Hello from the paperlady and her piggies

[paperlady]

My husband and I had been discussing getting a guinea pig, since I wanted a pet that could actually be touched, the apartments that we live in won't allow unconfined animals (except service animals), and my husband hates rats, because of some bad experiences in childhood with the undomesticated variety. Anyway, I started researching, and found this site So instead of going to a petstore and getting one cavy, I went to craigslist and got 2 females--a mother/daughter pair, 1 year and 8-9 months. We just got them this past Saturday, and I took some pigtures tonight (not very good, unfortunately, because the battery was too low to use the flash). Meet Esther (mama--short hair and willing to come a bit farther into the light for the camera) and Jasmine:



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Ooooo, it's The Hand...


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What, no treat?


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Hey, Mom, does The Hand bear food?


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Do you really think this bribe will work?

One of the many things you can't see in these photos (I'll try to get better ones at some other time) is that both girls have blue eyes. And Esther might be pregnant.

[paperlady]

Hmmm... Esther may not be pregnant after all. Since I took them off of unlimited pellets, started them on unlimited hay, and got an area prepped for floortime, I've noticed she's looking a little slimmer. She's also finally let me hold her for a few seconds, and I don't feel anything but softness when I feel her belly--and she's large enough that at least heads should be feelable! Plus she has jowls and a pretty impressive double chin.

I'd take more pictures, since they're having floor time, but Jasmine's under the table, and Esther is under a cardboard box, trying to scoot it to the veggie plate!

Edit: And from the munching I hear behind me, she has succeeded

[paperlady]

I think it's now safe to say that Esther was just really overweight.

[steve_and_pigs]

Sounds like you're really enjoying your new piggies! The good diet and exercise will get them nice and fit! One of my girls just flopped around at first. now she runs all over the place!

[paperlady]

The girls started running around during floor time after just a couple of days. I'd have to say that they enjoy floor time--veggies and 90 square feet! I just block off the entire dining room. When floor time is over is when they, especially Esther, gets lots of exercise, though. There's quite a bit of chasing involved, especially since I try to avoid kneeling in anything while reaching under/behind chairs.

I still think Esther's not pregnant, because her sides don't stick out any more than they did two and a half weeks ago--but, despite the surrounding excess padding being gone, Esther's still pear shaped--just at the bottom of her belly, though (counting her back as the top of her belly). When I say excess padding, I mean it--there were rolls on her legs! Could she just have a bunch of extra skin now? When I palpate her sides, it's just soft. I've had enough pregnant other animals to know what babies feel like! I did read quite a bit about ovarian cysts, but she has no symptoms of anything. I can't tell if there's been any behavior change, because I've not had them very long. I can say that there has been no mounting when I've been around. If I had a working camera, I'd try to get some photos. If Esther is pregnant, I don't know how far long she would be, because the former owner never did tell me when the male had been removed...

Jasmine's doing great.

I haven't had a chance to get the materials for a C&C cage yet, because of unusual expenses this month, but quite likely after the bills are all covered next week. Meanwhile, they get long floor times in a 90 square foot space.