, even while chasing each other. But we are worried sick for her. We frequently wake her to tempt her with hay or veggies. Her share of the daily green peppers keeps her vitamin C intake high. We cycle her hideout fleeces twice/day, and keep her back feet clean - she can’t easily reach her good leg as she can’t balance on the bad one. There is no guinea pig vet in this country anymore, so we can’t get her looked at. If anyone has advice or experience with this strange leg problem, please let us know.