Tigger

Of all the things in the world for us to be thankful, our guinea pig friends rate pretty high up on the list.  Pig Pal Jennifer has written us many times about her pig, Tigger, and we are happy to give him his own page.  He sounds like the perfect pig friend.  Jennifer tells us about Tigger...

I got Tigger two summers ago. He came pre-named but his name fits perfectly because he's orange and black. Of all the guinea pigs in the pen, Tigger was the sweetest. The breeder said that everyone who saw him fell in love with him and I was lucky I got him. Tigger soon grew healthy, big, and strong. He stands on his hind legs when he thinks food is coming and, of course, he "talks". When he "begs" he's almost as tall as his pen. Good thing the pen's big! Tigger talks whenever I walk into the room and after awhile, my parakeet picked up on it and he "talks" like a pig too. Tigger's favorite thing to do is sit under the tree in the front yard and eat grass. Supervised of course. When he gets done with a section of grass, you can always tell: he'll eat the grass short. Tigger also likes purple clover, apples, and carrots. And of course, he never turns down a bowl of pellets. But you can't expect that a guinea pig will!!! Tigger gets along real well with my other animals. But that doesn't mean I let him get near them. One day my parakeet accidently fell into his pen and they both freaked out. Tigger ran in circles almost trampling the poor bird but he flapped his wings and didn' t help. When Tigger gets near my hedgehog, he is interested. A little too much though because he tries to eat Sonic's quills! My cockatiel seems pretty fine on Tigger's back, except Tigger is an American Guinea Pig with slick fur. Oh well. And he can't go near my dog for different reasons all together!  Guinea pigs are cool animals and Tigger is the coolest.

Whenever I watch TV in my room I always get out sweet Tigger. (I've read that TV rays MIGHT be harmful to animals if they are in a direct line with the TV. Although I haven't done any other research on this yet, I play it safe and cover his cage with a towel. Of course if he's with me, I put a little barricade between his face and the TV.) Anyway, I put a towel down on the bed and I lay down on my side and put him by my stomach. He'll stretch out and lean against me and then eventually he'll fall asleep. It's really cute. One day I gave him a box to sleep and chew up. He'd stand on it and knock it on its side and pretty much throw it around. Sometimes when he wants attention, he'll "tigger" around his cage. He'll run in circles and jump and its just really funny. Anyway, I'd like to teach him to come when I call him but he'd rather do something else. Oh well. When I pick him up he always climbs up next to my neck. I have no idea why he does it but it tickles!

Sadly, Jennifer informed that Tigger died unexpectedly at the end of October, 1999.  She sent us this poem for him:

-IN MEMORIUM-

It broke my heart to lose you

but you did not go alone,

for a part of me went with you

the day God called you home.

God gave me strength to bear it,

the courage to take the blow,

but what it meant to lose you,

no one will ever know.

I love you Tigger, I will never forget you and miss you very much.

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