Sad to learn about Jupiter's passing. With older of my younger brothers we had it very similar when one of our two female pet rats died many years ago. She was "more his", but everybody felt a loss. That rat also died of "natural causes" or more likely a disease, because one day out of nowhere she refused to eat, soon after started bleeding and on the next morning mum found her dead. Since it was summer holidays, we held a "funeral". Dad found an empty shoes box, placed her inside and then brother took it, as we all went to the garden to bury her.
Both rats were bought in the same store, yet one a week earlier than the other. People in the pet shop said they would live "few years". The first one died aged approx. 1.75 yrs. The second one, "more mine", lived to late spring next year. We didn't witness any reaction on her side to losing a longtime companion.
"The kids seem okay with not replacing Jupiter. Since he died, no one has mentioned getting a new pet of any species. Perhaps the girls finally recognized that no matter how much you love something, eventually you get tired of scooping its poop." - that was our thinking, too. We loved cleaning the rats' cage, refilling water fountain and food bowl, but each time we were about to go on a whole-family trip, there was the problem with finding someone willing to watch over them. Yet I think that was for the better, because I don't want to imagine what if new rodents were around when we got the cat...
The vacation issue is real. Oddly enough, the guinea pigs are the biggest pain because we either have to transport all their gear to someone else's house or have another kid come over and clean out the cage. For the pigs and dogs, on the other hand, we can basically just leave out enough food and water and they're fine.
I cried when my grammar school son’s hamster died after several years even though he/she was a pain in the a$$ escape artist. Many hours were spent looking under and behind furniture as well as the strangest corners of the house. I also learned where the dust bunnies hid.
The worst was when his childhood dog passed. My son was a sophomore in HS and bereft that his friend wasn’t there to sleep with him in his bed at night. I believe that is when the loss of a pet really hit him.
Jupiter may have hated hats but he sure was cute in it. I'm glad your girls took his demise in stride and I'll bet he had a happy life whether he realized it or not. We've had 5 cats and 2 dogs in our family's life and all the cats are buried in the back yard. 3 of them died inconveniently in the dead of winter so MrP about killed himself digging graves for the first two in the frozen ground. So when our 3rd cat, 19-year-old Wrigley, had to be put to sleep after a traumatic short episode in one of those winters, we wrapped him in his provided box in a zillion heavy garbage bags and put him in our outside deep freezer until spring when he got a proper burial. Our daughter never would open that freezer. Good thing he wasn't a particularly large cat so he didn't take up much room.
Our cats never seemed to notice when one of the other ones died and was gone so not surprising that Pixel hasn't seem to notice Jupiter's absence. The closest we got was when Wrigley sat on top of the carrier his brother Shooter was in, waiting to be taken out the door to the vet's to be put to sleep. It was kinda sweet but then knowing how cats like to sit on top of things, we probably read more into it than it was. That left us with 2 cats rather than 3 and taking care of them and the amount of poopy litter to clean became a lot easier even though we missed him. Those 2 are now gone and were replaced by two more, with only one left. We'll not replace her when she goes, but we will miss the whole pet thing even though it never ends well.
We had a dead gerbil that went in the freezer for a few months one winter. I also never looked at the freezer the same way again. Must be a universal childhood experience.
My oldest is allergic to guinea pigs. We found that out when he brought home the class rodent for school vacation. But, to make things worse, it died on day 5. It was old for a guinea pig so I still think one of the teachers should have had responsibility for it instead of making my snotty sneezing child a pariah for killing it. He didn't, but convince the rest of the preschoolers of that.
Your kids took it well! When I was 9 my pet mouse died and I was so shook up I couldn’t go to school because I wouldn’t stop crying. My mom and sister buried it in the field behind our house. Quite the tragedy!
aww.. sorry to hear about Jupiter. Guinea pigs certainly do poop a lot!! I'm cleaning the cage every day and washing the reusable liners every 3 days.. We only have the one right now. We got him from the local pound. Changed his name to Potato as well he looks like one. He doesn't like others so he's a good fit with us! He too hates to be picked up, have nail trims. He really only likes my husband. He hides from me all the time. I'm impressed you were able to bury Jupiter that way.. We have a tiny graveyard out back. 2 guinea pigs, 1 tortoise and a cat. Glad the kids are doing ok with the loss though..
That's quite the graveyard. Hopefully everything stays down. Stephen King made me nervous about that. I'm glad he didn't write anything about evil garbage cans.
At least Guinea pigs don't eat each other, hamsters do, as I found out the very day after buying two and an expensive habit trail to put them in, got up the next morning and one had eaten part of the other one, checked the whole set up in the dumpster. Kind of an expensive lesson. RIP to the poor little pig.
The circle of life. RIP, Jupiter.
Sad to learn about Jupiter's passing. With older of my younger brothers we had it very similar when one of our two female pet rats died many years ago. She was "more his", but everybody felt a loss. That rat also died of "natural causes" or more likely a disease, because one day out of nowhere she refused to eat, soon after started bleeding and on the next morning mum found her dead. Since it was summer holidays, we held a "funeral". Dad found an empty shoes box, placed her inside and then brother took it, as we all went to the garden to bury her.
Both rats were bought in the same store, yet one a week earlier than the other. People in the pet shop said they would live "few years". The first one died aged approx. 1.75 yrs. The second one, "more mine", lived to late spring next year. We didn't witness any reaction on her side to losing a longtime companion.
"The kids seem okay with not replacing Jupiter. Since he died, no one has mentioned getting a new pet of any species. Perhaps the girls finally recognized that no matter how much you love something, eventually you get tired of scooping its poop." - that was our thinking, too. We loved cleaning the rats' cage, refilling water fountain and food bowl, but each time we were about to go on a whole-family trip, there was the problem with finding someone willing to watch over them. Yet I think that was for the better, because I don't want to imagine what if new rodents were around when we got the cat...
The vacation issue is real. Oddly enough, the guinea pigs are the biggest pain because we either have to transport all their gear to someone else's house or have another kid come over and clean out the cage. For the pigs and dogs, on the other hand, we can basically just leave out enough food and water and they're fine.
What a considerate and happy eulogy for Jupiter.
I cried when my grammar school son’s hamster died after several years even though he/she was a pain in the a$$ escape artist. Many hours were spent looking under and behind furniture as well as the strangest corners of the house. I also learned where the dust bunnies hid.
The worst was when his childhood dog passed. My son was a sophomore in HS and bereft that his friend wasn’t there to sleep with him in his bed at night. I believe that is when the loss of a pet really hit him.
I firmly believe the bigger than animal, the harder the loss. Dogs are like family members. Guinea pigs, not so much.
Jupiter may have hated hats but he sure was cute in it. I'm glad your girls took his demise in stride and I'll bet he had a happy life whether he realized it or not. We've had 5 cats and 2 dogs in our family's life and all the cats are buried in the back yard. 3 of them died inconveniently in the dead of winter so MrP about killed himself digging graves for the first two in the frozen ground. So when our 3rd cat, 19-year-old Wrigley, had to be put to sleep after a traumatic short episode in one of those winters, we wrapped him in his provided box in a zillion heavy garbage bags and put him in our outside deep freezer until spring when he got a proper burial. Our daughter never would open that freezer. Good thing he wasn't a particularly large cat so he didn't take up much room.
Our cats never seemed to notice when one of the other ones died and was gone so not surprising that Pixel hasn't seem to notice Jupiter's absence. The closest we got was when Wrigley sat on top of the carrier his brother Shooter was in, waiting to be taken out the door to the vet's to be put to sleep. It was kinda sweet but then knowing how cats like to sit on top of things, we probably read more into it than it was. That left us with 2 cats rather than 3 and taking care of them and the amount of poopy litter to clean became a lot easier even though we missed him. Those 2 are now gone and were replaced by two more, with only one left. We'll not replace her when she goes, but we will miss the whole pet thing even though it never ends well.
We had a dead gerbil that went in the freezer for a few months one winter. I also never looked at the freezer the same way again. Must be a universal childhood experience.
My oldest is allergic to guinea pigs. We found that out when he brought home the class rodent for school vacation. But, to make things worse, it died on day 5. It was old for a guinea pig so I still think one of the teachers should have had responsibility for it instead of making my snotty sneezing child a pariah for killing it. He didn't, but convince the rest of the preschoolers of that.
Oh, the stigma! The teacher had to know it was only a matter of time until the guinea pig passed. It was a set up from the start.
Your kids took it well! When I was 9 my pet mouse died and I was so shook up I couldn’t go to school because I wouldn’t stop crying. My mom and sister buried it in the field behind our house. Quite the tragedy!
All loses at that age are hard. There were some tears here, but not one got out of school. That would have been the real tragedy.
aww.. sorry to hear about Jupiter. Guinea pigs certainly do poop a lot!! I'm cleaning the cage every day and washing the reusable liners every 3 days.. We only have the one right now. We got him from the local pound. Changed his name to Potato as well he looks like one. He doesn't like others so he's a good fit with us! He too hates to be picked up, have nail trims. He really only likes my husband. He hides from me all the time. I'm impressed you were able to bury Jupiter that way.. We have a tiny graveyard out back. 2 guinea pigs, 1 tortoise and a cat. Glad the kids are doing ok with the loss though..
That's quite the graveyard. Hopefully everything stays down. Stephen King made me nervous about that. I'm glad he didn't write anything about evil garbage cans.
At least Guinea pigs don't eat each other, hamsters do, as I found out the very day after buying two and an expensive habit trail to put them in, got up the next morning and one had eaten part of the other one, checked the whole set up in the dumpster. Kind of an expensive lesson. RIP to the poor little pig.
Scuttle in peace, Jupiter. 💕I enjoyed this guinea pig tribute so much!
I was wondering about the car graveyard. What an image! You could have had a very interesting backyard.