First Guinea Pig in a While

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

Hello everyone!

I just adopted a guinea pig from my local shelter this last weekend. Her name from her first owners was Penelope, which I decided to keep, and she's black and white with blue eyes, and super used to being handled. She's adorable! I will try to get a picture soon.

I saw her sitting in the cage and instantly fell in love. I've had all sorts of small pets throughout the years, and reading about their care is a hobby of mine, but it's been several years since I had a pig of my own. She was in a cage with two other pigs, and since I volunteer at the shelter all the time and they know me, they had told me that I could have all three of them for free. Which was awesome... until I was told that the other two were her sons. And that she's pregnant again. So we found another adopter for the boys that day (a great girl who knew a lot about pigs and had just lost her last ones), and Penelope came home with me.

I've been reading this site for years, if not posting, so I've been poking around here for information. I *think* I'm doing what needs to be done for a minimal risk pregnancy, but I do have some questions. I'll start a thread about them through.

So, hello other piggies! From me and Penelope.

RodentCuddles · Oct 11, 2012

Welcome!

Do you know why the shelter leave her in with her sons and didn't separate them?

Pigtures !

pinky · Oct 11, 2012

I'm really curious what shelter you got her from. It's unusual for a shelter to house females and males together.

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

The shelter is dog and cat based, and they aren't super small animal savvy. The people there just aren't critter people. Let them at a dog or a cat, and they know everything there is to know, but every here and again I see things that they aren't doing right from a small animal perspective (like cedar bedding in a bunny cage, ugh), and I'll let them know it needs to be changed. They are good about correcting situations like that when they occur, but like all shelters they rely on donations, so sometimes they just have to go with what they have. In Penelope's case, they already had a hunch she was pregnant again, and didn't want to have to keep her by herself. If she was farther along, she would have been separated out.

I will get pigtures soon! She's so adorable, I can't stand it lol.

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

Sorry for the double post, but I should probably clarify. She was turned in 2 days before I adopted her with her sons. The people who surrendered her kept only the sire of the sons. The shelter did NOT leave them together long enough for mom to get pregnant, it happened before the owner even gave them up. Then the shelter kept them together because the deed was already done, and they didn't want her to be alone. Again, they are a dog/cat shelter primarily, and they just don't have the room to keep lots of small animal cages. This last weekend was the most I've ever seen there, the guinea pigs, a hamster, a ferret, and 5 rabbits... the rabbits WERE separated based on gender. And that took up about all of their extra room in the nook they use for small animals.

tinkermiss · Oct 11, 2012

Well firstly the most important thing is to get her on a good healthy diet. Alfalfa based pellets, lots of timothy hay, fresh water every day, a good variety or vegetables. I don't have the link right now but there is a sticky on this site about which vegetables to feed.

Secondly you'll want a good size cage. It cost me $40 to build a cage. I bought the wire grid cubes at Zellers (canadian department store) they can also be bought at Walmart for around $20 and get 13 grids. You can buy a sheet of coroplast at a sign shop. I'm paying $13 for mine. The recommended size for a single guinea pig is 7.5 sq. ft. or 2x3 in grids. But being pregnant and expecting pups I'd recommend 10.5 sq. ft. or 2x4 in grids

tinkermiss · Oct 11, 2012

here's the link for the vegetable chart
https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html#post254730

here's the size charts
Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

Thank you! I think I'm doing most of that already. Her cage is a bit small to raise babies come, but a decent size for just her. Once they come and I can see how many/what genders, I will be making them an appropriate cage. I have loads of cubes already, and cable ties, just need the coroplast! I don't want to get the coro and cut it anticipating a mixed group of boars and sows, and then get all one or the other and have to get more supplies. I have multiple plans already drawn up, though for any outcome I could imagine, and the day those babies are born, I'll be building.

RodentCuddles · Oct 11, 2012

Have you baby proofed the cage?

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

Yep! Double rows of grids and cardboard, and a lid just for extra protection. There is slightly less than 8 sq ft of floorspace, which I don't think is too bad for a temporary cage that they will be moved out of days after they are born.

pinky · Oct 11, 2012

I'd love to see photos. I think blue eyes are pretty rare. I had a grey eyed male but have never seen one with blue eyes.

PennyLope · Oct 11, 2012

I hope I did this picture thing right!
She actually only has one blue eye, on the white side. Which makes her even cuter! The eye on her black side is a grey color. She's everything I was looking for in a pig. Bold and beautiful!

"You wanted to see my blue eye?"

"You can only see my whole body if you give me that pepper"

"That's quite enough close ups. I'm just as charming from far away."

"Ok, I'll come close again and show off my pretty peepers. But ONLY casue I get hay."

Agrimony · Oct 12, 2012

What a cutie! My baby piglet Bird is black and white with blue eyes too. I didn't even know it was possible until I saw them myself. Love her pattern

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