Hello, I'm new! - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Mommy7** · #1 05-26-06, 05:10 pm

Greetings!!!

I am new here, and just wanted to introduce myself. I am a new pig owner, within the past four months. However, I have six pigs altogether and have found myself with many questions. I am hoping to find answers here. Our family has seven children, so this is the reason we have so many pigs. We love them tremendously and are hoping to learn more about them and take care of them with the best of our ability. Nice to "meet" you all. And I hope you can share some of the wisdom and knowledge you have obtained over the years of piggie ownership!

PS....I am SO happy there is a rule against "chat talk" as I have NO idea how to do it!!!

**JennG** · #2 05-26-06, 07:16 pm

Welcome to the forum Mommy7. And I am a mom of 10-3 human kids and 7 furry girls. I started out with three piggies and at one time, had 8 (Lola passed away in March). This is a great forum and I'm glad that they don't do chat talk either. I don't understand 90% of what is said in the chat rooms (hence why I don't go there).

Anyways, we love to see pigtures and please give details. Do you have all boys, all girls, boy & girls (separated, of course if they're not spayed/neutered), and have you built a C&C cage? I have had a ball building and revising my girls' cage.

PS: This is an excellent thread to read (http://www.cavycages.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17032) when you get a chance with 13 kids, I'm sure time is kind of a rarity in your house, huh?

**VoodooJoint** · #3 05-26-06, 07:21 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mommy7

PS....I am SO happy there is a rule against "chat talk" as I have NO idea how to do it!!!

Welcome to the forum and THANK YOU! for reading the rules before you posted.

As one of the people who has to enforce the rules I appreciate it.

**My Baby Mu** · #4 05-26-06, 08:26 pm

Welcome to the forum. As with JennG, I want details. Ages, gender, breed, color, housing...

**Mommy7** · #5 05-26-06, 09:36 pm

Okay, well thank you for the great welcomes! My family and I have six piggies in all. We are somewhat new to this, so we do not know the breeds except for one: a peruvian. Her name is Cher. She belongs to my oldest daughter. She was a show pig. Very lovely creature. Then there is Frodo and Jack. They are brothers and share a cage with a divider. This was how they were living when they were given to us so we just kept the divider. Not sure its necessary? They don't fight. Jack is black and has many MANY chins (a little chubby I think) and Frodo is black and white and has a funny personality. They both belong to my boys. They each have one. The other three are all brothers. Their names are Coconut, Junior and Reece. Reece is mine and I love him like he was my baby. He begs me to rub the bottom of his chin and when I do, he points that little nose really high and just lets me rub him for SOOOO LOOONNNNGGG. He is white, pink eyes and has a little smokey area on the tips of each ear. Coconut is white with pink eye's, and Junior is white with tan markings on him. They are wonderful! I have no pics of them but hopefully will soon. Many question, but can anyone tell me why the pigs make a little noise when you hold them? It sounds like they are making the letter "p" sound. Softly and repetatively.

**JennG** · #6 05-27-06, 11:50 am

Ooooo, sounds like you have a himi (Reece) which is one of my obsessions right now. Do you ever have Frodo and Jack on the floor together? If they get along on the floor, it may be worth a shot at taking out the divider. I can't wait to see pictures.

I just have one suggestion: It sounds like Cher is alone. You may want to get her a friend (I know you have six already but she could be lonely.) or if one of your boys is neutered you could pair her up them him. Piggies are herd animals and do better with a friend.

**Mommy7** · #7 05-28-06, 10:10 pm

Hi JennG...I am also concerned that CHer should have a friend. BUT!!! She may be pregnant so we are waiting to see if she has any girls. We put her in a cage with two boys whom we thought were female. Oooops! We bought her as a piggie who was a show pig and had already had 2 pregnancies so we didn't want to put her through that again. But looks like we have maybe messed up? What is a Himi? A certain breed? Can you give me more infor? I'd like to see pictures.

Thanks! Happy Memorial Day (if you are in USA)

wanda

**JennG** · #8 05-28-06, 10:23 pm

Oops! I'm sorry hear that she may be pregnant. Stuff like that happens alot; missexing piggies.

A himi is an all-white piggie with gray/dark markings on their ears and nose and I think they're feet but I'm not sure about their feet. PiggieMom has one as well as Ly. I want one REAL bad and some day I will get one. When I first got my girls, looks didn't matter (& they still don't). I pretty much adopted them all because I wanted to add to my herd. The last three I picked out because I was drawn to them and I was looking for a long-haired girl (I got two). Anyways, I know to get another piggie, I better make sure it's something extra special like the himi because I'm almost at my hubby's breaking point. I did promise after these last three that I was done. Oops!

**Mommy7** · #9 05-28-06, 10:34 pm

My little Reece was born white and his owner thought that he and his brother were twins because they were both white with pink eyes. But While his brother remained white, Reece began showing darkness on his ears and his feet. They were 5 weeks old before the dark hair showed up. Sounds strange, doesn't it? He's very sweet though and I just love him so much! Are you familiar with the candy Reeces pieces? My husband says thats what my pig's poops are---reeces pieces---and here's why: Our dog LOVES to eat them!! (sorry) isn't that gross?! But he actually sniffs them out!

Ugh, it nearly makes me sick! But every time I hold my pig or my kids hold theirs, the dog is right there waiting!

Sometimes my husband says our pigs are like Pez candy despensers. You know, how you flip the toy head and the candy is right there for you to eat?

Yuck! anyway, I hope I didn't spoil your midnight snack (Its after midnight where I am)

**JennG** · #10 05-28-06, 10:36 pm

LOL That is just way too funny. I would definitely make sure that your dog doesn't give you any special kisses. It sounds like you may have a himi but the other one sounds like a PEW (pink-eyed white). I guess as far as the dog goes, you don't really need a Hoover, do ya? Hahaha!

**janetangel** · #11 05-28-06, 10:37 pm

Hi Mommy 7
Welcome! Watch out for JennG. She is known for trying to find people's houses who have Himi's and trying to sneak in and get them.

Only kidding.
I have my first two piggies from a local shelter. I have had them 6 days and I am amazed I ever lived without them. They actually belong to my 8 yr old son who is a very good piggie parent.
This site has a lot of great people and info. Keep visiting and you will be a piggie pro soon.
Janet

**JennG** · #12 05-29-06, 01:25 pm

It seems that I'm getting a bad reputation on here. Hmmm?

janetangel, I originally adopted my girls for my kids but I consider them my babies. I just love them. If I don't have the three year old on my lap, I usually have a piggie on it when I'm on here. There are a few ocassions that I can actually sit without anyone attached to me.

**Ly&Pigs** · #13 05-29-06, 01:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennG

It seems that I'm getting a bad reputation on here.

Just a reputation for wanting to steal himi's, including my himi.

Mommy7, welcome to Cavy Cages. I'm sure that before long you will end up with more knowledge than you ever dreamed of having. Does your Reece have a dark nose and dark feet too, if so then he's a himi (himalayan). My himi is a girl, her name is Charity Ball, but I usually just call her Cherrybelle.

Quote:

Many question, but can anyone tell me why the pigs make a little noise when you hold them? It sounds like they are making the letter "p" sound. Softly and repetatively.

Is it kind of like a cat purr?

**jdomans** · #14 05-31-06, 08:13 pm

Hi Mommy7. I just love the reference to a Pez dispenser!! Too funny. We look forward to pigtures soon.

**janetangel** · #15 05-31-06, 11:40 pm

Hey JennG, I feel the same about the piggies. I look forward to coming home from work to check on them and visit, and when I get home from taking care of the horses, I come right home to them for play time.
Mommy7, I wonder what their noises are all about too. I got the loud pitch wheek one down. It is usually for their veges. My husband freaked the other night when he first heard it. He came running into my son's room to see what was the matter. To his surprise we were all fine. The noise still alarms him, but his heart stays planted in his chest now.
My girls have made that purring noise too, along with many other wheeks and squeaks. They communicate a lot, but like a human baby, you have to learn what sounds mean what.
Oh yeah, my chihuahua Scooby Doo, just started eating the bullet poops from the piggies during play time.

It kinda grosses me out, but it is less that I have to clean up. He is the only dog right now allowed to be that close to the piggies. I have not worked with the rest yet. One at a time when you have 6 dogs. Poor guy got the tip of his tail nibbled on last night by Cookie, one of our piggies. I thought it was funny. Scooby Doo jumped and got far away from her.