The Spark: Meeting Babe

Back in late 1996, I was working at SAP as a Presales Engineer (techie sales for big companies). On the way to work one day, I was rear-ended while stopped at a light (in my first and only 'new' car). Some guy was rubber-necking at the "Babe" standing in the road in the other direction who I believe had rear-ended someone else. That led to needing a new used car, which led to meeting my new boyfriend "Robert" at a car dealership. 

It turned out that Robert had a guinea pig named "Babe" that someone at his work needed to rehome. I was a rather successful software chic doing pretty well. Robert was spending more and more time at my place, leaving his guinea pig unattended, and that wouldn't do. I knew next to nothing about guinea pigs at the time and Babe moved in before Robert did. 

While well-meaning, Robert had Babe in small wire cage with pine shavings and she was fed a steady diet of carrots, pellets, and water. That was it. Keep in mind this was very early internet days -- pretty much AOL dialup-only early. Over time, I found a couple of guinea pig books at a local pet store. Only breeders were writing care books back then. I learned some basic care and that they should be in pairs.

Of course, I had significantly upped the Babe's nutritional game. Now she was being fed properly, and I had found what seemed like a better cage at our local Pet Club -- a Super Pet cage. Whoohoo. And she had developed cataracts. No small surprise given the non-stop diet of carrots -- way, way too much sugar. Also, as a single, lethargic guinea pig, my experience of her at the time did not include any wheeking or much running around. 

In 1998, I bought a house across the yard from the one I was renting (extremely handy for moving) and it was past time to get Babe a friend. Enter the pet store experience! For now, suffice it to say that while Babe got plenty of attention on her own, she ended up being a great aunt to a dozen more piggies in not too much time. More on that story later.

I think she grudgingly put up with all of them. With all of their wheeking and carrying about, she never really did figure out how to wheek! She was just the Grand Dame of the piggy parade and ended up living a great life.