The Big Catch Up...

The Guinea Pig Boys Have Now Got Guinea Pig Girlfriends

So... it's been a while since I last updated this blog... life has been a tad crazy.  As you can see by the above picture, a lot has changed since December.

So Christmas time was lots of fun, made the boys some more cuddly beds for Christmas and we had a fun Christmas photo shoot.  The fun part was the parsley ;-)

The New Beds

Christmas Hat Time

In January I went away for a week and came back to a very fat Rhiley, much to my dismay... luckily he lost the weight quickly enough :-)  Things were going very well with the boys and their bond has grown so nicely.  
There was however a small upset with Rhiley during the beginning of the year with a respiratory tract infection that was luckily taken care of quickly by my exotics vet.

A Really Big Rhiley

The Boys Enjoying Some Cuddle Time

I had been wondering for some time if the boys would enjoy some female company, but was nervous about introducing girls into the mix as I had heard many a horror story about keeping males and females together.  So I did some research and I spoke with a breeder about the situation and he advised that all things would work well due to my boys being neutered and the size of my cage.  I decided to get the girls on a Saturday morning just over a month and a half ago.  Roberta (friend who introduced me to breeder) and myself went off to visit Mike (breeder).  I could not explain how excited I was to bring home my new peruvian girls :-)  so introducing Jara Carsynthia (Calli) and Jara Jipsophelia (aka Taylor).

Calli

Taylor

Everyone Together

One Big Happy Family

So initially I kept the girls separate from the boys with a perspex screen so they could see each other but weren't in direct contact.  We then did the first introduction on my bed where I could watch everyone and the second intro a day later in my hallway where everyone could have lots of space to run and figure out dominance. 

First Intro

Sherlock Tired out After the Second Intro

A few days later it was time to put everyone in together, so after a full clean out of the cage, I put everyone in together and waited for any sign of danger.  Luckily enough I was only met with a bit of mounting and some rumble strutting from the boys.  To my joy and relief everyone got along and they are still getting along so well. 

My Beautiful Babies

I decided to get more involved in the SAGPS  http://www.facebook.com/groups/15415761667/ and I could now show Calli as she has potential to be a good show pig, Taylor unfortunately has too many rosettes (peruvians should only have two on their bum).  So I did my judges course and my "exam" and I am now a judge and am judging my first show this weekend.  I decided since Calli's hair wasn't long enough yet, I would enter Sherlock in the pet class category which he won.  All in all I have met some amazing new people and I am enjoying being involved with other guinea pig people.  

The Judges Show

So Proud of my Boy

Cutie Pie

Learning How to Judge a Pig

On another note, the girls are growing up beautifully, I'm so proud of them.  Also my friend Roberta has decided to not only do judging and showing, but also breeding of peruvians and alpacas (curly haired peruvian).  I had fun doing her logo for her and I am very excited to see all the beautiful piggies she breeds from Petit Cochon Cavies http://www.facebook.com/PetitCochonCavies?fref=ts

My Beautiful Girls

Will be blogging again soon everyone!!

"Wheeky" Clean

soggy Rhiley

 Yesterday was cage cleaning day, so I put the boys in their carrier bag which I normally put them in whilst I clean their cage.  They were however very fussy yesterday and there was much rumbling and wheeking and head butting, so I decided to put them in separate carriers.  Sherlock kept running away from me and playing in his tunnel which was rather amusing.  I also decided a buddy bath was in order.

get me out of this carrier bag!

Peekaboo!

Mom I don't want a bath

I'll come out if you give me some parsley!

 So I ran a nice warm bath for the boys and plopped them in the nice water (just up to their tummies).  They don't mind the bath part so much... just the drying part afterwards!  I make sure to never put water on their faces and I just gently rub their little ears with my damp fingers.  They get their paws cleaned and I wash there little tummies and fluffy bums.  Piggies should not be bathed very often as they have sensitive skin, so once a month maximum.  Unless you have a guinea pig friendly shampoo, just warm water should be used.

We don't want to have a bath mom!

Sherlock standing so nicely in the bath

Wet piggies bonding in the bath

Rhiley looking unimpressed

 Next came the drying part... I put down a towel on the bathroom floor and placed the boys on it and rubbed them gently dry, although Sherlock kept running onto me making me nice and wet and smelling of damp piggies.  Rhiley does not like getting dried with a towel, he cries, so I make sure I am especially gentle.  On a cold day I normally blow dry them on a cool gently setting, but since it is so warm I made sure they were nicely towel dried and put them into their nicely cleaned hutch with some nice veg for dinner.

Towel Dried Piggies

Rhiley was very cross with me

 When they were nice and dry I decided to do the first Christmas photoshoot with the boys since they looked so clean and fluffy.  So I set up a chair with a blanket and some nice parsley in front of the tree and clicked away!

 Can't wait to get started on the boys gifts!  Will be blogging soon... cheers!

Deck the Halls with Bunches of Parsley

The Boys' Tree

As the holiday season fast approaches I have been setting up my Christmas tree and buying presents etc.  I decided it was only fair that the boys get their own tree, so this is their little tree which I will put their presents under.  I also got them some cute little Christmas hats for the boys (I can see the photos already!).

My Tree

Things have been so busy at the moment with work about to close, but I have promised the boys lots of fun things for the holidays!  I am going to make them a nice outdoor play pen, some new beds for Christmas and I am going to plant a nice veg patch!  I think they will be excited to have mommy all to themselves for a whole month!

Piggy Love

Can we have parsley for Christmas mom?

I can't wait to get going on all my projects!  I am also going to visit a piggy breeder with a friend of mine who loves piggies as much as I do!  We are going to have to do some serious resisting this weekend as I would just take home as many piggies as I could carry if I could!  So wallet will stay at home...

Don't bring home any more piggies mom!

We want you all to ourselves!

In my next post I will hopefully have some super cute piggy Christmas pics!

A Good" Wheek"end

You know it's going to be a good weekend when it starts with a visit from granny and some yummy parsley...

My mom came to visit this passed weekend and she loves to spoil the boys with treats, cuddles and toys.

nom nom nom

The boys have really bonded nicely now, there is almost no rumbling from either one and they enjoy snuggling together and will seldom allow me to hold them apart.  It makes me very happy to have them snuggle up with me on the couch and watch tv without arguing or rumbling.

some tv after a long day of eating and sleeping, it's tough being a piggy

I am planning on making all kinds of goodies for them during my leave over Christmas  especially since they love the things I have made them in the passed.  They really love their fleece forest the best, so hopefully I can make them some toys they will love just as much for Christmas!

Fleece Forest!

 Otherwise we had a fun weekend, got to play on mom's bed which is always fun, and had to pose for a few pictures, much to our dismay...

Yay play time!

I love snuggling with granny

No more pictures mom!

Is this my good side?

My close up

Sleepy time

Off to have some yummy veggies for supper!!  Bye for now!

nom nom nom

Keeping Cool

Wow it's hot in this fur coat!!

We have been having a hectic heat wave the last week or so with temperatures of 36 degrees!  I know I have been struggling to stay cool and I am not wearing a fur coat.

I have been trying to find ways to keep my boys happy and cool.  I have put ice water in their water bottles, made sure their veg is nice and chilled and includes cucumbers and watery veg so they keep hydrated.  They have a little fan over their cage and my mom made wonderful cooling pads for them.  They are filled with rice and put in the freezer (can be put in the microwave when it's cold, just a cautionary note, when heating up in a microwave just put a cup of water in as well, the rice is very dry and can catch alight) and then laid underneath their fleece and their houses to keep them nice and cool.  It has been a very successful project and I will definitely use them heated in winter.

Nice Cooling Pads

Fleece Covering the Cooling Pads

The boys took full advantage of the cooling pads and stretched out on them as soon as I put them into the cage.  I feel much happier knowing they can keep cool in this heatwave.

Yummy Carrot Tops are the Perfect Snack on a Hot Day