Severe weather for Monday, think of your animals!

[Evenstar]

With the high winds forecast on Monday particularly for those of us in the South, I saw a reminder on The Guinea Pig Forum about securing hutches and making sure our little furries are safe. I was in our local pet store last winter after a storm and met a family who were buying an indoor cage for their surviving rabbit after one of them had been killed when their hutch blew over I am planning to get my guineas into the garage over the weekend.

Excellent advice Evenstar. I hope that all fluffy friends stay safe and snuggly in the bad weather. Poor little things must get very frightened. My lads are always safely tucked up indoors but they still don't like storms .

Good thinking Evenstar.

My chaps live in their Pighouse but my NDN huge weeping willow hangs over it.

So I aim to spend much of tomorrow cutting as much as I can that hangs over our side (I've asked repeatedly for it to be cut back but now I'm just going to make use of the law that says I can)

Hutches -especially ones on legs- need to be secure.

At least the night temperature is still mildish. Mine have a tiny 500w radiator but it's bally useless. I'll need to get out the big one

giod thinking. Will put our piggies in the indoor cage on Sunday

70 - you can cut back anything that hangs over into your property but technically you have to give the branches back (who does that). If it sounds like it's going to be bad I would just take your boys in for the night. It can be a practice for the winter - a sleepover .

I've bought a guinea pig pen for the boars (as big as I can get in the small bedroom. ) 12 panels each 10" x 19". I've told the guineas not to plan an escape
I may as well do a 'trial run' for them , becaue over Guy Fawkes they come indoors.

(And I saw a poster advertising a Guy Fawkes Firework Display on the 9th.
The 9th a full foyr days after the day and a week after most events. I know there's Diwali on the weekend on the 2-3rd but for the Love of Jeff, the 9th is ridiculous)

BTW I'll throw the branches over the fence stack them up neatly to return them if required otherwise I need to pay for garden bags to get rid of them.
It needs done, might as well be this weekend,

Actually, just remembered- DH will be home with the DC (half term) so DD can scoop the boars indoors and entertain them if it gets wild.
(I'll be at work [booo] )

Have mental image of puppet shows etc being put on with 2 pigs watching and saying they're bored

It'll be guinea villages in the kitchen (she could put their new run on the floor)
GP3 could test the "guinea-pigs don't climb" theory.

GP1 likes to go on the laptop with DD.

But there could be puppet shows if the storm lasts longer thab Monday

fernie, doncha mean they're boar-ed

MrsShriek

Oh Mrs Shriek . Pun of the day!

ours are going to 'glamp' in the garage .

we set the rabbit run up on a tarpaulin with cardboard and tons of hay and straw.
a couple of boxes to hide in . they will have tons more space than the detested indoor cage .
gp1 has 'glamped' before but it'll be all new for the little boy.

good luck catching him tomorrow dd

GP glamping! Next they'll be asking for fancy patterned wellies and tickets for a festival

Hope all the southern SFAs (and their human families) are safe and sound during the storm. Here (up North a bit) we're supposed to be okay according to the weather boffins - fingers and paws crossed.

I've just been for a nosey round (pouring rain) .
DD and I wedged a huge brick at the base of the door and the old door leaning against the new one (took 2 of us to lift) (and the door to the garage is padlocked).
There's a flipping fox down the garden, so they never give up

GP3 went tunnelling through the hay/straw when we put them out. GP1 got got straight to the food (of course). At least they can burrow down to stay cosy and insulated.
Winds of 28mph forecast overnight .

We've got a week or more of fireworks to look forward to soon.

Just rain here so far, but all hatches battened down and guinea pigs and rabbits safely in the garage, hope everyone keeps safe

Suspiciously quiet here in Darkest Essex but from the weather reports it'll all kick off in the small hours.

DD and I just ventured down to check the boys (and put a duvet over their run - spoilt)

They are scampering about in tunnels when they should be asleep

Hope everyone is okay. 70 - presume your boys were tired this morning after their late night

Update from Darkest Essex.....

I went out to check (DD was going to feed them later. DC on half term , DH on pig and DC duty, I'm working this week)

NDN gave me a call that my other NDN willow tree had a massive split down one of the branches (and it was hanging dangerously close to the garage and Pighouse)
So DH and I ran down with a travel box to collect the boars.
"You take them up to the house DH I'll lock up" I said.

Just missed a 9' branch as it landed behind me . And it's not the main damaged part, that's still hanging.

So the 70 boars have been larding about in their new indoor run on the kitchen floor (handily beside the fridge)

They'll be in tonight in the hated indoor cage and in the indoor run (might demote them to the downstairs loo) tomorrow until it's safe outside.

Ours are playing in the kitchen in their indoor run :)

Ours are in their indoor cage (and being very judgey I have to say)

I gave them loads of hay. A plate of veg (that they've troughed down) and some shredded paper , M&S shredded paper no less )

GP1 is hiding under hay pretending to be invisible to GP3

GP3 doesn't stop prattling on Bless him.

I had to brave the fallen branches to get the hay, little swine don't know how spoiled they are

Glad you're okay 70. We've had quite a nice day up here but I've been listening to the radio and it sounds as though it was a bit wild in the South. Just explain to the boys that if they don't behave indoors you'll move their run away from the fridge

Gosh - that sounds dramatic, 70, Glad you're all OK. I brought ours in over night just in case - we're in the midlands and looked as if we might be on the cusp of the storm. False alarm - no wind to speak of here. They spent all yesterday being very quiet and skittish - maybe a bit unsettling having had a night out of their hutch (just after coming home from a week's boarding).

Our are still glamping in the garage - they didn't enjoy the night in the indoor cage at all.
Their Pighouse is too near the branch that is still hanging there .

They've got all their toys and boxes, Pet Hotties last night .
Thick layer of hay and straw.

Just girding myself to go out and clean their accomodation .

My boars are still out at night, with snuggle pad, several layers of covers on the hutch and loads of hay. They've been inside in the run today and were fine and dandy the whole day (apparently) while we were all out. Got back at 6ish and the DDs had a lovely cuddle with them. Popped them back while I got things ready for their bedtime and bully pig bit the other one right there in the kitchen - or at least we didn't see it happen, but there was a small bleeding patch when we picked victim pig up to put him away for the night. Gah - just when I think it's all calmed down and we can leave them together.

Hope you get that branch sorted.

I put the guineas mini radiator in the garage last night to keep them snug. If they get too chilled the tend to tuck themselves away in their hidey boxes and get stiff muscles.
At least warm makes them fairly active (well as active as lardy boars are)

But we've had Police helicoptors the past couple of weekends flying round for an hour or so (someone was arrested in the back road)

I keep thinking the heat thermal image cameras will pick up the glow and they'll break the garage door down expecting to find a fugitive.
They'll find to boars, open mouthed, dropping food and very judgey.