Autonerd
Junior Guinea Pig
Hey all! Thanks for all your advice and support about the loss of Twinkie (RIP Twinkie). Thought you'd like the follow-up...
From guidance here and from LA Guinea Pig Rescue, we figured it was OK to leave Oreo as a single pig for a while while I traveled for business. He did just fine, though the last week my aunt noted a bit of a change in his behavior -- not quite as lively. We made the first app't we could (which was today).
We brought him to LAGPR for a health check (all good, though we do have to have his nails clipped more often). They let us into the Pig Garage. We told them we wanted a piggie similar in age and that we didn't care much what he looked like; all we care about is compatibility.
The LAGPR volunteer highlighted a few pigs, and suggested Mario, similar in age, good temperament, and had been with them for a while. Apparently he had a relationship with his cage-mate (named -- you guessed it -- Luigi) that turned sour, and Luigi gave him an injury that has since healed up.
Great, we said, let's try Mario!
We put them in a pen together, and it went well -- really well. Oreo was the dominant pig and had to remind Twinkie of that from time to time, but he and Mario seemed pretty easygoing with each other. The volunteer opined that she has seen few introductions go so well. After a few mins or so I had to run off to the car to do a radio interview, and within 15 mins my wife was at the car mouthing "Where is the box?" (the one Mario was to come home in.)
Under LAGPR's advice we gave the cage a good scrubbing (though I'm still waiting for my hides to dry out). I set everything back up, put them in, and -- so far, all quiet on the guinea pig front. Oreo's chasing Mario a bit, but so far, in the first few hours, all is well.
I'm a little concerned that Oreo was off his game a little since he had a big morning -- put into his carrier, car ride, health check, new place. (We don't handle him nearly enough.) So far, though -- well, I'm hopeful. Oreo reacted more vehemently when I changed something in the cage. Maybe Mario's a little higher-ranking or something...
Also, Mario is used to being handled, so that's helpful -- he doesn't mind being pet. I'll be sure to pick him up more often, and LAGPR has some videos that purport to show me how to start handling Oreo -- we need to do that, if for no other reason than to make transportation (we're going to start going to LAGPR for bimonthly toenail clipping) less traumatic.
Anyway, I'll keep fingers crossed, and thanks again for the continued help and advice. My wife and I really don't know WTF we are doing with piggies. The fact that Oreo got high marks at his health check (and that Twinkie's tumor couldn't have been forseen) is a testament to all we have learned from this place.
(Just heard some chirping and running around, hopefully that's good!)
I know you want to see piggie pics, so here they are...
As always, comments and suggestions welcome and TIA!
From guidance here and from LA Guinea Pig Rescue, we figured it was OK to leave Oreo as a single pig for a while while I traveled for business. He did just fine, though the last week my aunt noted a bit of a change in his behavior -- not quite as lively. We made the first app't we could (which was today).
We brought him to LAGPR for a health check (all good, though we do have to have his nails clipped more often). They let us into the Pig Garage. We told them we wanted a piggie similar in age and that we didn't care much what he looked like; all we care about is compatibility.
The LAGPR volunteer highlighted a few pigs, and suggested Mario, similar in age, good temperament, and had been with them for a while. Apparently he had a relationship with his cage-mate (named -- you guessed it -- Luigi) that turned sour, and Luigi gave him an injury that has since healed up.
Great, we said, let's try Mario!
We put them in a pen together, and it went well -- really well. Oreo was the dominant pig and had to remind Twinkie of that from time to time, but he and Mario seemed pretty easygoing with each other. The volunteer opined that she has seen few introductions go so well. After a few mins or so I had to run off to the car to do a radio interview, and within 15 mins my wife was at the car mouthing "Where is the box?" (the one Mario was to come home in.)
Under LAGPR's advice we gave the cage a good scrubbing (though I'm still waiting for my hides to dry out). I set everything back up, put them in, and -- so far, all quiet on the guinea pig front. Oreo's chasing Mario a bit, but so far, in the first few hours, all is well.
I'm a little concerned that Oreo was off his game a little since he had a big morning -- put into his carrier, car ride, health check, new place. (We don't handle him nearly enough.) So far, though -- well, I'm hopeful. Oreo reacted more vehemently when I changed something in the cage. Maybe Mario's a little higher-ranking or something...
Also, Mario is used to being handled, so that's helpful -- he doesn't mind being pet. I'll be sure to pick him up more often, and LAGPR has some videos that purport to show me how to start handling Oreo -- we need to do that, if for no other reason than to make transportation (we're going to start going to LAGPR for bimonthly toenail clipping) less traumatic.
Anyway, I'll keep fingers crossed, and thanks again for the continued help and advice. My wife and I really don't know WTF we are doing with piggies. The fact that Oreo got high marks at his health check (and that Twinkie's tumor couldn't have been forseen) is a testament to all we have learned from this place.
(Just heard some chirping and running around, hopefully that's good!)
I know you want to see piggie pics, so here they are...
As always, comments and suggestions welcome and TIA!
