With extremely broken hearts, we regret to inform everyone that we have really horrible news … Thursday morning we woke up to finding our beautiful and amazing Cookies and Cream had passed away! We are ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED! As it says in this video, “A Beautiful Girl Makes a Beautiful World!” And without her, our world is CRUSHED!
Cookie was only seven years old (almost eight), VERY well cared for with very healthy foods, herbs, minerals and vitamins. Her coat was shiny, appetite was good and she showed NO signs of any distraught whatsoever. In fact, we have cameras in their barn, so we can check them regularly and she was up at 10pm Wednesday night for her regular nighttime snack of fresh grass hay to help keep them warm. We are in absolute SHOCK and DESPAIR!
The vet came and reviewed all of her behaviors, foods, shelter, weather and did an exam. There were no apparent reasons, so we suspect she had a heart attack (which I am finding out can happen with no signs). Goats generally live until 8-14, so we had hoped she would make it to 14 like our JellyBean did. We cannot believe this happened!
We don’t have kids, so our girls are our babies! And I am very ill and homebound, so these girls are my children, best friends and my joy in life. In the face of my daily life of losses, unbearable pain and isolation, they have always been here for me to snuggle and literally wrap themselves around me with their complete and unwavering LOVE! Their desire to be with me and love me have given me reason to fight another day, so they would never experience losing their Mommy.
“The Adventures of Pumpkin and Cookie” has been the only thing left in my life that I could do from time to time. Posting photos, GIFS and videos gave me GREAT JOY and PURPOSE IN LIFE! … Now that’s GONE!
I don’t know how I will cope! But I do know that right now, I have to focus on my only purpose today and that is to comfort my precious, sweet, loving, one-in-a-million baby, Pumpkin and help her through this grief as much as I humanly can.
My husband Wayne and I have taken turns being with Pumpkin all during the day since Cookie passed, giving her love and helping her through her sheer loss. When the sun goes down, we sit with her in the barn until it becomes too cold for us, then we tuck her in and she goes to sleep. We check her regularly on the camera to make sure she is OK.
We replaced the large igloo with one that is smaller and won’t feel as empty. We put some of our clothes in there for familiar scent and lots of straw. She has been very tired and yesterday she wouldn’t eat her hay or broccolini (which is not normal at all), but we were able to get some grass hay pellets, pumpkin seeds, apple cider vinegar water, cabbage, flax seeds, a tiny bit of organic no sugar peanut butter and little organic popcorn down her.
Pumpkin and Cookie were inseparable! Never did they let the other out of their sight! If one went around a corner, the other would cry out loudly and in a panic to find the other! They grazed together, napped together, took sun-baths together, slept together and ate together. Though Cookie was mostly in charge, even when she was done grazing, she graciously layed down and waited for Pumpkin to finish. They were partners, best friends and sisters (not by blood), together 24×7. Pumpkin is lost. There are NO others like this DYNAMIC DUO! We are beside ourselves in GRIEF!
We knew one would eventually pass before the other, but we had NO idea it would happen this soon! So now we are faced with looking for another companion for her to snuggle with and take adventures with. There is NO OTHER like Cookie! She can’t be replaced! And bringing another goat onto our property is very scary to us! Pumpkin is our baby and we will take every precaution to get the healthiest, friendliest buddy possible. We will also make sure SHE is happy with the goat and do what SHE wants. We will keep you all informed.
Thank you all for allowing us to share our Cookie and thank you for showing us how much you care! She was SO SPECIAL! Our hearts are BROKEN FOREVER! Please keep Pumpkin and us in your thoughts and prayers.
With completely broken hearts,
Sherri and Wayne
