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"Brutus"
Anonymous
My sister used to have two guinea pigs. We both Loved them very dearly. One of them we had tried to sex the other, although they were both males. So the other scratched his eye. From then on, the first one "Ju-Ju" always had a puss covered slash on his eye. We took him to the vet, but they couldn't do anything. He could run up the stairs, but was very afraid about going down the stairs. "Brutus" was the same way. Afterwards they got a long with each other...
"Ju-Ju" died warmly from old age. But when my sister left for college. I was told to take care of "Brutus". But as a child, I just wasn't responsible.
Brutus, spent months... Months in a cage underneath of a desk. Breathing his own piss and shit. Starving sometimes for weeks. He was forgotten, by the only caretaker he had, as well as the only caretaker he was left with.
When I remembered to feed him. I didn't clean his cage. He was probably too weak to try to escape, not that he ever gave any attempt to. He probably didn't know any other life. But he probably missed my sister...
I realized one day, that Brutus was laying on his side, something that I don't think Guinea Pigs ever do. I talked to my father, but he was too busy to take care of a pet he hardly knew we even had. I watched him die. Outside of his cage, on the floor of our First Floor bathroom because it was warmest in our house.
I didn't know the number of a vet. The internet hadn't been available. Nor did I have any money or resources. I just watched Brutus die. And only then did I realize... I was a completely and utterly irresponsible human being.
The only responsible thing I ever did was Bury Brutus. I decorated a Clear Plastic Container, with many soft things, and laces stolen from my Mother's room. I prayed that he was more happy wherever he was...
...And I swore I would never keep a pet in my life, for fear that I would just simply forget about it. And leave it to die an unfulfilled life.
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