Monday, 29 May 2023

Argo πŸΎπŸ–€

 

Argo Hallow
2017* - 2023

Our beautiful long-haired baby boy Argo joined our family as a rescue on Saturday the 26th of January 2019 and passed away on Saturday the 27th of May 2023.

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He came to us with a brother, Mars, after a rocky start to life.
He had been bought from a pet shop and then returned there as if he was a pair of shoes that didn't fit. He was then adopted again from the pet shop alongside Mars.
Sadly, yet again the pair were returned by people who had no right to own pets in the first place.
Mr H and I then brought them home to give them the life they deserved.

All of our children, except Baker, are named from Mythology, Gods and Goddesses. 
Mars has red eyes, so his name originally came to me because of the red planet however it worked out that Mars is the ancient Roman God of War also.
When thinking of words that went well with that I couldn't get 'Mars Argo' out of my head, a musical artist from America. Thankfully Argo also ended up being able to tie into Mythology as in Greek Mythology ''Argo was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece.''

After his rocky start in life, Argo faced a few small health issues. For example, he had never had his nails trimmed apart from when he was returned to the pet store meaning his toes were curled in and deformed. This thankfully wasn't as bad as it could have been and it didn't cause him any pain or hindrance getting around, we just had to be careful when we trimmed his nails.
A couple of years ago he also had a liquid-filled lump under his chin which ended up being popped by a scuffle with his brother before we could get him to the vet to have it drained. This was the end of Mars and Argo living together and they never got on well again. Though thankfully everything with the lump was good after that. 



*We were told both Mars and Argo were 1 year old when we adopted them, however, we think that Argo may have been 1 year older meaning he was born in approximately 2017. If that is the case, Argo was around 7 years old this year.











































In our previous home, Mars and Argo had a full bedroom to themselves as can be seen in the first few photos, and it was brilliant. However, when we moved to our current home they got a large wooden hutch to share in our kitchen and were given the run of the whole downstairs when their brother Baker (who is obsessed with them) was upstairs. This ended up being replaced by two cages after their falling out which worked out much better for cleaning etc and whoever was in the bottom cage (we swapped them every week) was able to get themself in and out as they pleased, the piggy in the top cage was lifted in and out of course.

Argo was the quieter of the pair, less interested in being held or touched but loved enrichment treats and being outside munching the grass. No matter how much room he was given in the garden he would sit in one area munching grass the whole time, as does his brother, so that's why in many photos the run set-up looks quite small. 
His long hair meant we had to bathe him and trim the hair by his bum every so often. He liked to have a little run around in the water if we did this in the actual bath but he was evidently huffed when we did it in the sink instead!
Argo was a fan of most fruits and veg he was offered but particularly parsley and cucumber. The last thing he ate was a few bites of strawberry.

Just like all animals, including small animals, Argo had his own perfect personality. He made us laugh, made us cry and was immensely loved. He was a huge part of our family and will be greatly missed. 



I may be a volunteer for a Pet Bereavement service, but that doesn't make this any easier. My heart is broken and it physically hurts. Know that if you have lost a pet of any species, size, age, you are not alone and grieving pet loss is just as difficult and important (if not more so) than losing a human for many people. 
If you feel like you want to talk or need support, don't hesitate to get in touch. The PBSS is also there 365 days a year for you too, find out more here > Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service | Pet Loss


2 comments:

  1. So sorry for your loss. He was a beautiful guinea pig (similar looking to my late Dougal), and lucky to have been given a happy life with you both after being passed around from people who didn't deserve them. (Why do people get pets if they're not prepared to commit for their entire lives)?! I used to work in a pet shop and the amount of people who asked if they could return pets if they didn't work out or if we'd take their older pets from them when they were buying new ones was shocking and disgusting. It made me so mad.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. Aww Dougal what a cute name!
      Yes, the way people regard a living thing as a belonging they can just return is infuriating. I will never understand people and how they can add an animal to their family then one day just turn their back on them. All animals are far more intelligent than they are given credit for including small animals. Argo and his brother Mars were/are so intelligent knowing their names, recognizing our voices, playing with toys and puzzles etc. So to imagine dropping them off somewhere and walking away knowing that they would be scared, confused and crying for us is unimaginable.
      xo

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