Mork lives with the girls!

Well after nearly 6 weeks of living alone - 4 weeksafter his op Mork joined Bessie and Gypsy in the cage.  It's been wonderful.

They lived side by side with a divider and to introduce them I used a run, put lots of hideys with 2 exits and lots of food.  i don't think i could have asked for a better introduction.  It was absolutely nothing like when Gypsy met the other girls.  That was scary - this was easy.

They have been together almost 2 weeks now and it's great.  Mork popcorns all over, they are happy to share their space.  I couldn't be more pleased.

This weekend they get a hay loft upstairs and all food stuffs will move.  I can't wait!  It just means downstairs has even more room (although they have a 150cm x 75cm cage already).  Photos will be posted once it's all decked out ready for Christmas!!

Relations

Well they have been living side by side for 2 and a bit weeks and it's all very friendly.  Bessie and Gypsy seem to really love Mork and I can't wait to put them together.  Just over 2 weeks now and they can all be friends.

Not much else to report.  I have put a cosy bed I made in the cage - it's not very good looks wise but they take it in turns to sprawl out on it.  They don't run off much when were in the kitchen any more (not like Mork - he does) and they are happy happy happy.

Gypsy popcorned so much the other night I couldn't believe it.  She seems quite old but she was certainly acting like a baby guinea she was popcorning so much and so high!!

 

Morks operation

Well Mork had his operation (castration) on Tuesday.  Today is Saturday.  And it's been very emotional - although everything went well.  I have found it quite hard to manage the conflicting emotions.  It's a good thing in terms of his life from now on.  He lived on his own for over 3 months in a pet shop, someone bought him after three months and brought him back to the shop after a few days.  He really needed an owner and to have company so this op means he can live with the two rescue girls.  Also by adding to their small herd the numbers go up and everyone gets more relaxed.  So that's the positive side of it.  The negatives are that it's an operation, he's a rodent having a general and very recently on the forum where I post there have been a few posts and debates about surgery gone wrong and guineas not making it.  Scary stuff.

So he had the operation on Tuesday and Tuesday evening he was absolutely normal.  Bessie and Gypsy still spend all their time by the divider being close to him.  He was still doing his sexy dance for them hee hee and in the evening he ate up his veggies like normal.


Then Wednesday morning he was also normal.  But by lunchtime that all changed.  I am guessing any pain relief they gave him wore off as he started staying in his house and refused to come out, he stopped eating everything.  I have been bedding him on vet bed or fleece and he didn't poop from when I cleaned him out at 2pm until 10.30pm which really freaked me out.  Same thing happened on Thursday.  He had a vets appointment for 4pm on Thursday and on the way in the carrier he ate some basil.  Slim pickings for a guinea!  I had been syringe feeding him critical care as I didn't want his digestive system to suffer.



Vet seemed surprised he wasn't eating as normal and said to keep an eye on him.  If he wasn't eating on his own by Friday night to bring him back Saturday (today).  I started giving him a drop of metacam and yesterday lunchtime he ate a HUGE bunch of basil and I syringed him loads.  Got up this morning and there is alot of poop and he's eaten nearly all his fresh food and some hay.  I am guessing he's feeling a bit better.  Going to monitor him today and give him another small drop of metacam but hold off syringing unless he's not eating.


On the plus side he's healing up great and popcorned last night as well as doing his sexy dance again hee hee (I love watching the sexy dance as do the girls!)


Bessie and Gypsy are so taken with him and I can't wait to have them live together as a trio.  It's going to really complete the two rescue girls and make everyone feel much better about life.


On the plus side hey are virtually normal - well they ARE normal.  Gypsy doesn't even hide when I'm putting food in she just starts to eat while it's on it's way in and she doesn't even run off when I want to  pick her up.  It's absolutely amazing and I am over the moon at how much quality of happy life they have now.  Just goes to show they can have a brilliant life with a bit of patience and perseverence.  But I still maintain the living in side is what brought about the biggest change. 

Getting on very well

Well the new cage is here.  Here's a photo

It's divided with Bessie and Gypsy having 2 thirds and Mork having 1 third.  They are all getting on well and having a good time getting to know each other next to the partition.

 

MORK!

Okay there hasn't been too much to report last few weeks.  Everything is fine still. Bessie STILL gets really scared being picked up but is okay once on your lap and will eat.  Even if a cat is about so that's fine.

Gypsy is laid back now and is easy to get.  In fact she doesn't even run away when I put veggies in now.  In fact she starts to eat before the bowl has touched the floor!

I have decided though that they need a friend.  I wasn't going to get one but this poor little chap caught my eye.  He's been in a cage in a pet shop for aaaaaages.  Months.  A black and white abyssinian with ruby eyes.  Everytime I have gone in there he's been hiding but I have caught glimpses of him.

I emailed the shop and tried to get them to give him free to a good loving hom or put him up for adoption rather than the £18 they wanted forhim but they absolutely refused.  I was told her would go home to live with a staff member very soon if he didn't sell.

Went in again a week later and he was gone.  I was so pleased for him, he had a home!

Went back 2 weeks later and he's there again.  I was gutted.  Turns out someone took him home one week to house with a rabbit (!!!) but then decided for no particular reason they didn't want him after all and brought him back the following Monday.

Well I could take it no more and decided to take him and get him neutered and then put him in with my 6 girls.  Then I changed my mind then I changed it again then I changed it again and so on for days.  Finally I thought HMM what about Bessie and Gypsy.  They are a really small herd and it's a very natural thing putting a boy in.  It may help them come out of their shells even more.  They don't spend as much time going about the cage foraging as they others, could he help them?  Once I decided he was to be friends with Bessie and Gypsy I went and took him home.

He's currently housed alone and due for the snip next week.  I put his cage next to Bessie and Gypsy in the run and they are all excited.  The girls run up to him and he to the girls.  I am very hopeful it will work out.

Here he is.  Isn't he cute?
I think his future is bright now with the girls and theirs is getting better too.
I have ordered a supersize cage that will be here tomorrow and I am going to section it off for the time they can't be together and will of course remove that once he's unable to impregnant them.

happy days!

Better and better....

Well I am chuffed!  Beyond chuffed.  They are getting so so tame now.

Bessie is still less tame than Gypsy but she's still pretty tame and WILL eat on laps now.  You have to leave it out for her and she eats after sitting still a few minutes but she will eat which is fab news.

Gypsy is very relaxed now.  Here is an example of how relaxed she was on my lap the other night.  She laid herself down and relaxed beautifully on my lap bless her!

I was over the moon at how chilled out she was.

I have also bought a snuggle sac thing for when they are in the run.  I thought it would benefit Bessie most as she likes to burrow under the fleece and vet bed all the time.  She absolutely loves it in the run but not so much in the cage.  I only managed to photograph Gypsy using it though as Bessie snuggled herself all the way to the back of it.

They both adore this and they also love the indoor run still.  They come to life so much in there.

Hope to get some more photos of Bessie very soon.

About turn

Well i think I was feeling a bit negative last post.  I have been taking Bessie out every day for as long as possible.  The other night I had some parsley and she took it out of my hand many many times.  I gave her some free run on the sofa and she ran over to me and started taking the food!  Talk about flabergastered.  She's also stretching out on the top floor of her cage in the hay.  I'm very very pleased for her.  That's both of them getting much better.  

It's hard work taking out and holding 8 guinea pigs regularly but it's happening and all my little babies are happy as larry.  I'm pleased!

Bessie concerns

Well I have to say I am worried about Bessie.  She's still very skittish.  I think they have been in my care now for 2 months and Bessie is still very scared.  Where Gypsy seems happier and is easy to pick up now Bessie still squeaks like she's scared when I try and get her.

I have decided to up her lap time to every day to try and help her understand the house is okay and not to be feared.  

Finding 'their' hay and using the manger

Well I have been giving lots of hay and wasting so much hay as they have never done more than nibble at the hay.  It's been a concern as hay is supposed to be unlimited right?
Well I recently noticed that they really love oat hay.  I had it in a wicker ball on the floor of their cage and they also had a toilet roll stuffed with hay as both of them refused to use the manger.  Anyway the wicker ball had oat hay and the toilet roll timothy hay.  They were on the ball all the time.  So FINALLY after months I have found a hay they really like!

I had already ordered Oxbow orchard grass hay at this point as I had heard good things and that arrived yesterday.  It's not cheap that's for sure and typically they LOVE it!  All of the guineas eat it actually so that's a bit of a result.

I decided for hygiene reasons to put try the manger again so I reattached it and put orchard grass and oat hay in it and this morning I came down to both girls munching hay from the manger which is now EMPTY!  I think you call that a result right?

Gypsy is so tame now....

Gypsy is coming along beautifully.  I am so pleased with her progress - she's a very sweet little girl now and rumblestruts hardly at all.  It seems she's happy with her cage and with life in general now.  Even her food consumption has gone up again.

The biggest hint at her progress came earlier this week when my daughter wanted a cuddle.  She's 7 and hasn't had much to do with these guineas as they have been so afraid.  Well I thought Gypsy would fall apaprt, but while she did tremble a little at someone different holding her she also wolfed down major parsley and was rooting about looking for more.  That is the very first time she's eaten on a lap and she was so enthusiastic about it too.

Bessie is a bit behind Gypsy in the confidence stakes but she'll get there.  Gypsy is virtually there - go Gypsy!

All change again! Hope it's the last one for a while.

I have changed things about in the cage and am not favourite again.  The girls seemed a bit squashed in their corner houses upstairs, their big bottoms were always sticking out of them!  As amusing and endearing as that was it didn't smack of comfort, they also couldn't ever snuggle up in a hidey together.

So armed with my concerns I have been and got a plastic igloo and that combined with my other spare igloo is now downstairs under the upstairs floor.  They are side by side and placed on vet bed.  They absolutely hate change but while we are finding our way to the perfect cage it's going to have to be.  All food (except hay) is now being served upstairs.  I am considering making upstairs newspaper and hay but tomorrow is clean out day so maybe i'll do it then, we'll see.

This afternoon I have seen them sleeping seperately and chilling together in one igloo so result.

They came out and did the usual wheek wheek wheek for food (How good is it that that sound seems usual now!) but when I put it upstairs they were very confused for ages and frantically running about in circles downstairs but in the end RESULT they found it and are currently happily munching on their veggies.

Gypsy has lost 60g over the last few weeks, so not sure how good that is.  Could be that she isn't eating museli any more and only picking out the sugary bits but part of me thinks she isn't getting enough hay.  Neither of them pay any attention to the hay manger despite nibbling from it once or twice and me loading it with about 5 different kinds of hay (I bought 2 more types today to try and convince them to eat!).  That's one of my reasons for maybe making upstairs all hay.  Could inspire more hay eating and I currently have LOADS.

Going to weigh her again in a week and see how we're doing.

FIGHTING!

Today has not been a good day for Bessie and Gypsy.  I had to clean them out inside so used an inside run.  I cleaned out my 6 guineas first and then put them back and put Gypsy and Bessie in the same (now empty) run.  Gypsy straight away started swaying, rumbling and teeth chattering.  Next thing I know they are inside a wooden (big) house and it's lifting off the floor where they are fighting like mad.  I shout and take up the house and they carry on teeth chattering but Bessie goes to the pile of grass in the middle and starts to eat.  Gypsy goes into an igloo and starts teeth chattering but they are staying apart.  Next thing I know Bessie snaps and walks sideways over the igloo and heads inside where all hell breaks out again.  I remove all hideys and hope they will settle down but the challenges continue, so I took Bessie out and put her in the guinea carrier.

Once the cage is clean I put them back together and it's business as normal, no fighting and they have been normal since.  Gypsy is not a friendly soul, she's the one who started a fight with one of mine and she's always rumbling and barging Bessie out of the way and normally she takes it.  I hope things stay as they are and there aren't any further problems.... 

Cage changes and being unpopular

I have enquired about adoption of these two and it looks like it could be going ahead!  My reasoning was that these two have come so far but any little change they still don't like.  Also if I gave them back then what would I do - well get two more so why not just allow these two to live out the rest of their life in one place in a very nice way?  Don't think I am cut out for fostering right now as I get attached and don't want them to go.


So one of the requirements to adopt them was a cage expansion, they currently have just under 8 square feet and would need 8 1/2 square feet.  And I had already been planning on giving the cage an upstairs, it seems like fate now!  Hubby and I had been discussing using grids and correx to make upstairs bigger.  So that's what we did and here are the results

An upstairs sleeping pad lined with vetbed and now has 2 corner houses in it.  The ramp is enclosed so no one can fall off and covered in roofing felt to stop slipping.  It's a very gentle ramp and immediately they were back in the cage up they went.  Success!  Downstairs does seem transformed and there is so much room for charging about at food times if they ever get that tame.  But they can now run.

They are on fleece again and as you can probably see it's pegged at the sides as they burrow under it otherwise and I worry that they wont be able to find a way out.  They are more than capable of using the ramp but they have decided that they either just love their bedroom or that the change has unnerved them for a day or two as they are spending every minute except meal times and when they go out in their run in there.  It IS cosy but before the upstairs they were rooting about and out and about lots more.  Going to put their fiddlesticks back in today - it's large but it provided them with cover that made them feel alot more secure so going to put that downstairs to see if it encourages them down a bit more as they have a tunnel to go in.  

Normality is almost here!

This is a very very happy post.  Things are really getting fairly normal here.

New milestones:  Gypsy is doing proper wheeking for her food, real "where is my dinner!! wheek! Wheek!", the tearing round the cage is still going on, they have both started using the hay manger and Gypsy is using the water bottle (I can only guess they got enough water from their veggies so far).

Gypsy is definitely the braver and happier of the two.  She is clearly in charge and I hope that Bessie follows her lead and starts being a bit more confident in herself and her surroundings.

I have been putting them in the run every day for the majority of the day since they have been indoor pigs.  For 2 weeks or so they just scampered up the ramp and if it wasn't blocked off they would go hide in the bedroom.  So I blocked it off and today they acted pretty normally, going about eating grass for about 2 hours (from the cover of a fiddlesticks home).  After 2 hours they scampered up the ramp and stayed there so I brought them in.  They get on average 4 to 6 hours outside a day at the moment.  Winter it's inside runs only bless them!  Probably just as they get totally used to the outside run.

Not much to report!

Been on holiday so not much to report.  I set up 2 cages so that mum who was minding them could simply swap them over.  When we got home they were very subdued but I suppose they got used to the peace and quiet - not this mad house.

Today I put them out in the run and blocked off the top of the ramp to keep them in the run.  Put the others next to them in a seperate run so they could see each other and got on with my day.  About 4 hours later I went out to find them and ARGHHH they had gone!  The block was still there but they were in the hutch, they had pushed the block and sneaked up and it had popped back into place!  The bedroom was very warm as it's a sunny day so I brought the cheeky monkeys back in.  I have to say tonight I saw one of them use the water bottle for the very first time!

At 6.30pm they came out of their house and for the very first time they began foraging for food.  They do still come out when veggies are being prepared - in fact they popcorn and tear about like mad now but this was not that time.  It was just the regular (but clean) cage that they were foraging in so that's another milestone.

I held them both for a cuddle last night, one of them shook very gently and the other was cool as a cucumber.

They eat grapes and tomatoes now on top of everything else and are learning to love green beans

I bought them some sample bags of other dry food (good quality pellets) as they didn't seem to be eating the other one and as soon as I served it they started eating the old one!

I have gone from fleece to hay as bedding and back to fleece again.  Changed as they started burrowing under the fleece then changed back as they started only eating the cheap bedding hay and ignoring the good stuff so now it's fleece pegged at the sides.  

Considering fashioning some kind of a small upstairs sleeping area for them so they have all of downstairs for foraging and running about but that's something I am going to consider....

The new indoor cage is here!

Well the new cage arrived yesterday and has been great cause for concern to both Bessie and Gypsy.  They aren't coming out as much although they did both dart about at speed at night time veggies time.  For some reason they don't react the same in the morning, they hide until veggies time.

Bessies back looks brilliant, the hair is almost all back in the spot where it came out.  We took both girls out last night and put them on a towel on the sofa, my husband one side and me the other side with our legs preventing them from running off and both came running over to me for protection.  Bessie snuggled up in my arm and Gypsy next to her.  I was very flattered but it throws the re-adoption of them up in the air.  The only thing that would prevent me from having them rehomed once tame is if they are scared of others but okay with me.  Last night they were exactly that.  Watch this space.

I also put them both together with a few of my guinea pigs and the photos are the results.  It was great actually and they got on very well indeed.  I got cocky and put in the top girl from my herd in too and that's when we got dominance displays.  It turns out that Bessie is happy to not be top but Gypsy is obviously top girl and she wasn't happy about Bessie being subservient to my Nibbles and following her around.  They rumble strutted, there was teeth chattering and they went inside a box and that started jumping around so I seperated them at that time.  I do plan on allowing play time again as it seemed to really help Gypsy and Bessie before that, they were running about normally in the open with the others.  But not going to put the two top girls in again as it wont work and I am not planning on housing them all together so it's unnecessary stress.  But until top girl went in it worked really well and all were happy.

Indoor living

Well I made a split decision and after shampooing them they haven't been back outside since,  They have lived in the kitchen in a cage that's a bit too small while we wait for a good size one to be delivered (should be tomorrow).

My instincts have been saying to do this for ages and I could take it no more.  Turns out it's the best move I have made.  They have made strides forward since being in and its rained non-stop since then so they would have been really miserable just sitting in their bedroom in the hutch.

Firstly they have been able to hear the other guineas at veggies time.  The second night the wheek wheek wheek began in the other room and Bessie came out of the igloo she's been hiding in.  She started foraging round her food bowls and hay while I was in the kitchen.

Next she went to the space in the cage and POPCORNED.  She was happy!  Now this is something all of the indoor guineas do all the time.  They dart and run about popcorning every day.  Their cage is large and they can tear up and down the enclosed ramps having fun and getting exercise.  But Bessie and Gypsy have always looked so sad.  To say I was walking on air that Bessie had popcorned is an understatement.  Next I put the veggies in the cage and out they came and just started eating - like that was normal.  Eating in front of me.

Then yesterday I introduced them to some of my guineas and it went very well for ages.  They all got down to the serious business of eating grass.  It was only when top girl of the indoor guineas went in that the teeth chattering started.  I learned that Gypsy is top of the 2 fosters and Nibbles on the indoor piggies.  When the strutting started I seperated them while I think about things.  There really isn't room for them in the big cage, one extra would fit in at most but 2 would be cramped and that's not what I want.  Everyone deserves room.

Veggies time last night and both came out to forage and BOTH popcorned and tried to run about.  I felt sorry for them actually as they don't have the room to dart about like they want to.  The cage company said tomorrow it will be here so not long.  They both ate veggies outdoors and then they went back in.  I got some coriander and Gypsy started taking it out of my hand, again amazing.  And final achievement last night Bessie came out of the igloo and had a lay down in the open.  What a difference a few days make when they are indoors eh?  I knew it.  I think they are out more at night because it's quieter with the kids in bed.  I mean all of them forage at night and go round the cage from food to food but the indoor guineas do it in the morning too and so far that's been absent from their behaviour.

I also haven't held them since they moved inside, going to start today but I wanted to give them real settling in time.  So there is still that to do yet, taming on laps, normal behaviour and taking food on laps.

But we have come a long way already right?

Updates.....

Well they are coming around slowly. Betsy ate food on my lap the other day. She looked freaked out the whole time however she did it!

They both go and use the run on their own accord. Not all the time but when it's dusk and the indoor guineas start to forage around the cage they go into the run and do the same.

Both going to have a final shampoo tomorrow and some more spot on and I plan on letting them meet the indoor guineas to see how it goes. Will do a post and homefully some more photos when I do.

Starting to feel confident that a winter indoors and they will be feeling much more confident and maybe even tame.

Small steps

Well as expected progress is slow. I can sometimes open the hutch and smooth both and they don't run. But both still tremble when held for more than a few minutes. Neither will eat any food on my lap - I discovered the fresh herb Dill yesterday - my house guineas adore it. I thought "right - now's my chance - they are bound to eat it on my lap" so I dutifully tried with each one and NOPE they didn't. I put the first guinea back into the hutch with her piece of dill and then tried the other one to no avail. When I put her back the other one had eaten her dill. She really DID want it.

I have moved all food to the farthest edge of the hutch away from where they sleep and they are still eating the food. Occassionally they will stay in the main bit of the hutch if I am out but rarely. They will if the children are out but not adults.

So it's small steps at the moment. Once they are totally lice free I plan on putting a couple of the house guineas in a run with them to show them how to behave a bit. They have wonderful grass in their run untouched. Maybe they will eat it if the others do. But that will have to wait until the weekend and a second shampoo with lice treatment.

Personally I think there is no hope of them coming around until they come indoors to live. I think a winter in a cage in the kitchen will ensure they tame and aren't so afraid of people. We are going on holiday for 6 days in a week or so and mum is here looking after the guineas. At the moment she can get away with just cleaning out the hutch bedroom and I don't feel I can ask her to catch and hold Bessie and Gypsy as she has no experience of guinea pigs. So they can't come inside to live for a few weeks but as soon as they can they are. End of September it starts getting cold in the night, no shed space, no hutch hugger going to fit the custom hutch so inside it is and i'm pleased. A winter indoors and I hope we will have cracked it.

It's been a week

Well it's been a week and although progress is very slow it's still progress.

The shampoo came and we bathed the 2 girls. Husband put a cage together for me as we did it overnight and kept them in so they wouldn't be cold in the night. Bathed Bessie first, the one i thought would be a pain. She was very calm and it was surprisingly easy. Was shampoo, rinse, shampoo, leave for 5 minutes, rinse so all in all a 10 minute thing. Gypsy fought like mad (I thought it would be the other way around). But both girls were done and the next day WOW they had the glossiest most beautiful hair I have ever seen. It was beautiful, really gorgeous, shiny, healthy - lovely.

They were so clearly miserable in the cage. They ate their veggies and stuff in the night but the morning food by lunchtime was still untouched so I gave the hutch a proper clean and put them back out.

Bessie had to have a cream on a balding spot on her back 3 times a day yesterday and I held Gypsy for a good 10 minutes in the night. Neither of them freaked out too bad either. Hopefully now i can handle them alot and they will calm down a bit.

It's chucking it down outside today so I plan on bringing them in again in their cage. A few hours a day in the cage and maybe they will start to get used to indoors too - the noise and feel of indoors. Come winter they will live indoors so I hope they start to get used to indoors.

More soon

Day 5

NO SHAMPOO!!! I had got myself all ready. I had a tub to sit one in then planned on putting the tub in the bath. I bought new gloves and was mentally ready for the fight. But it didn't show up.

Not very much happened today, I held both girls and looked for lice. Only found one so I am guessing the spot on has killed some off. Gypsy came easier than Bessie. Bessie screached like she was being hurt and tried very very hard to get away. I didn't hold her for long. It was long enough to notice a bit of either hair loss or cut hair on her back. i am going with hair loss and the fungal thing I saw the other day but on a different area of her back too. Can't wait to treat them and help them feel better. I offered both Coriander but neither took it on my lap (they ate it in private later).

They seem to be eating more of their pellets now and when I went out to get the washing in earlier they were in the open part of the hutch! First time I have ever seen them in there voluntarily. They didn't scarper straight away either, they stayed there a few seconds. My eldest daughter (7) has run in a few times today to tell me how exciting that she has seen them in the main part of the hutch a few times today, they don't seem to mind the hustle and bustle of the kids so much.

Both were put in the run today while my tame pigs were out in a seperate run. They spent a fair bit of time in there and at one point one of them even ran all the way to the other end of the run (farthest away from where they can hide). Quite brave for these two.

Feelings I am getting so far are that Gypsy will be more confident that Bessie. Watch this space and hopefully tomorrow - shampoo.

Day 4

Well uneventful day yesterday. It was a definite case of going backwards. After Gypsy was so willing to be picked up on day 3 I wanted to clean the hutch out so needed them to be in the run downstairs. However they wouldn't go so I had to pick them up to put them in but they were a nightmare to catch. Bessie was crazy once caught(we have changed it from Betty to Bessie) and Gypsy was stiller once caught but still hard to catch.

They were also more cautious when being touched or stroked in the hutch. Trust is going to take a while. It's at times like that I wish we had a cage indoors for them. I just believe that they would tame much easier if they were indoors and had to get used to hustle and bustle as for long periods of time it's quiet in the garden. They don't have as much interaction as they would indoors. However until upstairs decoration is finished there is nowhere for them to go indoors. October and they will be indoors no matter how we're doing with the decoration as I don't want them to freeze to death (my neighbour once let a Rabbit freeze to death, I took it in when I saw it but it was just too late for the poor bunny)

Anyway - I try and go to them at least 8 times a day even it it's just to pop a treat in and I talk to them alot. Today (if it shows up) I need to bath them in lice shampoo and once that's done proper handling can start. Wish me luck on the shampooing - I expect to be scratched and bit to death but afterwards these ladies will feel so much better!

I took some photos of them today in the run, here are a couple.

Day 3

Today I took both the guinea pigs out for a hold. The first one (Gypsy) was easy to pick up and sat nicely. I had a good chance to check out her coat, discovering that she has lice. Lots of lice and parts of her skin look a bit scaly, I am guessing fungal but not an expert.
I have treated both of them with a spot on lice, mites, etc treatment and ordered some herbal products from a company called Gorgeous Guineas. I have ordered a lice treatment called 'Lice and Easy' and a skin soother / treatment called 'super souffle'.
I have heard wonderful things about both products so hopefully in a few weeks both will feel better. My fingers were dirty after going through their coats so they will both feel and look so much better after a nice wash.
The second guinea pig (Bessie) was crazy to pick up, she was flailing and flipping like mad and was quite hard to hold onto. Once in my lap she sat nicely and was no problem. Can't say I am looking forward to bathing her though.
I put both of them in the run and threw some parsley in there, they went mad munching the parsley and I picked some long grass which they also polished off. I came back indoors and when I went back out about 20 minutes later they were back in their bedroom upstairs so had figures out how to use the ramp to go back up.
Going to hold them both later and try and hand feed some parsley seeing as it was such a hit. Fingers crossed.

Day 2

Very little progress apart from being allowed to stroke them once without them both bolting. Only once though. We went away this day camping and during the peace and quiet they have eaten all their fresh served by me and my guinea sitter and had a nibble on the herbs.

I have to say they have cottoned on to not all hay being created equal and are only eating the excell herbage with dandelions and marigolds. They seem to wolf that down as they do the excell cigar shaped treats, I really do need to remember the name of this treat as it's so popular.

Day 1 (the first full day)

In the morning it was great to see that they had sneaked out in the night at some point and eaten their veggies and some of their pellets. These were placed just outside the opening for the bedroom so not far to travel whereas the hay and dried herb treats that were over the other side of the hutch look untouched and no droppings over there either. Still at least they are eating the important stuff.

On opening up the hutch to give them their morning veggies they jump up freaking out and climbing all on top of each other in blind panic. Pleased to see the herb cigar shaped treats in there are nibbled and quite alot of it eaten though! That's good as well as some of their bedroom hay. That's plenty of nourishment.

I place the fresh food in the same spot as the previous evening and a few hours later it's still untouched. i think the noise coming from the daytime world is stopping them and it's a very sunny day. I don't want the food to spoil so I put it in the bedroom. A few hours later it's gone, along with a few handfuls of picked grass that I put in. Result.

Going away camping for a night tomorrow so the whole day / night / day will be quiet. That shoudl help them settle in. Someone will pop in and give them veggies on our behalf but that will be the only interruption so plenty of settling in time.

Collecting them and their history

We picked them up from the rescue where they were taken earlier that day from the home they had left behind. The post it note that had their date of births on wasn’t present having blown away somewhere but their names were known. A tri coloured Abyssinian called Gypsy and a tricolour crested girl called Betty. Neither breed I have. They had been taken to the vets earlier in the day who declared them not pregnant and I was also told no lice or mites (although babies also rescued from that house DID have lice). Both were difficult to catch, hadn’t been handled before and I was offered Gypsy to hold. After taking a seat I had a hold of Gypsy. She was scared and after a few minutes started to tremble. You know those trembles from deep within when you are in shock. Hers got bigger and bigger so after a few minutes she was put in the travel box I had bought and we took her, Betty and a small bag of the food they were used to back to Cardiff to settle them into an unused hutch and run. We had decked the hutch out with meadow hay in the bedroom and living quarters on top of megazorb to absorb urine. More nutritious herbage was in abundance in a manger and 2 bowls of different roughage too. I wanted to spoil these two!

We put them in the hutch along with some herb treats and immediately one of them began bolting about like a mad one. She found the hole in the floor that led to the run immediately and headed of to the run. Not really knowing what she was doing. We left them alone for half an hour and went to chop up vegetables for all of the piggies, the indoor 6 that now seemed so tame and a little for the new refugees. Not knowing what veg they were used to meant I didn’t want to upset their system with too many. I served dinner just outside the bedroom so they would have to poke their heads out if they wanted any. Left them alone until the morning