NorthernLight introduces Earl! Oh, and herself!

[NorthernLight]

So first let me tell you about Earl, since he is the one you are really interested in. He is a reddish brown, white, and black cavy with an adaptable nature (he came to me from a family with a lot of children) and a fondness for celery and sleeping on his side. I've only had him a few hours but I adore him already. I still have more to learn about cavies, so will be checking out a lot of sites and some books. So feel free to respond to my request for THE TOP 10 THINGS A NEW CAVY OWNER SHOULD KNOW! I hope to get a lot of replies!

As for me, I am a special education teacher with a love of animals and soccer. I am excited to have my first guinea pig (a rescue) and will give him a great home for life.

 

[jacqueline]

welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of guinea pigs!

there is soo much to learn - things you don't even know there is to learn yet

as you can imagine, being a teacher yourself, that if i asked for the top ten things a new teacher should know, it might be a daunting task, and a list would vary from teacher to teacher.

i strongly encourage you to navigate around this site to start and read up on some of the standard food, bedding, cage, behavior things. that will be immensely helpful to you and answer tons of questions.

we're all here to share info, stories and help each other, so if there's something specific you need help with, or you have further questions on something you read here, please ask

happy trails!

oh, and we love pictures!

 

[NorthernLight]

Oh yes, I understand everyone's top ten list of what they felt new cavy owners should know would vary, which is why I was hoping for a lot of replies. As for pictures, here is one of Earl!

 

[NorthernLight]

Earl is getting a new friend tomorrow! Lloyd is a young (less than a year) black and white piggy, who comes with his own cage- but I sure do hope the little guys hit it off and decide they want to live together. ADVICE ABOUT PIGGY INTRODUCTIONS, PLEASE! I know about picking a neutral place to introduce Lloyd to Earl, and that a bathtub with a bit of water in it can make the piggies forget about being mad at each other because they are getting all wet. But I would love to hear from folks who have successfully introduced two piggies (especially young males). Whatever worked for you or didn't, I want to hear about it! Thank you, and I will try to post pictures of the introduction if I can!

 

[jacqueline]

this link will tell you all about pigs' social life, including introductions (down towards the bottom end of the article):

Guinea Pigs Social Lifemakes sure your cage is big enough - the bigger the better especially for makes. all hideys should have at least 2 entrances and exits, have 2 water bottle, food dishes, hay racks, etc. CAREFULLY follow all the suggestions for introductions and don't make the mistake of separating them if they squabble. only if blood is drawn should they be separated.

good luck

 

[NorthernLight]

The Earl/ Lloyd introduction was successful! At first there was some posturing, teeth chattering and even one quick nip to Lloyd's ear. However, after some time and a bath together, the boys hit it off pretty well. It seems apparent that Earl, who is older, is the dominant male. Lloyd seems mostly OK with that, and I feel they could become bonded over time.

What I think I did right: I introduced the piggies in neutral territory, with pillows around for "safety"/ hiding spots. I readied myself with a thick blanket in case I had to separate the boys. I stayed calm, even when the teeth chattering went on for a bit. I gave the pigs the space to meet without my intrusion, but I parked myself nearby if they needed me for comfort.

What I think I could have done better: I didn't wait long enough before drawing the bath for the boys- I could have let them "work it out" longer before getting them all wet . I could have introduced food and toys to the introduction much sooner. This helped them to become friends.

Yay!

 

[kananaka]

Grats on the intros! That is great.

Ok my top ten.

1. Cage size: make sure you have adequate cage sizing for the amount of pigs you have, and more if you have boars. Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home


2. Diet: Feeding the best pellets and hay (KMS, Oxbow, etc..) and a good diet of veg (broken link removed) , https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html#post254730 , https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/24770-sample-veggie-menus.html

3. Cavy savy vet: Have one before you need it. Know where a cavy savy vet is near you. Also use this site or https://www.guinealynx.info/ to ask medical questions before it becomes a life threatening problem.

4. Vet fund: Start a vet fund immediately. Guinea pig procedures can get really expensive.

5. Medications: Learn the most common antibiotics and medications used for guinea pigs, so that if something is prescribed that is toxic to them you know!

6. First aid: Keep a general first aid kit/medical cabinet for pigs. https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/medical-veterinary/46533-piggy-medicine-cabinet.html



Ok so did not make it to ten but those are my top things.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[NorthernLight]

Another pic of the buddies, and a sleepy Lloyd.

 

[LoriBush]

SWEEEEEEEEEET!!! Love Lloyd's patch!!!!

 

[NorthernLight]

I love Lloyd's patch, too! It makes him look like Phantom of the Opera, but Phantom was too obvious a name so I named him after Andrew Lloyd Webber.

 

[LisaMarieK]

Aw, your piggies are adorable! And it's great that they now get along!

 

[NorthernLight]

The boys had lots of floor time today. I started taking photos of Earl to submit to the "Which Breed?" part of the forum, but he kept turning his fuzzy little bum away just as I was about to take a photo. I was thinking he is a mixed breed, but now I figure both my little guys are just good ol' American shorthair.