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Post by bootygurl on Dec 9, 2014 6:45:55 GMT
Hello all! I am Alanna, I live in Ontario, Canada now, but come February we are headed to Alberta. I have had 5 male furred piggies in the past but currently have one, Booty who is a 10 month old female skinny pig. I also have 17 male rats (3 of which are hairless) and 2 female Degus, Booty's best friends Winnie and Danica. I got Booty a week ago. And found out she was with a male a week before I got her (oh dear). She was the lone girl left from a BYB trio. I took her so she would not be bred further. She had never successfully bred yet and it worries me a bit that she is a little older then desired age for having babies. I have a good vet who said she's healthy otherwise but to call if there is any sign of problem.
She's doing well now, eating lots, clearly didn't get much in the way of fresh foods other then carrots at her previous home. She loves Orange bell peppers and her hay.
She is on the way to being potty trained and so far we're at a 50% improvement. She's using her potty...but she is also using under one of her hidey houses. :s
She loves the degus and they love play time on the floor in the playpen. Singing to each other and popcorning about.
And of course a picture!
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Post by Bean on Dec 9, 2014 9:49:04 GMT
Welcome to Wheekers Alanna!
Aww Booty is lovely. Sorry to hear she may be pregnant for the first time at an older age - I hope she copes with it okay if she is. Having a great vet to hand is definitely a good thing, but hopefully you won't need him - it's great he has checked her out and found her to be in generally good health. It sounds like her diet and environment have vastly improved from where she was before too - good work!
If she does have babies, do you plan to keep them?!
And, oh my! That's a lot of rats!
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 9, 2014 16:58:33 GMT
I do plan to keep them. Hoping for girls so she can have a friend. I do have a friend at work who would love a pair so if we get boys she would take them. We'd keep them if not! I used to have close to 40 rats when I also housed females but the hormones made it difficult to settle some of the more aggressive males down so we moved them to other rescues. As well as I was leaving a relationship and moving in with my Mom. And she's not a HUGE fan of them. She preferred I cut my numbers back until I was on my own again. I chose to keep the boys that were more attached to me and older. All the baby boys moved as well to a great rescue in Toronto.
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Post by Bean on Dec 9, 2014 19:11:24 GMT
So are you involved in rescue?
A lot of people aren't keen on rats! My gran always said she'd never even visit me if I got any! She was okay with the pigs though.
We met some lovely friendly male rats at an open day at a local vets earlier this year - my son adored them, I thought they were lovely but found their enormous nadgers rather distracting!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 9, 2014 19:26:04 GMT
Welcome to our happy family hun, your little Booty is gorgeous, I also love Ratties. Peter Gurney who was an expert on piggies and unfortunately now dead had a skinny called "Shirtless." I thought that was a great name. I too hope that little Booty will be fine, please keep us updated.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Dec 9, 2014 21:28:13 GMT
Hello and welcome Booty is gorgeous! Sounds like a wonderful zoo, though I understand how some people feel about ratties. Too bad, as I've heard them make wonderful pets! Warning about giving the brothers to a friend. Males going into puberty at the same time can become the worst enemies. Brothers obviously fit that category. So many people have had to separate brothers, or pigs of the same age. It's best to have a younger pig with an older pig that has already finished puberty (2-12 months), so only one is being a total jerk
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 10, 2014 0:01:57 GMT
Thanks for the heads up. I have had pairs of furry males before and they were brothers "Butter and Toast" they were always fine. It will all be dependent on if she has babies and what genders. If its one female and one male then likely we will just separate the male til we can neuter him.
And yes the male rats torpedos as we call them are much to be desired. You get used to them. I love my rat men!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 10, 2014 18:11:10 GMT
Butter and Toast, what lovely names.
Hugs
Jo xx
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 12, 2014 19:35:05 GMT
They were daycare guinea pigs that the kids I nanny brought home. Then dad was allergic so I took them. They were Brownie and Oreo but they just didn't suit them. One was dark brown and had long hair (Toast) and the other was a beige crazy bedheaded guy (Butter)
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Post by 3piggles on Dec 12, 2014 22:40:47 GMT
I know some animals take convoluted routes to get to great forever homes. I'm so glad Toast and Butter ended their trip at your house
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 13, 2014 15:21:39 GMT
Actually they ended up with another daycare worker on a farm where they had an entire heated pen to themselves with chicken and rabbit friends and lots of attention from kids which they loved!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 13, 2014 18:25:33 GMT
But they have lots of love now sweetie, and that takes some beating. Do you have to take skin care precautions in hot weather?
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Dec 13, 2014 22:50:01 GMT
That sounds wonderful
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 14, 2014 11:21:31 GMT
But they have lots of love now sweetie, and that takes some beating. Do you have to take skin care precautions in hot weather? Hugs JO xx You mean me or Booty? I would assume for a skinny pig that they shouldn't be outside much in the hot weather with no fur to protect. I have marble tiles for the rats in summer for layin on to cool off. Me...yes hahah Irish background makes for some not sun friendly skin. Also don't enjoy the hot weather. I am happy with the weather right now (-2 to +10°C) has been lovely
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 14, 2014 18:42:19 GMT
Ha ha love, I wasn't very clear there was I LOL! I thought that hairless piggies wouldn't be outside but if they were to take the air, I wondered if cream had to be applied.
I have Irish blood too hun, along with English Sicilian, Italian and Spanish.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Dec 15, 2014 0:39:41 GMT
I'm a cold weather person, so only heat the house to 65 in the winter, and cool it to 70 in the summer. The piggies love it, as their hair never gets too hot for them.
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Whimsy
Bronze Member
Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 15, 2014 17:58:40 GMT
I love skinny pigs. Your little one is adorable!!
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 15, 2014 18:48:11 GMT
I prefer to cold weather to hun but I have my bedroom at a good all year round temperature because of the little critters I have.
Hugs Jo xxx
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Post by bootygurl on Dec 16, 2014 15:27:17 GMT
Oh yeah not saying I keep it cool. Just saying I'm a strange one among my friends and family. Who all love it so bleeping hot. I hate sweating.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Dec 16, 2014 18:07:40 GMT
When I feel sweaty I feel dirty Bootygurl love, and that is a big no no for me; hence I do not like really hot weather.
Hugs JO xx
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