Bye, Rusty

We awoke this morning to find that Rusty, the guinea pig, had died in his sleep. We had taken him to the vet last week because his appetite was steadily decreasing each day and to check for an upper respiratory infection. After a thorough exam and administering subcutaneous fluids, there wasn't much the vet could do except blood work. Even if we did the blood tests and found that one of his organ systems was failing, there are very little treatment options, if any, for small mammals. We knew it was only a matter of time before either Rusty would die, we would have to force feed him, or put him to sleep if he was slowly staving himself to death. I am thankful he died naturally according to God's sovereign timing. Although Rusty was eating less and less, he did not appear to be in any pain.

So our pet population is down to the two rabbits. Lizzy is 7, and Big Bun is 5, which is the youngest estimate for their ages. Bunnies live 8-10 years so we may have them for a while. I have a suspicion that Lizzy, our ornery bun, will outlive them all.

It will be much quieter in the pet room now without Rusty's high-pitched squeaks signaling that he knows a treat or salad is on the way. He also had a funny way of walking inside his plastic igloo and pushing it all around his cage. Animals are just animals, but they do have a way of finding a place in our hearts.