Guinea Pig Update

Guinea Pig For Sale | Guinea Pig Essentials

12th August 2010

I hope you enjoy the photos of my new addition William as much as I enjoyed taking his photos.

The male guinea pigs have all enjoyed the summer in their new hutch runs and the run extensions I added to give them more space to frolic in.

The dolls house style hutch run had galvanised wire with holes that were too large to contain the twins Silver Feather and Mohawk and I would see them hoping in and out to run around the garden. I wasn’t too worried until Black Beard started copying them and then couldn’t get back in because his body was bigger than the twins. I could see that would present a problem if a cat appeared in the garden.

It was at this time Black Beard started fighting aggressively with Hamlet and split his ear. I had to buy another hutch run for Black Beard and the twins. Hamlet being a bigger guinea pig loved being in the dolls house style hutch run on his own, and I would see him showing off to Black Beard and doing all sorts of acrobatics. Luckily because of Hamlet’s size he could not escape through the holes as the others had done, try as he would to get out and create mischief in the garden. I did let Hamlet out under my supervision, so he could get the freedom the other had so naughtily had.

I bought William as a companion for Hamlet and they got on really well. I fell in love with William’s long hair and his sweet naïve personality. One day I caught William getting out of the hutch run as the twins had been doing. I bought some galvanised wire and wound it around the hutch run to prevent these escapes and keep William safe. Unfortunately William got out once too often and was hurt in a fight with a cat; he died as I comforted him. I was inconsolable for days after this and blamed myself for not being more careful. I buried William in the garden. The day after he died he came to me in the night, I heard his little high pitched voice as I slept and felt his furry little body sneaking under the sheets to sleep next to me.

Sadly Black Beard, who is pictured with William, died a few weeks ago. He had a stroke. I picked him up to take him into the house to care for his half limp body, but as I carried him he had 2 major fits in my arms. He was unconscious when I laid him on the decking and told him how much I loved him as his last breathes left his body. I was really upset and in shock, he died so young at only ten and half months old. The shock showed in my body and for the next few days and my knees were so painful it was difficult to walk.

I buried Black Beard in the garden. I saw him the day after he died in his hutch run with the twins Silver Feather and Mohawk.

The girls are both well and healthy. They live in the lounge in a big indoor cage. I let them visit the boys once or twice a week when I clean them out. When William was alive I let them run around the lawn with William and Hamlet. I enjoyed sitting out in the sun with them and watching their antics.

I am still waiting for the next litter of piglets. Tintin will be carrying William’s babies and Henrietta-Harriet will be carrying Hamlet’s babies.

4th April 2010

Some of my guinea pigs developed ring worm, see my email sent to a few friends:

I have been so busy bathing, creaming, feeding and bleaching the cages for my guinea pigs that this is the first time I have had to contact any of you. My vet saw me so many times because I was worried about the guinea pigs and then I wrongly thought my cat had ring worm that he now has me down as an over neurotic pet owner. I was crying over the phone to him once because the stress got to me. But I buckled down and bathed them more than I should have and creamed them twice a day. Their cages got washed and bleached every two days and they were all separated in order of the depth of the infection, so that was four cages to wash and bleach. I can now celebrate because the infection has gone. I knew last week that things were greatly improved, but I continued with the tough regime and now their skin is completely clear and their hair just has to grow back. I might have over treated them but they are not completely bald. HEY! I'm only joking!!!

I now have only two cages of guinea pigs to clean out because the four boys are back together, and they are all happy about that. I have put Tin-Tin in with Henrietta-Harriett and her four babies, and the babies love having aunty Tin-Tin to cuddle into and spoil them. Tin-Tin is also much happier now she is not on her own anymore and she loves the babies. Tin-Tin had a premature birth and lost her four babies.

I think you know I had to have Holly-Honey and Lucy-Sugar put down, I was sad about that, but the vet said I had made the right decision. The infection had made them very ill and had affected their skin far worse than the others. They had a low immune system due to the way they were treated before I took them on.

My two young boys, Silver-feather and Mohawk (I bought from Chepstow), did not contract the ring worm, but I still bathed them to ensure they were safe and they were segregated from the others for their safety. 

My cat Poppy seems to be happier now I am not spending all my spare time with the guinea pigs and I am happier because I can now get on with painting the wishing tree canvas I had planned to do weeks ago. I gave up walking my neighbours dogs when all this occurred, so next week they will start getting walks again. LIFE WILL BEGIN AGAIN, thank god, I couldn't go through that again.

I have decided not to sell the babies, they are too cute. So much for my breeding program! I have also decided to leave Holly-Honey and Lucy-Sugar’s photos on the website in memory to their precious lives.