Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register

Oh hai there!

Subsonica

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Posts
37
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Messages
37
Hello! I've made a few posts on here, but realised I haven't really introduced myself. My name is Clare, and I'm mommy to two 16week old girlies named Leila and Nibbler. They are both short haired, Leila is a white/brown/black tortoiseshell, and Nibbler is black withe the odd speck of brown. Nibbler got her name through her need to nibble on practically everything; cage bars, hidey houses, towels, clothing, even your hair looks edible to her! Because I'm a bit of a geek, her sister was then named Leila.

Their favourite veggies are carrots and Tesco's "fresh greens", and they both love Burgess Excel Fresh Herbage, as well as Burgess' dried apple treats. They poop lots, so I call them my little poop machines. lol

I really love the way my piggies personalities are coming out of recent times. When I first got them, Leila was the dominant confident one, and Nibbler was really shy and timid. Over time, it seemed to reverse, I think Leila started sulking that the rumblestrutting wasn't having any affect on Nibbler. Now Nibbler is the one that will come right up to me, while Leila is really timid.

When it comes to taking them out of the cage, Leila seems to have mellowed out a lot, she will sit there really still and let me pick her up now, whereas Nibbler (who used to try and nip me) just shrieks and runs away. Nibbler still hates being touched, but we think she's just been spooked by Leila rumblestrutting behind her. The vet has checked her over, and even treated them both for mites to be on the safe side, so there's nothing actually wrong with her. Hopefully she'll grow out of it.

I made them a new playpen (temporary till we know how many grids are left over from the cage), so that I can give them some floor time without having to supervise their every move. This is where I've really got to see my piggies characters. Nibbler will happily just walk around a little with a few popcorns, whereas Leila is a right little livewire! She races and jumps all over the place, trying to get Nibbler to join in, but Nibbler doesn't seem interested. She will occasionally join in though, it's so cute when she does, they chase each other back and forth, with lots of jumping and chatting going on. Leila also seems to enjoy pushing their chube around.

I'm considering looking for another piggie to join them once the cage is up and running, so that Leila at least has someone to play with when Nibbler isn't interested, I'm thinking that if I got a boar then it might help with their squabbling too. Problem is there are very few rescues around here, and the ones that I have found are a good 2-3 hour drive.

Sorry for the small essay btw, I just really wanted to share how my girls have progressed and that I love them to bits. I'm hoping that with some more time and patience that they both learn to love being around me as much as some of the other piggies and owners on this board! :love:
I'll get some piccies up of them as soon as my new camera lead arrives!
 

CavyMama

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Posts
5,025
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
5,025
Hi Subsonica,

Can't wait to see pics of your little ones!

Sounds like they are really a lot of fun! It's good that they enjoy carrots but too much of it, can be troublesome for them. About 1 baby carrot per pig is enough for a day. They tend to be higher in sugar than people realize so they can't be a constant part of their diet.

Avoid dried fruit as they tend to have a lot of preservatives and sugars added. So those dried apple treats should not be given to them. A fresh apple slice 1-2 times per week makes a much better treat for them.

If you do get a boar for them to pal around with, make sure he is neutered before he comes in contact with them. Pregnancy can happen before anyone even realizes it. Even post neuter, you need to wait 2 weeks before bringing them together.

Welcome to the GPF! Feel free to ask questions. Lots of knowledgeable people here.
 

Subsonica

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Posts
37
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Messages
37
Thank you, and don't worry, they don't get tonnes of carrot, about 5 x 1/2 cm slices between them per day, so about 1 baby carrot each. When I say dried apple, I mean it's the Burgess Excel Apple snacks, though I do vary their treats day to day of course. ;)

I've started putting emails out to the SSPCA (the Scottish RSPCA) to let them know that I'm looking, so they can contact me if they do get any in, of course saying that I would prefer them to be neutered. Last thing I want is to be adding to the homeless piggie population!
 

CavyMama

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Posts
5,025
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
5,025
Okay, I was unfamiliar with Burgess Excel Apple Snacks so I looked it up - it's probably better than your average dried apple chips sold at the grocery store. However, fresh apple slices would make a healthier treat for them but even those should be limited as apples are high in sugar. They shouldn't be offered more than 1-2 times per week.

It's great that you vary their treats. I know I'd get pretty sick of eating the same thing every day! LOL Have you checked out Ly's Diet & Nutrition chart?
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...g-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html

I have it printed out and I bring it with me when I go shopping. It's fun to be able to try different foods for the pigs.

Right, if he is to be roommates for the girls, a neutered boar is the only option. Good for you for wanting to adopt another for your pigs.
 

Hhbean

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Posts
2,045
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,045
Welcome! I love watching my piggies run around for floor time also. They tend to act different and it's as if their personalitys have switched!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Similar threads

dizzie
Replies
6
Views
559
dizzie
dizzie
GuineaGalore♡
Replies
13
Views
707
GuineaGalore♡
GuineaGalore♡
aleahpeterson
Replies
1
Views
412
bpatters
bpatters
LaVitaEBella
Replies
1
Views
8K
LaVitaEBella
LaVitaEBella
Top