Dusty and Whizz's Birthday

Dusty and Whizz, our two beautiful grey-and-white abyssinian peruvian crosses, were born three years ago while we were on holiday. We returned from camping, unpacked the car then headed off to pick up our pets. My Nan was looking after Mop and Muffin and one of my friends was looking after Chester, my hamster.

We went to pick up Chester then carried on to Nan's house. We got out of the car and headed up the drive, thinking all was normal. Nan met us on the doorstep and took us into the garage, where our guinea-pigs were kept. That's when she told us.

Peering into the cage, instead of seeing two guinea-pigs, we could see four. Dusty and Whizz were beautiful, they still are, and they looked just like cotton puffs. My Aunt named Dusty but I named Whizz after several names that we thought didn't suit him. To be honest I named him after a kid TV show but that's neither here nor there!

So, yesterday, as celebration for their birthday (27.8.12) I invited two of my friends' guinea-pigs over to run free on our grass. Obviously Dusty and Whizz being 'proper' boys we had to keep them in their run but Mop, Muffin and Billy were allowed to run all over the lawn with the rest of their family. Is was so cute!

We had:

• Mop - Abyssinian peruvian silver-agouti dutch sow. I guess she's not really a proper dutch as she probably has more white but she has a silver patch over each eye and her behind is also silver.
• Muffin - Black guinea-pig with a ginger belly, ginger rings around her eyes and a ginger patch on her behind. I've heard there is a proper name for that colour but I'm sorry to say I don't know of it.
• Billy - Mainly beige-agouti boar with a white stripe down his nose and a large amount of white on his left side. He also has a ginger patch on his back, around his shoulder blades.
• Dennis - Billy's older brother (from Chestnut and Whizz's first litter). He is a beige-agouti dutch and he looks very much like Billy, they have the same face shape and everything!
• Truffles - Billy's aunt (Chestnut's sister). Her and Chestnut look very similar, they are both beige dutches. Though Truffles has slightly less white on her face than Chestnut does.
• Chestnut - Billy's mum. She is also a beige dutch, and has more white on her nose that Truffles does. That is pretty much the only way to tell them apart.
• Fluffy - Billy's sister (from the second litter). Now Fluffy is an abyssinian, she inherited that from her father. She is also beige-agouti and white.
• Nutmeg - Tricolour sow. She is not related to any of the family. Her face is dark beige-agouti and her behind is ginger, her middle white.
• Toffee - Tricolour sow. We believe she is Nutmeg's sister as my friend purchased her at the same time as we bought Nutmeg. Later on, when they met, we saw simularities in their looks and we like to think that they are siblings.
• Dusty - Abyssinian peruvian grey/silver-agouti boar. His face is silver-agouti, his middle white but his behind is grey.
• Whizz - Abyssinian peruvian silver-agouti boar. He has the least grey of his family with only a grey right side of his face and a small grey patch on his behind.
  
  I don't have any pictures on my phone but my mother does, perhaps I will borrow her phone and upload the pictures one day. It was a beautiful day!
  
  
  

Billy No Mates No More!

Well, while I was away on my riding holiday (reason I haven't posted in a while) my mum introduced Billy to my female guinea-pigs. His wound is healed now and we believed it was time. After watching him stress himself out for so long it must have been amazing to see when he was finally given friends again!

So yesterday they all went out on the grass together and we let them run around the garden with my friend's two guinea-pigs Toffee and Nutmeg. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of that but it was very cute.

                                    

Here's Billy, settled down with Mop and Muffin. For the first couple of days he just spent the day with them but he was taken out at night. Now he is sleeping in with them as well. Here's them this morning.

                                    

A Short Story - Out In The Garden

"Try this," Dusty squeaked, nudging a clover towards Whizz. The younger grey and white male pulled himself to his paws and padded over until he was side by side with Dusty.
"What's so special about it?" Whizz's tone was bored, his blue eyes dull.
Dusty's eyes flickered with worry and he gently brushed his nose agaisnt Whizz's white cheek. "Nothing, I just..." Whizz shot him a sharp glance but Dusty continued. "Hate to see you mope around like this all the time!" His squeak took on a louder element as Whizz turned his back on his brother.
"Do you know what would really make me happy?" Whizz asked, not turning to look at Dusty as he stared out between the mesh of their run. "Would be if we could go out there, beyond the run." Dusty tipped his grey-flecked head on one side and walked forwards until he was at Whizz's side. He wrinkled his nose and flicked his ears.
"Why would you want that?" Dusty gently nudged his brother's shoulder but Whizz let out an annoyed grunt and turned away again before hopping off to the other side of the run and ducking under the blue hut. Dusty sighed, his eyes darkening with sadness before he huddled down in the corner of the run.

A few hours later Whizz still hadn't emerged from the hut, but Dusty could hear him grumbling to himself. The older male got to his paws and pushed his blunt nose agaisnt one of the bars of the run then, slowly he started to chew. He chewed at the corner of the bar until it fell away. "Whizz! Whizz! Come quickly!"
Whizz growled and poked his head from the hut. "What!?" He snarled.
"Please Whizz," Dusty begged, his eyes lighting up as Whizz wandered from the hut. Whizz looked from Dusty to the empty space then back to Dusty.
"Oh brother! Your amazing!" Whizz couldn't contain the excitement as he pushed his way from the run. "Come on!"
Dusty smiled, full of joy because he had made his brother happy then raced after Whizz.

Billy, unseen by his father and uncle, lurked beneath the willow tree. His brown eyes blazed as he fought to stop his teeth from chattering as he wandered back and forth, waiting for when the two males would stray far enough. All it took was a loud crash from the neighbours garden to send the two grey and white boars fleeing towards the willow. An evil smile played on Billy's lips as he exploded from the bushes, straight towards his father. Whizz squealed as he saw Billy racing towards him and, with another loud squeak, he raced back towards the run.
Dusty followed Whizz and pushed in after him before taking up a position at the entrance. "Back off Billy!" He growled, chattering his teeth as they swayed their haunches from side to side. Billy snorted then padded away towards the sows' run.

Mop was watching her grandson with distaste. "That is your father!" She reminded him sharply as he approached. Billy dropped his gaze under Mop's angry glare. Muffin pressed agaisnt her friends side. "Its because of your fight you are all alone!" She squeaked, pushing her nose up agaisnt the metal grid. Billy sighed and turned away. She was right. He hated being alone, would he ever have cagemates again?

Haircuts and Baths

Three of my guinea-pigs are PeruvianXAbyssinian crosses, now fortunately this fur type doesn't need a lot of maintinence. But, unfortunately, it does keep growing and growing. Abyssinians are lucky enough to have beautiful non-growing hair full of rosettes and Peruvians hair is long and grows evenly down their sides. Now, because my guinea-pigs are a cross their hair has rosettes and keeps growing, therefore, it grows in all directions! This means that every now and again they need a trim, otherwise their hair gets matted and that can't be comfortable, surely!

Now Dusty, the oldest of my boars, is a very placid character. He is quite happy to sit still and munch on his carrot without a due care in the world while I trim his hair. However, I still managed to make a right hash of it but, he doesn't seem to mind! He is certainly a lot happier when his hair his shorter! Whizz, Dusty's brother, is the complete opposite. He is a right mischeif maker and he wouldn't sit still for a minute. I don't know if he wants to cause trouble I think its mainly just down to his wimpiness, he jumped every time I brought the scissors near his hair. Even though we must have trimmed him at least 50 odd times in his life!

                                       

Here's another picture of my two boys, together, looking a lot less hairy!

Now my other PeruvianXAbyssinian cross is Dusty and Whizz's mother, Mop. She's also quite easy to do but she is a mixture of both her boys, she'll be still for a while then all of a sudden she will start to shake her head and move around, annoying but I love her!

                                   

So, after giving my three PXA crosses their haircuts it was time for Billy's bath. Billy finished his medication the other day but a lot of it went all over his chin during his time of taking them. So he needed a wash as he was all horrible and sticky, especially from the banana medicine!

                                   

Free At Last!

Well, as you know, when out in the garden Billy is free to run where he wants. Our garden is protected on all sides by walls or fences so he cannot escape and we keep an eye on him. Fortunately we have no local cats and we leave him many hiding  places so he is perfectly safe.

So, the other day, Mum decided she would let Whizz, Dusty and Thistle have a run in the garden. She opened the run door and they hopped out onto the grass. But she had forgotten about one little guy.

Billy exploded from beneath the willow tree and leapt upon Whizz, intent on attacking. Luckily Mum caught him before he could do any damage and put him back in his cage.

Thistle had a great time, but he was very nervous. At any noise he would go charging back into his run.

All in all, I'm sure they had a great time!

Duets and Singles

So, with just our 6 pets we have had many different combinations. Not that I should probably call them that, we'll say pairs.

So, it started off with Mop and Muffin:

Mop gave birth to Dusty and Whizz:

Whizz paired up with Chestnut and, in the second litter they had Billy. Billy couldn't be found a home so he came to us and we tried him in with Whizz and Dusty:

Then we got Thistle who was believed at first to be a girl (Tansy) we put him in with Mop and Muffin:

Then Mop became aggressive and started to bite her cagemates after Muffin's excessive rumble-strutting drove her over the edge:

Then, in the boys cage, things started to go wrong. Believing Dusty was the one causing trouble we took him out and put him with Thistle. Muffin went back in with Mop and, thankfully, all went well. We now had three pairs with Billy and Whizz still apparently happy together:

Then Billy and Whizz fell out. We, in the end, had Billy on his own. Whizz was successfully put back in the cage with Dusty and Thistle. Mop and Muffin continue to be best friends for life!

Billy's Visit To The Vet

Had to take Billy back to the vet yesterday, for a check-up. So much for us believing he was better! The vet revealed he had developed another infection on his other side so even more pus was squeezed out, all over the table and all over my hand! Its a small price to pay for his health, however, so I held on as she cleaned up the wound with Hibiscrub. I did wash my hands well afterwards, may I just make that clear!

Billy has come to hate the vet, he knows where he is going as soon as he is put in the carry case. He looks up at me with huge eyes as though to say: "Why?"

When we brought him home he was still bleeding a bit so we left him to settle down on his towel before giving him his medicines later. The vet told us to clean him with Hibiscrub everyday to make sure he stays clean, so we will!