Totally new to pigs! New sweet little guy :)

[paperpapillon]

Hi everyone! I'm new to guinea pigs but have owned just about every other pet imaginable! I've been looking for a fun/friendly forum to join since I got my first piggie about 6-7 days ago. A little about me first - I'm a veterinary technician and currently have 4 dogs (Papillons & Belgian Malinois), 1 cat, and a bearded dragon. I participate in dog shows (conformation, agility, obedience) and am very active in animal training, behavior, and also medical topics. I really look forward to making friends here because I don't think anyone else would understand how exciting and ADORABLE my little guy is!

Let me get this out of the way....please don't flame me or lecture. I've broken just about every cardinal rule about pig ownership - First, he's from a petstore, and second, he's a single male young pig. He is a young male Abyssinian (I believe!) who I got from a local family run pet store. The only reason I go in there is because the vet I work for is friends with the owner and sometimes we pick up/exchange supplies, clients, and other things from them. I personally don't support them or buy from them...normally. About a year ago I went in and always check out the small animal section in the front of the store, and they actually had a young male Texel that was just beautiful...black and white and sweet. Days later I decided I HAD to have him, but he was sold when I went back. Ever since then, I've been wanting one but not really in the market for one - if I was I would have gotten one from a responsible breeder. ANYWAY, last week I stopped in and started walking around the cages trying to pet the pigs while I was waiting for someone. All of them ran/scurried/screamed so I let them be. One little black/white one didn't run - he sniffed my hand while curiously looking up at me, put his little foot on me as if he wanted to be picked up, and was SO calm. He was in a tiny but clean section all by himself. I was told he was a "bully and didn't get along with anyone." I held him for a while and loved on him and put him back. On my way home from work 2 days later, I stopped there again. Tried to pet and watch the piggies, and again saw this little love. Held him some more and tried to talk myself out of supporting a pet store in this way. After talking to my boyfriend and much thought we decided to go for it. The worker brought out a little booklet and showed the supposed breeders names and said they only use a few local breeders that they "know." Supposedly they get the pigs when they are 4 months old....and this guy has been there about a week (bull). The only thing I bought there was the pig, and got all his cages and supplies elsewhere. I would like to get him a friend sometime down the road. Right now it's not possible but in the near future I will definitely consider it for his wellbeing.

Now that that's out of the way - I'd love for some friendly advice or tips with this little guy. We decided his name is Vinnie (Vinnie the GUINEA pig...LOL). I can't do a C&C cage although it looks nice. I'm on a limited budget & space because I was out of work for a while with health issues (that I still have) and am only working very part time now. I have a prey driven dog and a curious cat, so I figured the safest option for him was a pre-made sturdy cage. Decided on a "National Geographic" cage designed for a rabbit (and other small animals) because the size was nice and the max that I can have right now. I believe its 40in L x 22in W. It came with a glass water bottle, hay manger, bowl, hidey/ramp thing, and I bought some tunnels, chew toy/kabobs, and made some of my own toys and hides. He's going to be spoiled and loved on, but I've been very slow to do much with him. I want to do it right, and let him get used to his new surroundings and be comfortable. It's a little over a week now, and I talk to him as much as possible, gently pet him, and hold him throughout the day. About 1-2x daily I've been setting up a play area for him on the couch with some of his hides/tunnels/toys and he's really starting to love it! No popcorning yet, but he does get excited and run around like a maniac before settling down again! I'd like to switch to fleece bedding soon.

Now about his personality - I think he's defective! He has not made one loud wheek, ever. He didn't make ANY noises at all until the 3rd or 4th day, and it was the small talkative little mumbles as he was curiously checking his play area out. He does that from time to time, but never anything louder. So strange! I find it a GOOD thing though LOL. I wanted a quiet, calmer/sweet pig and I think I may have lucked out?! Also I've noticed he's a really calm pig which I find a little strange. From the beginning he does NOT run like he just saw a ghost when he sees people. He stays pretty calm and still, and lets me reach in to gently pet him or even pick him up. He doesn't even try to run when I go to pick him up....he has maybe a few times but is really good about it. He doesn't seem fearful about much really. I can pet him everywhere, hold him, do his nails, etc. I'm sure freezing can be a fear response but I really don't think it's that. He curiously sniffs the air when the dogs are around (they are kept away so he's not too freaked out by them yet). He doesn't back up in fear or anything like that. He takes treats out of my hand. He is a PIG.....he eats anything and everything I've given him so far! He eats very well so I don't think we have any health issues. He feels a bit skinny to me BUT the only food he had in the store was pellets, nothing else...UGH. They said he was not there long, about a week but I'm sure it was a few. He is mildly itchy and grooms himself a few times while he's out playing. Going to brush him with a flea comb to check him out later. I think the grooming his face/front area means he's comfortable. I plan on giving him a bath soon (he kind of stinks, and I want him to be clean and fresh out of that nasty petstore). He weighs 1.7lbs, 777grams, or 24.7oz. Seems like a pretty big guy, any guesses on age? He was def smaller than the adult pigs they had there, but slightly larger than other babies that looked to be from the same litter as him.

Anyway, I'm so sorry this is so long! I just wanted to cover everything. I'll be posting questions soon but wanted to intro first. Maybe with my questions I can link back to this post so people can see my setup etc. I'd like to hear anyone's thoughts on what kind of piggie he is (Aby I believe?), if he looks healthy, if his cage setup is acceptable (I know it's not ideal), etc. Any ideas or opinions are welcome. I have TONS of pics and love taking them. You'll see he looks exactly like a baby skunk. Maybe he isn't a piggie at all and I got ripped off...LMAO. I really look forward to making friends on here and sticking around!

-Lauren &
Chloe, Austin, Raven, Enzo, Ava, Ivan, Vinnie

[bazookagoof]

Welcome to the board!

Vinnie looks like a sweetheart, keep posting pics!

(I'm hardly an expert, so I'll let some of the other more experienced members chime in if they have advice.)

[Bean]

Hello and a warm welcome to the board! Vinnie is adorable and the photos show bags of character - I can totally see why you were drawn to him! I'm rubbish on breeds but would agree with him having some abby in him. Other than that, I could only really say he's black and white?! He sounds lovely and chilled out (doesn't sound like fear freezing to me either!) - keep spending loads of time handling him and you'll probably have yourself a laid back lap pig!

The minimum cage size for one or two pigs is 4' x 2', so when he's full grown, something a bit bigger would probably be appreciated (especially if he gets a friend and *especially* if that friend is another boy - they need a lot more space to get along!). I agree that with other animals around, the cage being robust is really high on the list! I like that the built-in hidey doesn't take away floor space too. I have some strips of fleece pegged across one end of the cages - it provides cover and they use it as a hammock but they can still run laps as it doesn't get in their way.

Getting regular floor time or another large exercise area is great for exercise and stimulation, so good work on that. It doesn't look like you're short of ideas, but I love the toys page at cavy spirit for ideas on how to keep them amused.

If you bathe him, make sure you use a shampoo designed for small animals. I'm not generally an advocate of bathing, but think when they've come from somewhere not so clean, it's good to start anew and then let them keep themselves clean (which they do very well if their environment is kept clean). The odd itch and scratch is perfectly normal, but keep an eye out for dry flaky skin or bald/ sore patches as it might indicate he has mites (which unfortunately wouldn't be hugely surprising from a pet shop).

As for completely random guesses on age, I'd age him 9-11 months? He's a decent size but still has that look of young pig about his face, and like he has some filling out to do. I usually find that pigs reach their full length by just over a year, but carry on filling out over the next few months to reach their full size. Of course what's full sized varies enormously, so it's all total guesswork!

Most members have a thread in 'meet the pigs' which they add any updates or questions to - it's a really good way to keep all your information and photos together and can be nice to look back on as it works like a diary. You can edit the title of the original post if you want to change the title at any point.

And we're not a judgemental lot so you're pretty safe from being flamed here, so please don't worry about that!

[paperpapillon]

Thanks so much for the warm welcomes bazookagoof and Bean! I appreciate the advice and info a lot. I wasn't sure how my first post would be accepted, as dog groups are normally pretty cut-throat with that kind of thing! LOL but I'm glad this seems like a nice place.

As for his age, I have a theory. There were probably about 15 pigs total in the store - some adult/older ones that people GIVE to them to find homes for, and then the babies they get in to sell. In a big plexiglass open-top enclosure, they had 3-4 sections in which the babies were separated. Vinnie was all alone, but in the one next to him were 4 others - 2 of which I would guess were his littermates. They were females, white with black, and same hair pattern and look to them. BUT they were quite a bit smaller. I wonder if he's really a younger pig (like the petstore says) but just a big guy. Maybe he was separated because he really was a bully to them and would hog the food bowl or something, and that's part of why he's so much bigger. Just a guess! To me he seems pretty "baby-ish" but maybe it's just that he's so naive to the world being in a dumb petstore and has a lot to learn.

Anyway, I'll be posting on here quite a bit I'm sure! Does anyone call each other by names, or mostly just the usernames? Well I'm off to do some cage cleaning and set up his play area Pig slave already...? Hmmm....LOL

[3piggles]

Hello and welcome Vinnie is gorgeous, and I love the Vinnie the Guinea Pig, lol I agree with Bean on his age, and I think he was previously owned by someone who really loved him, but couldn't keep him. I had a pig like him, and he had been turned in to the shelter by a very reluctant owner who really loved him. Mine was so easy to pick up and cuddle. No having to chase him around the cage. I hope Vinnie is, too

As for the cage, put something on the loft so he goes up there a lot. Put his veggies or pellets up there, and he will get a lot of exercise jumping on and off the loft. Just makes his in-cage life more interesting. The tunnel and chew log are fine, but remove the chew blocks. They are more for the owners than for the guinea pigs. Take out the hay holder, and put the hay in a pile in the cage. Give him as much as possible. There's little guinea pigs enjoy more than tunneling through a pile of hay, especially in a small cage. It will be one of his favorite past times Piggies should have unlimited hay to eat, and if they can also play in it, all the better Don't be surprised if he bulldozes it around the cage, and generally has a great time with it. If you add a good handful of hay daily, he'll always have fresh hay you know he hasn't used as a bathroom.

I had one silent pig. She was the big boss, and the others knew she was the boss. For a while, she was popping her nasal membranes to make a clicking sound, because she enjoyed it. The vet and I wracked our brains for weeks trying to figure out what was wrong, as it sounded like a URI, but her lungs and everything were clear. She liked the sound, and was enjoying all the attention She let the others do the talking, so don't let that worry you. He's getting all he wants or needs from you, so he doesn't feel compelled to ask for anything.

Most pet forums are against breeders and pet stores because the breeding conditions are awful, but as long as pet stores can sell the pets, the breeders will keep breeding. Pet stores also tend to cater to impulse purchases, and the pets end up in over crowded shelters. That said, pet store pigs deserve decent lives, too, and shouldn't have to wait until they've been abandoned and dumped in a shelter. My best pig ever was a pet store pig, and so was his best pal. The main negative about pet store pigs is that they haven't been vetted for health problems, so I would definitely have him completely checked, just in case. We had one member who worked for a chain pet store, and used her job as a chance to rescue the sick pigs returned by customers or pulled from the shipments. Instead of getting sent back to the breeder and euthanized, they got vet care and healthy lives

I hope you and Vinnie have a long, happy life together

[bazookagoof]

Jul 20, 2016 16:53:54 GMT paperpapillon said:

Does anyone call each other by names, or mostly just the usernames?

My handle is a bit much to type in all the time, so you can call me Baz, or you know, that or, uh, His Bazness, or uh, Bazzer, or El Bazzerino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.





Sorry, it's been too long since I quoted The Big Lebowski and I had to sneak something in there. 

[irina13]

Well you ve hit the jackpot,here everyone is nice and helpfull,not judgemental at all :)unlike some forums or facebook groups!
Welcome,and Vinni is adorable 😎pigs are just the best .

[Whimsy]

Oh my goodness....he is such a handsome little guy.

[sadyandmrsk]

Awe!! So cute!!! i Do feel like a bigger cage is better (Although I've spoiled my 2 pigs with a 4x5... whoops hehe) though if you can't fit it i understand :/ Maybe consider a hutch? Or even a shed? That way, it wouldn't be indoors and taking up to much room, and you could get him a few friends!! A lot of people say not to buy from poetasters, and i do understand that if you buy they'll keep selling but just think about what would of happened to that sweet little guy I have many friends who get from poetasters so I'm not complaining! Anyway, He's tots adorbs!!! hehe!!! Enjoy your new little furry friend and the years to come with him!!! Kisses from sad and mrs k!! *Smooch*

[3piggles]

With a little ingenuity, it's possible to add lofts to any cage, even if you make them removable for eat cage cleaning. I definitely think the pigs appreciate the extra space, and in many cases, having the lofts is more fun than having a lot of running space. They will do zoomies, if they have enough space, but even if you don't have the space for a long running area, just having different levels gives them a lot more to do than just one level offers. Anything that keeps them from being bored, and gives them some exercise, is good I've even found just having houses they can get on top of, does the job.