I'm sorry to report that our chinchilla, McKaela, died this morning. Three years ago, I was pondering what life would be like when I got back from my mission. I wrote that McKaela would still be the same because "she's a strange, hearty creature." Every time I went to her cage, I expected her to be dead, and every time, she proved me wrong, until now. I gave her fresh food and water the other day, but I think she was already weak. I had also given her a fresh dust bath, and that's where I found her. She seemed so peaceful, I thought she might be sleeping, but alas, she was not.
I did some research, and it turns out she had the symptoms of a respiratory illness, which apparently is difficult to detect until it is too late. Now, she is in chinchilla heaven, which I imagine to be full of dust and almonds. To those of you who will miss Micky (as I affectionately called her), I send my condolences. She was a good chinchilla. May she rest in peace.
