Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 13, 2017 14:34:50 GMT
Oh I know who voted against it, because it was done openly. I expected nothing less from her. Some people don't understand he love of animals and are just against everything. Yay....victory for me.
I don't really think other people in the building are planning on having a hamster or GP, but maybe some day. I'm just happy I can and I'm really happy that I finally fought for it and won š Now I might be able to make a bigger cage, so it's possible to foster two piggies at the same time. We will see.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 13, 2017 5:09:35 GMT
Four years ago I moved into this apartment, because I split up with my boyfriend of 9 years and had to leave our house. I couldn't find a place where guinea pigs were allowed, but this building allowed two cats which I had at the time. I had to leave my old home and moved in here with my cats and two piggies. For 3 years I keep them a secret and had to hide hay when I bought that, sneak the piggies in and out for vet appointments, make sure nobody would find out I had them, be careful there were no signs of them when people came to my door etc. It was very stressful. The last couple of months I have worked hard on getting our bylaws changed, so small caged mammals are allowed and tonight we had our general meeting where we voted on the bylaw change. I'm so happy that everybody except one person chose to support me and we are now allowed to have those types of pets. I'm so excited that I can be open about having/ fostering guinea pigs. It's such a relief. Anyway, I just wanted to share my good news š
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 11, 2017 14:44:20 GMT
I always thought alfalfa was hay, so I learned something new š The little guy is doing well. He seems happy, but may be a little bored without any friends. He doesn't really like being picked up, but he will sit in his snuggle bag in the evening after I feed him some critical care. He likes that. His weight is very up and down. I was so happy when he gained weight everyday last week, but I think it was Saturday it was way down again. This morning the weight was up a lot, but his stomach also felt really big, so maybe he just ate something. He doesn't seem to be eating as much hay and pellets as he did last week. I'm not sure if I should just keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens. He talks a bit now and continues to play with his water bottle and cardboard house.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 9, 2017 23:24:32 GMT
He plays with the water bottle all the time. It's kind of annoying,,,haha. He's definitely not flat coated. He's got some fluff, but not all the rosettes as some guinea pigs. I think you might be right about the thin coat. It could be where he had some wounds or poor nutrition. I'm thinking the same - if he can bulk up a bit, he can defend himself better and fight for food if he has too (he shouldn't have to, because there's plenty, but still). I just bought some alfalfa hay, so he has a variety.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 9, 2017 5:11:56 GMT
The water bottle isn't leaking and he uses it a lot, but I thought he was drinking it all until I saw how wet the towel is. Now I know, he likes to play with it. His coat is not really rough, but very thin in some spots. I'll try to get a good picture some time. He's getting more talkative, so he must be getting more comfortable here. He's such a sweetie ā¤ļø
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 8, 2017 22:45:19 GMT
I think he might be playing with the water bottle more than I thought. I put a towel under it now to see how much it absorbes, I don't think he eats anything with sodium. His treats are just veggies.
I'm not sure about his coat, but I'm hoping it will get better. He's not scratching it, so it seems like it's not bothering him. Who knows what it could be. I don't even know how old he is or anything, it's so sad.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 8, 2017 14:27:29 GMT
I think he drinks a lot, but he might also be playing with the bottle as you suggested. He has a smaller plastic water bottle...not sure what it holds (maybe 1.5 cups...I'll have to check) but if I fill it up at night, it's empty in the morning. Same thing after work. It's just a lot more water than my other pigs drank. I'm not familiar with those sticks. Where would I get one? This morning he was 845 grams btw.....yay! š
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 8, 2017 0:27:00 GMT
I finally got some pictures downloaded. You really can't see how skinny he is, but you might be able to see how he's missing some fur on his back. Btw. that's his spine sticking up. You can also see that somebody chewed on his ears at some point. Poor little guy. He is doing well though and definitely has a strong personality. His one eye was a little crusty when he got here, but it's looking much better already. Attachment Deleted Attachment Deleted Attachment Deleted
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 7, 2017 14:32:06 GMT
823 grams today! He's definitely drinking the water. The rescue lady gave me a bag of Oxbow hay, so I've been using that. I'll look for something else and try that. He just wheeked a little bit...which is only maybe the third time. Otherwise he's pretty quiet except for knocking over his cardboard box house all the time š
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 7, 2017 2:00:47 GMT
He drinks a huge amount of water everyday. Is that a concern? He really likes the pellets. He eats hay too, but way more pellets. His poos were kind of soft today, so I've cut down on the veggies.
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 6, 2017 14:52:16 GMT
I just weighed him and he's up to 810 grams, so it's progress š
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 5, 2017 23:49:37 GMT
I think the owner wishes she didn't have so many animals, but when you're a caring person, how do you turn one away that needs help? It's so tough. I worry too what will happen when she is unable to do it anymore or if she got sick or something. It doesn't really do any good to worry though. All we can do is help the best we can and she has friends and volunteers that help fundraise, clean, foster, apply for grants etc, so luckily she's not completely on her own.
I'm happy to have the little dude here for now. It's fun to see his personality come out and hopefully he will gain some weight, I do think I kind of forgot how messy guinea pigs are. He's a pooping machine!!!
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 5, 2017 14:46:35 GMT
I agree that the situation isn't perfect and the number of animals might be too high, but I'm just trying to help as much as I can. I know the owner has experienced that other rescues adopted animals out, saying they needed to bring the pet back if it didn't work out and people didn't. Later she would see the same animal in another rescue, which is why she is concerned, I guess. I think she will adopt to people that she knows really well, but of course that's not enough when you think of how many animals she has. Anyway, I'm not going to judge her. I know she is doing the best she can, rescuing from forest fires, petting zoos, feral cats, rabbits supposed to go to meat farms etc. I don't know ithe details of how much medical care they get, but most look healthy to me. There might be another little one I can foster, but I don't know. I'm not sure my current cage is big enough for two males either. I got rid of a lot of stuff when my piggie died, so I'm using what I have now and I only have so much room in my apartment. He's getting more and more spunky. He is super wriggly when I try to pick him up, but he will let me pet him in the cage and he loves loves loves his food!! š
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 5, 2017 1:45:50 GMT
This rescue was probably never meant to be as big as it is. The animals don't get adopted out, because she promises to give them a home for the rest of their lives. She is worried that animals go to a home and the owners later get tired of the pet and then who knows what will happen. It sounds like she has experienced that before, so now they stay with her forever. I know it's not ideal to have that many animals and not necessarily be able to give them all vet care, but I know she is doing her best and relies on donations to pay for everything. As sad as it can be to see that many animals in one place, I know the alternative is worse. They might not even be alive if it wasn't for her. I will do the best I can for him and hopefully he will recover and be able to go back home. Maybe he will stay with a smaller group of pigs, so he can get enough to eat, I don't know.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 4, 2017 14:45:50 GMT
He is getting more spunky and wants attention, so I built him a bigger cage last night. It's not huge, but better than the small one he had. He eats everything I give him, but of course mainly pellets and hay. I just weighed him and will do it every morning from now on. I would like to take him to the vet, but it's hard. He's not mine and the sanctuary can't afford to do it. They spend a lot of money on neutering rabbits and ofcourse food. The guinea pigs are separated, so no new babies are born unless a pig comes in pregnant. I can pay for a vet visit myself, but obviously I can't do that every time I foster one. I don't have the money for that. It's hard, you want to do the best, but you also can't get too attached since he will go home some day. It's just hard not to fall in love with them, no matter how scruffy and skinny they are ā¤ļø I'll keep feeding him and we will see what happens.
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Dec 3, 2017 16:19:58 GMT
My last guinea pig died in January and since I'm not really allowed to have guinea pigs where I live, I haven't got a new one and don't know if I'm ready for the commitment yet. I have thought about fostering some, if possible. I regularly go out to a sanctuary where a lady takes in unwanted animals - mainly bunnies, but she also has a lot of guinea pigs, some chickens, cats, birds, rats etc. I go there to get some guinea love, as I say :-) Yesterday I went and she had just gotten 19 new guinea pigs from a petting zoo, I think. I picked one random one up and he was the skinniest little guy ever. I asked her if she would consider letting me foster some of her piggies and she said yes, take him and fatten him up, so I said yes. I wasn't prepared, so she gave me a small cage for him and some hay. One my way home I bought some Critical Care from a vet and pellets and veggies later on. I have no idea how old he is, but he only weighs 750g. He spine is sticking out. He eats and eats and eats. I wonder if there was too much competition for the food for the little guy and he just didn't get enough. He might also be sick. He has some skin issues as well, so the lady gave him some medication and I will keep an eye on it. I cut his nails. One foot has a toe with almost no nail and one has an extremely long nail. His one eye is also a little crusty. The issues don't seem to bother him, but I want him to be well. He doesn't have a name, but I'm thinking Ollie (Oliver). I just picked him up yesterday, so I haven't had him out much. I will get some better pictures soon. Any advise on what to feed him to fatten him up or anything else you think I should do?? Attachment Deleted
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Nov 20, 2017 23:25:36 GMT
What a cutie ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
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Whimsy
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Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Nov 13, 2017 16:32:09 GMT
Welcome! When I used fleece, I did change it daily, but I think you can get away with shaking all the poo and hay off or vacuuming it daily, then change it after a few days. With only one guinea pig, I don't think it's necessary to change it daily. Put some towels under the fleece, so it absorbes the pee and then just try to make sure the fleece isn't wet. As long as it's dry, you can still use it.
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Oct 1, 2017 18:33:30 GMT
It sounds like you did the right thing for Storm. Boy piggies are trouble makers sometimes š«
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Whimsy
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Post by Whimsy on Sept 10, 2017 1:38:46 GMT
That will work. Please show us some pictures of the cute little guys š
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