July 16, 2006, I lost another dear furry friend unexpectedly!

Poor Bibi left us on Sunday, July 16, 2006 without any warning. She appeared to be her normal self, but then, I discovered her lying still in her pen with her eyes open later in the afternoon. I called her name then reached down to check on her and found her cold to touch, Since she was a bigger guinea pig when I found her, I never knew how old exactly she was... so she may have been older than I thought. I miss my little girl so much! It was just too soon after the loss of Bosco. She was a definite character and an adorably sweet little girl! She had a bit of a "tude," but she was very special indeed. RIP Bibi...

Bibi the Bold!

Bibi is one of three cavy cuties that I am blessed with. She's a black and white Abyssinian guinea pig. (An Abyssinian is just one of the many breeds of Guinea pigs whose name is based upon their fur type-lending a sort of "disheveled-look" to their fur). This breed has little rosettes of fur scattered throughout their body.

I named her Bibi because she reminds me of the beautiful Swedish actress named Bibi Andersson, who used to star in a number of Ingmar Bergman films-most of the time sporting a cute, short, blonde, and slightly disheveled hair style that I always thought made her look as if she had "bed-head." Hence the reason for naming my lil' cutie "Bibi."

One day, while shopping at the pet store for bedding, hay, and Guinea pig food, I came across a package of 3 mini tennis balls that were being sold for ferrets. Since I thought it would a fun little toy for my Guinea pigs to play with, I decided to purchase them for my piggies.

Of course, when I first dropped the balls into their cage, they looked a little bewildered. However, within a few minutes, Bibi's curiousity got the better of her, so she started to pick up the ball with her teeth, whipped it into the air and then watched it bounce onto the floor. All of a sudden, there was no stopping her. She continued to play this way for well over 15 minutes!!! It was weird watching her do this for so long, because the other 2 piggies just stood and watched her, as if she were crazy (while I watched her out of amusement). All the while, Bibi looked as though she discovered something special. That little play session really demonstrated how adventurous and bold she can be.