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| Name: |
Pearl
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Age: |
Six years old
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Abyssinian guinea pig
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| Home: |
Florissant, Missouri, USA
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Pearl
is a very special little lady who celebrated her sixth birthday
with us in June 2005. Here is Pearl in her pink party hat, waiting for
us to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. We adopted Pearl and her pal,
Trixie, as babies in August 1999, and they lived happily together for
over four years. Pearl's home is a specially made plexiglass cage
(a.k.a. the "Pig Dome") that measures 30" x 30", and even now at her
mature age, Pearl likes to run laps around in her cage every day,
pushing her oatmeal tube and shoebox house around with gusto!
Pearl has had to overcome some obstacles in her life, namely her bout
with pneumonia in 2002, Trixie's death in 2003, and most recently, her
surgery on March 31, 2005, when her doctor had to remove a mammary cyst
that thankfully turned out to be benign. Within 30 minutes after
awakening from surgery, Pearl was eating her favorite green veggies!
Pearl's only "complications" from surgery was a very brief episode of
diarrhea (caused by the antibiotic) and some itchy stitches! Pearl's
speedy recovery from this operation was amazing to even her doctor.
Pearl loves her pellets, hay, carrots, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale,
parsley, seed treat mixture, a grape or two, and especially Oxbow Hay
Company's Critical Care nutrition supplement. She also loves an
occasional treat of apple, cucumber slice, and a flake or two of Special
K cereal. Pearl will come trotting over to the front of her cage to
greet us when we come home every day, looking for her afternoon spinach
and a grape. And whenever we say Pearl's name or we talk about Pearl in
conversation, her ears turn a bright pink because she knows we are
talking about her!
Pearl is also very special because she has been a great comfort to us
when three of our other guinea pigs have passed away. Pearl was always
there with us during those difficult hours, staying awake and watching
over us, and cuddling in our laps when we need the extra love. She has
been our "little mother" during those sad times.
Pearl is a beautiful little lady, and she has brought a lot of happiness
into our lives!
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