This morning we took Quib to the vet to be euthanized after it became clear that his health was taking a turn for the worse. He was with us through four apartments, two states, our wedding, and too many jobs to remember right now. He went to a movie theater in Iowa, stayed in a hotel in Wyoming, ate in a restaurant in Utah, went to work with me in Los Angeles, and made us happy every single day. We were lucky to know him.

We'll miss you, Quib. I wish I could have explained how much we'll miss you.

I haven't taken a picture of Quib in months. This is an old one.

He's an old man now, mostly blind and deaf.

I decided he'd earned a peaceful retirement.

A while ago Quib developed a tumor on his cheek.

I took him to a vet, then another vet for a second opinion.

Guinea pigs don't fare well with surgeries, and he's going on 6.

We're going to let nature take its course.

The tumor changes all the time, getting bigger and uglier,

but Quib hasn't changed at all.

He's bright eyed and greedy and grumpy and snuggly.

He still reminds us that sleeping in on the weekends is only allowed

so long as it does not disrupt his regular snacking schedule.

He still cuddles in the crook of my arm

and burps in my face

and scrambles to the back of the couch

so that we're the same height while we watch TV.

In other words, Quib is still the best.

Sorry we've been hiding out for so long.

Quib had a snuggly winter. He tried cilantro and loved it.

He went to the vet for the first time; they called him "hefty."

Every morning before work, he sings with me while I get ready.

He belts his heart out during Taylor Swift anthems.

Daily Quib is moving over to dailyquib.tumblr.com

so please follow us over there for more

very true stories of Quib.*

*Edited to add:

The tumblr format never took off because I started it

as Quib's modeling career was winding down.

When there are updates, they will be here.