Housemate might not have fed them?!

[Boofimus]

So I've been away a fair bit recently.

Last week I was away on Thursday night and Friday morning, and one housemate looked after Wheat and Barley until I got back.

This week I had to be away Thursday night and Friday night (specifically got the train at 6am on Thursday morning to be away from them for as little time as possible) and left a different housemate on piggie watch, as the first housemate (who has a hamster, so I consider sort of "safer") was away on holiday.

Got back on Saturday morning to a cage fuuuuuull of hay (I remember saying to Lu right at the beginning when I got them that they ate a lot of hay, so maybe she got confused?) but when I went to give them some veggies that I'd picked up en route home, they nearly took my arm off! They've always been greedy piggies so didn't think too much of it until I went to my piggie mini fridge and found all the veggies I'd left them still there! I did wonder if she'd forgotten that I'd left her those and given them her own salad or something, but I just weighed them and (after a couple of weeks of putting on 50g+ a week - they're still only babies) they weigh exactly as much as they did last week And now I think maybe she just gave them a whole load of hay on Thursday afternoon and didn't feed them at all otherwise!

Worried grrrr

 

[MrsM]

if they are still alive and eating and drinking now, they are fine. Just try and talk your housemate into being more considerate of your animals next time.

 

[Wiebke]

As hay should be up to 80% of a piggy diet, anyway, they have had enough to eat.

I rely a lot on my neighbours to look after my guinea pigs when we have to look after a relative. My system is to cut all the veg up into the normal chunks and store them in labelled ice cream boxes in the fridge. On the label I also remind the neighbours which and how much pellets to give, to refill the hay and the water bottle.

Hopefully, you can find a conscientious mate who won't forget; that is more important. Just in case, leave your piggies with plenty of hay, plenty of pellets and veg that takes time to eat, like a cob of sweetcorn.

 

[Boofimus]

As hay should be up to 80% of a piggy diet, anyway, they have had enough to eat.

I rely a lot on my neighbours to look after my guinea pigs when we have to look after a relative. My system is to cut all the veg up into the normal chunks and store them in labelled ice cream boxes in the fridge. On the label I also remind the neighbours which and how much pellets to give, to refill the hay and the water bottle.

Hopefully, you can find a conscientious mate who won't forget; that is more important. Just in case, leave your piggies with plenty of hay, plenty of pellets and veg that takes time to eat, like a cob of sweetcorn.

Good plan. The silly thing is, when Cazy (housemate #1) looked after them I had everything in tupperware boxes exactly measured per 'meal'. And then both she and Lu said I was going to waaaay to much effort so I didn't this time. FAIL.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

As long as they have hay and water they are fine for a day or two anyway. That's bad of your friend to forget, it can't be that hard to do . . .

If I am going anywhere overnight then I leave my guinea pigs and rabbits a huuuge pile of hay, looooads of dry food, loads of water (I have extra bottles) and loads of veg. Then I ask my dad to check them and to refill the water if it's empty. I always come home and find they've still got loads of food and hay left, the veg is gone, but the water is left because they had so much veg. I'm always so worried, but when I get back they still have enough food for at least another night

If I'm not there then my dad feeds the dogs and cats, but I don't want to make him look after too many animals, so that's why I just leave them with loads and get him to check on them once or twice.

 

[Wiebke]

Good plan. The silly thing is, when Cazy (housemate #1) looked after them I had everything in tupperware boxes exactly measured per 'meal'. And then both she and Lu said I was going to waaaay to much effort so I didn't this time. FAIL.

Better safe than sorry - and as idiot proof as possible is my motto!
Even if I have to get up at 5 or 6am to do it... It is definitely worth the effort!

 

[JoBo]

I work 3 long days a week where do not have time to feed my pigs at all so i rely on my 15 year old daughter to do it. The only time she forgot was on Christmas day a few years back. I was only on an early and was home at 2pm and realised. But i forgave her because she was obviously very excited.
It is a worry when we have to leave our pets but like Wiebke says idiot proof is the way to go x

 

[2280CLAIRE]

Oh no What a worry for you! When I left my piglets with my Mum in law, I typed up clear instructions, and provided everything she would need. I even put their food in little tubs already chopped up and in the correct portions. I explained to her verbally, and handed her instructions.

 

[Ruth]

If ever I go away I always think if no one fed them would they be ok, of course someone is always looking after them but you never know what could happen.

 

[Boofimus]

Oh no What a worry for you! When I left my piglets with my Mum in law, I typed up clear instructions, and provided everything she would need. I even put their food in little tubs already chopped up and in the correct portions. I explained to her verbally, and handed her instructions.

That's the stupid thing, I had little sandwich bags of greens for Cazy, with little tupperware boxes of dried food, and hay in tescos bags so she'd know how much they wanted and wrote her a proper little letter, and left them with twice as much dried mix as they needed anyway and a whole rack of hay and of course she'd have been just fine on her own. (And the piggies put on a RIDICULOUS amount of weight just over 2 days. I was convinced Wheat was pregnant. And then Lu, who is in my room and with the piggies all the time and said it'd be fine just was a bit clueless. Gah.

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

[guineagurl]

Aw! Poor things! At least they are eating now. Talk to your room-mate or get some-one else to look after them next time!

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Sorry to gatecrash your thread, but this got me curious, does it do any harm for piggies not to have fresh food for 1-2 days? Can they get bloat once they start getting fresh greens again? Just wondered because very rarely have I ever seen piggies in Pet shops etc have any fresh food at all, so I wonder how they manage without it, especially as they need vitamin C. I didn't think a vitamin enriched dry food was enough for them? ?/