Betsy's Guinea Pigs

Dear Piggies in Forumland

My Slave was late with breakfast this morning. Her excuse? Cleaning out the run so that I could go in it with a nice fresh fleece and lovely fresh hay. What sort of excuse is that? She may have had to get 4 washes dry today so that they dried outside and 2 of them were from the run and my hutch but that is not a good enough reason why breakfast should not be served as soon as she walks into the garage! I kept trying to tell her this by telling her off good and proper and she knew exactly what I was saying. She kept replying that she knew I wanted breakfast (so why didn't she give it to me?) but she had to clean the run out first. The other two over in the cage were no good as they just hid in their hideys until breakfast arrived. What is the point of those 2 piggies? I didn't like them first nor last and was hoping that they would go away but no they stayed. At least they are not sharing my Penthouse with me!

If breakfast is late tomorrow, I shall be following my own advice to other piggies who didn't get their food on time. I have kept all the records of the advice I have given.

Yours hoping that breakfast will be served on time from now on.

The One and Only Thea
Shop Steward (Retired)
 
Dear One and Only Thea,
how dare your slave treats you this way! You deserve better!
But we know all about useless slaves.
You should get Miss Bramble to put her on the Naughty List of GPU - even if you don't like the girl much.
All the best for today!
Wheeks in sympathy
Billie
 
Dear The One and Only Thea,

It must be a thing because my slave (I do love her but don’t tell her!) has been late with breakfast the past few days. All I hear is ‘breakfast’ in this weird voice. YES, I KNOW IT’S BREAKFAST TIME! YOU’RE LATE!

I have tried bar biting but that doesn’t seem to deter her. She just waits on the other side and gives me my breakfast there. Then she has the audacity to throw the hay in without looking. I know I sometimes like burrowing but it’s Fudge (I do miss him) who used to tunnel and sleep in piles of hay. At least she’s nice enough to take stray bits off me so I’m nice and clean.

These useless slaves need teaching a lesson. What else could we do? Maybe Miss Bramble could advise us, though I’m not sure how much experience she has.

Yours in frustration (too much hard work to ramble),

Toff
 
Dear Toff

You are right, I'm a bit young to have the experience of how to get Slaves to treat us with more respect. I have also tried to approach my Mentor The One and Only Thea Shop Steward (Retired) about this but since I passed my exams with flying colours, she has basically left me alone (unless there was a SERIOUS miscarriage of justice by Slaves) as she has let me know that I'm not popular. This is probably because I studied really hard and passed my training in record time (I think she may be a bit jealous?).

Anyway back to the problem at hand. Us piggies need to be consistent in our training of Slaves. We need to bar bite occasionally (though not so hard we break our teeth), wheek loudly at them at regular intervals especially if we know that food is on the way, stand up on our hind legs with our feet on the bars and look really cute and run zoomies around the cage, hutch or run whilst adding in a few popcorns for good measure.

Slaves like to see us enjoying our lives and by doing so, they will want us to show them the behaviours listed above. Therefore, they will feed us lots of yummy treats.

Your helpful friend

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward
 
Morning Miss Bramble,

Don’t worry your pretty self with what The One and Only Thea thinks of you. I think she just didn’t want to be usurped by a young pretty lady!

I like your thinking. Is demanding a good scratch a way to show the slave I’m enjoying my life? Only I was thinking I’m a little past the zooming around the cage. I did used to wheek but that didn’t seem to help so I don’t bother anymore.

Yours (finally fed),
Toff

PS do you want to come for a visit? I’ve got a nice spacious penthouse apartment. The view isn’t quite the greatest but it’s better than the ground floor studio flat. I don’t think the residents are particularly nice either…
 
Dear Toff

Thanks very much for the offer a spacious penthouse apartment - it does sound very appealing. I am a bit young to go wandering by myself so I had to ask my Mum Misty if I could come and visit and she told me that I couldn't and she gave me a bit of a talking to. She is starting to get very worried about me and told me I had to keep myself "nice" whatever that means. She also told me what a boar did to her and I must admit it doesn't sound very pleasurable experience! I'm going to have to turn you down I'm afraid. I do dream of having a boarfriend though but please don't tell Misty that!

The cage isn't quite as posh as Thea's Penthouse Suite but she is an old lady and we have to show her respect even though she doesn't like us very much. It's elevated though so if (I don't like you very much) Thea is feeling a bit lonely wants to have a chat she can. (Even awful old bats can be quite nice at times!)

Yours a bit crestfallen about being told off

Miss Bramble
 
Dear Beautiful Miss Bramble,

I’m so sorry I got you in trouble with your mum Misty. Next time you have to keep it a secret okay?

I hope you have a lovely day and lots of treats. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of a pea flake in AGEEESSSS. Does a sliver of carrot, blueberry, quarter of a grape or grass count as a treat? 🤔

The always handsome Toff
 
Dear handsome Toff

We have peaflakes every night in the garage. My Mum Misty and Thea get 3 each but Slave says because I'm only little I can only have 1.:soz: I've already had a strawberry top today. I'm hoping for a bit of coriander later.

Miss Bramble
 
Dear Kylie

I have tried to tell my Slave that I need more pea flakes by trying to nick one off my Mum Misty. Slave has relented and has said that I can have 2 in September and 3 in January when I'm fully grown.

Yours hoping for more pea flakes

Miss Bramble
Shop Steward
 
Tonight was the first night that Bramble has actually asked for her veggie dindins. She stood on her hind legs with her feet up on the side of the cage and wheeked at me. Then Misty (who is a bit more skittish) copied and put her feet up on the side of the cage (with no wheek) and only for a couple of seconds but it was a definite ask from both of them. We are getting there slowly....
 
Betsy said:
Tonight was the first night that Bramble has actually asked for her veggie dindins. She stood on her hind legs with her feet up on the side of the cage and wheeked at me. Then Misty (who is a bit more skittish) copied and put her feet up on the side of the cage (with no wheek) and only for a couple of seconds but it was a definite ask from both of them. We are getting there slowly....
Click to expand...
Oh that is so lovely!
 
In the last few days, we have had a major breakthrough.....

I am very pleased to announce that Miss Bramble Shop Steward of the GPU has learned the command "In you go" meaning if you get in the Hidey Express for transportation from cage to run or run to cage you will be rewarded with either breakfast or veggie dindins. Misty is nearly there. It's only taken them 3 months.

As they hate being picked up and find it very stressful so charge around the cage or run as if their lives depend on it, its a real trust moment and one that I think should be celebrated. It's a huge milestone for them and for me.
 
Little Fluffy Miss Bramble has put on 100g since I adopted her and Misty back in April. She is now nearly 9 months old. I don't think she'll be a big piggy as Misty is only 841g and was 914g at her heaviest. Bramble's pigsonality is starting to show. She is a happy and cheeky girl who never popcorns but bounces around when she's excited. She likes playing zoomies with herself.

Misty has a more laid back look on life. She's quite shy but not timid. She still bosses Bramble around and plays the "I'm Mum so do as you're told" card quite a lot. I've not seen her popcorn or play zoomies yet. She is 1 year and 9 months old.
 
I lived with my Pepper for over five years and never saw her do one zoom or popcorn. In fact she never displayed excitement at all. But I know she was happy pootling around doing her Pepper things. People who don't know pigs would never believe how much individual personality they have.
 
My piggies are back home after 3 weeks away with the boarder! I went to collect them this morning and Thea was pleased to see me. I said hello to her and she was instantly sniffing the air to see if it really was me or not.:love: Then she came up to the front of the carrier to say hello back and settled quite happily in her hidey for the ride home. Misty and Bramble were like "Oh it's you is it?".🤣

Lilli had cut their nails, groomed them and taught Misty how to walk onto her open hands when being taken out of the cage. They are all settling back happily into the garage. Thea in the run, Misty and Bramble in their cage. I'm so happy they are home it's very strange without them.
 
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