Ophelia

I’m back from university and went to say hello to the piggies. Hamlet didn’t come out. Ophelia was eating hay, and simply continued.
“I’m currently enjoying the hay right now and am perfectly satisfied.”
Later, I saw Ophelia very comfortable in her cuddle cup.
Hamlet is indeed a big boy!
 
We are a bit concerned because Hamlet put on weight really quickly since arriving at ours. Added to which, he obligingly helped Ophelia with her recovery food (which we have since stopped). For some time their diet reverted to how Ophelia and Bianca’s used to be, with only occasional readi grass. He is still able to get airborne with his popcorns but he is rather rotund. He weighs less than Bianca did but he looks and feels overweight.

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He’s gorgeous! (I’m as smitten as Ophelia). It has been interesting watching him take cues from Ophelia’s behaviour and copy what she does. When we are putting their vegetables into their bowls, Ophelia just cannot contain her excitement: she runs round and round in circles, dashes up and down the ramp, clambers onto the squishy corner hidey, then back in wild circles and up and down... Hamlet has picked up this behaviour. While she is going frantic, he does one little trot in a circle and walks half-way up the ramp and down again 😂 Therein, I think lies some explanation as to why Ophelia doesn’t put on weight and Hamlet keeps getting bigger and bigger. I’m relieved that he can still get ‘airborne’ with all his twitchy popcorns and jump turns.

(Hers isn’t very ‘senior’ behaviour, is it? She’s so lively and he is rather staid but quietly happy and devoted.)
 
I tried to stroke Hamlet and he was absolutely not having it. He ran into the carrot cottage but looked out at me so I began pretending to wash and he stared at me intently and came out again. He eventually wandered off but only after watching me for quite a while.
 
As for Ophelia’s weight, it just doesn’t budge and she carries on running around and eating and being her friendly, trusting self. (And she had long ceased to be the latter by the time Bianca died.) She’s underweight, yet (for now?) it doesn’t seem to impact on her. I make sure she has plenty of warm places to snuggle into and I’ve increased the amount of insulation radiator foil.
 
Approximately 9pm. The hoomans arrive to clean out.

Hamlet: “For my first trick I will squeeze out of the carrot cottage because the hole is not big enough if I don’t get right onto the ground.”

Ophelia comes to say hello and help clean up the hay. Then she goes to relax in the cavy cosy.

@KHBz walks in. Hamlet peeks out from the entrance to the sleeping area. Then he stands near Ophelia. Moments later, Hamlet is popcorning and zooming around the whole place. By this time, Ophelia has gotten out of the cavy cosy and Hamlet goes in.

Once the hay has been replaced in the run, both go over and eat together.

Happy piggies, happy evening.
 
These are the positions they invariably take up whilst they wait for all the evening hay-clearing and fleece-changing activity to subside. Tonight Hamlet kept going closer to Ophelia and popcorning, periodically came out to investigate, and then settled back into position in front of her.

I include the first photo as otherwise you wouldn’t know where Ophelia is!

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