News From Rome! :)

Osvaldo is beautiful. I’m not sure why Calipso hasn’t yet fallen for his charms but hopefully by spending Christmas together he will be able to win her over. These sows can be very particular about who they live with. Calliope clearly has good taste.
 
What an adventure - Osvaldo is a very lucky little man! I do hope things settle with the girls and they can live peacefully !
 
rome_italy said:
Hi everyone!:D
some of you already know the big news but now I want to share the story with all the forum (at least the members interested in reading my CRAZY adventure!:drool:).
(Long story, sorry...)
[you]I want to introduce you my new piggie Osvaldo!:luv::luv::luv:[/you]
(these are the pics I have seen of him the first time)
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I was thinking of a possible third cavy, but I wanted to wait for the right one thinking twice (and even more) about my family life with three pets (into a flat)... something considered totally mad here also from the vets...
It happened that I had a look at the web page of a rescue association; not the one in Bologna where I adopted my two sows Calipso and Calliope, but another one which has no headquarters and is run by a group of volunteers who live in different italian cities and simply offer a room of their home to these abandoned piggies (and rabbits).
In a first time I was interested in certain newborn piggies, but then I read the advert of Osvaldo, a neutered boar, 2 years old (almost impossible to find a new family for a piggie like him here, people prefer very young pets).
What sounded interesting was the fact that Osvaldo needed a strict diet, because a bit oversize. The association itself, and its very good exotic vets, suggest a pellets-free diet to all their piggies, but Osvaldo had the necessity of a strict diet with no pellets, no fruit, no treats as his weight of 1200g (last October) was considered really too heavy for a tiny piggie as he is.
His prescribed diet was just the one I normally follow with my sows, hence I started thinking about his adoption and I contacted the volunteers, reassuring them about the diet he would follow here with me.
So, long story short, after some difficulty because Osvaldo was in Turin, really too far from Rome, we were able to arrange his transfer from Turin to Milan (offered by the volunteer) and then I went to Milan by a very fast train to fetch him.
I was asked to pay for his neutering procedure performed by the vet in Turin and once at home I had to wait for another safety week (6 weeks from the op) before planning the official meeting with the sows.

They delivered Osvaldo to me at the railway station, wrapped into a fleece blanket (it was really cold that day), with his "health booklet" , the notes and recommendations of the vet... there was written in block capitals "OVERSIZE! he needs to lose 200g!" (his previous owner used to feed him with alfa-alfa pellets and a lot of treats, sultanas, fruit and seeds! Osvaldo when rescued last October was lazy and unwilling of moving around the room).
Once at home I opened the pet-carrier, unwrapped the fleece and... surprise! we all started having serious doubts about who he was!:hmm: he did NOT look like the same piggie of the pictures above! The Osvaldo in Rome was NOT obese and was on the contrary VERY SLIM! and extremely active! I should say hyperactive, too!
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a totally mad piggie, funny, a real clown! :Dhe started walking, chatting, squeaking, exploring, running, jumping, popcorning, climbing!
I went to my pc checking the pictures! I could not understand and his weight on my scales was 960g!:blink:
Well, the weeks in Milan with the volunteer who strictly followed the diet made a great difference: he has now the shape which is obviously the right one for him, who is actually a very tiny piggie...:)

I know many of you will not agree, but I am writing this only for sharing a different way of breeding a pet; I believe that a fat human and a fat pet can live a very long life, but living slim always means living a better and more active life and Osvaldo is the proof.

Once at home I started feeding him with huge amount of fresh grass (another thing I don't believe: that natural grass needs a well trained gut...). Osvaldo suffered for some bloating after the rescue in Turin, but I don't see any bloat now; his gut which used to produce weird sounds, now has no sounds at all with half bag of fresh grass a day... He eats like a real pig! and of course poo everywhere... he is not a clean piggie, unfortunately... poo and wee everywhere, especially where he sleeps...

Then the real adventure started... :mal::mal::mal::mal::mal::mal::mal:
I had serious troubles in bonding him with the sows:eek:. He had never seen a piggie in two years life (he used to live alone) and started acting like a Boss, or the most stupid latin lover, with both sows, mounting them, spraying his smell everywhere (I had to open the windows!:vom: and call the volunteer for advice!) and acting not "politely"; Calliope decided to live in peace, but Calipso was another story!:gp:.... Calipso started fighting him! she was VERY aggressive towards him, he also did not want to cave in with a female... at the end they started biting into a tunnel and Calipso ended up with a wound twice! after two bad attempts and failures with some blood I had to put a barrier. But it did not work at all!:evil: Calipso seemed to want to kill him... and started to nibble the fence for reaching his enemie! I put a double fence, one in inox. It did not work at all, too. TOGETHER the piggies decided to destroy the fences! :eek: and they were always able to pass through or jump over it and go on with their personal war!:hb:

At the end I had another idea: I removed both barriers and all the tunnels, sit there in the middle of the room with some towels in hand and waited:twist:: as soon as they started biting I threw the towel against them. After 4-5 throws and some bad screams from me, they have learnt the lesson.
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Now they can stay together (not in the night, not yet!); still many rumbles, but Osvaldo is learning the rules and he is now scared of Calipso. They can live near the whole afternoon... he stopped acting like the Boss and she stopped acting like a lesbian feminist! Calliope, too, sometimes still screams, but... both sows are learning to live with this (unwanted and not required) husboar...
The sows would prefer to send him back by train to the northern region again, for sure...:roll:
But Osvaldo is so sweet! :wub: he falls asleep in our arms with closed eyes (and in the sleep he starts dreaming of fighting Calipso... he starts rumblestrutting while sleeping!:))), he is not scared of humans and looks so funny!
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He will live here for ever! The sows must accept this point!:raz:

Now, wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas, I add some Pigmas pictures I have taken some days ago:san:
(Calipso the combatist Lesbian Feminist on the left; Calliope Peace&Love on the right)
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The Proud and Heroic Man::D
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sorry for the extreme lenght of this post!:oops:

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Firstly I want to say how glad I am to see you back on the forum. It’s been strange without you and your gorgeous walking wigs here.

Osvaldo is a handsome boy and looks like he is a lot of fun! The rats think he might be part-them for his climbing skills.

Wow all that way for a piggy, I love how dedicated you are and I am sure Ozzie enjoyed his tour of Italy. :tu:.

Hope to more of you and the forums favorite Italian piggies from now on.
 
VickiA said:
Osvaldo is beautiful. I’m not sure why Calipso hasn’t yet fallen for his charms but hopefully by spending Christmas together he will be able to win her over. These sows can be very particular about who they live with. Calliope clearly has good taste.
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Dear Vicki, there has been a really weird behaviour during this bonding! I read all the guides, looked at all the videos online, but I did not find anything like that... Calipso is particular... in the past she attacked even a cat... (and us humans).
Luckily now their life together seems to be good, only a lot of rumbles (and I have found a little old scab also on Osvaldo's skin... you cannot imagine the war and the noise that week! :eek: and me sit down in the middle of the room acting like a dominant guinea pig...:gd:
 
Hee hee. My lot are so happy and fluffy and harmonious.

I love hearing about your hero and the feminist lesbian! I really hope that they all settle together in time. Caramel had six weeks of living next to the girls during which time they all got to know each other very well.
 
Squeakz said:
Firstly I want to say how glad I am to see you back on the forum. It’s been strange without you and your gorgeous walking wigs here.

Osvaldo is a handsome boy and looks like he is a lot of fun! The rats think he might be part-them for his climbing skills.

Wow all that way for a piggy, I love how dedicated you are and I am sure Ozzie enjoyed his tour of Italy. :tu:.

Hope to more of you and the forums favorite Italian piggies from now on.
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walking wigs!:)):)):)):)):))
Thank you my dear, but without my comments on the forum people will live for longer and heathier :D, therefore I will disappear/reappear again as a good witch must do :crazy:.
Osvaldo would have fun with your funny rats! he really acts like a rat! you should picture the scene of him trying to destroy the TWO barriers I put on the floor: he was able to remain STUCK between the fences going on walking rumbling strutting in all his glory, stretching his body for appearing longer to the sows! Crazy pig! Another time he made a spectacular jump on the Ikea bed (in front of the sows) but did not ration his energy and slipped over...:doh: a real clown!
Everybody thinks I am mad to move by train leaving at dawn and coming back at night for fetching a piggie, but a friend of mine did even more when he decided to adopt an abandoned little kitten in CUBA hiding the cat into his underwears for passing the gates and security at the airport!:))
Anyway, thanks to the piggies I have visited Bologna and Milan, two interesting cities :nod:.
And Osvaldo is not the kind of piggie who easily goes to adoption... In fact also the rescue made a great effort for reaching to an agreement with me; the volunteer herself transferred Osvaldo personally by car to Milan, a dear friend of her had offered her house and all the cares to Osvaldo in Milano for one week and then again she tranferred him by car to the station... poor Osvaldo in only two months travelled from Venice to Turin, then to Milan, then to Rome... A real traveller! (and in the meanwhile he lost also his family jewels...:soz: such a bad life...)
 
flowerfairy said:
Hee hee. My lot are so happy and fluffy and harmonious.

I love hearing about your hero and the feminist lesbian! I really hope that they all settle together in time. Caramel had six weeks of living next to the girls during which time they all got to know each other very well.
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I could not wait for long!:woot: I was too curious and excited! and then they also seemed to be glad of the meeting. But Osvaldo does not like foreplay...:whistle: He does not want to waste time! that was the cause of everything!
Then also Calipso has a weird personality... and Osvaldo is an italian guy...:cool:
:))
 
Lol your honesty in your posts is so refreshing @rome_italy and I find myself laughing and my OH looks at me like i'm some sort of nut. Osvaldo is just the cutest and I am sure (maybe sure) the girls will warm up to him eventually. Hope you and your family have a happy and safe christmas.
 
Kylie80 said:
Lol your honesty in your posts is so refreshing @rome_italy and I find myself laughing and my OH looks at me like i'm some sort of nut. Osvaldo is just the cutest and I am sure (maybe sure) the girls will warm up to him eventually. Hope you and your family have a happy and safe christmas.
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hehehe @Kylie80 ! we are all nuts, my dear!
The three piggies are now chatting and exploring the kitchen all together and with very friendly manners! yes, they know it is Christmas time... it is interesting the way they use to work together for destroying something... now they have found a bag of oranges on the floor and they are having a conference about the best way for opening the bag...:))
Today I also was laughing reading and picturing you with your great italian lunch! ahahaha! You will have leftovers for a regiment!
About your kilo: only one??
anyway, with the great excuse of the piggies bonding, tonight I avoided the great family christmas dinner with my daughter's scouting group! a crazy dinner where people seem to have been starving for ages and where nothing remains left over and where you need three days for digesting the food... :san:
 
SunshinePiggy said:
@rome_italy what nice a Little Pig
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@SunshinePiggy thank you! yes, he is nice and funny... just like all the piggies! I still have to meet a not cute piggie:love:
and now the bonding is okay; they have decided to live as friends all together also in the night! Calipso stopped chasing and fighting him and he stopped acting mad with her (but he is still scared of her). It is quite difficult to understand animal world sometimes... there had been blood and fight between them and then suddendly they changed their mind!:box::inn:
 
its good to see you back on the forum, i've missed reading your adventures too.

Well Look at that handsome little guy, Osvaldo certainly landed on his paws when you took him in from his travels.
He reminds me a bit of my little old lady Ellie- she was a chunky 1200g also when i got her as a 5yr old, the markings are very similar too.

Good luck with them sharing their beds &floor space, hopefully they'll call a truce over Christmas & carry on living in harmony, you've done really well to get them this content from where they were anyway.

love all your guineas they are beautiful/handsome.:luv::luv: xx
 
GPTV said:
its good to see you back on the forum, i've missed reading your adventures too.

Well Look at that handsome little guy, Osvaldo certainly landed on his paws when you took him in from his travels.
He reminds me a bit of my little old lady Ellie- she was a chunky 1200g also when i got her as a 5yr old, the markings are very similar too.

Good luck with them sharing their beds &floor space, hopefully they'll call a truce over Christmas & carry on living in harmony, you've done really well to get them this content from where they were anyway.

love all your guineas they are beautiful/handsome.:luv::luv: xx
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thank you @GPTV ! it is a pleasure also for me to share my news with you :luv:. About Osvaldo's old size, if it scared the vet and the volunteers of the rescue I guess they had good reasons... Now he is only 960g, but he is still normally "chubby" and with a lovely big butt (but not that huge as before when it was named "Osvaldone il Culone" which means "Big Osvaldo with big butt":)). His weight is stable although he is spending the whole day eating like a real farm pig!:drool: The bag of fresh grass which with the sows lasts 2-3 days, with him it lasts only half/one day and he appreciates also the hay and the vegs. In this period in Rome around every corner of buildings and roads there is a lot of "Sonchus", a typical autumn edible plant which grows next to the walls where the sun shines; the pigs love it and it has a good nutritional value...and again, people stare at me cutting that plant and filling my bag :)).
The piggies now are living in harmony, I hope they will go on like that even when Christmas time will be over...:inn:

(I am not sure if the Sonchus grows also in UK; there are different varieties, each of them have a yellow flower and very soft leaves. These are some pics from the web... the reason of my daily expedition :)))

Sonchus-oleraceus.webp

sonchusoleraceus49.webp
:D (my Grandparents at the village used to eat it mixed with other wild salad... the old times' good diet..:roll:)
 
rome_italy said:
thank you @GPTV ! it is a pleasure also for me to share my news with you :luv:. About Osvaldo's old size, if it scared the vet and the volunteers of the rescue I guess they had good reasons... Now he is only 960g, but he is still normally "chubby" and with a lovely big butt (but not that huge as before when it was named "Osvaldone il Culone" which means "Big Osvaldo with big butt":)). His weight is stable although he is spending the whole day eating like a real farm pig!:drool: The bag of fresh grass which with the sows lasts 2-3 days, with him it lasts only half/one day and he appreciates also the hay and the vegs. In this period in Rome around every corner of buildings and roads there is a lot of "Sonchus", a typical autumn edible plant which grows next to the walls where the sun shines; the pigs love it and it has a good nutritional value...and again, people stare at me cutting that plant and filling my bag :)).
The piggies now are living in harmony, I hope they will go on like that even when Christmas time will be over...:inn:

(I am not sure if the Sonchus grows also in UK; there are different varieties, each of them have a yellow flower and very soft leaves. These are some pics from the web... the reason of my daily expedition :)))

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:D (my Grandparents at the village used to eat it mixed with other wild salad... the old times' good diet..:roll:)
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the top picture looks like what i would call a 'Milk Thistle' over here, the girls love that & stuff their faces at every opportunity, i'm never quite sure if the bottom pic is a 'dandelion' or 'milk thistle' type plant - its like a shiny milk thistle & smooth, but we get that in England too. Apparently it has a slightly pepper'y taste to it?
My mum used to make dandelion wine - very nice apparently! i have been known to walk around my village with handfuls of dandelions & long grasses to dry & make hay for the girls... the whacky weirdo woman is out trawling the fields again! (although i dont carry a knife).

i have been seen carrying big carrier bags stuffed to overflowing with hay in the fields when i walk the dog. after the farmer has collected their cut hay i pick up the leftovers - usually smells gorgeous, the girls love it.

ahhh piggy butts look good with a little 'chubbiness' to them :nod: Osvaldo certainly is a handsome man :luv::wub::love:
 
GPTV said:
the top picture looks like what i would call a 'Milk Thistle' over here, the girls love that & stuff their faces at every opportunity, i'm never quite sure if the bottom pic is a 'dandelion' or 'milk thistle' type plant - its like a shiny milk thistle & smooth, but we get that in England too. Apparently it has a slightly pepper'y taste to it?
My mum used to make dandelion wine - very nice apparently! i have been known to walk around my village with handfuls of dandelions & long grasses to dry & make hay for the girls... the whacky weirdo woman is out trawling the fields again! (although i dont carry a knife).

i have been seen carrying big carrier bags stuffed to overflowing with hay in the fields when i walk the dog. after the farmer has collected their cut hay i pick up the leftovers - usually smells gorgeous, the girls love it.

ahhh piggy butts look good with a little 'chubbiness' to them :nod: Osvaldo certainly is a handsome man :luv::wub::love:
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"smooth sow thistle", this is the english name of that plant; I find it looks different from dandelion and now the plants are high and with the yellow flower. What I cannot find online is the many different types I see on the roads, but I am sure it is the same plant. And my bad luck is that when I find a very good plant to cut there are also some groups of people walking by! and when it seems that nobody is there and I can fill my bag, here's someone popping up from behind staring at me!:blink:

Tomorrow morning I have to take silly Osvaldo to the vet...:evil:: after the great performance with big Calliope (his VERY FIRST time) he suddendly developed a large swelling into his right side of the scrotum :hb:. The "ball" similar to an abscess remained there and he did not show any sign of discomfort, but yesterday I decided to call the exotic vet, who thought at first of a possible hernia or a sort of an abscess. No emergency he said and I got the appointment for tomorrow morning. I was about to say goodbye to the vet at the phone when Osvaldo started nibbling the swelling and... lanced himself the skin eating all the inner material :vom::vom::vom::vom::vom:. No smell at all and the part looks normal again (I used saline and Chlorhexidine as the vet suggested). I am sorry for him, he will get another visit, again... in these last two months we was seen by the doc quite a lot of times, poor boy!
Anyway I am thinking of a possible swelling due to a possible contusion or a similar injury, because our MAN fell down more than once from the back of the sow! an abscess formed out of the blue should get worse in the next days... we will see...:rant:
 
rome_italy said:
"smooth sow thistle", this is the english name of that plant; I find it looks different from dandelion and now the plants are high and with the yellow flower. What I cannot find online is the many different types I see on the roads, but I am sure it is the same plant. And my bad luck is that when I find a very good plant to cut there are also some groups of people walking by! and when it seems that nobody is there and I can fill my bag, here's someone popping up from behind staring at me!:blink:

Tomorrow morning I have to take silly Osvaldo to the vet...:evil:: after the great performance with big Calliope (his VERY FIRST time) he suddendly developed a large swelling into his right side of the scrotum :hb:. The "ball" similar to an abscess remained there and he did not show any sign of discomfort, but yesterday I decided to call the exotic vet, who thought at first of a possible hernia or a sort of an abscess. No emergency he said and I got the appointment for tomorrow morning. I was about to say goodbye to the vet at the phone when Osvaldo started nibbling the swelling and... lanced himself the skin eating all the inner material :vom::vom::vom::vom::vom:. No smell at all and the part looks normal again (I used saline and Chlorhexidine as the vet suggested). I am sorry for him, he will get another visit, again... in these last two months we was seen by the doc quite a lot of times, poor boy!
Anyway I am thinking of a possible swelling due to a possible contusion or a similar injury, because our MAN fell down more than once from the back of the sow! an abscess formed out of the blue should get worse in the next days... we will see...:rant:
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well! "Bless my buttons!" every day is a school day... i have just learnt that after reading your post - i have been incorrectly calling these 'milk thistles' since a child & my parents also... turns out you're right & yes they are Sow thistles! i tried googling milk thistle & all i got was the purple spiky version & realised you were referring to the latin name 'sonchus' i just assumed it was your local name of the plant in Italian. I've been wrong all these years! :oops::lol!:

but hey the guineas love them no matter what they're called :nod:
tell any curious onlookers you're doing a plant survey or researching a particular plant aphid & need to collect specimens .... no its not really for some hungry guineas at all :whistle:

:vom: poor Osvaldo! healing vibes to your greedy grooming guinea (fancy eating that!?!)! i hope he gets on ok at the vets & speedy recovery wishes being sent from the girls & I.xx
 
GPTV said:
well! "Bless my buttons!" every day is a school day... i have just learnt that after reading your post - i have been incorrectly calling these 'milk thistles' since a child & my parents also... turns out you're right & yes they are Sow thistles! i tried googling milk thistle & all i got was the purple spiky version & realised you were referring to the latin name 'sonchus' i just assumed it was your local name of the plant in Italian. I've been wrong all these years! :oops::lol!:

but hey the guineas love them no matter what they're called :nod:
tell any curious onlookers you're doing a plant survey or researching a particular plant aphid & need to collect specimens .... no its not really for some hungry guineas at all :whistle:

:vom: poor Osvaldo! healing vibes to your greedy grooming guinea (fancy eating that!?!)! i hope he gets on ok at the vets & speedy recovery wishes being sent from the girls & I.xx
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She should just mumble “it’s good on salads”while picking it for a joke, then see how many other people you randomly see picking s few :cool:. I bet most were not aware it was once eaten by people.
 
Squeakz said:
She should just mumble “it’s good on salads”while picking it for a joke, then see how many other people you randomly see picking s few :cool:. I bet most were not aware it was once eaten by people.
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you will not believe: I was cutting the grass when a car stopped and the driver (a lady) asked me "is it the wild fennel? I need it for my christmas dish!" and me "no, madam, it is only grass... it's for my guinea pigs..." and the lady from the car: "PIGS? AT HOME?"
(in italian the name "porcellino=piggie" is either for guinea pig or for the swine):doh:
 
rome_italy said:
you will not believe: I was cutting the grass when a car stopped and the driver (a lady) asked me "is it the wild fennel? I need it for my christmas dish!" and me "no, madam, it is only grass... it's for my guinea pigs..." and the lady from the car: "PIGS? AT HOME?"
(in italian the name "porcellino=piggie" is either for guinea pig or for the swine):doh:
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You should have said “yes they live on my balcony with my goats” :D

I usually get “Rats?!Eww i’m Not coming to your home then.” To which I reply “I don’t recall inviting you.”
 
i have absolutely loved reading about your adventures with the piggies, so glad he’s found a lovely home with you :D
 
Stayc1989 said:
i have absolutely loved reading about your adventures with the piggies, so glad he’s found a lovely home with you :D
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Thank you so much! and yes, Osvaldo brought vitality at home... before there was lazyness, a lot of sleeping/eating/pooping and nothing more... now we have a pantomime every day!:san:
 
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