About Me Shame on me! I forgot to introduce myself! - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Heady** · #1 10-20-09, 02:36 pm

Hi everyone!

I recently became a piggy mom on Sept. 11th. I adopted my very first pig, Don Vito Santino (usually just Santino, unless he's in the mood to be addressed formally) from a guy on Craigslist that was so desperate to get rid of him that he brought Santino all the way to me (car problems...can't go and "fetch" my own)!!

Santino is around 2 years old and, as far as I know, has never had a cage mate. I posted a question about his behavior on craigslist and a very wonderful girl answered my question and we became friends! She directed me to this site, so I made an account and totally forgot that I never introduced myself, so I am now

AngieKay is the girl, and I made sure to let them know that she brought me here.

Not only is she a wealth of information, she also gave Santino his first buddy!!! Barney came to us a few weeks ago and he is around 8 months old. He's an American breed and Santino is what we believe to be a Silkie, so these two together make a darling pair.

Thanks to Angie, my Santino has a great friend, I have a great friend and she always knows the answers to everything I ask, so you all have a great forum member!

I do have some questions that I will be posting here, but not in this area, as I know they don't belong here. Once I find the appropriate area, be on the lookout!

I really look forward to getting to know everyone here and I look forward to reading more and as much as I can. I really should say that out of all the animals I've ever owned and all the research I have done on said animals, this forum has to be the most extensive one I've ever seen for any animal. Truly! It's brilliant and I'm so glad she brought me here!

**angiekay** · #2 10-20-09, 05:55 pm

That's my buddy!!! Hey girl, I found ya! Glad you made it, and we both know Barney has a great momma and is taken very good care of.

Side note: My friend here needed a housemate for Santino, and with Barney/Fred's fighting constantly and having the cage split up, my only options were to rehome Barn OR take on yet another GP to be housed with him. I really had my hands full with 3, and wasn't prepared to take on another and chance more costs and perhaps vet bills (I would like to be financially able to take them if the need arised) So we thought we would try out Santino and Barn, they hit it off grandly from the very beginning, never any fighting or bickering.

Needless to say, I have since lost my Fred as many of you know already

However, I'm supposed to be picking up a housemate for Pepe this Sunday from another member here who adopted 4 females and 2 of them were pregnant. I will post up some pics when I get him of course.

Anyways, I have gotten a very good friend out of it, and I consider it a blessing in disquise. Love ya girl!!!

**twiztedlilfae** · #3 10-20-09, 05:59 pm

Heylo!! Ya'll are in my neck of the woods! I'm in NC about an hour from Wilmington and Raleigh. I think this state has perfect geography! But hi and welcome to the forum Heady!

**Tessa Bea** · #4 10-20-09, 06:28 pm

Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on the friends, both for your pig and yourself! Angiekay is a great forum member here from what I've seen, a very good personal resource to have as a friend, too!

**blackarrow** · #5 10-20-09, 06:46 pm

What a nice intro. Welcome to you and your boars! And good work there, Angiekay!

**2pigs2kids** · #6 10-20-09, 07:00 pm

Welcome!! And, I must say I love that name, Don Vito Santino!!

**angiekay** · #7 10-20-09, 07:07 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2pigs2kids

Welcome!! And, I must say I love that name, Don Vito Santino!!

I told her the same thing! He is a GORGEOUS pig, I hope she gets some more photos of them both up here, she's sent me quite a few so I know she's got some good ones.

Me and the hubby took Barney over to her, and helped her assemble the c & c cage, hubby has become an absolute expert with zipties, she's got a more than the recommended size for two there!

**Heady** · #8 10-21-09, 08:02 am

Thank you all for the warm welcome!! And thank you, Angie, for your always kind words.

To say that the hubby and you helped assemble the cage...well, that is an understatement. You completely built the cage for me!

The introduction with Santino and Barney went unlike what I had expected. No rolling around or biting or anything. Although I did keep looking at Angie with the alarmed "Is that okay?!" look

I want to break out the good camera so I can get pics taken of the cage and I would like to do some pictures when they're out for play time, too!

**Heady** · #9 10-22-09, 10:36 am

AGH! I thought I responded to everyone!!

Thank you all for the warm welcome! And another thanks to Angie for bringing me here

I love the Godfather and when I first saw Santino in person I was like "OMG, it's the guinea pig version of Marlon Brando!!!" So I picked two names, Don Vito and Santino. My husband and my friend Zach both preferred Santino and it seemed as though Santino responded to that name, but not Don Vito. I suppose it's the same as being frequently called by your last name

Thank you for thinking he's gorgeous, Angie!! I think he is too, although now his bun-buns looks funny since the butt haircut. I still need to get some better pictures of both of them!

The cage Angie's hubby built is AWESOME! It's so sturdy. I had attempted zip tying the walls together earlier in the day before they came over and it was so bendy, and I couldn't figure out why she said to use zip ties. But then he started working on it, and it's more sturdy than it would have been with the connectors!

Is it more than the recommended size? I thought it was "just" at the recommended size. Although I'm probably thinking incorrectly... it's 3 grids by 4 grids. Still fabulous, regardless :-D

**twiztedlilfae** · #10 10-22-09, 10:43 am

It would've been even funnier if you had named him after a character in scarface, you could've called this post "Say hello to my little friend."

**princesspoppy** · #11 10-22-09, 10:51 am

Welcome

AngieKay is super dooper :P

**Heady** · #12 10-22-09, 11:06 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by twiztedlilfae

It would've been even funnier if you had named him after a character in scarface, you could've called this post "Say hello to my little friend."

AAAHH!!! *huge giggle* It's so funny that you say that because his name was going to be Tony, but he really does look like Marlon Brando, so I had to go the Godfather route! And calling the thread "Say hello to my little friend" KILLED me! I have not laughed so hard in so long! Thank you!!!

**twiztedlilfae** · #13 10-22-09, 11:21 am

Glad to be of service m'dear! hehehe Laughter is the best medicine! But he is a cutie and you could always get him another friend and call him Tony. Maybe dress them up in pinstripe suits and top hats for halloween

**Heady** · #14 10-22-09, 12:01 pm

Your ideas continually make me laugh

I love the idea about the pinstripe suits!!! I would get another, but I don't think it would work, plus I know my husband would voice a very loud "NO!" to that idea

**twiztedlilfae** · #15 10-22-09, 12:33 pm

It's alright Barney's nickname could be Don or Tony

hehehe

**Heady** · #16 10-22-09, 01:00 pm

Barney Don Tony!!!!!! I do believe you just came up with a new name!!

My friend Zach always likes to add more names to our animals. After we got Lucy from the shelter, Zach moved in with us and started with the names. I can't exactly remember all of them, but he called Dora "Fatsy Cline" because she used to be really really fat (14lbs and now the poor girl is down to 7lbs

) and Lucy's name was something like "Lucifer Lorraine Jimi Hendrix Rockafeller". I will have to tell him about you suggesting names for Barney and that "Barney Don Tony" came to be. I think he'll get a kick out of that!

**fieryone** · #17 10-22-09, 01:22 pm

Welcome to the forum!

I have to laugh because the naming of your pig sounds a lot like the naming of our Doc. He came to us from craigslist with the name Oliver that my son didn't think was right to change. My husband thought that he looked like Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes, and I wanted to name him Fenway because of my Red Sox obsession. So he was dubbed Dr. Oliver Fenway Zaius. Then one morning my husband walked by him while he was still in quarantine and said, "What's up, Doc?" and it stuck.

**twiztedlilfae** · #18 10-22-09, 02:15 pm

Is it bad that I just had Bugs bunny pop into my head after your story fiery one? and glad to be of service Heady, hope that Barney likes the new name..heeheh

**Heady** · #19 10-22-09, 02:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by fieryone

Welcome to the forum!

I have to laugh because the naming of your pig sounds a lot like the naming of our Doc. He came to us from craigslist with the name Oliver that my son didn't think was right to change. My husband thought that he looked like Dr. Zaius from Planet of the Apes, and I wanted to name him Fenway because of my Red Sox obsession. So he was dubbed Dr. Oliver Fenway Zaius. Then one morning my husband walked by him while he was still in quarantine and said, "What's up, Doc?" and it stuck.

Thank you and I love your story!! I like it when animals are named just like humans...first, middle and last!!

"Thank you, Heady, for this useful post," says:
angiekay (10-20-09)

"Thank you, Tessa Bea, for this useful post," says:
angiekay (10-20-09)

"Thank you, blackarrow, for this useful post," says:
angiekay (10-20-09)

"Thank you, twiztedlilfae, for this useful post," says:
Tessa Bea (10-22-09)