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kazmeyer posted:Is the pine bedding kiln-dried? If it's the brand that Petco carries with the black label, it should be, otherwise you should check. Raw pine can be harmful, and I'd recommend switching to either aspen shavings or Carefresh if you can. Yeah it is. We got it from PetSmart, and it had a guinea pig on the front. Do the bags keep pretty well in storage? We got a massive bag because it was a better deal.
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Jan 24, 2010 01:58
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So my parents ended up getting a new guinea pig today. To my chagrin, they bought him at a pet store.  At the very least I know that they're very good pet owners and feed their pets very well and take them to the vet, but I think I burst my mom's bubble when my first reaction was, "Oh, you bought him? You should have rescued." But I'm right dammit! < >In any case, I'm trying to convince her to bond him to her current piggy, who is very mellow and even-tempered. We've had bad experiences in the past with a very dominant male pig since they're not familiar with the bonding process and I live too far to make it work myself. I gave her the tip about the perfume, so if I keep at her about it, it could still happen! Also, I think I remember reading that baby piggies need to at alfalfa-based pellets for a certain period of time, is that right?
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Jan 24, 2010 04:07
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The problem is, PetSmart selling something with a guinea pig on the package doesn't necessarily mean it's good for guinea pigs or even safe for them. I often tell people the only thing the pet store sells for guinea pigs that's worth buying are the water bottles and food dishes. Check the packaging and look for any mention of kiln-drying or something similar. Pine phenols won't kill a guinea pig outright, but constant exposure can lead to health problems down the road. Bedding keeps just fine, although with pine I'd make sure it's got a little airflow to help any lingering phenols disperse. To be safe, I'd recommend opening any new bag of pine at least a day before you're actually planning on using it, because once or twice (back when I used pine) I picked one up that was extremely pungent. Alfalfa hay and pellets are good for pigs under one year of age. Adult pigs should be switched to timothy-based pellets and either timothy, bluegrass, or orchard grass hay to cut back on the calcium. For bonding: Always make introductions on neutral ground. That way, one pig isn't defending their "turf" against an invader. Expect rumbling, bumping, butting, face-offs, and even the odd nip - it's all part of the process. Only intervene if they really start to go at it and/or blood is drawn, and for the LOVE of GOD wear a heavy gardening glove when you try to separate them. A berserk guinea pig will bite you hard enough to require stitches. If they get along on neutral ground well enough, put them together on a cage cleaning day. Take everything out of the cage, clean the hell out of it, spray it down with white vinegar, do everything you can to remove lingering odors. Put the furniture back in in a different configuration, so it's "new" to both of them. That should help with territoriality issues. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jan 24, 2010 |
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Jan 24, 2010 04:42
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kazmeyer posted:Is the pine bedding kiln-dried? If it's the brand that Petco carries with the black label, it should be, otherwise you should check. Raw pine can be harmful, and I'd recommend switching to either aspen shavings or Carefresh if you can. My piggie used to LOVE eating dandelion leaves. Our lawn was covered in them and I used to go round and pick all the biggest ones for him and pop them in his hutch.
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Jan 24, 2010 14:04
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SubbyMinx posted:My piggie used to LOVE eating dandelion leaves. Our lawn was covered in them and I used to go round and pick all the biggest ones for him and pop them in his hutch. Grass and fresh greens are awesome, but it goes without saying that you should make sure the grass you're using isn't treated. If you own your home, of course you've got control of the situation, but if you rent be VERY careful about letting your pigs out for playtime outside/harvesting fresh greens for them to eat. When I lived at a place where I couldn't trust the lawn service, I actually built a grass box - used an old C&C cage bin from before I expanded, filled it with soil, and grew bluegrass, parsley, and cilantro out on my deck.
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Jan 24, 2010 17:18
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kazmeyer posted:Grass and fresh greens are awesome, but it goes without saying that you should make sure the grass you're using isn't treated. If you own your home, of course you've got control of the situation, but if you rent be VERY careful about letting your pigs out for playtime outside/harvesting fresh greens for them to eat. This was when I was living with my parents. I was still a kid. But yea, no treatment to that lawn!
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Jan 24, 2010 17:55
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Just thought I'd pop in here to say that rodents are some of the most awesome and underestimated pets. I've had 5 g-pigs and each one had his/her own distinct personality. I can still remember the squeaking that would resonate through the house whenever we opened the vegetable drawer in the fridge...
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Jan 24, 2010 22:14
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help, I think my pig is melting  
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Jan 25, 2010 00:58
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I keep trying to snap a picture of him and he bolts into his hidey-hole. I can't get closer than about 5 feet before he runs from the sight of me, but he's adorable still.
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Jan 25, 2010 01:55
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Would a pair of male gerbils have enough room in a 10 gallon aquarium tank? My little brother has one, and I'm trying to convince my parents that at least two would be best.
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Jan 25, 2010 20:54
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rear end Crackers! posted:Would a pair of male gerbils have enough room in a 10 gallon aquarium tank? My little brother has one, and I'm trying to convince my parents that at least two would be best. 10 gallons is fine. Introduce them slowly, if you do get them - on neutral ground at first. boys get along great though.
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Jan 25, 2010 21:05
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Ok thanks. I sent the gerbil faq to my parents, hopefully they'll see the light and get my brothers gerbil a buddy 
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Jan 25, 2010 21:40
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Terrified Orange Guinea Pig is a boy named Rocco, and he is WAY less terrified already than he was last Thursday! He actually came all the way out from his hide to the opposite end of the cage to take a piece of bell pepper from me. This is awesome, he's warming up really fast. Or maybe he's just recognizing me as She Who Brings Bell Peppers. Also, he has a totally badass new house. Rocco + house + pieces of bell pepper: 
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Jan 26, 2010 22:30
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He is really drat adorable. (But I have a thing for orange pigs)
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Jan 26, 2010 23:12
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drat you all with your cute pig pictures. I want a guinea-pig again now. drat my flat for not allowing anything bigger than a gerbil.  One day I'll have a house and a garden and piggies and my cat. One day.
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Jan 26, 2010 23:31
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Food is the way to a guinea pig's heart - and hilariously, their brain as well. When I lived in Nebraska, I would always give my girls veggies first thing when I came home at night. They actually learned to distinguish the sound of my tread on the stairs outside from everyone else's, and would go nuts when they heard me arrive.
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Jan 27, 2010 01:21
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Decided to update you all with some photos of the original inspiration for this thread. Here's Porky today, three months after we rescued her from the flea market. She's now four and a half months old and she's doing awesome. Super happy and really just so much more lovable than I ever thought a guinea pig could be. I took some comparison shots of her next to the photos we took when we first got her. Here's the pig! Day 1: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x682 image. Now: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x682 image. Day 1 (obviously, very sick): .JPG) Click here for the full 512x768 image. Now: .JPG) Click here for the full 512x768 image. Now, looking cute as ever: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x682 image. Now, claiming the cat's sleepy sack for herself: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x682 image. Thanks again to everyone here who gave such great advice and encouragement while she was still sick. I honestly don't think she'd have made it without the million tips you guys gave me. I know it's overly sappy, but I actually got a little teary when digging through her old baby photos.
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Jan 27, 2010 06:22
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Megalodon posted:Probably one of my favorite PI rescue stories. I'm so glad to hear that the situation turned out so favorably in the end.
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Jan 27, 2010 08:29
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Is there any reason this would make a bad cage for a dwarf hamster? (other than my immediate concern of getting pee all soaked into the wood if hammy likes to dig). It looks really cool, but it seems like there must be something wrong with it.
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Jan 27, 2010 15:39
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I would actually worry more about chewing. Since that wood is from Ikea, it is treated and sealed, and as long as you don't let pee puddles sit on the wood directly that issue should be nil. (I would recommend just putting a bath towel or something down, underneath the Carefresh or whatever you use.) However, if the hamster chews on the wood, then you CAN get pee smell into it. As long as the insides are smooth, I don't really see anything wrong with it. It does look very nice.
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Jan 27, 2010 16:08
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I would honestly say that I'd rather something smaller and easier to clean. My two guys lived in a 10 gallon with a gigantic wheel and two little houses so they could have their own space and were happy as clams. e: My one complaint about that cage is that there's very little ventilation.
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Jan 27, 2010 18:14
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So I have a bit of a dilemma with my pigs. They really don't like being picked up (I got them from a nice couple via craigslist who had young children, I think this is what has caused it) and one of them literally sounds like she is being murdered as you try to pick her up. Once you have a hold of her, she likes being snuggly against your chest, so I know she doesn't hate me. Anybody have any tips on getting them to calm down about being picked up or is that just a prey instinct thing? I would also like to note that Zupreem makes some good GP food, and my piggies like it more then Oxbow's offering. That being said, they loving LOVE Oxbow hay and aren't too terribly fond of Kaytee. Bonus pics of: Helios (aka Fatty)  Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. and Selene (aka Jerkface)  Click here for the full 2048x1536 image.
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Jan 28, 2010 09:22
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Unfortunately, it depends entirely on the personality of the pig. Most pigs have trouble getting over their prey instinct, and even if they'll come up to the side of the cage for a scratch behind the ears or a veggie treat, the instant you reach two hands into the cage all of a sudden you're a condor. As you've noted, though, once you get them out they usually calm down substantially. I had a pig who would chatter her teeth whenever you tried to pick her up - which is the piggy equivalent of "I will loving murder you" and usually happens about three seconds before someone needs stitches - but the instant she was picked up, she settled down completely. The only advice I can recommend is hand-feed them a lot when you pick them up, so they associate "the claw" with munchies. I looked into the Zupreem stuff, and while it certainly doesn't look too bad, corn being the second and third ingredient bothers me a little bit, and dextrose being so high on the ingredient list isn't fantastic either. I've definitely seen a lot worse, though. I can tell you where to get the best hay and pellets in the world. Kleenmama's Hayloft. She's actually a guinea pig owner who got frustrated by the hay and pellets she had access to, so she set up some deals with local farmers and started her own business. Her specialty is bluegrass hay that is mindbogglingly fresh and amazing - Oxbow does good work, but her hay puts them in the shade. I've seen pigs drop baby carrots to dive into her bluegrass. She does pellets as well, and they're just as good. Highly recommended. Oh, and speaking of Oxbow - if anyone sees "Oxbow Organic Pellets" in the local pet store, save your money. They came up with some weird new formulation and as far as I can tell no guinea pig anywhere in the country likes the stuff. It's apparently doing so badly they're in the process of discontinuing it. kazmeyer fucked around with this message at 10:38 on Jan 28, 2010 |
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Jan 28, 2010 10:30
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Blackmage Yapo posted:
As adorably edible as these huts are, keep in mind that the ingredients are alfalfa bound with molasses, so they are not a good idea for use - too much risk of stones and stasis.
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Jan 28, 2010 17:05
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Yeah, they don't nibble on the hut too much. I've been on the lookout for a nice untreated wood hut to replace it with. I may try ordering some Kleenmama stuff, but I have to get over the whole "ordering specialty food for my $10 pets" thing first. I don't know why I have this hangup, seeing as I've already spent like $400 in vet bills and cage/acoutrements in like 4 months. EDIT: Screw it, just ordered 5lbs of Timothy. Its really not as bad as I expected price-wise. Blackmage Yapo fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Jan 28, 2010 |
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Jan 28, 2010 20:01
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Blackmage Yapo posted:Yeah, they don't nibble on the hut too much. I've been on the lookout for a nice untreated wood hut to replace it with. I may try ordering some Kleenmama stuff, but I have to get over the whole "ordering specialty food for my $10 pets" thing first. I don't know why I have this hangup, seeing as I've already spent like $400 in vet bills and cage/acoutrements in like 4 months. Get one of these: http://www.opentip.com/Pet-Supplies/Pennplax-Large-Guinea-Pig-House-p-1153276.html (Not necessarily endorsing that store, it was just the first link that came up.) The large size is perfect for guinea pigs, the x-large is a bit too big. I've had a number of them through the years and they like to go in them, sleep on top of them, and stick their heads through the hole and chew on them. I'd be using them still if I didn't have a wood pig 'garage' that I made myself.
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Jan 28, 2010 21:01
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Blackmage Yapo posted:EDIT: Screw it, just ordered 5lbs of Timothy. Its really not as bad as I expected price-wise. It's super worth it. I spent about $70 on a 45 lb box over a month ago. I only have one pig and two bunnies but it was the best deal, and I'm glad I bought it. The hay smells super good and is really fluffy. Not tough or dusty like the stuff I've purchased in stores, and I only used to buy Oxbow. I got 3rd cut timothy, and the little ones go nuts over it.
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Jan 29, 2010 04:58
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Find a farm feed store, buy yourself an entire bale of hay for $5. 
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Jan 29, 2010 05:06
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Here's my Siberian dwarf hamster, Raspberry. I traded a case of beer for him. He's a lazy little critter. We gave him a wooden food dish and he tears the thing apart. Lately he drug it to the entrance of his nest so he can gnaw on it without getting out of bed. I love to mess with him by giving him really juicy pieces of fruit and watch him lick his hands for minutes, and lately giving him frozen fruit to see how long he can hold it without dropping it. Dignity Van Houten fucked around with this message at 08:32 on Jan 29, 2010 |
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Jan 29, 2010 08:28
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Sirotan posted:Find a farm feed store, buy yourself an entire bale of hay for $5. Unfortunately, not everybody lives in an area where that's feasible; the only stuff I can get around here is pretty crappy and sets off my allergies. But yeah, if you're in a semi-rural area and have the storage space, definitely check out your options. (Speaking of allergies - if your guinea pig cage sets you off, the most likely culprit is timothy hay. That stuff loving murders me. Switching to bluegrass hay might help.)
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Jan 30, 2010 02:03
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So when he makes little chirpy noises when I'm petting him, he's happy, right?
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Jan 31, 2010 04:27
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TShields posted:So when he makes little chirpy noises when I'm petting him, he's happy, right? Piggy vocalization is kind of a subjective thing. Chirping/burbling can be good if it's kind of low and muted, but if it gets shrill that's distress. Likewise, purring can be either good if it's accompanied by the pig stretching out and getting comfortable or bad if it's accompanied by the pig hunching up. You can usually tell by the body language, though. An interesting note - the ear-splitting WHEEK noise we're all familiar with is a sound of alarm in the wild. Domesticated pigs have translated it into a demand for food and attention. And if you're really lucky, you'll get to hear the mystery noise. Chirping. I don't mean burbling or squeaking, I mean "holy gently caress there's a bird in the living room". Occasionally, guinea pigs just zone out and start chirping, loudly, like a bird. No one knows why they do it, not every pig does it, but once you hear a pig do it once you'll usually hear it again. I had a chirper, and it was an amazingly fascinating phenomenon to see and hear.
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Jan 31, 2010 05:29
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Honestly, its almost like... clucking. Like a chicken absently making its little "cluck cluck" noise while strutting around. I was holding him while watching TV tonight and I guess I found his favorite scratching spot and he started making the noise.
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Jan 31, 2010 06:55
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kazmeyer posted:And if you're really lucky, you'll get to hear the mystery noise. Chirping. I don't mean burbling or squeaking, I mean "holy gently caress there's a bird in the living room". Occasionally, guinea pigs just zone out and start chirping, loudly, like a bird. No one knows why they do it, not every pig does it, but once you hear a pig do it once you'll usually hear it again. I had a chirper, and it was an amazingly fascinating phenomenon to see and hear. According to my girlfriends experience, it's a challenge or call-out to a foreign pig. Like "fight me or the hell out of my territory". She told me that it's something that only happens when they feel challenged by someone they can smell but can't see or can't get to, maybe some chirpers just have vivid imagination?
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Jan 31, 2010 11:32
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cat with hands posted:According to my girlfriends experience, it's a challenge or call-out to a foreign pig. Like "fight me or the hell out of my territory". She told me that it's something that only happens when they feel challenged by someone they can smell but can't see or can't get to, maybe some chirpers just have vivid imagination? Everyone's got anecdotal evidence, but none of it matches up. Some pigs do it under stress, some pigs do it when they're mourning, some pigs just do it randomly. I've had a random chirper, and one who only chirped one time and that was when she was mourning a friend. The random chirper I had plenty of chances to observe, and I can tell you this much - it wasn't a voluntary experience. She would tense up and get a blank look on her face (let me tell you you need to be a piggy expert to tell when a guinea pig gets a blank look) and would start the process. I also got to see her on a few occasions struggling to not chirp, and it was very strange to watch. She'd actually come out of it, bumble around the cage a bit, but then she'd lock down in one place and start taking huffing breaths before building up volume again. All the other pigs in the cage would stop whatever the hell they were doing and stare at her while she did it. So anyway, there's plenty of theories, but nobody's got a clue why it really happens.
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Jan 31, 2010 12:02
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kazmeyer posted:So anyway, there's plenty of theories, but nobody's got a clue why it really happens. Alien transmissions from outer space. Guinea pigs just happen to be the only life form that can recive them. 
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Jan 31, 2010 12:32
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Last week, our beloved guinea pig Humphrey died  He was only 2, but the vet - a guinea pig specialist - said he had some rare dental disease that she'd only seen one pig out of many survive. The vet did her best, but there wasn't much that could be done I suppose. Our other pig, Jasper, is all alone now, and seems fairly upset. He doesn't like to be handled as much, and if he ever gets near anything that smells like Humphrey (old blankets, etc.) he'll run towards it and tear it apart, looking for him . Since he's so young, I'd like to get him another companion.I've read through this extensive and useful guide, but I'd also like to hear about other's experiences adding a new companion after another passes on. How long should I wait, how has it worked out, any additional tips, etc. would be helpful. EDIT: Also, what do most folks feel about adopting a pair of females (the previous owner had Jasper neutered already)? I was thinking about adopting just one, but there's a really cute pair up for adoption at the local shelter. I'm just wondering if it might be a bit of an overload for poor Jasper, or reduce the chances of everyone getting along or whatever. EDIT2: Well, upon further inspection and a little research, it appears that Jasper is not neutered after all. It looks like we'll be looking for a male companion. Imaduck fucked around with this message at 19:07 on Jan 31, 2010 |
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Jan 31, 2010 17:48
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^^^^^^^^^ At least you tried. RIP Humphrey. Ha, I just figured out the perfect way to bond with our new pig! He's been very shy around me, don't think he's been around many males since the staff at the pet shop was females only. Always runs away and is afraid to come near me even when I bring tasty veggies. So tonight after a thorough cleaning of the cage, I had a sudden flash of inspiration and sat down in it.  It's a 6*2 feet cage, so plenty of room for all of us. Now, when I was on his turf instead of the other way around he was much more comfortable around me and after just a few minutes he came to me and started to run around my legs. No sign of hostile or anxious behaviour.
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Jan 31, 2010 21:10
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cat with hands posted:Alien transmissions from outer space. Guinea pigs just happen to be the only life form that can receive them. The consensus on Guinea Lynx is generally accepted to be "communicating with the mothership", so you're not far off. Guinea pig bereavement can be an awful thing. One thing that can help is if their companion passes at home; if they actually see their friend's body it can help them understand they're gone and not just missing. But in any case it's a traumatic experience for them. As for new companions, definitely. While most pigs will get over the loss of a bonded companion eventually, as you know they do much better when they have a friend or two. I moved back home from Nebraska with five girls all around the same age, which unfortunately meant they all passed fairly close together. When I was down to one, the constant cycle of illness and death had gotten me to the point where I considered just letting Parvati live out the rest of her days as a solitary pig, but seeing her toddling around the big cage by herself with nothing to do eventually got to me. So I found someone who had rescued a guinea pig herd that had been dropped off on the loading dock of a pet store in the July sun and brought two girls home. The one major benefit of bringing new pigs to a grieving one is that you usually get to skip a lot of the introduction unpleasantness. You do have to kind of watch that the newcomers don't start bullying the older pig, especially if you introduce more than one at a time. But it usually goes very well, and older pigs definitely take to younger ones. For me, the few months Parvati got to spend with Freyja and Nanna were totally worth it.
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Jan 31, 2010 21:17
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kazmeyer posted:And if you're really lucky, you'll get to hear the mystery noise. Chirping. I don't mean burbling or squeaking, I mean "holy gently caress there's a bird in the living room". Occasionally, guinea pigs just zone out and start chirping, loudly, like a bird. No one knows why they do it, not every pig does it, but once you hear a pig do it once you'll usually hear it again. I had a chirper, and it was an amazingly fascinating phenomenon to see and hear. My first pig was a chirper, but only in response to the sound of the water softener turning on, at 2 a.m.
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Feb 1, 2010 00:14
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