gemnomnom
Junior Guinea Pig
Hello all,
As of Sunday I have become the proud new mummy to two lovely little piggies! I have only ever owned a cat and did not realise how attached I would become to these little creatures! Up to now I thought I was a 'big pet' kind of person, if you know what I mean.
The circumstances under which I got them though was a little less lovely - they were being neglected by a former housemate of mine, and we have since 'rescued' them, along with her boisterous little kitten.
Anyway, after cleaning out the cage thoroughly (God it stank!) and laying down a thick layer of hay (when we rescued them, there was no hay), the piggies appear to be a lot happier! I am concerned for their health though and am taking them to the vet on Thursday.
In the meantime, I'd like to know what else I can do to nurture the little critters? I have put a small cardboard box in their cage with a little 'trap door' cut out but they seem to just be hiding under the plastic roof of the cage!
They have this cage here: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/14083 and although it meets the minimum size requirements, I feel sad they have to be cooped up. I want to give them 'floor time' but my husband thinks it is too soon - considering the move to a new place with new people and the fact they never had free range in their old home. Is there such thing as 'too soon for floor time'?
As for where we're keeping them - they're currently in the living room. There are a few wires about - would sellotaping them to wall and out of their reach be adequate to keep the piggies safe? Their floor time would always be supervised (I am a worrier!) and of course with the cats locked out. Does anybody else house them in the living room?
I have been looking at all the magnificent cages and pig-proofed rooms people make for their piggies and I would like to eventually turn our spare room into 'their room'. I am a little concerned how cold it can be in that room in particular at night time. So far the piggie sleeping arrangements have been in the living room (warmest room in our house) with the thermostat beside them and set to 16 degrees! We also cover their cage with a duvet. Would it be too much for a piggie to have his cage in the living room, but be taken upstairs by hand for a couple of hours every day to roam in the strange new environment of the spare room?
All your advice (no matter how basic; I am a complete beginner!) would be much appreciated!
Gemma
As of Sunday I have become the proud new mummy to two lovely little piggies! I have only ever owned a cat and did not realise how attached I would become to these little creatures! Up to now I thought I was a 'big pet' kind of person, if you know what I mean.
The circumstances under which I got them though was a little less lovely - they were being neglected by a former housemate of mine, and we have since 'rescued' them, along with her boisterous little kitten.
Anyway, after cleaning out the cage thoroughly (God it stank!) and laying down a thick layer of hay (when we rescued them, there was no hay), the piggies appear to be a lot happier! I am concerned for their health though and am taking them to the vet on Thursday.
In the meantime, I'd like to know what else I can do to nurture the little critters? I have put a small cardboard box in their cage with a little 'trap door' cut out but they seem to just be hiding under the plastic roof of the cage!
They have this cage here: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/rabbit_cage/120_cm_cages/14083 and although it meets the minimum size requirements, I feel sad they have to be cooped up. I want to give them 'floor time' but my husband thinks it is too soon - considering the move to a new place with new people and the fact they never had free range in their old home. Is there such thing as 'too soon for floor time'?
As for where we're keeping them - they're currently in the living room. There are a few wires about - would sellotaping them to wall and out of their reach be adequate to keep the piggies safe? Their floor time would always be supervised (I am a worrier!) and of course with the cats locked out. Does anybody else house them in the living room?
I have been looking at all the magnificent cages and pig-proofed rooms people make for their piggies and I would like to eventually turn our spare room into 'their room'. I am a little concerned how cold it can be in that room in particular at night time. So far the piggie sleeping arrangements have been in the living room (warmest room in our house) with the thermostat beside them and set to 16 degrees! We also cover their cage with a duvet. Would it be too much for a piggie to have his cage in the living room, but be taken upstairs by hand for a couple of hours every day to roam in the strange new environment of the spare room?
All your advice (no matter how basic; I am a complete beginner!) would be much appreciated!
Gemma