Anyone watching Pet School?

[fortifiedwithtea]

Its a kids programme on everyday this week and next. On CBBC late afternoon, not sure what time, I always see it on catch up.

Nine children have been selected to go to 'pet school' where they learn to care and be responsible for a variety of pets. Meanwhile their parents watch them on VT. They have to convince their parents they are ready to have a pet of their own. And there are no guarantees. Last series a lot of children were disappointed. IMO that was mean as some parents had no intention of allowing a pet from the outset.

This is series 2 and there are lots of SFA - rabbits, rats, gerbils, ferrets and Max the guinea pig with his 10 guinea pig wives Plus cats, dogs, reptiles and chickens.

Enjoy

Aaaaaah Max the guinea-pig and his 10 guinea-pig wives

I'll need to watch to see if he is hen-pecked or the happiest guinea in the world. (I suspect the former)

The guinea pigs live in a wendy house. I imagine Max is a very happy boy but IMHO we need to see more of them

Sorry 70 but I am loving the ratties.

And I am learning a lot of new things about ferrets especially their poo. I had no idea it was the shape is it I won't spoil the surprise but I thought it would be like a rabbit

I'm loving the rats too BUT guinea pigs have the huge advantage of being non-climbey and a bit dim .

Not that I'd ever tell the boys that I like rats nasty durty vermin with wormy tails .

^^

not my opinion of rats BTW , I know they are far most fastidious than my boars.
It's what everyone said when I was considering a female rat for my DS.

Good job I didn't buy it though, he was very hands-off with GP2 (who became my pig)

A rat would've got wise and rejected my DS slovenly ways.

At last Tuesday saw some footage of guinea pig care. They decided the children needed to learn how to bath Max. Well I don't know about you but was it no way how I've ever bathed a guinea pig .

Method

Soak guinea pig under running water.

Rub special guinea shampoo into hair

Place guinea still covered in shampoo in a plastic crate on a towel to let the medicated properties of the shampoo do its work.
Well Max is one laid back guinea because mine would have jumped out
Finally rinse guinea but we didn't see this bit

It was also advised to bath guinea pigs 3-4 times a year especially their bums.

I've never bathed my girls. They are very clean and I like their natural faint whiff of au du guinea I admit Old Boy was something else. He needed a bath from time to time aka leg massage in baby bubble bath. I think he got stinky just 'cos he enjoyed it so much

I would like to see them try bathing my pigs that way

My method is:-

1. Set up everything in kitchen and cover most of floor with towels.

1. Catch pig which is cowering in furthest part of cage.

1. Wet hands and attempt to wet wriggling pig while he tries to bite me.

1. Shampoo pig while he squeals, wriggles and bites.

1. Put pig in washing up bowl and attempt to rinse. At this point pig attempts to splash water all over floor and me and usually succeeds.

1. Wrap pig in towel and then blow dry gently while pig stuffs itself with parsley.

1. Have a large gin and then repeat for second pig

We haven't washed GP3 yet (though he does need a b-a-t-h) but when we used to wash GP1 and GP2, it was easier in the bath, with a towel on the bath surface to stop them slipping.
Mix shampoo in a jug with warm water to coat them evenly.

If they were left on the floor while we got everything ready they sat nose-to-tail , watching each others backs.

GP2 would always have that look about him like he was going to leap out (but he never did)

Rub their shampooey little bodies on a towel on the floor then back in to rinse.

Lots of towels to dry, low hairdyer then in a box of hay to finish .

Within 24 hours , GP2 would have run through a puddle of wee. His own or his brothers, he wasn't fussy

GP1 doesn't have his Greasespot Tail now.
DD keeps wanting to wash GP3 Good Luck with that dear

Wednesday the children got to meet a beautiful pregnant Himmy sow. I love Himmys' gorgeous black ears, nose and feet. She was one of 18 guinea pigs dumped in a box at the rescue centre .

Then they showed her a few days later with her 3 just like mum babies squeee

I do feel a disclaimer would have been wise though, not to hold a pg sow that late in pregnancy unless really necessary.

DD and I watched the Himmy episode on catch-up.

(We used to cuddle our sows when they were pg , but obviously they were used to us and they were relaxed. Our little black&white girl was very, very huggy - and keen to escape from the nasty himmy sows that she was side-by-siding with)

DD was at how noisy the piglets were

I've given my fur-babies a completely new bed upstairs.
Brand new tarpaulin floor cover, puppy pads, fleece, newspaper, Primark bag full of hay, fleshly washed towels to snuggle on...................

GP1 dropped his 'nads onto the paper and peed for Britain.

Ha! They don't tell you THAT in Pet School

Not seen the programme as my DDs are a bit older but it sounds a good idea if it's teaching kids to look after pets.

It is, however, a lot different looking after a pet who is dazzled by TV cameras/lights etc and one who is being arsey because his cage has been cleaned out and he can't find his cucumber . 70 - my lads were cleaned out this morning with lots of fresh bedding and towels and kitchen rolls. The cage looked great until I put them back in it and they both ran round madly peeing as they ran . I suspect that if I want a tidy cage to look at I need to get rid of the pets . Current Bun was no better - he's usually tidy but this morning he picked up and threw his water bowl across his freshly cleaned out cage which meant it had to be redone