Valkyre

Rest in Peace Chi-Chi

7 or 8 years ago, Teresa brings home a class mascot for the summer. A chinchilla named Chi-Chi. Over the summer we get a call from her 4th grade teacher. "Would you like to keep Chi-Chi? I am going to be teaching first grade now. The classroom is smaller and I have no room for class pets". We had grown attached to her in those short summer weeks and gladly took her. She was already an old chinchilla then. She was there when Helena, our oldest daughter attended school there. And, our middle daughter Amanda has the same teacher, so she too got to see Chi-Chi. Years back, when old students heard that we had Chi-Chi, the common response was, "You mean she's still alive!? She was old when I was there!" She quickly grew used to the routine here. I really think she liked it here, even though it was more laid back than being out in the hustle and bustle of a classroom. She seemed to like the dogs and even the cat. But, in the past few weeks, she was showing signs of slowing down. Then, she refused to eat her food. I could get her to take raisins, but she seemed to have some difficulty eating them. If I didn't know any better, she acted like she had had a stroke. Yesterday, she quit eating even raisins. So, it was only a matter of time. I found her tonight. Even though she was old, and had a good long life, it still hurts.