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!
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
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:
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 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!
Saturday, 21 July 2012
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!
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!
Fun In The Sun
Woke up this morning and looked outside to see the sun for the first time in a long time! Billy was already sunning himself in his cage as it is right beside the patio door. Unfortunately all morning the grass was covered in dew so we weren't able to put the pigs in their run until lunchtime.
Below is an old picture of Mop and Muffin that I took last summer but I think it says it all. There is nothing the guinea-pig's love more than a good run on the grass, since then our vegetable beds have been taken out so the girls don't have their own little corner anymore. Instead they have a nice run with a hidey compartment.
The boys have an even bigger, newer run! Dad, however, dropped his ladder on it last week so there is a hole in the side but we have taken care to remove sharp edges and to cover it up, I would hate for any of my boys to get themselves caught on a sharp piece of wood!
As always they started off filling their bellies with the rich pickings of the outside world then they settled down to soak in the heat before retiring to the shade and sleeping for the rest of the afternoon. Its always the same game for them, they sleep outside but still come in exhausted and just go SPLAT! (Our term for when they stretch themselves out on their side and fall fast asleep!)
Below is an old picture of Mop and Muffin that I took last summer but I think it says it all. There is nothing the guinea-pig's love more than a good run on the grass, since then our vegetable beds have been taken out so the girls don't have their own little corner anymore. Instead they have a nice run with a hidey compartment.
As always they started off filling their bellies with the rich pickings of the outside world then they settled down to soak in the heat before retiring to the shade and sleeping for the rest of the afternoon. Its always the same game for them, they sleep outside but still come in exhausted and just go SPLAT! (Our term for when they stretch themselves out on their side and fall fast asleep!)
Friday, 20 July 2012
Treat Time
Went to the Pet Shop with my friend today and I couldn't help but get a few treats to spoil my pigs! I got the rabbit and the boys an Alfafa Wreath. For Mop, Muffin and Billy I bought a 'shaped' treat. The gerbils got something as well!
Here's Thistle, Whizz and Dusty:
They are still going at it now, the rabbit has moved to his litter tray and has pulled the Alfafa Wreath with him so he can eat it in comfort! That funny bunny!
It made me really happy to see Billy taking such an interest in his 'shaped' treat. I decided to get him a heart as he has been through loads and I wanted to give it to him as a symbol of my love, he probably isn't very happy with us at the moment! What with us giving him his medicines every day, he really does hate them!
Here's the first picture of Mop, my oldest female guinea-pig. You can only see her face as my sows are alot shyer than my boars and, whereas my boys are quite interested in the camera my girls seem to think its some sort of extermination device!
I am hoping to get some better pictures of Mop and Muffin to post at a later date! Once I left they probably raced to the treat they just don't really like being watched, they are fine to handle and don't bite but they startle easily.
Here's Thistle, Whizz and Dusty:
They are still going at it now, the rabbit has moved to his litter tray and has pulled the Alfafa Wreath with him so he can eat it in comfort! That funny bunny!
It made me really happy to see Billy taking such an interest in his 'shaped' treat. I decided to get him a heart as he has been through loads and I wanted to give it to him as a symbol of my love, he probably isn't very happy with us at the moment! What with us giving him his medicines every day, he really does hate them!
Here's the first picture of Mop, my oldest female guinea-pig. You can only see her face as my sows are alot shyer than my boars and, whereas my boys are quite interested in the camera my girls seem to think its some sort of extermination device!
I am hoping to get some better pictures of Mop and Muffin to post at a later date! Once I left they probably raced to the treat they just don't really like being watched, they are fine to handle and don't bite but they startle easily.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
War Wounds and Healing
Well, as I mentioned on my last post two of my guinea-pigs are not very well at the minute but fortunately things are looking better for both of them and I hope it continues to look that way.
I have a picture of Whizz's wound as it is now, I don't have a picture of how it was at the beginning.
It was our belief at first that Dusty, Whizz's brother caused this wound so we split him from his brother and nephew. This then gave us the huge problem of where to put him! In the end we had to reintroduce Muffin and Mop who we had split shortly after introducing the rabbit due to agression from Mop. Fortunately they were soon very happy together and remain so to this day and hopefully they will always be together.
Dusty, now in with Thistle was very happy and for a few days everything seemed well with Whizz and Billy. Then, one weekday morning, we came outside to see Whizz crouched in the corner of his cage; one side covered in what we thought was urine. Later, when Mum was bathing him we realised that it was puss and that, underneath all his hair he had a nasty wound and a large absess. Mum raced him to the vet and when she returned he had his first set of antibiotics.
It was then that we realised that Billy was being agressive towards Whizz, it dawned on us that it might have been Billy all along who was causing the trouble in the boys' hutch. So we split Whizz and Billy, four cages for six animals!
Neither Whizz or Billy took the single life well. Billy would squeak loudly for Dusty or Whizz to reply but they never did but he was still eating. Whizz, however, went into depression. He crouched in the corner of his cage and wouldn't eat or drink, because of this we tried him back in the cage with Dusty and every was fine! They seemed to remember each other, it brought tears to my eyes to see their brotherly love.
I have a picture of Whizz's wound as it is now, I don't have a picture of how it was at the beginning.
It was our belief at first that Dusty, Whizz's brother caused this wound so we split him from his brother and nephew. This then gave us the huge problem of where to put him! In the end we had to reintroduce Muffin and Mop who we had split shortly after introducing the rabbit due to agression from Mop. Fortunately they were soon very happy together and remain so to this day and hopefully they will always be together.
Dusty, now in with Thistle was very happy and for a few days everything seemed well with Whizz and Billy. Then, one weekday morning, we came outside to see Whizz crouched in the corner of his cage; one side covered in what we thought was urine. Later, when Mum was bathing him we realised that it was puss and that, underneath all his hair he had a nasty wound and a large absess. Mum raced him to the vet and when she returned he had his first set of antibiotics.
It was then that we realised that Billy was being agressive towards Whizz, it dawned on us that it might have been Billy all along who was causing the trouble in the boys' hutch. So we split Whizz and Billy, four cages for six animals!
Neither Whizz or Billy took the single life well. Billy would squeak loudly for Dusty or Whizz to reply but they never did but he was still eating. Whizz, however, went into depression. He crouched in the corner of his cage and wouldn't eat or drink, because of this we tried him back in the cage with Dusty and every was fine! They seemed to remember each other, it brought tears to my eyes to see their brotherly love.
Billy was still on his own and he continued to squeak desperately for the others. This lead us to make the very difficult decision of having him castrated. The operation went fine and at first everything seemed fine and his future looked bright. In six weeks he would be in with Mop and Muffin and no longer would he be on his own. Yet to our horror a few days after his operation he developed an infection. We took Whizz and Billy back to the vet straight away.
They were both given another set of medicines which we have to feed them by syringe, they hate them but they're working and we're praying that they will soon both be 100%. But it isn't all bad, Whizz really likes the banana flavoured medicine!
Here are their medicines.
They were both given another set of medicines which we have to feed them by syringe, they hate them but they're working and we're praying that they will soon both be 100%. But it isn't all bad, Whizz really likes the banana flavoured medicine!
Here are their medicines.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
My Guinea-Pigs (Past and Present)
For my fourth birthday my parents bought me my first two guinea-pigs. My mother, in total, has kept them for thirty years but her last pair died out shortly after I was born. I have kept them for the last ten years of my life and I have fallen in love with guinea-pigs unconditionally.
The pair I recieved as a present were two sows, one black-and-white abyssinian and one tortoiseshell and white short hair. I named then Narla (the torti) and Kiara (the abyssinian). It wasn't very long before we discovered that Kiara was an escapologist. She could escape from anything and apparently the grass in next doors yard was much tastier than the grass in ours! Kiara would dig under the run and go scampering off, under the fence, into our neighbour's garden. She could even leap straight out of her indoor cage, despite the fact the door was above them! Narla, however, was totally the opposite: A perfect first pet. She was lovely, if you put your arm into the cage she would climb up so she could have a hold and she would never bite! Even when my younger brother tried to pick her out of the cage by a handful of her hair she didn't complain and continued to love humans all the more. I had Narla for three years when she developed a tumor in her throat and was put to sleep at the vets. I can remember holding her for the last time and how it broke my heart to know she was gone.
Shortly after Narla's death we got another pair of guinea-pig's, as companionship for Kiara who was still growing strong. These two sows we named Rainbow (peruvian ginger and white) and Candy (brown agouti.) Though we didn't know it at the time Candy was pregnant, but before she gave birth Rainbow passed away. Rainbow never really got over moving from the cage at the pet shop, she wouldn't eat anything so slowly she wasted away, despite our efforts to encourage her to eat. My sister grieved at her guinea-pig's loss but as was never really close to Rainbow. A few days after Rainbow's buriel we went back to the pet shop where my sister chose Floss.
Floss was goregous, a short-haired female: mainly white with a ginger face. Her and Candy quickly bonded and Kiara took them under her wing. One cold December night, the 9th I believe, Candy gave birth while we were having her tea. After a mad dash to purchase another cage for Kiara and Floss (we were inexpirienced in guinea-pig births and we feared that they might have hurt the babes), Candy was left alone with her new family. Two girls (Annie and Dot) and one boy (Basil.) Sadly Dot, the runt, died young as she was no match for her much stronger brother and sister. Basil being our only boar we had him castrated so he could live in with the sows.
Basil was the next to pass away, he contracted the same kidney infection that took out his mother and sister later on. We didn't replace him.
After Floss's death my sister got another guinea-pig, this time from a different pet shop. This little cutie we named Nutmeg but all wasn't well in the cage. Candy and Annie didn't take kindly to the new comer and we had to split them up permanantly but not before they gave Nutmeg a harsh bite that, til this day, still remains as a silver scar on her nose.
My friend's guinea-pig Toffee came to stay with us while her owner's went away. Toffee's friend Poppy has passed away the day before and we hated to see the youngster on her own so we popped her in the cage with Nutmeg and Kiara. They all got on well but Toffee carried the mites that were Kiara's downfall. The eight year old abyssinian was weak being both blind and nearly toothless the mites were the final straw and we had her put down shortly after she started loosing the hair on her belly.
Toffee and Nutmeg got on very well and, when my friends returned we loathed to split them up so Nutmeg went to live with Toffee. They live close by and I still see them often. It is a joy to see them together as they were bought from the same petshop around the same time and speculation is that they are sisters.
Mum then went out to find a guinea-pig for her and my sister. Candy and Annie both being mine and, after a huge search in the local petshop's she returned with two young sows. Mop and Muffin. Once again we found ourselves with a pregnant guinea-pig and, while we were on holiday, Mop gave birth to two young boars Dusty and Whizz. (Both with their mother's grey and white peruvianXabyssinian coat.)
When they reached a month we split them from Mop and Muffin and they lived together happily on their own. When Whizz was about a year old he mated with a friend's guinea pig Chestnut. She gave birth to three babies (Dennis, Jynx and Lily). About half-a-year later he mated with her again and this time she had four babies (William, Fluffy, Pippa and Kate) as they were born roughly around the time of the Royal Wedding.
William couldn't be found a home and so, we took him on. He was introduced successfully to his dad and uncle and lived with them happily for nearly two years. When everything went wrong. Billy turned aggressive, he gave Whizz a nasty bite that later turned infected so we took him out of the cage.
Billy was then castrated in the hope that he would one day be able to go in with Mop and Muffin as he hated life on his own. Unfortunately he became infected. Both Whizz and Billy are now on a course of antibiotics every day.
Billy is on three medicines and Whizz on two.
My current guinea-pigs are: Whizz, Billy, Dusty, Mop and Muffin. (Dusty and Whizz live in with our rabbit Thistle and they are very happy despite the fact Whizz is still quite sore. Billy is still hating life on his own and we are trying to get him better quickly so he can go in with Mop and Muffin.)
The pair I recieved as a present were two sows, one black-and-white abyssinian and one tortoiseshell and white short hair. I named then Narla (the torti) and Kiara (the abyssinian). It wasn't very long before we discovered that Kiara was an escapologist. She could escape from anything and apparently the grass in next doors yard was much tastier than the grass in ours! Kiara would dig under the run and go scampering off, under the fence, into our neighbour's garden. She could even leap straight out of her indoor cage, despite the fact the door was above them! Narla, however, was totally the opposite: A perfect first pet. She was lovely, if you put your arm into the cage she would climb up so she could have a hold and she would never bite! Even when my younger brother tried to pick her out of the cage by a handful of her hair she didn't complain and continued to love humans all the more. I had Narla for three years when she developed a tumor in her throat and was put to sleep at the vets. I can remember holding her for the last time and how it broke my heart to know she was gone.
Shortly after Narla's death we got another pair of guinea-pig's, as companionship for Kiara who was still growing strong. These two sows we named Rainbow (peruvian ginger and white) and Candy (brown agouti.) Though we didn't know it at the time Candy was pregnant, but before she gave birth Rainbow passed away. Rainbow never really got over moving from the cage at the pet shop, she wouldn't eat anything so slowly she wasted away, despite our efforts to encourage her to eat. My sister grieved at her guinea-pig's loss but as was never really close to Rainbow. A few days after Rainbow's buriel we went back to the pet shop where my sister chose Floss.
Floss was goregous, a short-haired female: mainly white with a ginger face. Her and Candy quickly bonded and Kiara took them under her wing. One cold December night, the 9th I believe, Candy gave birth while we were having her tea. After a mad dash to purchase another cage for Kiara and Floss (we were inexpirienced in guinea-pig births and we feared that they might have hurt the babes), Candy was left alone with her new family. Two girls (Annie and Dot) and one boy (Basil.) Sadly Dot, the runt, died young as she was no match for her much stronger brother and sister. Basil being our only boar we had him castrated so he could live in with the sows.
Basil was the next to pass away, he contracted the same kidney infection that took out his mother and sister later on. We didn't replace him.
After Floss's death my sister got another guinea-pig, this time from a different pet shop. This little cutie we named Nutmeg but all wasn't well in the cage. Candy and Annie didn't take kindly to the new comer and we had to split them up permanantly but not before they gave Nutmeg a harsh bite that, til this day, still remains as a silver scar on her nose.
My friend's guinea-pig Toffee came to stay with us while her owner's went away. Toffee's friend Poppy has passed away the day before and we hated to see the youngster on her own so we popped her in the cage with Nutmeg and Kiara. They all got on well but Toffee carried the mites that were Kiara's downfall. The eight year old abyssinian was weak being both blind and nearly toothless the mites were the final straw and we had her put down shortly after she started loosing the hair on her belly.
Toffee and Nutmeg got on very well and, when my friends returned we loathed to split them up so Nutmeg went to live with Toffee. They live close by and I still see them often. It is a joy to see them together as they were bought from the same petshop around the same time and speculation is that they are sisters.
Mum then went out to find a guinea-pig for her and my sister. Candy and Annie both being mine and, after a huge search in the local petshop's she returned with two young sows. Mop and Muffin. Once again we found ourselves with a pregnant guinea-pig and, while we were on holiday, Mop gave birth to two young boars Dusty and Whizz. (Both with their mother's grey and white peruvianXabyssinian coat.)
When they reached a month we split them from Mop and Muffin and they lived together happily on their own. When Whizz was about a year old he mated with a friend's guinea pig Chestnut. She gave birth to three babies (Dennis, Jynx and Lily). About half-a-year later he mated with her again and this time she had four babies (William, Fluffy, Pippa and Kate) as they were born roughly around the time of the Royal Wedding.
William couldn't be found a home and so, we took him on. He was introduced successfully to his dad and uncle and lived with them happily for nearly two years. When everything went wrong. Billy turned aggressive, he gave Whizz a nasty bite that later turned infected so we took him out of the cage.
Billy was then castrated in the hope that he would one day be able to go in with Mop and Muffin as he hated life on his own. Unfortunately he became infected. Both Whizz and Billy are now on a course of antibiotics every day.
Billy is on three medicines and Whizz on two.
My current guinea-pigs are: Whizz, Billy, Dusty, Mop and Muffin. (Dusty and Whizz live in with our rabbit Thistle and they are very happy despite the fact Whizz is still quite sore. Billy is still hating life on his own and we are trying to get him better quickly so he can go in with Mop and Muffin.)
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