Two's company, in guinea pigs.

The week after Ted died was a hard one. We kept finding little things we'd tried, we had to clean out the medicines she'd had. We kept asking was there anything else we could have done, any action we could have taken, anything at all that would have helped. The vet had said no, that these things happen, but it was amazing how the guilt grabbed us. We were busy that week with Christian Aid and work, so our evenings passed delivering envelopes and planning office moves (don't ask; the Saga of Virgin is for another day)

By the following Saturday we were slowing down. Sarah had a bad cold, Peter was out for the day and although I was supposed to take Sarah to badminton we cried off. We went for a coffee and to buy her material for a school project. I swear that was all. Just a Costa and a yard of material.

But we called into Pets at Home, just to look for hay or bedding or... well, any old excuse. And there was a little girl guinea pig there, alone, all alone. And such a pig! Nobody would ever choose her for her looks. May I introduce to the herd.....

Sherlock. That's her after a brushing and a tidy up. She has the maddest, baddest hair possible. Like Tina Turner in Beyond Thunderdome. Her neck is extendable like the Xenomorph in Alien, so occasionally she has the look of a dragon or a dinosaur, with her head sticking out of a ruff of wild, white hair. She is a character. And her and Lorelai are not the best of friends. because both of them want to be top pig.

Unfortunately, we'd only had Sherlock a day before it became obvious she had a runny nose. Ring up the store, complain and a trip to the vets later and I had another piggy on antibiotics. Seriously, are they never well? So this week I have been giving Sherlock anti inflammatories and antibiotics twice a day. She seems well enough,as you can see from the shot above of her heading off behind the computer. She loves to explore, and goes further in the room than either Lol (Lorelai) or Olgy.

We gave her to David. The death of Teddy hit him hard, because he had been coming home and taking care of her after lessons. He's in his A level year, so a distraction that sits and makes him smile is a good one. He named her as well (hence Sherlock) so that's good. And you should see a hulking 6 foot man take a little guinea pig out to the vets and talk to her about where we are. He'll make a lovely Dad one day, just lovely.

Alright, when are we? About Wednesday last week. And I was cuddling Olga, when I felt a rough patch in her fur. Cue Google, with a diagnosis of either mites or a fungal infection. And cue another visit to the vets and a bill. Don't ask. I have plans for a bigger cage, but the brutes keep me spending my savings.

Olga has a fungal infection; she's isolated for a week or so, until she looks a bit clearer, and I am administering an anti-fungal solution and Daktarin cream at regular intervals. We now have two cages set up next to each other, and little Olga keeps trying to bite through and get to her friends. Once we get the all clear, I might have to make the cages fit together permanently because they've got used to space.

We're not a good advert for buying guinea pigs from Pets At Home, are we? But, as I now realise, we should have adopted not bought. I'm a mad cavy woman who has plans for bigger and better cages, with fleecy cups and pee pads. I've loved looking what's available and (if I weren't bankrupted by the vets) I would have more to show you. I am loving looking at the guinea pig blogs and the forums around (and Good God, are they useful when you need advice!) and I love my little critters tremendously. Like my big critters, they aren't very photogenic. I need a faster camera, or to remember how to get the speed shots on my big camera. Unlike the big critters, they don't have a say, so my instagram has suddenly become packed with photos of cuteness and hairy creatures. I'm more relaxed about life, I haven't read a book in a month and my crochet has suffered because, between one and another, I haven't had the time. I cleaned the living room yesterday and realised it was the first time in a month. I will get back, I am taking time out from life this week to read blogs and post on them and to catch up with all my blogmates. Please forgive my absence, and drop me a welcome back below.