More Education On Guinea Pigs Required Please

[Wiebke]

I must admit that it is easier to feed piggies, when you eat veg and fruit as well...

The problem with showing is in my opinion that it is very upsetting for the pigs - being stuck in a small cage in a foreign environment, and stared and poked at by all kinds of strangers. After what you've told us, your boys would profit from a quiet, loving home to become proper pets with patience and persistence. It takes time to bring out shy and skittish piggies!

 

[Sue_P]

I hope that I have answered most of your questions. Give your piggies time; it takes a few weeks for them to settle fully, like you would in a new school!

And please don't hesitate to ask questions!

I wish you a good time with them. Have they got names already?

Thanks for answering. I called them Rumball and Fudge. I wanted to call them Rodent One and Rodent Two but my mum said no. The fudge one suits Fudge and it took me ages deciding on Rumball’s name. We debated about Blackie, Liqourice (liqourice makes me wanna puke), Raisin, Truffle, Bourneville, Midnight, Tolberone (a dark one) and Cocoa but I like rum balls heaps, I’ve got boxes of them at home to live off.

14. Too much grass can be bad for them but only if they are on a lush lawn for a long time. As for storing grass I do the same with dandelions, my neighbors have lots so every now and then I go and fill up a bag which lasts a day or too, just make sure it doesn't go off.

Wilted dandelions are rubbish, my bunnies never wanted them if they were soggy.

16.) They're all different, some drink more than others & they will get water from the veggies you feed. They are also getting used to their new home & will find the bottle - they won't go thirsty.

16. If they have actually found the water but are not drinking much they are probably just not too thirsty. Some piggies drink more than others and rabbits drink lots, just make sure it is nice and fresh for them.

They just nuzzle it for a few seconds then go and hardly take anything but they must be getting enough water cos they pee so much. Hardly any of the guinea pigs had water at the rescue centre so I guess it ain’t all that important that they drink lots often but I put an extra water bottle in my pen just incase my expensive one isn’t for guinea pigs, I put in a standard one and the nozzle of that is way smaller so probably better maybe? I don’t like it though, it drips. & I’ve got to fill it to the top to make it not drip and so have to waste more medication in it.

This is what I transport my very shy guinea pigs around in - I call it my piggy bus! Once they realise that I won't pick them up (which is what most piggies hate), they are quite happy to go inside! Leave it in their enclosure, so they can get used to it and have some nice naps in. that way, they'll LIKE going inside!

Cool. I could wang my bottom of my cat basket in their pen and stick a towel over too, it’ll be a bit like another litter tray. Would they chew off the fasteners of cat baskets? BTW, I thought guinea pigs liked being handled, that’s what I heard anyway.

This is my neutered boar Llewelyn (pronounced Tkhloo-EH-lin), and he is a mis-marked red dutch with half an ear missing. He was part of big rescue in Midwales, that's how he got his name. It took me months to learn to say it right! mallethead

I saw a bunny with only half an ear once. Think the vet snipped it cos it looked neat.

Hi Sue - glad to have you back and well done on getting some advice. Great advice already been given, hope it all helps.

Why don't you get a book on guinea pigs? Or copy and paste all the great advice you read into a word document to refer back to, that's what I do as there's no way I can remember everything that gets said on here, there is lots to learn.

I might have to get a book. I’ll look in a book shop (never done that before), if it ain’t too expensive I’ll get one. It’ll take me ages to read it though, I’m real slow at reading.

firstly I apologise about some of the harsh remarks I and others made on the other thread

Apology heard but I’m still bitter.

also well done for coming back on for advice !

Thank you Sue for asking questions, and well done you for giving us another chance. I really hope you get all the answers you need.

I was gonna go and find another forum to ask on if you lot were gonna carry on being mean to me again.

Welcome back Sue,

I love the fact you have a stool in their place so you can sit with them.

The stolen chair from school you mean? It was a new addition, my mum had too many so chucked it out/well - gave it to me. It’s got metal legs, I presume it’s safe for guinea pigs to be near. I spend most of my time sat on the floor though on a cushion, guinea pigs are better than having Henry is one way cos Henry had a habit of hiding in boxes and I’d have to get on my knees and stretch in to stroke him. I got in some real awkward positions just to stroke him and got pins and needles but I did it cos it made him happy.

My piggies love to get comfy on my lap and flop out. Given time yours will too, they will be nervous at first but the way to a piggies heart is through their stomachs, try to have a routine for feeding times and they'll soon get used to you and will start letting you know when it's meal times.

How do they let me know when they want treats? They went crazy and hyper when I got home from work yesterday, I thought that was just cos they’d not seen anyone for a few hours though.

just give them a bit of time to get used to their new home, they look really small in there and it will take a while for them to feel safe in such a huge space.

Have to say i love the home you've created for them; it's really spacious - Lucky piggies!

I thought someone said the pen looked small? Did they mean just for Henry cos he was bigger?

Hi Sue
I am really glad that you are taking the time to research your pigs, a lot of people take on pets and do not have a clue how to look after them and dont bother to research, I had some bad advic from the pet shop when i got my first males, luckily like you i spent time researching and reading and constantly improving life for my piggies, i like you are relatively new to this forum but it has helped me immensly, i really thought i knew just about everything about guinea pigs but it turns out i knew vert little so if ever your struggling, turn here for help and support as i have. Good luck you are doing really well and from your pictures your pigs look very happy.

Thanks. You did better than me cos I knew nothin’ about guinea pigs. I didn’t know they were best indoors and that people fuss over them so much and give them fleeces and stuff, I just thought they were in hutches at the back of gardens. Someone told me once that they can die of cold though, he went to feed them one cold morning and they’d both frozen to death in the night cos they didn’t have enough bedding.

2.) Piggies don't burrow in the same way as rabbits do but they do like to hide. They may well get under the cardboard & as has been said this won't soak up urine well. I use tarpaulin to prevent urine going on the carpet.

What’s tarpaulin? Like a car cover or bench cover? I think my mam’s got some more old lino though, I’ll get her to dig more out and scrub it if they carry on slopping wee all over the place.

3.) Hay over newspaper is fine but will need changing frequently. Have a look at the reviews at the top of this page for alternatives http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Ain’t no way I’m getting that vetbed. It costs way loads and it’ll ruin my mission to only use 1 cubic meter of water per year quarter, lol. I only use the washing machine every few weeks, washing is a drag. I’ll take a proper look at everything in that section later on, thanks.

5.) I've never fed leafbeat so unforunately can't say wether it's safe or not

Is most stuff that’s safe for bunnies safe for guinea pigs? I didn’t kill the bunnies with leafbeat and I gave some to the lady at the rescue centre and she hasn’t complained about it.

6.) Blackberries are fine if they will eat them, blackberry leaves too (in moderation) as long as all the thorns are removed. I'm not sure about plums as i've never fed mine them & i know plum tree twigs are poisonous as are the twigs of cherry, peach & apricot (fruit trees with pits). Apple twigs are fine.

I’ll try some blackberries, there’s the bestest blackberry bush ever right near to my mum’s house. I could pick a leaf or two as well, ain’t never tried doing that before. I’ll read that long list of food later and see if plums are on it. I’ve just been eating some myself, I’ve got plenty.

7.) They can jump a little, some of mine will jump onto their stools, they may well have stood up on their back legs to pull the hay off the box & yes they can injure themselves jumping from a height.

The heighest thing in their pen is about 22cm high, let me know if that’s dangerous, I can confiscate their oak box if you want. I could put more hay around it though as a soft landing. I stuck some more hay around the corners of the room cos sometimes they bolt and skid a little at high speed. I don’t want no bloody noses.

 

[Sue_P]

8.) The answer here is time & patience. I see you have a chair in their pen (fantastic!). When you're sitting in with them talk to them in a quiet voice & they will become braver. They aren't daft & soon learn you bring nice things to eat
I had one piggy who was terrified of human hands, i used to have to wrap him in a fleece to keep him in one place. I bought him a cat igloo - this enabled him to feel safe whilst allowing me to stroke him. He still runs away when i go to get him but will quite happily stretch out on me.

I don’t have a quiet voice, they’ll have to get used to my loud one. I’m alus getting shouting at for embarrassing my mum in public places by talking too loud about stuff. I’ve been reading to them, I need to practice my reading a loud skills cos I’m rubbish at it. I’ve spent a year reading to Henry too, I think I’m getting better. The guinea pigs are learning about how to care for rabbits at the mo, maybe one day they’ll hear about how to care for them, that should make them happy.

11.) MDF cannot be used as it contains formaldehyde. Plum, Cherry, Apricot & Peach twigs are a no-no. These are only dangerous if the piggy eats them.

Is the oak box OK for them?

13.) It is better to photograph them without a flash, i wouldn't say it "hurts" their eyes but it can startle them. Red/Pink-eyed piggies seem to have a dislike to any strong light.

I weren’t expecting their eyes to come out so weird looking in the photos! I remember trying to take photo after photo of a lump growing on Henry’s eyeball and everytime the flash went off he’d blink and I never did get a good shot, lol. Next time I’ll take photos of the guinea pigs in the daytime and hope the flash don’t come on. I ain’t figured out how to use my digital camera to its full potential yet, the book of words is well thick and complicated!

14.) Young grass, if fed in large amounts can upset tums but generally you can't feed them too much grass, it's excellent for them esp. their teeth.

How do you know if grass is young or old? I laid some turf in the summer, is that still classed as young? Is the rest of my lawn old? Here’s my lawn.

It’s rubbish in winter, knowt grows.

 

[Wiebke]

You can give them blackberries and plums (de-stoned), but it can well be that they won't like them...

What is the name of the medication the woman gave you for the piggies?

 

[Sue_P]

14.) When my mums grass needs cutting i go armed with a pair of scissors & bring a bag full home. I ALWAYS wash it before giving it to my piggies & i store it in the fridge to keep it fresh. In winter-time i feed dry grass. Readigrass, Just Grass or Graze On are 3 i can remember & piggies love it.

So you can buy dry grass from the pet shop yeah? I ain’t noticed it before. I ain’t never washed grass before. Does it matter really? I don’t pick it from the canal towpath no more cos there’s too much dog sh*t around. Where I get it from is pretty safe I think, I go to the National Trusts grounds in a big massive field and up a steep embankment, it’d be unlucky for me to pick some that’s been peed on or somethin’. Is it safe for guinea pigs to eat their own pee? Cos they eat the hay where they pee. They’re probably chomping on it right now. Yuck.

15.) Piggies are prey animals & will naturally seek cover when anyone is around or they hear a noise but as they get more used to you & their surroundings they will become braver & not hide so much. At veggie time, put them in the middle & stand/sit a safe distance away from their enclosure & watch.

bless them!
I hate those heart-in-mouth moments! Never know if i should cuddle or strangle the pig after :p

Jeremy is the master of playing dead! Eyes completely shut, and difficult to see his tummy moving as he is all black. He freaks me out so many times. I think he does it to get away from Sally's bossing him around! |) |)

They seem confident now. They still bolt a lot but seem to like me being around. Now I’ve just got to worry about accidentally standing on them cos they wander by feet and investigate me cleaning up under their boxes. My Fairy God Mother Laura killed one of hers by accidentally standing on it whilst vacuuming once. She feels bad.

Most "nap" & not fully close their eyes, however, some do close them tight shut when sleeping. I have had quite a few heart-in-mouth moments thinking they've gone & they've only woken up when i've either shouted at them or physically poked them to wake them from their slumber!

I thought Henry was dead once. I came home and he was on his side with his legs in the air. I shouted his name and he didn’t respond. I shouted it louder and he didn’t flinch. I went right up to him banging the pen door and creaking the pen door as I went and shouted real loud and he didn’ move, then I shook him and he woke up. Henry was quite deaf. He scared me that time. My mum found him dead though and not me which was good. He was at her garden that day. I found Bunny though, he was missing from his pen, I found him by our foxgloves. I hate them dog owners. They didn’t even come round to apologise, their kid said he’d send his parents round later. I hate them.

Have a look here Sue http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm for ideas on piggy toys which will enrich their environment

Will do later. I’ve spent way too much time today quoting.




[*]More Questions[/*]: -

18.) Do they have proper conversations and understand each other? What does that cooing and walking in a stalking motion mean?

19.) I’ve seen Rumball eat newspaper a few times, he ain’t playing with it, he’s eating it. My mum’s rabbit book says newspaper ink is harmful which is odd cos on a rabbit forum they told me I shouldn’t have used magazines for Henry and that I should have used newspaper instead cos newspaper ink is supposed to be safe. Is it OK for Rumball to eat small amounts of newspaper?

20.) Can they see in the dark like rabbits?

21.) From looking at my photos should I lay out more hay? Have I got the right amount out?


Thanks for taking the time to educate me and it’s good that you ain’t all being mean now, I like it better when grown-ups aren’t all nasty. If you’re gonna carry on talking to me take your time to answer, I don’t think I can post tomorrow, the boss wants me to do some work, ho hum. Snot fair.

 

[Sue_P]

You can give them blackberries and plums (de-stoned), but it can well be that they won't like them...

I shall try plum sometime then, thanks.

What is the name of the medication the woman gave you for the piggies?

I've said it here....

17.) I can't say what she's been giving the piggy as mite medication is NOT added to water. What is it called? Stress can bring on mites but not always & if they do get them they are easily remedied.

It just has a label on saying Avian Health BIM, Feather & Hair Testing, Settle, Crossgates Bioenergetics Ltd. She said it costs £12 and that I could get stuff off them for medical complaints if I explain what’s wrong proper cos they’re dead good and have been wonderful with her, they post stuff out. The lady at the rescue centre don’t like vets either cos of the cost and she swears by homeopathic medicines. She gets mixy homeopthatic stuff for her bunnies instead of jabs cos she’s got a lot. She had way tonnes of bunnies when I went 2 years ago for Henry. They was everywhere and breeding in the fields cos some escaped. I sort of wonder if they did get hit by mixy cos she’s way downsized with bunnies. She’s still got fair few but there way more last time. I phoned a few months after getting Henry and she said she’d taken an escapey bred one to the vets to be put down but said so far it hadn’t hit her others. She’s got lots of different kinds of animals, she’s got some cute piglets and baby fluffy ducks. One of her dogs jumped all over my mum and she got covered head to foot in mud, my mum was peeved. Oh and she’s got a pen of loads of guinea pigs together as a flock not in the same area as the ones in hutches, I presume they ain’t for rehoming as she didn’t offer me any of them ones and they looked well itchy, bet she’ll need a lot of medication for all of them, there’s loads, lol.

 

[Niki]

I read on that food page to give them a cup of vegetables each, that’s way more than I thought. I wonder if I didn’t give Henry enough? I just gave him half a big carrot and slice of apple a day along with grass and cauliflower leaves

Piggies are different to rabbits. Rabbits generate their own Vit C which is why they don't need veg every day or have it in small amounts.
As a comparison -
Each of my buns get a small chunk of carrot or apple & a spring green leaf or a handful of kale between them daily.
Each of my piggies get 1 romaine leaf or handful of kale or spring green leaf (depending on size), chunk of carrot, chunk of broccoli, piece of tomato or 1 cherry tomato, 2 pieces of celery, piece of apple or melon & a chunk of cucumber daily.
They all get herbs (corriander, dill, basil, parsley or thyme) depending on what's in the supermarket when i go & they all graze on the grass when the weathers good.

Hamster shows exist and they can win titles, are my guinea pigs better than average looking in the guinea pig world?

I've never been to a show of any kind so can't comment on the potential of your piggies & the discussion of showing is against forum rules. However, i can say that personally i think you're piggies are gorgeous but i love all piggies

Where does the toxic oil, petrol and grease residue come from? The lawn mower? My mum uses shears for one area of her lawn, would that still have toxins on it?

No this is fine. I use scissors to cut grass for my piggies but always wash it before i feed it to them

 

[Sue_P]

I must admit that it is easier to feed piggies, when you eat veg and fruit as well...

Yeah, and it's not like I want to buy them a whole corn on the cob just for them, I'm too tight but might feel more inclined to let them share a bit of mine. But I wouldn't do that cos I don't know how to cook.

The problem with showing is in my opinion that it is very upsetting for the pigs - being stuck in a small cage in a foreign environment, and stared and poked at by all kinds of strangers. After what you've told us, your boys would profit from a quiet, loving home to become proper pets with patience and persistence. It takes time to bring out shy and skittish piggies!

My home is very quiet at the mo, it'll be like a morgue for them, lol.

 

[Sue_P]

Piggies are different to rabbits. Rabbits generate their own Vit C which is why they don't need veg every day or have it in small amounts.
As a comparison -
Each of my buns get a small chunk of carrot or apple & a spring green leaf or a handful of kale between them daily.
Each of my piggies get 1 romaine leaf or handful of kale or spring green leaf (depending on size), chunk of carrot, chunk of broccoli, piece of tomato or 1 cherry tomato, 2 pieces of celery, piece of apple or melon & a chunk of cucumber daily.
They all get herbs (corriander, dill, basil, parsley or thyme) depending on what's in the supermarket when i go & they all graze on the grass when the weathers good.

My mum’s been to my house today and has tried them on cucumber, yay! I’ll be intersting to know if they’ve eaten it, the bunnies never did. & I can try tomatoes, my mum’s got a greenhouse full of them.

I've never been to a show of any kind so can't comment on the potential of your piggies & the discussion of showing is against forum rules. However, i can say that personally i think you're piggies are gorgeous but i love all piggies

Oh. Cool.

 

[Niki]

It just has a label on saying Avian Health BIM, Feather & Hair Testing, Settle, Crossgates Bioenergetics Ltd.

I have no clue what this is but i personally wouldn't use it. The company have a shop on ebay but i can't find the product listed. :{

I’m shocked at how much they pee! I swear Henry didn’t pee that much and he was way bigger. Suppose using the killer cat litter had some benefits afterall too, having him indoors was 10 times less messy. Yep, I better get some more plastic or lino down under the cardboard cos now they’re peeing even in places they don’t have cover. Is that just because they piddle wherever they are or have they stuck their noses up at under the boxes cos they’re way ladent in pee already? How often are you supposed to clean up all the wee? I’ve been doing it twice a day or more often on weekends cos I did that with Henry. Them guinea pigs must surely get ill if they want to sit on pee all the time. I’m nearly out of newspaper and am starting to worry (I don’t read so I blagged some off my mam). The pee soaks through all the layers but sometimes the bottom layers ain’t fully sogged, just a bit. Cos I don’t have much newspaper to waste is it alright to re-use them bits underneath? Does the ammonia rise up in the air and make them ill or does the place have to be a total pigsty for them to get ill in their lungs? I’m doing my best to keep it dry but I’m at work right now and I know they’ll both be stood in new wee now. For people that use newspaper how many layers do people put down? Over the lino I’ve got about 5 of 6 sheets and more where there’s only cardboard under. It still seems just as p*ssy no matter if there’s a thick lot of newspaper down or thin lot though, it’s still as wet and damp on top from what I can see. & can I get disease from handling their weed on stuff? I bet I’m gonna end up spreading their urine on door handles and taps and stuff and all round the house. Well gross.

Piggies poop & pee all the time & aren't bothered where. I use newspaper topped with short-cropped straw & hay on top of this & use approx 5 sheets thickness of newspaper. Obviously the cleaner you keep them the healthier they will be, inhaling urine fumes isn't great for their lungs especially as their noses are so close to the floor. I've found newspaper on it's own isn't absorbant enough & as you've found you go thru' an awful lot.
You won't get a disease from handling the urinated on bedding as long as you wash your hands afterwards. I am frequently covered in some kind of piggy/bunny waste & i'm fine

 

[Wiebke]

Your piggies would profit if they have some cheap hay to curl up in and pee on and have some better quality hay where they can sit in and soil on it - a rack or a little dish that they have to stand on their hindlegs to get at.

If you think it's too quiet, you can always leave the radio on when they're out. It will make them get more used to loud noises and human voices as well.

I have no idea what the medication is! The trouble with putting things in the water is that you just can't control how much a piggy gets. Some drink a lot, others less, and some drink not at all. You'd do better giving them any medication in or on a piece of food or by syringe.

By the way, you can get ivermectin against mites in pets at home, and it doesn't cost the world! At least then you know that they are definitely getting the right treatment.
Personally, I would be wary of the general competence of somebody who says she THINKS they are both boys, but is not 100% sure before rehoming! Here is the link for sexing piggies (with pics): http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html

What your boys are doing right now is typical dominance behaviour.

 

[Niki]

I don’t have a quiet voice, they’ll have to get used to my loud one. I’m alus getting shouting at for embarrassing my mum in public places by talking too loud about stuff. I’ve been reading to them, I need to practice my reading a loud skills cos I’m rubbish at it. I’ve spent a year reading to Henry too, I think I’m getting better. The guinea pigs are learning about how to care for rabbits at the mo, maybe one day they’ll hear about how to care for them, that should make them happy.

I don't have a quiet voice either I think reading to them is a wonderful idea & they will soon learn that "the voice" brings tasty things to eat

Is the oak box OK for them?

Leaves & acorns from an oak tree are posionous & so i personally would remove it. I can't find any information on the safety/non-safety of the actual wood

How do you know if grass is young or old? I laid some turf in the summer, is that still classed as young? Is the rest of my lawn old? Here’s my lawn.

It’s rubbish in winter, knowt grows.

It's usually the first spring growth that's classed as young grass. Your grass looks lovely & green. Remember not to use any weedkillers or pesticides on it & always wash it before feeding it to your piggies just incase any cat or dog may have been on it.

 

[Niki]

Would they chew off the fasteners of cat baskets? BTW, I thought guinea pigs liked being handled, that’s what I heard anyway.

They may nibble the fasteners but i doubt they would chew them off.
Most piggies like being handled & will be fine once they've gained your trust. However, they are all different & some don't like being handled.

I might have to get a book. I’ll look in a book shop (never done that before), if it ain’t too expensive I’ll get one. It’ll take me ages to read it though, I’m real slow at reading.

You may find a book cheaper on ebay or amazon

How do they let me know when they want treats? They went crazy and hyper when I got home from work yesterday, I thought that was just cos they’d not seen anyone for a few hours though.

You don't Piggies wheek for treats all the time & would gladly eat everything you give them. They may already recognise your voice & this maybe why they went crazy when you got home; in anticiption of what may be coming.
If you have a daily routine of feeding veggies, i feed between 5-6pm, they do seem to know what time it is & will be waiting for you, wheeking their excitement

What’s tarpaulin? Like a car cover or bench cover? I think my mam’s got some more old lino though, I’ll get her to dig more out and scrub it if they carry on slopping wee all over the place.

Yes it is like a car cover. You can get 6ft x 4ft sheets in the £ shop & bigger sheets in B & Q.

Is most stuff that’s safe for bunnies safe for guinea pigs?

Yes most things that are safe for bunnies are safe for piggies.

The heighest thing in their pen is about 22cm high, let me know if that’s dangerous, I can confiscate their oak box if you want. I could put more hay around it though as a soft landing. I stuck some more hay around the corners of the room cos sometimes they bolt and skid a little at high speed. I don’t want no bloody noses.

I could say techincally any height is dangerous as it would depend on how they landed but i wouldn't be worried about something being 22cm high.

 

[Sue_P]

I lied - I have had time to nip back today.

Where does the toxic oil, petrol and grease residue come from? The lawn mower? My mum uses shears for one area of her lawn, would that still have toxins on it?

No this is fine. I use scissors to cut grass for my piggies but always wash it before i feed it to them

Cool, I’ll cut grass from our lawns. One thing…. about not picking grass from areas that has pesticides on.... well what areas actually have pesticides on? Towpaths? Gold courses?

It just has a label on saying Avian Health BIM, Feather & Hair Testing, Settle, Crossgates Bioenergetics Ltd.

I have no clue what this is but i personally wouldn't use it. The company have a shop on ebay but i can't find the product listed. :{

I’ve just googled them too, it’s a bummer it don’t have more info on the bottle. It don’t say the dosage either. Not that stuff from the vets is any better. One time Henry was prescribed something double the dose he should have been getting. It was me who spotted the mistake, if I spotted it the vets must be well thick.

I’m shocked at how much they pee! I swear Henry didn’t pee that much and he was way bigger. Suppose using the killer cat litter had some benefits afterall too, having him indoors was 10 times less messy. Yep, I better get some more plastic or lino down under the cardboard cos now they’re peeing even in places they don’t have cover. Is that just because they piddle wherever they are or have they stuck their noses up at under the boxes cos they’re way ladent in pee already? How often are you supposed to clean up all the wee? I’ve been doing it twice a day or more often on weekends cos I did that with Henry. Them guinea pigs must surely get ill if they want to sit on pee all the time. I’m nearly out of newspaper and am starting to worry (I don’t read so I blagged some off my mam). The pee soaks through all the layers but sometimes the bottom layers ain’t fully sogged, just a bit. Cos I don’t have much newspaper to waste is it alright to re-use them bits underneath? Does the ammonia rise up in the air and make them ill or does the place have to be a total pigsty for them to get ill in their lungs? I’m doing my best to keep it dry but I’m at work right now and I know they’ll both be stood in new wee now. For people that use newspaper how many layers do people put down? Over the lino I’ve got about 5 of 6 sheets and more where there’s only cardboard under. It still seems just as p*ssy no matter if there’s a thick lot of newspaper down or thin lot though, it’s still as wet and damp on top from what I can see. & can I get disease from handling their weed on stuff? I bet I’m gonna end up spreading their urine on door handles and taps and stuff and all round the house. Well gross.

Piggies poop & pee all the time & aren't bothered where. I use newspaper topped with short-cropped straw & hay on top of this & use approx 5 sheets thickness of newspaper. Obviously the cleaner you keep them the healthier they will be, inhaling urine fumes isn't great for their lungs especially as their noses are so close to the floor. I've found newspaper on it's own isn't absorbant enough & as you've found you go thru' an awful lot.
You won't get a disease from handling the urinated on bedding as long as you wash your hands afterwards. I am frequently covered in some kind of piggy/bunny waste & i'm fine

I get confused with do’s and don’ts, I thought straw could stab them in their eyes. When I’m next in town I’ll look at what bedding stuff they have in the pet shops, I ain’t been anywhere local yet. Whatever I end up using all the time will probably be the cheapest solution though.

I’m thinking of trying shavings too but I just remember that as being a hassle when I had Henry and it getting all over my carpets. Hay is getting on my carpets at the mo but it’s easier to shake off my clothes when getting out of the pen than shavings, they love to stick to my woolly jumpers. I still need to read that section about beddings/litter yet though, must do that.

 

[Sue_P]

Your piggies would profit if they have some cheap hay to curl up in and pee on and have some better quality hay where they can sit in and soil on it - a rack or a little dish that they have to stand on their hindlegs to get at.

I got a big bag of hay for just under £3 and that’s spread everywhere and I’ve stuck Henry’s Timothy Hay in the hay rack and they have been standing up on their back legs to get at it. There’s now 2 water bottles attached to the hay rack too so they stick their feet on the nozzles of them to reach the high up pieces.

If you think it's too quiet, you can always leave the radio on when they're out. It will make them get more used to loud noises and human voices as well.

Naa, it’ll cost me electricity and damage the ozone layer. They’ll just have to get used to me talking when I’m in and the clock ticking when I’m not. I’ve got the window open though so there’s a bit of noise to hear like the massive trees blowing. When I’m sure they feel content I’ll take them downstairs to watch TV with me. I think I’ll entice them into the cat basket and then put that in a £30 rabbit/guinea pig plastic cage I’ve got and let them into it. I’m getting frustrated.

I was gagging to pick one up last night but they kept evading me.

They were just too fast and I had several failed lunges.

I wanna stroke them.

 

[Sue_P]

I have no idea what the medication is! The trouble with putting things in the water is that you just can't control how much a piggy gets. Some drink a lot, others less, and some drink not at all. You'd do better giving them any medication in or on a piece of food or by syringe.

I know what you mean. Henry was given several medications that were put in water. One lots took months for him to finish up but the vet insisted he got the whole lot down him.

He had probiotics in his last few days which was mixed into his water but he hardly touched it, shame, it may have helped his tummy.

& yeah, in the past I have smeared stuff on food, suppose I could spray a bit on to some veg, they both seem to scratch. Is scratching normal? I saw each one do it about 4 times in about 2 hours yesterday.

By the way, you can get ivermectin against mites in pets at home, and it doesn't cost the world! At least then you know that they are definitely getting the right treatment.

There isn’t a Pets At Home near me. There’s plenty of Spot On in pet shops though.

The lady at the rescue centre said she thinks they’re about one, is pretty certain they’re brothers, and said they’ve fought in the past and that’s why they were brought to her and they’ve had bad mites and were nearly bald and they’re very skittish and aren’t enthusiastic about being handled cos of them having bad mites.

Personally, I would be wary of the general competence of somebody who says she THINKS they are both boys, but is not 100% sure before rehoming! Here is the link for sexing piggies (with pics): http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html

I’ll look at their bits when I can manage to grab them.

BTW, I phrased what I said wrong, she did say they were brothers not thinks they are, soz.

What your boys are doing right now is typical dominance behaviour.

Cool, I wanna find out who’s the hardest now.

I read that link I was linked to about fighting, it said something about adolescents sqwaubling and my two are at that age so I don’t think I will get overly worried.

Is the oak box OK for them?

Leaves & acorns from an oak tree are poisonous & so i personally would remove it. I can't find any information on the safety/non-safety of the actual wood

I'll bare that in mind then. I'll have to see what I could use as a substitute. I think they're going off that box now anyway, there was hardly any pee in it this morning.

How do you know if grass is young or old? I laid some turf in the summer, is that still classed as young? Is the rest of my lawn old? Here’s my lawn.

It's usually the first spring growth that's classed as young grass. Your grass looks lovely & green. Remember not to use any weedkillers or pesticides on it & always wash it before feeding it to your piggies just incase any cat or dog may have been on it.

I don’t use pesticides or weed killers, I don’t like hurting live things. & slug pellets can kill hedgehogs so they’re bad. I relocate any slugs and snails that I find. Sometimes I have a whole bag full and take them down by the river, lol.

Would they chew off the fasteners of cat baskets? BTW, I thought guinea pigs liked being handled, that’s what I heard anyway.

They may nibble the fasteners but i doubt they would chew them off.

Good.

 

[Sue_P]

Most piggies like being handled & will be fine once they've gained your trust. However, they are all different & some don't like being handled.

Wish I could understand what my guinea pigs are saying, I’d ask them if they wanna be held and stroked, wish we could come to some sort of agreement. They go right under my nose but I still ain’t quick enough to make a successful grab.

I might have to get a book. I’ll look in a book shop (never done that before), if it ain’t too expensive I’ll get one. It’ll take me ages to read it though, I’m real slow at reading.

You may find a book cheaper on ebay or amazon

I ain’t never bought owt online before though, I hate the thought of getting ripped off cos I’m right gullible. & I hate the postman, he leaves packages for me with a stranger neighbour. I think that neighbour is OK but there’s a rapist and kidnapper living opposite and I don’t want him leaving packages with him, I don’t want him to have another reason to come knocking on my door on a night, he’s well hard to get rid of.

How do they let me know when they want treats? They went crazy and hyper when I got home from work yesterday, I thought that was just cos they’d not seen anyone for a few hours though.

You don't Piggies wheek for treats all the time & would gladly eat everything you give them. They may already recognise your voice & this maybe why they went crazy when you got home; in anticiption of what may be coming.
If you have a daily routine of feeding veggies, i feed between 5-6pm, they do seem to know what time it is & will be waiting for you, wheeking their excitement

When I got home last night they stayed silent in their boxes, after 30 seconds of talking to them right by them I was starting to wonder if I’d killed them already. They came out after a while though. They hadn’t eaten the leafbeat I gave in the morning or carrots and cucumber and dandes that my mum had left out when she visited my home at midday too. Weird. They only seem to want to eat when someone’s about. I gave them some more carrot last night but it was still there this morning and they only ate it when I went in to see them. I read in the rabbit book to chuck out fresh veg after 30 minutes if it wasn’t eaten. Was the author a hypercondriact clean freak? I wouldn’t give a hoot about eating somethin’ that’s been left out all night.

don’t have a quiet voice, they’ll have to get used to my loud one. I’m alus getting shouting at for embarrassing my mum in public places by talking too loud about stuff. I’ve been reading to them, I need to practice my reading a loud skills cos I’m rubbish at it. I’ve spent a year reading to Henry too, I think I’m getting better. The guinea pigs are learning about how to care for rabbits at the mo, maybe one day they’ll hear about how to care for them, that should make them happy.

I don't have a quiet voice either I think reading to them is a wonderful idea & they will soon learn that "the voice" brings tasty things to eat

Maybe that's why they didn't speak to me yesterday teatime cos the night before when I got home from work I didn't give them owt all that tasty.

What’s tarpaulin? Like a car cover or bench cover? I think my mam’s got some more old lino though, I’ll get her to dig more out and scrub it if they carry on slopping wee all over the place.

Yes it is like a car cover. You can get 6ft x 4ft sheets in the £ shop & bigger sheets in B & Q.

Boogie, I’ll have a look. Although I know my mum has spare offcuts of lino in her greenhouse still though.

Is most stuff that’s safe for bunnies safe for guinea pigs?

Yes most things that are safe for bunnies are safe for piggies.

Wicked.

Oh hang on…. but not rabbit mix and nuggets yeah? I read that somewhere cos I was wondering if I could feed them all Henry’s food but I read somewhere that rabbit food is poisonous to guinea pigs. I did. I had way loads of food left over too.

The heighest thing in their pen is about 22cm high, let me know if that’s dangerous, I can confiscate their oak box if you want. I could put more hay around it though as a soft landing. I stuck some more hay around the corners of the room cos sometimes they bolt and skid a little at high speed. I don’t want no bloody noses.

I could say techincally any height is dangerous as it would depend on how they landed but i wouldn't be worried about something being 22cm high.

Good.

 

[Wiebke]

You're doing right, but don't try to lunge too much after the piggies. you will only trigger their flight reflex. Rather try to lure them into a small space and then pick them up when they can't run.

They are very quick and very wiggly; but hunts like that are very stressful for them!

 

[Sue_P]

Some more questions….


I read what they’re supposed to eat now from that link that was given, I ain’t heard of most of that stuff but I noticed it said to give carrots in moderation. What amount is not in moderation? Cos if I don’t get much weird green things like what old people eat I was thinking of giving them more carrots to balance it out so they get enough veg a day. Their food bowl looked rubbish this morning though cos there weren’t nothin’ green in it, just carrot, tomato and apple. I’ll give that big long list to Meanie Mummy for her to read cos I bet she’ll know where to get some of that stuff from and what wild plants are safe. I went on a wild flower walk a few weeks ago and I recognise some of the names on the list but can’t remember what the flowers look like. We spent about 2 ½ hours talking about flowers and I went away with only remembering what a butterbur is.

& I think I read somewhere, can’t remember where now,

it could have been that list, - that you should avoid seeds. Well what about tomato seeds?

I gave them 2 baby tomatos this morning and cut out the seeds cos I didn’t know if they were allowed the whole tomato or not.

 

[Sue_P]

You're doing right, but don't try to lunge too much after the piggies. you will only trigger their flight reflex. Rather try to lure them into a small space and then pick them up when they can't run.

They are very quick and very wiggly; but hunts like that are very stressful for them!

Yeah, I trigger their flight reflexes all the time.

I know how quick they are.

& I can’t even cough without them bolting for cover, sometimes me just moving my legs when I’m sitting quite far away makes them run for cover.

& turning pages of the book over.

They always come right back though and now they like bumping into me under my legs and playing with my pants, they don’t mind touching me but I ain’t allowed to touch them.

I could try getting them in a small space but it’s hard to grab whilst at the same time lifting a box up.

My mum said use a fishing net.

 

[Wiebke]

Corrots contain a lot of vitamin A; too much of it can lead to liver problems longterm. A chunk of carrot every second or third day is OK, just not everyday.

Tomatoes are OK (with seed); it more grain/bird seed that are not good, because they contain a lot of protein and are fattening. Unfortunately for you, your guinea pigs need nice dark green stuff to stay healthy, as they are herbivores - even if you think it's disgusting!

 

[crazyaboutcavys]

they are allowed the whole tomatoe

 

[crazyaboutcavys]

sorry you already said:red

 

[Niki]

Cool, I’ll cut grass from our lawns. One thing…. about not picking grass from areas that has pesticides on.... well what areas actually have pesticides on? Towpaths? Gold courses?

Don't pick/cut grass from the roadside due to car fumes etc. Not from parks as dogs etc will have toileted there & don't use pesticides on your own lawn. Your lawn or family lawns (as you can ask them if they've used them) are the safest option

I get confused with do’s and don’ts, I thought straw could stab them in their eyes.

You're right straw can but short - cropped straw like Russel Rabbit or similar brands is lovely & soft & in the 3.5yrs i've been using it i've never had any pigs with an eye injury. They can acquire eye injuries from hay too

 

[Niki]

Oh hang on…. but not rabbit mix and nuggets yeah? I read that somewhere cos I was wondering if I could feed them all Henry’s food but I read somewhere that rabbit food is poisonous to guinea pigs. I did. I had way loads of food left over too.

No, not the rabbits dried food. This contains Vit D, piggy food contains Vit C.

 

[Niki]

Corrots contain a lot of vitamin A; too much of it can lead to liver problems longterm. A chunk of carrot every second or third day is OK, just not everyday.

I feed mine a chunk of carrot every day & my lot are un-harmed by it. I do think changing attitudes, not only to piggy care but everything can be taken too literally & too much of anything can be harmful with the emphasis on "can"

 

[Sue_P]

Corrots contain a lot of vitamin A; too much of it can lead to liver problems longterm. A chunk of carrot every second or third day is OK, just not everyday.

I feed mine a chunk of carrot every day & my lot are un-harmed by it. I do think changing attitudes, not only to piggy care but everything can be taken too literally & too much of anything can be harmful with the emphasis on "can"

The lady at the rescue centre said give them a whole carrot! (Dunno if she meant each though). Hmn, I must have been giving mine too much then. It’s a shame cos the cheapest carrots are 1.5kg bags from Farmfoods, I bet I won’t go through them quick enough and I’ll have to waste the last ones cos they’ll go mouldy. I went to Asda last night and viewed the vegetable section, weird stuff in there, but it’s all so expensive, I’m gonna spend way more on their food than I do my own. Chocolate éclair sweeties are only 34p, bars of choc are only 27p, vegetables are like going up to £1 and £2! I really don’t get why humans would actually want to eat them, lol. Anyway my mam got some cauliflower leaves from Morrisons today so that’s good. What exactly happens to them if you only feed them hay, grass and nuggets?

Tomatoes are OK (with seed); it more grain/bird seed that are not good, because they contain a lot of protein and are fattening. Unfortunately for you, your guinea pigs need nice dark green stuff to stay healthy, as they are herbivores - even if you think it's disgusting!

they are allowed the whole tomatoe

Ta.

Cool, I’ll cut grass from our lawns. One thing…. about not picking grass from areas that has pesticides on.... well what areas actually have pesticides on? Towpaths? Gold courses?

Don't pick/cut grass from the roadside due to car fumes etc. Not from parks as dogs etc will have toileted there & don't use pesticides on your own lawn. Your lawn or family lawns (as you can ask them if they've used them) are the safest option

I’ll have to ask the guy at the National Trusts grounds if he sprays owt on the field. He’s seen me a few times cutting grass and has asked why but he never warned me of spray stuff on it so it’s probably OK. There was some mole hills around though, I wonder if he poisons the poor defenseless moles?

I get confused with do’s and don’ts, I thought straw could stab them in their eyes.

You're right straw can but short - cropped straw like Russel Rabbit or similar brands is lovely & soft & in the 3.5yrs i've been using it i've never had any pigs with an eye injury. They can acquire eye injuries from hay too

You’ll have me worrying about them getting eye injuries too now, lol. Hey I saw one blink last night, cool.

Oh hang on…. but not rabbit mix and nuggets yeah? I read that somewhere cos I was wondering if I could feed them all Henry’s food but I read somewhere that rabbit food is poisonous to guinea pigs. I did. I had way loads of food left over too.

No, not the rabbits dried food. This contains Vit D, piggy food contains Vit C.

Cool.

I’m sure I lack a lot of vitamins but I bet I’m way fitter than most folk, I walk 10+ miles each day to work, yatta yatta. Got soaked yesterday though.





So do they see in the dark or what? When I turn off the light I wonder if they'll bump into owt on their way back to their home. I've got a dimmer switch in their room BTW. Bad Dad fitted it so that I wouldn't hurt Henry's eyes by switching it on all the time.

 

[Sue_P]

BTW Niki, I love your froggie avator.

I well dig froggie things.

I get old people online to send me presents, I’ve got 68 and lots of them are froggie things, take a look at my stash http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...iewPicture&friendID=108069126&albumId=2140608 , I got a froggie shoulder bag on Tuesday and it’s mega, that’s here http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...iewPicture&friendID=108069126&albumId=2415014 . Do yu collect froggie things? Have you got as many froggie things as me? Bet I can beat you if you do collect them, I’m well good at begging for presents, I’m expecting some more from two people pretty soon too.

 

[Sue_P]

I’ve found out about the cruprinol now….

QUESTION : I’ve used some of your Cruprinol Timbercare on a wooden box that I’ve put in with my new guinea pigs and want to know if it’s harmful to animals. I accidentally killed my rabbit by giving him cat litter to poo on (I didn't know it could cause death), and so now I don’t want to kill any more of my pets due to my own bad choice of things in their environment. Can you tell me if your timber care stuff is safe for them please. What I used has a bar code saying 5 010368014675, it’s rustin brown, 6 litres.

Thank you for your email.

Yes, you can only treat the outside of the box though. This is safe arounds pets and plants once fully dry.

I hope this information is useful. If you have any queries or need any further assistance please contact me at the Technical Advice Centre on 0870 444 1111.

Yours sincerely

Kay Tumber
Technical Advisor (Cuprinol Hammerite Polycell)
Technical Advice Centre,
AkzoNobel,
Wexham Road,
Slough, Berkshire
SL2 5DS
Phone: +44 (0) 870 444 1111 (DIY)
+44 (0) 870 242 1100 (Trade)
Fax: +44 (0) 870 444 0660

 

[cherryredcutie]

I went to Asda last night and viewed the vegetable section, weird stuff in there, but it’s all so expensive, I’m gonna spend way more on their food than I do my own. Chocolate éclair sweeties are only 34p, bars of choc are only 27p, vegetables are like going up to £1 and £2! I really don’t get why humans would actually want to eat them, lol. Anyway my mam got some cauliflower leaves from Morrisons today so that’s good. What exactly happens to them if you only feed them hay, grass and nuggets?

They have cheap veggies at LIDL and ALDI at the moment, most of it is half price, if you have one near you it's worth to check out. Just thought I'd let you know . You can also try farmers markets and farm shops.