Yesterday, the day after Halloween while the veil between this world and the next was ever so thin still, our chinchilla, Shinji, died in his sleep.
I'm still not doing too well over this, and I'm very bothered that we don't know why he died so suddenly, when he was in such good health. He was not very tame when he came to us, and had calluses on his feet from the wire cage that he was kept in previously and his fur was shedding badly as he was kept in a very warm environment, which is not good for chinchillas. He came to us with a name that nobody could seem to remember, but when he was given to us to care for, things changed for him. We changed his diet, gave him a different cage with softer bedding and solid levels for him to sit on so that his calluses went away. We have a cooler house so he stopped shedding. We gave him a new name, since this would be a different time for him. Then came the hard part, we started working to tame him.
We have no idea how old Shinji was, as he had been from home to home to home in his life, so we don't know how long he hadn't been handled properly. I worked with him, slowly at first, to get him to trust me and stop trying to bite us when we reached in his cage. This took six months. I then started working on getting him to let me take him out of his cage. Another six months. The last thing that we were working on and were finally getting successful with is to get him to trust us enough to let us pet him through the bars of the cage. It has just about been six months. He was finally tame, happy, and healthy.
It's not fair. It's not fair that he struggled so much before finally finding his home. It's not fair that after not trusting people for so long and then finally finding a home where he could be comfortable, have people that loved him and that he loved back...that he died. He should have had more time that way. He should have had more time to be happy.
Good-night, Shinji. May your travels be swift and the journey good through the Summerlands and into your next life and may we meet again and know one another.
10 comments:
OH Cassa, I'm so sorry to hear about your chinchilla! Thinking of you during this difficult time! I have always had a rough time when it comes to my pets, even greiving more than I do for humans in my life at times! Sending you love and hugs!
Well I didn't know Shinji personally, so there isn't much consolation I can offer, but I'm glad he died so peacefully. There are worse deaths than that. I'm sorry he had a hard life though, but he's going to be happy in the next one, because he had you. *-* ::huggles::
I am so sorry. It is sooo hard to lose family pets.
I'm so very sorry. Check this out it helps a little. {{Shinji}}
http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm
I'm so sorry for your loss. Shinji was so cute and he looked happy. Atleast his last years were happy with you. ((((Hugs))))
How sad. He was a really good looking little guy.
Awww this is sad, such a sweet face on that little guy.
Critterbug,
I wish so very much to give you a great big hug... I know how very much you cared for little Shinji. I too will miss laughing when he took his volcano ash bath. What a sweetie he was. He was very much loved and loved you guys, too.
Your Mom... ((((((((((cassa))))))))
My heart breaks for you. I don't know if it will help but I am thinking though you only had him a short time when he was tame and happy at least the last part of his life was one where he was loved and cared for and not treated poorly. He was just meant to be with you for this. It is good to know that this little furry one had a place to end his days with in happiness.
I am sorry for your loss but glad that he had a happy home at his last.
Peace for you and yours.
Victoria
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Shinji was truly lucky to have found a home with you, for however short a time.
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