Introducing Frosty and Ash!!

willowaz · Sep 11, 2008

Hi Everyone!!

I'm sure it's going to be great getting to know you all and swapping tips. I thought I would say a little about myself first and then introduce my two boys.

My name is Gemma, I'm a great animal lover, I even have a degree in Animal Science (Behaviour and Welfare), and now i work in The Margret Green Foundation Trust which is an animal rescue and rehoming centre in Dorset UK. (broken link removed) visit the website and you can see some of the lovely animals for rehoming including lots of cavies!!

Now to introduce Frosty and Ash...

This is Frosty:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=12378

And this is Ash:

I adopted tham from MGFT where i work, they were just 5 weeks old when they came to us and were given up because they were the only 2 males in the litter. They are brothers. Frosty was the runt of the litter and is about 3/4 the size of Ash, he is also a little bit of a nipper but i'll still love him no matter how much he wants to bite me!! I believe Ash is a marked crested, brindle in colour, and Frosty is a white self or smooth. Ash is a chatty little thing compared to Frosty, and Frosty has the bad habit of always wanting what Ash has... for example if i give them both a nice big dandelion leaf each, then Frosty will drop his and try to steal Ash's!! They are about 4 1/2 months old now. They are amazing at eating the grass and hay, they much prefer it to dry food which I am pleased about, and also love most of the vegetables I give them. They are outdoor cavies, which I know some of you might not agree with, however, I am a very good cavy slave and i have a waterproof and windproof cover for their hutch and when the weather gets cold I also have a snug to keep it nice and warm for them!!

I hope you all enjoyed my not so little introduction!!

wheeek · Sep 11, 2008

Nice to meet you!(Your pigs are very cute!)

luvmyguineas · Sep 11, 2008

your piggies are soooooooo cute

willowaz · Nov 8, 2009

thanks guys!! they are the cutest!! hehe.

just a little update, my boys are now a year older, and doing just as well. frosty has stopped nipping so much now, and they are both very chatty now.

ash is a very plump boy, enjoys his food a little too much, and frosty is still a runt about half the size of ash, but he makes up for it in attitude!! lol

this summer i brought them a 6ft by 4ft run which they adore having so much room to run around in.

i have also learnt alot more about what they like to eat and what they dont like to eat which is great.

everyone thinks i spoil them as they have a massive cupboard full of blankets, and snuggs, and treats and food etc!! but i love them alot!!

blackarrow · Nov 8, 2009

Welcome, they're very cute.

It's kind of an understatement to say that some of us might not agree with them being housed outside, considering this entire site is based around guinea pigs having proper - INDOOR - housing. I hope you will read enough here to find out why that is.

CavyMama · Nov 8, 2009

I agree with blackarrow, being housed outdoors, they are far more likely to be stolen or attacked by local animals or humans! Unexpected changes in weather or temperature can affect their health. As opposed to being housed indoors where the temperature is stable and there is zero risk of being attacked by wild animals or humans who want to do them harm.

xoLauraox09 · Nov 8, 2009

Forsty is just like my guinea pig Molly!

They are very cute

willowaz · Nov 8, 2009

i can see all your points, and they are good points, however, im not going to get into the indoor vs outdoor debate on here cos its a place to introduce my guineas, not to have a heated debate which im sure it would turn into because my job and degree in animal welfare has lead me to decide that outdoor is better... in my opinion. but like i said, you btoh have good points, which im sure have been discussed on different threads.

please keep youre replies to what you would like to sat about the guineas, thanks guys x

CavyMama · Nov 8, 2009

Yes it has been discussed in other threads. You should check them out to educate yourself on the dangers of keeping pigs outside. I'm curious as to what brought you to the decision that keeping them outside was the BETTER choice. I, for one, can't think of even one reason why outdoors would be better.

Also, you asked that we keep our posts about your pigs, well you did mention in your introduction that you keep them outside so discussing them being outside is a valid addition to posting about your pigs.

blackarrow · Nov 8, 2009

I did. What I would like to say about the guineas is that they should be housed indoors. If you don't want to discuss it, your best bet is not to mention it on your intro post on a board entirely dedicated to the exact opposite proposition.

Paula · Nov 8, 2009

willowaz said:
...my job and degree in animal welfare has lead me to decide that outdoor is better... in my opinion...

Sounds to me like little more than a thinly veiled excuse to do what's most convenient for you.

Welcome to GPC. Your boys are beautiful. Too bad you aren't willing to give them an indoor home, with the same luxuries you afford yourself. Too bad they're going to be exposed daily to changes in temperature and weather, predators, to include humans, and all kinds of other things that are NOT in the best interest of a prey animal. Too bad that if they get sick you aren't likely to notice soon enough to do any good for them, your degree notwithstanding, because, well, they are outside, rather than indoors where you'd notice right away if they were ill or just not acting themselves.

Dichotomy83 · Nov 8, 2009

Your boys are adorable. I particularly like the little tuft of hair on Ash.

That said, Im sure you would be devastated if one or both of them came to harm from a predator (human or animal) or developed fleas or a URI due to a sudden temp drop. Please consider your lovely pigs and how much happier they would be housed indoors. They dont deserve to be outcast from your family.

Ly&Pigs · Nov 8, 2009

willowaz said:
please keep youre replies to what you would like to sat about the guineas

Sorry, but only moderators get to dictate the rules for threads. If you didn't want the outdoor part of your original post discussed, then why did you mention it in this thread?

willowaz said:
because my job and degree in animal welfare has lead me to decide that outdoor is better... in my opinion

May I ask for what reasons? Having a degree in something such as animal welfare means nothing to me. There are a lot of vets out there with veterinary degrees that still provide improper, poor or just plain wrong care that can further endanger cavies' lives.

willowaz · Nov 9, 2009

Well, all i can say to the barrage of abuse that has been sent my way on here is I will no longer be posting on here because to be honest, you just sound like a bunch of bullies who are stuck in your ways. Its a very good thing that I happen to be a grown up, not a child who would have probably been crying after all those replies saying my guinea pigs are going to be killed or die.

And another thing, I live in the UK, so the predator part of the argument doesnt really work in this debate, because the only possible one is potentially foxes but they arent in the area I live, and also I dont know what you Americans are like, but people don't go around stealing guinea pigs or killing them over here. Oh and the whole cat or dog thing, you cant use that as an arguement either because if you look at most of the photos on this forum people have cats and dogs around with their indoor hoursed cavies, so there is just as much of a risk there.

And also, my major argument point, is where did cavies evolve, ask yourselves that, was it in a house....no, it was outside in the wild like all animals do!! And yes, the temperature is sometimes pretty hot in South America, but it also drops down very cold at night too.

Anymore abuse anyone wants to throw at me, please throw it.

CavyMama · Nov 9, 2009

I fail to see the "abuse" that's been thrown your way. All people have been doing is warning you of the potential risks that inherently come with keeping a guinea pig outdoors. People mentioned that your pigs might be killed or die because that's a very real risk when housing outdoors.

If you assume that all those who posted about your pigs being outside are from the US, you would be incorrect. Stray cats and dogs vs indoor cats and dogs is not a valid argument. Indoor cats and dogs are fed regularly and would have no reason to attack a guinea pig out of hunger. Strays are not fed regularly and would indeed take the opportunity to get at a nice snack they find in your outdoor hutch.

Also think of your pigs. Let's say an animal DID try to get in - your pigs have no where to run or hide. Think of how scared they would be if an animal was trying to get to them - how terrifying for them! They have no chance of escape, especially if the attacker is human. Now believe what you want about people, but it's naiive to think that there aren't people (in an altered state or simply because they think its funny) who wouldn't try to steal or harm your pigs if they are outdoors. The chances they could get to them if they were inside? Zero!

And how about that weather - you have no way of knowing when the temp will take a sharp turn. The weather can affect their health and being outdoors, you may not notice it right away. Whereas being indoors, the change in weather has no affect on the health of a guinea pig.

CavyMama · Nov 9, 2009

Here's some reading for you to do

Dangers of Outdoor Housing
Summer is Coming. Should You House Your GP Outside?
Outdoor vs Indoor
UK GP housed outside dies of heatstroke
GPs stolen from outdoor cage
2 GPs in outdoor cage killed by dog (on Animal Precinct)
HAWK, drops guinea pig in someone's yard
Violent thugs batter family pets to death
Thread about people breaking into outdoor hutches and sheds
2 guinea pigs stolen from outdoor shed
Guinea pig attacked by rats in shed
Magpies attacking GPs in their outdoor hutches
4 GPs dead. Cause is a suspected mouse infestation in shed and garden
Ant infested yard and hutches
Warning for those keeping animals outside
Guinea pigs stolen from "Cavy Sanctuary"
(broken link removed)
More Guinea pigs die of heatstroke
Guinea Pig Killed by Cat
Guinea Pigs Being Attacked by Cat
Rabbit Hutch Repeatedly attacked by Bears
5 year old GP stolen from outdoor hutch

blackarrow · Nov 9, 2009

willowaz said:
Well, all i can say to the barrage of abuse that has been sent my way on here is I will no longer be posting on here

That's just as well, if all you're going to be doing is insisting that guinea pigs should be kept outside and you have some sort of degree which says so. Instead of posting, you should be reading.

willowaz said:
Its a very good thing that I happen to be a grown up, not a child who would have probably been crying after all those replies saying my guinea pigs are going to be killed or die.

Why would you be upset at what was said, since you think it's all wrong?

willowaz said:
. . . .I dont know what you Americans are like, but people don't go around stealing guinea pigs or killing them over here.

Ah, it's always so charming and mature - and accurate! - when someone starts up with the "my entire country's population is better than yours" lines! How long have you been working with this rescue, exactly, that you've never come across a single mistreated animal?

willowaz said:
Oh and the whole cat or dog thing, you cant use that as an arguement either because if you look at most of the photos on this forum people have cats and dogs around with their indoor hoursed cavies, so there is just as much of a risk there.

Wrong again! The difference is that there is also a human present indoors to supervise.

willowaz said:
And also, my major argument point, is where did cavies evolve, ask yourselves that, was it in a house....no, it was outside in the wild like all animals do!! And yes, the temperature is sometimes pretty hot in South America, but it also drops down very cold at night too.

Well, you've got me there, their predecessors did live outdoors. And died outdoors, at an extremely young age, which is exactly why the species reproduces so fast and so prolifically - the species would not have survived had guinea pigs taken several years to reach maturity, because most didn't live that long outdoors.

Did you notice, human beings didn't evolve in a house either - it was right out there in the wild! You are at least as capable of surviving in a hutch in your back yard as your cavies are. Would you think you were spoiled living in an unheated hut? Even if you had a blanket?

Paula · Nov 9, 2009

willowaz said:
Well, all i can say to the barrage of abuse that has been sent my way on here is I will no longer be posting on here because to be honest, you just sound like a bunch of bullies who are stuck in your ways.

I find it quite sad that rather than open your eyes to a new way of doing things, rather than listen to what we might have to say and the arguments for housing them indoors or do your own research on the matter, you'd rather just deem suggesting housing them inside "abuse" and stomp off in a huff.

willowaz said:
...but people don't go around stealing guinea pigs or killing them over here.

Not that you know of anyway. People are far more cruel than animals, though, and whether you think it's possible of not, it is, and I'd hate for your pigs to be the ones to have to learn that lesson because of your unwillingness to provide them an appropriate indoor home.

willowaz said:
And also, my major argument point, is where did cavies evolve, ask yourselves that, was it in a house....no, it was outside in the wild like all animals do!!

Any idea what the average lifespan of those evolutionary wonders was/is? A year. At the very best.

ameyjaney · Nov 9, 2009

Your guinea-pigs are adorable - Ash has a lovely colouring

willowaz said:
And another thing, I live in the UK, so the predator part of the argument doesnt really work in this debate, because the only possible one is potentially foxes but they arent in the area I live,

I'm from the UK also. Foxes are pretty much present in every town, city or countryside now. I recently saw a fox wandering around Glasgow City Centre - they are not scared and just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean that there aren't any where you stay. I was oblivious to the fact of foxes in my garden until one day a certain Mr/Mrs Fox got into my parents garden and lets just say the ducks were no more

. Personally, I would not want to risk any harm to my GPs which is why I feel that housing indoors is better. Also, you say the only potential predator is a fox - how about a Buzzard or in fact any bird of prey?

willowaz said:
because my job and degree in animal welfare has lead me to decide that outdoor is better... in my opinion. but like i said, you btoh have good points, which im sure have been discussed on different threads.

I also have an animal-related degree (zoology) but to be perfectly honest, I would much rather trust the advice of the guys on this forum. There is sooo much valuable knowledge on here and probably, in total, many years of gp care.

Where People & Piggies Thrive

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Introducing Frosty and Ash!!

willowaz

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wheeek

Well-known Member

luvmyguineas

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willowaz

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blackarrow

Well-known Member

CavyMama

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xoLauraox09

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willowaz

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CavyMama

Well-known Member

blackarrow

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Paula

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Dichotomy83

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Ly&Pigs

Cavy Champion, Previous Forum Moderator

willowaz

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CavyMama

Well-known Member

CavyMama

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blackarrow

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Paula

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ameyjaney

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