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UK Muffin!

daftscotslass

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Are you contemplating Minnie, Daisy or Lizzie yet? I was tempted to offer one of them a home but my boyfriend would kill me!
 

muffin

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Hello! Wow I feel so special with my name as a thread! It's actually my dog's name, well the family dog, she lives at my Mum's, but still loves me most of all cos I give her the biggest hugs when I do see her at weekends. Well, I phoned Bothwell Bridge last week and spoke to a woman who knew nothing about the pigs there. She said they had nine, but that Minnie, Daisy and Lizzie weren't among the names on the board with the info on. She phoned through to the animal room and from what I heard I got the impression the woman there wasn't too sure of the sex of the pigs in the cages either. I think she said there were about 6 females. One female piggy had been added to a pair and they were getting on fine she said, but she described it as tawny brown, so I don't think M,D and L are there any more. I might phone tomorrow and see if someone else answers. My boyfriend is getting cold feet over the idea of more than one new pig, so it occurred to me that I could adopt the extra pig from a trio, because most people are only willing to take two. This seems mean if it needs to be quarantined though. Hmm. I think his biggest issue is over the cage size. It's a 5 x 2 and a bit grids, and we can add a second level. It just doesn't look like that would be big enough for four pigs or five! I know they are happy in groups, but will they have enough room to do laps once all the hidey houses are in there?? What size is your cage and for how many pigs? What are your biggest cage issues among the pigs? If they were there I would love to take them, but would have some work to convince the boyfriend. He is currently fixated on spending his bonus on a huge TV, I'm sure agreeing to that would work to convince him! I'll let you know what they say at the centre tomorrow when I phone. I'll try and get the woman from the small animal to phone me back. I'll let you know:)
 

daftscotslass

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I have three females in a 2x4. Not the biggest because my living room isn't really big enough for a larger cage. We're looking now to buying a house so I will have space for more piggers, woohoo! Mine are very able to do laps in the cage, but I let them out for floor time in the bedroom daily. Bonnie is becoming more of a lap pig in her old age (1.5 years!).

The biggest issue I have is really toilet training. I had it down to a T when I just had Bonnie and Bramble. Bonnie has always used the litter tray for everything. When I first got Bramble, she copied Bonnie within a week at the tender age of 6 weeks old. However, when I got Lucy in December, everything went to pot(ty). Bonnie is still very reliable, however since Lucy has no desire to 'go' in the tray, Bramble has given up too. Bramble poos where Lucy does - i.e. all over the place. So, I've just kept some hay in there to encourage them to go in it.

Lucy was fine during quarantining. I kept them in seperate rooms for nearly 2 weeks and then moved Lucy into the same room where she could smell the others. She is a bit of a bully but introductions went well and they all live together peacefully, except during occasional bouts of PMS. I have a good mix of personalities - Bonnie is very large (1.25kg) but very submissive. Bramble is just a clown, she is just daft. She sticks up for herself but generally just bumbles along. She is now just over 6 months old so is not quite fully grown at 900g. Lucy (very small in comparison to the other two at 890g) was either injured or bitten severely when she was young. Both her ears are very torn and she clearly has her own 'territory' in the cage. She is very possessive of food and I need to have three food bowls for a peaceful existence. This is something you might need to consider having space for.
 

muffin

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That is the big issue, along with where to put them if they all fight. I think 3 pigs would seriously be our maximum. We need to be able to transport them to the vet and stuff, and to my parents' holiday house a few times a year. The boyfriend is convinced that one new pig is the limit. I think he's right, but I feel for the ones at the shelter. I'm currently worrying over whether the hutch-shaped box on my neighbour's outdoor balcony is a rabbit/guinea pig hutch. Looks like a bag of sawdust next to it.
 

daftscotslass

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The cages are very portable. I had every intention to put Bonnie and Bracken (my piggy that passed away last September) back in the pet store cage when we were on holiday last year so they could stay at my mum's. Fur flew. Turned out that the bigger C&C was even more portable than I thought. Very easy to take down and put back together quickly.
 

muffin

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Oh believe me, I've been through every aspect of how we could make it work with him. I even proved that a modified C&C would fit in the back of the car! He just doesn't think there'd be enough space in the actual cage, but am I right in thinking that because they're so sociable they don't mind being near one another? People say that taking care of four is no different to two, but it must be? Oh it's so hard, it's driving me nuts. I want to do what's best for the animals, and not end up getting too many pigs just cos they're so cute and needy.
 

muffin

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Well, neither Lothian, nor Glasgow cat and dog home have guinea pigs. And now Bothwell bridge only has one female up for adoption,yay! I didn't ask about males.
 

daftscotslass

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Good news. Go get the female!
 

muffin

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Oooh-don't get me excited! She may not be there, it may snow- eek! I'll try and reserve her if I can, just ordered an extra bowl, bottles and a house from thistle cavies too today, and more grids. Knowing my luck she won't be there when I phone tomorrow, which I guess is a good thing. I'll let you know.
 

muffin

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Would you believe she went and got herself adopted yesterday! No female guinea pigs! So I emailed Thistle Cavies, and Wendi has no sows either. She did say that she doesn't think three is a good idea, since two may bond and ignore/bully the third. That means getting a pair, and I really don't think my boyfriend will go for it. I don't even know if it will work. Dundee has about 7.
 

daftscotslass

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Dundee is a bit far! Wendi's last two sows went a couple of weeks ago, but I guess it's good news for Scottish piggies that they all managed to find new, loving homes!

What about Ayr?
 

muffin

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Ayr is even further than Dundee! Dundee would take about the same journey time from my house as Glasgow, as long as I went at a low traffic time. It is good about the Scottish piggies.
 

daftscotslass

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More! (broken link removed)
 

muffin

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I know! My boyfriend literally just called me from work to tell me! So evil, I'm meant to be revising and now I've ended up here again because I turned the PC on! Hence why my posts may seem to ramble a bit, in much of a rush I'm afraid. I'm so worried that the SSPCA is going to get loads of rabbits after Easter. I can't believe people are so stupid that they buy them over easter on impulse. I wrote Pets at Home a letter asking them not to sell them over easter, and asked for a written reply, wonder if I'll get one?:sarcastic have you seen the CO-OP advert? I asked the SSPCA to write to them about it. It just encourages people to get a cute little bunny for easter. GGrrr! Adopting may have to wait til my exams are over, come one 12th May!...EEEK that's so soon! There will always be a guinea or two somewhere in need of a home, even if I have to wait a month or two. Oh but they are so cute!!!
 

daftscotslass

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Yes last year was just dreadful. The situation is the same for all small animals - kids beg for them instead of easter eggs. I should really be doing some uni work too - got a 3500 word assignment and extensive planning to finish before Monday. Oh well.
 

muffin

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Yikes, what are you studying? This forum has totally ruined my powers of concentration. I tried so hard not to think about guinea pigs and get work done and then I found a forum of like-minded poeple! I'm so weak, if the PC is on I just can't help checking what's new.
 
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daftscotslass

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Postgraduate primary teaching.
 

muffin

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Cool. I bet that's really hard though. I'll let you get on with it!
 

daftscotslass

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Mleh... I'm just going to go and get lunch instead, hehe! What exams have you got?
 

muffin

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Fourth year finals for a history degree, my lectureres are on strike, so I only know part of my coursework grade, so I'm trying not to panic. My exam titles are: 'popular religion in the middle ages', 'plague politics and protest in fourteenth century England', and 'The dukes of Burgundy and their territories in the Netherlands in the 15th century'. Really riveting stuff-not. It is interesting but not enough to make me want to read about it. I need to do well if I'm going to get onto the law course I've applied for, sigh. It sucks not knowing how well I've done so far. I'll be glad when it's over. I'm sure you know how I feel, having been there. Sigh, back to the grindstone.
 
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