Last night I had the strangest dream…
To be honest, I don’t remember most of it, but there was a moment that stuck with me. I’m standing on a cloud, and I can see a little creature scurrying towards me in the mist. The creature, once at my feet, was revealed to be my guinea pig, Dennis. In the dream I started sobbing happy tears; I picked up my little guy and held him close to my chest, stroking his back in the way that he used to love.
Quarantine made me adopt Dennis. I felt very lonely during my senior year of high school, as it was completely virtual, and I’d always thought about getting a guinea pig. As soon as I saw Dennis, he was mine.
As many guinea pig owners will tell you, it can take a while for your piggie to warm up to you. You have to be patient. But after a week or two, Dennis was comfortable with me. He went from running away whenever I came near his cage to excitedly coming towards me when I would sit next to him. I read books out loud so he could become familiar with my voice. I put t-shirts next to the cage that smelled like me so he would get used to my scent. Every day I made sure to sit with him, feeding him his favorite snacks and giving him cuddles. We bonded; he was my buddy.
When I left for college, I had to give him away to my cousin, along with his partner Ralph who I subsequently adopted when I realized guinea pigs thrive in pairs. It was an emotional day. While Ralph happily mingled with the other guinea pigs that my cousin had, Dennis stayed back. He wouldn’t come out of the crate at first. When he did, all he could do was stare at me like, “Mom, who are these animals? Can we go home now?”
Now, I may be overanalyzing the beady-eyed gaze of my pet, but Dennis really did have an impact on my life. He got me through some tough emotional times. Spending time with him, whether it was listening to the “Hamilton” soundtrack or setting him free to explore my room (supervised, of course), helped clear my mind and keep me present. He made me so happy; he was such a sweet boy.
Dennis died last October. I think about him a lot, which is why I felt it was important to get this article out to memorialize him. One especially important thing I learned from my guinea pigs is how to live peacefully with someone you don’t like (see “Your Roommates Don’t Need to be Your Best Friends” by me). At first, Dennis and Ralph were close, but then they went through a phase where they battled each other for dominance, and I had to break them up a few times. Finally, they learned to coexist; Dennis stayed on his side of the cage, and Ralph stayed on his side. They still had scuffles now and then, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been in Phase Two of their relationship. I use this metaphor a lot in my daily life: it’s okay to not get along with everyone, but the least you can do is be civil.
Today, Ralph is happy and healthy with his new brothers and sisters. I know that Dennis is happy, too, after crossing the rainbow bridge. I can’t wait to scoop him up in my hands again someday.
HCXO, Camryn
HCXO, Camryn