Giving holiday care for 2 baby guinea pigs

[fortifiedwithtea]

Two 5 month old boars, not brothers. One has lovely fur not sure if he is a Rex or a Teddy? Grey agouti all over but the hair is fuzzy and he has curly whiskers. So cute.

They are settling in for their 3rd night with us. So far they don't appear to trust us as food providers not even grass unless they see Millie eating the same food. They must be eating enough because there is plenty of poo. they haven't touched our (spare) water bottle.

I was hoping that the boys could use the run and Millie could free range the garden with us supervising. The reality is Millie looks at them through the bars, boss baby rubblestrutts and fights his fuzzy friend who he regards a love rival.

Therefore run is being used on a time share basis. It was Millie's turn for the run today.

I have also forgotten how fast and difficult to catch baby guineas are.

That fortified, is why I prefer my pigs older and lardy - I can catch them.

I'm sure they're having fun with you and Millie.

Awww fuzzy crinkle whisker boy is most likely a Rex (Teddy are straight whiskered) but they are springey rather than soft (could be a bit of Swiiss if he has a fuzzy 'halo' . Swiss have longer hairs, Teddy and Rex are all short , one length)

5 months is getting to the Terrible Teens though so the prescence of a sow might send them a bit Sid James.

Even our lardy hogs give us the runaround when the mood takes them but piglets are so light and fragile

The water drinking varies so much between pigs - our boy never drinks, but the sows drank in the hot weather (though they have hamster bottles. Might as well empty and clean an untouched 100ml bottle than an untouched 250ml one)

You'll fall in love with them y'know , the coarse coats are big , cuddly, huge clawed Love Sponges
Sadly , my DD is hugely allergic to the fur.

We combed GP6 last week, he sits under his hayrack so we brushed out half a hedge and a tumbleweed sized ball of fur. I'm surprised Lord Lucan and Shergar weren't hiding in there !

Enjoy them - how long are they with you for ?

Oh you two make me laugh

Boys came on their holidays with their own bowl, water bottle and nuggets. I think I will start using their own water bottle just in case they don't realise its water; their bottle is a different colour.

Fuzzy Boy is very suspicious of us. We brought him in for cuddle time and grass, he would not touch it. We put Millie on the sofa, she tucked into the grass Fuzzy Boy started to eat but only the grass being chomped by Millie - lots of tug of war / Lady and the Tramp type scene. Fuzzy Boy gradually understood that none of the grass was poison and he tucked in to. Then he got too confident and sniffed Millie's bum. That was time for him to be marched back to the hutch.

Alpha Boy is too horny to be anywhere near Millie. And he's a bitey little rat bag. He nibbles fingers if he can smell Millie (more hand washing to avoid that one) , He nibbles if he is picked up too.

We have them for just under 3 weeks what with having them early to fit in with everyone's plans and anti social flight time home.

DD1 has already said can we have baby guinea pigs again . I pointed out all the reasons why she made me promise Millie would be our last guinea pig.

When my two went 'on holiday' to the NDN they ended up as the centre of attention at the 8 year old's birthday party. Totally loved the attention and now wheel if they hear them playing in their garden.
This also meant thay my piggies received party invites to 2 other parties !!!
Better potential social life that their humans

Wheek not wheel

We are a week in now. Despite being fussy eaters they create mountains of poo. I am cleaning their hutch daily. Swapped to using their own water bottle, still they are not drinking but plenty of wee output so not worried.

Boss Pig is a bitey little f***, he got his claws clipped yesterday. He knows I'm the real boss now . But he really loves our big run, he pop corns so high he still manages to melt my heart.

Fuzzy Boy has claimed the summer house as his. He generally likes to hide from Boss Pig who terrorises him with fighting, chasing and humping.

Millie's turn in the run today.

Sounds like they're having a whale of a time with Auntie Fortified. Millie's probably a bit at these imposters in her run and eating her grass. She'll need plenty of parsley and extra cucumber to ease the stress of it all.

You've reminded me I need to clip my pigs claws. I've just managed to do Current Bun, but he's easy (DD holds him like a baby and he shuts his eyes and goes to sleep), the pigs are another matter

I am a claw clipping coward .. we go to the vets

Ok I'm post a couple of red wines but even so the Little Bastard Award has shifted from Boss Pig to Fuzzy Boy.

Its Essex its been raining constantly from afternoon onwards. Kept thinking it will stop and then I can get the pigs in. That moment not happened.

Donned boots and trudged out into the garden. Lifted lid of summer house and found Boss Pig warm and dry. All good in the hutch he went. Jobs a goodun.
But Fuzzy Boy had been hiding in a wooden hidey. He was not so easy. Ran round the run like a tail less squirrel and then in the summer house. Aha , used the pigloo to trap him in and lifted up the lid. Little bugger jumped VERTICALLY at least 18 inches clean out onto the grass . I hobbled around plantar fasciitis and he made a dash for the fence (where we keep assorted garden crap) I crawled on my knees in the rain and was so, so very lucky to be able to grab him. He too very unceremoniously bundled back into the hutch. Checked bolts and pulled over rain cover.

Going for a strong [cuppa] now. I am never going to have baby pigs again. I was just thinking today how lovely our lumpy old Millie is. She snuggled on a blanket on DD1, looked so comfy and didn't move except for when DD had a packet of biscuits. Millie has a liking for custard creams. DD's fingers had to be licked thoroughly

They're gone home, yay!

Got up this morning, looked at the hutch and decided no more cleaning out. Solution put the boys in the run with clean bedding hay in the summer house. They were very happy as they had been imprisoned for 4 days since the vertical jump escape.

I relaxed with a coffee watching them and gave a good bye dandelion. Then set off for Tesco.

When I got home they were gone. DH said catching them was a bit of a performance , he caught Fuzzy Boy and the young owner caught Boss Pig.

Millie enjoyed unlimited run time in the afternoon. I don't think she will miss sharing her run

Well done, I'm sure the piggies enjoyed their holiday with Aunties Fortified and Milliepig. Hopefully they learnt some manners and will therefore grow up into suitably placid and lardy adult pigs. Millie deserves her custard creams (ooo custard creams - not had those in ages, may need a quick trip to Tesco!), for putting up with such rambunctious boys.

Aww you'll miss their fuzzy little faces and quirky ways
But I'm sure Millie will look forward to Peace'n'Quiet and her house back to herself and her rules.

GP1 used to like sharing a Cornetto with DD. He'd eat the crispy cone bit (not the ice-cream, didn't want a piggie with an Ice-Cream Headache)