Howdy From Wisconsin

[MilwCavyMom]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself. After a lot of consideration (and some sweettalking to my patient boyfriend) I am adopting 2 piggies. I found them through a rescue in WI, and I should be getting them this weekend. I have found the bedding, hay, food etc for them, and all I need is a pigloo or something for them to hide out in. I'm open to any and all advice from people though as this is a new venture for me. I have 2 cats already though and I love to expand my pet family, I'm a huge pet person.

Nice to meet everyone here!

 

[dextersmycutegp]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MilwCavyMom]

Pictures of my cats.

 

[suzilovespiggie]

Welcome. Good luck with getting your piggies. Pictures please.

 

[DragonMom25]

Tubes are easy to get and usually free from the sign places that sell the coroplast. They make good hideouts. My 2 like to push them around the cage as well as sleep in them.

They also love the cuddle cups I made for them. Got the pattern from another part of the forum, sorry not savy enough to post a link.

Welcome, this place is great!

 

[naturestee]

Hi! I'm from Sheboygan, so not so far away. Welcome to the forum!

 

[kittnkarr]

Hi! I'm from Sheboygan, so not so far away. Welcome to the forum!

I know where Sheboygan is and my mom's b/f is actually from there. Talk about a small world. Since I have always lived near the IL/WI border I frequent WI quite often. My friends that are born and raised in WI say that I know my way around their state more so then most Wisconsinites.


MilwCavyMom, Welcome to the forum. Taking a guess at your screen name you are from Milwaukee? What rescue did you get from?

Welcome aboard.

 

[MilwCavyMom]

Thanks all. 48 hours and I'll be going to get my piggies. I got their home set up and added a loft last night. Today I will be putting the coroplast together. I saw some handy pics here on bending the wire frames and I made a tent for them with one. The trick now is a good sturdy ramp to the loft. I've seen some pics in the ramps section, so I may go with wire frames. Is there anything that is "too steep" for them to be able to climb up? Materials that may be better to use, like the pipe or a wood?
Last night I found a store nearby me (McPets) that carries Oxbow so I got hay and the Cavy Cuisine there. I have a stuffed animal I'm going to put in there too for them. I want them to be cozy.
I'm getting the piggies from the Baraboo GP rescue, though the foster mom lives up in Rhinelander (northern part) she's meeting us in Steven's Point. Their names are Brady and Brody but I decided last night (while watching Casablanca on tv) that I'm changing their names. I'm a HUGE classic movie fan so Bradey will be "Gable" (as in Clark) and Brodey will be "Bogie". Their foster mom is a sweet woman and she said their very sweet, docile boys so I'm really excited. Come Monday I'll have lots of pigtures to share.

 

[naturestee]

That's quite the drive! I wasn't sure if that rescue was still operating. Do you know if they have different contact info now? A friend of mine volunteers at the La Crosse shelter and has emailed the Baraboo GP rescue a few times about the possibility of taking in cavies that needed more personal attention or whose "time had run out." She's never gotten an answer. Then again the WI HRS doesn't answer those types of emails either.

Anyway, congrats on your new babies! And hi, kittnkarr!

 

[MilwCavyMom]

I'm not sure. I have an email address I can look up for one of the foster moms. I know that the woman who ran the Baraboo rescue moved so she personally was only taking in GP who had special needs or something, and the foster mom in Rhinelander had the rest.
UPdate: A short story I call "They don't take Cash!?" I went to N. Glantz & Son, which was recommended through the page to find materials. Anywhoo I went in there to get my Coroplast and they can't fold it to fit in the car so they would deliver it, total cost just under $13. BUT...they don't take cash. Credit Cards, (which are at home waiting to be paid off) Checks (my bf has those) or money order. So, I'm leaving a money order outside for them and they'll deliver it in the morning. I don't want to leave a check sitting around outside with our bank info on it. Plus I'll be taking the afternoon off from work so I can finish making their home. We have the boys' basketball game Fri night and Sat morning and then we leave for the piggies Ah craziness, but it'll get done.

 

[MilwCavyMom]

Only 40 hours to go now before I can go get the piggies. I'm so excited I can hardly wait! I'm trying to be calm but I figured I could tell you guys.

 

[WICharlie]

This rescue is still very much alive and ticking. It is undergoing a few transitions. I am the foster/rescue volunteer listed for Janesville. I just joined this site, so hope to get to know everyone.

Congrats on your new piggies. Did you get informed about how they like to leap out of the cage and go on excursions? Lol. Cute they are. Fun they will be!

 

[serena]

Hi MilwCavyMom. Actually right now it is only 15 some hours until you get the boys. I love the names that you picked out for them and they suit these guys perfectly. Right now they are resting and getting ready for the big trip. It will be nice to finally meet you tomorrow.


naturestee - the rescue is alive and doing well just like WICharlie said. Maureen must be your friend that sent the e-mail. We did respond to her and took three of those 4 pigs. One of them got adopted from the shelter and two of them are now MilwCavyMom's boys. The other boy is still here waiting for adoption. It is true that the founder and director of the Baraboo Area Guinea Pig Rescue is taking a break right now. But WiCharlie, myself and a few other fosters are still actively helping pigs in WI.

 

[serena]

Oh ya that's right. I think I told you that Bradey is a jumper. He hasn't done it in a while but he went awol from him cage three times last week! I don't know how he did it. He probably jumped from the pigloo. But it was so funny when I went into the pig room to check on all the pigs and there would be Bradey. Just laying down outside next to the cage and he would just look at me like "what?"

 

[naturestee]

Hi Serena! Yes, my friend is Maureen. My current foster rabbit (that I'm hoping to keep if he'll bond with my girls) is one she saved from euthanasia at her shelter. Supposedly the paid caretakers thought he was aggressive, but he's actually a nose rub begging lap bun.

I'm glad you were able to take some of the piggies for her! From the sound of it, that shelter isn't very good at all. And Maureen's only one person, she can only do so much.

 

[Meggie]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself. After a lot of consideration (and some sweettalking to my patient boyfriend) I am adopting 2 piggies. I found them through a rescue in WI, and I should be getting them this weekend. I have found the bedding, hay, food etc for them, and all I need is a pigloo or something for them to hide out in. I'm open to any and all advice from people though as this is a new venture for me. I have 2 cats already though and I love to expand my pet family, I'm a huge pet person.

Nice to meet everyone here!

I am glad you decided to adopt a rescue pig. That is a lot better then getting a pig from a pet store. Pet stores, I don't know why, but they don't take very good care of their animals. I remember when I went to a pet store, I was looking at hamsters, they had over 100 hamsters jammed in this little cage. It was about the size of a printer is how big the cage was. I would never buy from a pet store. The only things that I would buy from a pet store would be the food, water bottles, etc, but never buy a pet from a pet store. My parents were paranoid when they saw me holding a rabbit when I went to Petco here in Oshkosh. They started flipping out because they knew that I was going to start asking to get the rabbit but lucky for them I didn't ask them anything. Where are you planning on putting the guinea pigs? They can't be in direct sunlight.

 

[Meggie]

Hi! I'm from Sheboygan, so not so far away. Welcome to the forum!

I'm from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It must be hard having all of those animals to take care of, feed, give attention to, etc. I would think that that would be hard to do.

 

[MilwCavyMom]

I'm not sure yet how you add the pictures directly into a reply but I hope I'm doing this right. Anyway these are the newest family members. Bogie and Gable are doing very well so far. THey are still pretty freaked out but they are taking veggies from me if I hold them out, going nuts on the hay and checking everything out in their new home. I'll have better pics soon with my better camera, but I wanted to upload some right away. Thanks to everyone especially Serena.


One quick question: I know the piggy pellets are not supposed to be a bigger part of their diet, but I was wondering how much of do they usually eat? I don't think they've touched the food once, but they devour the hay and veggies which is good. Is there a way to get them to eat it or are they just not interested? I bought the Cavy Cuisine for them. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[piggerz]

I'm from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It must be hard having all of those animals to take care of, feed, give attention to, etc. I would think that that would be hard to do.

I'm from Port Washington, but work in Sheboygan Falls. Nice to see other WI people on here.

Piggerz and the wiggly piggies

 

[RooneysGmom]

Wow, this is turning into a Badger State reunion of sorts! I live in Waukesha but spent my childhood (a long time ago! ) in Sheboygan Falls.

But anyway, as for the pellets MilwCavyMom, as long as the piggies are getting hay and a good variety of vitamin C rich veggies, they really don't even need pellets. So, as long as they're eating "some", it's fine!