Enriching the enviroment

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horsetuna

In an attempt to feel better about myself and my pets, I am wanting to really redo how I treat my pets.

My guinea pig is on my list.

She has an enclosure about two by three feet around, not sure about the height but plenty deep enough. I use a gravity fed water container though (it can evaporate fast though I do check it every day. I figure this would also cover me in case I forget). Water bottles ALWAYS leak on me so I never use them.

She is fed guinea pig pellets, plus carrots, and i have timothy hay pellets (about 1 inch square compressed hay), plus yogurt drops for guinea pigs. she also gets red bell pepper on occasion too. I use Carefresh because it does not smell or set off my allergies and looks much more comfy to lay on than shavings!

so far, on my 'enrich enviroment' plans, I have:

-every 1-2 days, watch an episode of Firefly, muppets or something else with her.
-Use her playpen more (big wire fence enclosure. Thing is, there's nothing for her to DO yet in that enclosure except watch the cat watch her).
-Find a way to mount her water feeder on the outside, through a fitted cut slot in the cage's side (properly fitted to avoid injury) to make more room inside the cage.
-Get wood chew toys (on grocery list for the payday of the 15th)

I am wondering what I can do to enrich her enviroment? I want to get her a hutch and stuff but I worry about crowding her cage. With the water feeder and food bowl that cuts down about 50% of the room. I saw a while ago a 'second story' type thing in a pig cage. would that work perhaps and I could put a bed/hutch up there?

She's also very skinny (trip to the vet on list asap, but she's about 2.5 years old too. I just noticed she's rather thin for a piggy. hard to tell with all that hair!). She's a longhair petshop crossbreed, and I keep her trimmed with a bad haircut for hygene purposes.

Dont hate me too much for all my negligence. I've been having a rather rough time and I hope by improving my animals' life, my life too will improve via karma and feeling better.
 
Welcome to the forum, bless you for trying to improve things for your piggy.

I think her diet needs to be a letter better with regard to vegetables. There are lots of ideas in the food section on what they can be fed. Yoghurt drops are bad for pigs, there is no need for treats just hay, pellets and veg with the ocassional fruit is enough.

I love Carefresh it is my favourite bedding but it is too expensive in the UK for me to house 20 guinea pigs on and 4 rabbtis.

It is good to have a bonding session with her, especially as she is a lone pig, is there no way she can have a friend of her own for the times when you aren't about? To be honest this will enrich her life no end.

Most guineas don't bother with wood chews, but they wouldn't say no to stalkier hay to keep the teeth trim.

I would get rid of the water feeder as it is taking up so much space. Most bottles don't leak and they can be easily filled up again.

A second story level may work, but some guineas are not natural climbers and she may not use the upstairs.

The best way to tell if she is thin is to weigh her. Pigs can range from 900g upwards. If you weigh her weekly you can see any change in her. 1-2oz lost is ok but 3-4oz would be a concern and a vet appointment should be sought.
 
Yogurt drops: even the ones that say 'for guinea pigs'? She does seem to love them.... but i'll toss them if so!

Last time I got her a mate (who was a 'drop off at pet store unwanted' rescue, not from a rescue clinic) I was told it was a female, and it was a male. Piggy here has had a baby who turned out to be male, and has found a good home (I still keep in touch with his owners. he's doing great!). I can definitely look again though at another rescue although I worry about cage size with two pigs.

An idea I just had for the hutch/space idea: I can perhaps put a lid/sides over one part/corner of the cage to make it a 'hutch' instead of just putting an awkward hide away inside the cage. Also makes it sturdier. So the cage sides make up 2 walls (with inner or outer walls to block out the actual cage bar part to make it a true hiding place) and then the two new walls.

bottles: I'll try another one, but i'm loathe to spend money on another leaky bottle as I've said, EVERY bottle I get leaks, no matter the brand.

I will see about weighing her. My kitchen scale isnt big enough sadly. I think the local vet hospital has a 'free scale' in its waiting room. I can call and ask. (and while I'm there, make the appointment!)

Thank you!
 
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
Welcome to the forum, bless you for trying to improve things for your piggy.

I think her diet needs to be a letter better with regard to vegetables. There are lots of ideas in the food section on what they can be fed. Yoghurt drops are bad for pigs, there is no need for treats just hay, pellets and veg with the ocassional fruit is enough.

I love Carefresh it is my favourite bedding but it is too expensive in the UK for me to house 20 guinea pigs on and 4 rabbtis.

It is good to have a bonding session with her, especially as she is a lone pig, is there no way she can have a friend of her own for the times when you aren't about? To be honest this will enrich her life no end.

Most guineas don't bother with wood chews, but they wouldn't say no to stalkier hay to keep the teeth trim.

I would get rid of the water feeder as it is taking up so much space. Most bottles don't leak and they can be easily filled up again.

A second story level may work, but some guineas are not natural climbers and she may not use the upstairs.

The best way to tell if she is thin is to weigh her. Pigs can range from 900g upwards. If you weigh her weekly you can see any change in her. 1-2oz lost is ok but 3-4oz would be a concern and a vet appointment should be sought.
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i completely agree,Louise has written this better than i could,and such fantastic advise too x
 
PS :what about guinea pig toys? I can get some cardboard toilet paper tubes easily, and from where I work I got a nice BIG cardboard tube we use for our rolls of plastic bags for laundry... probably not safe though, and its too small for her anyways except for her head. Ah well.
 
Yep you have to be careful with petshop products, what they say are ok for guinea pigs in terms of treats are usually bad for them. They just want a sale. I used to give my two boys these when I first got pigs, and they loved them but they are really not good for them.

Yeah best to get her checked out. I use digital scales and put a big bowl ontop and set to zero. Then put pig in and weigh. I need new batteries though! Weighed a pig yesterday and said 108g er...she is a chunky miss! lol

For toys that are cost effective too I use cardboard. Toilet rolls stuffed with hay, Cereal packets made into hidey holes, that sort of stuff, they love it! :)

Good luck with your plans. :)
 
ok. I'll toss the yogurt treats. I tried one the other day and while it tasted good at first, the aftertaste was BLECH.

I'll do the paper roll thing. I dont eat much cereal (though I have a few boxes. The unsugared, unfruity flavored puffed rice, cheerios and stuff ok for them?)

I'll get to the vet asap, or at least borrow their scale. Mine is a little cheap spring-scale that goes to four hundred-fifty grams.
 
You should definitely get her a friend if you can! It will make her MUCH happier, even if there is not as much room.

Try giving her a larger variety of vegies. Good examples are: Celery, broccoli, lettuce (not iceberg), corn (outer leaves as well), cauliflower and tomatoes (they seem to prefer cherry tomatoes!). Don't give them mushrooms, potato or rhubarb as these are all poisonous.

SunshineAndTwinkle said:
Yep you have to be careful with petshop products, what they say are ok for guinea pigs in terms of treats are usually bad for them. They just want a sale. I used to give my two boys these when I first got pigs, and they loved them but they are really not good for them.

Yeah best to get her checked out. I use digital scales and put a big bowl ontop and set to zero. Then put pig in and weigh. I need new batteries though! Weighed a pig yesterday and said 108g er...she is a chunky miss! lol

For toys that are cost effective too I use cardboard. Toilet rolls stuffed with hay, Cereal packets made into hidey holes, that sort of stuff, they love it! :)

Good luck with your plans. :)
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When sunshineandtwinkle said cereal packets, she meant the boxes, not the actual cereal! Don't give them cereal as it is not good for them.

There are many different toys you can make for your pet. There are some you can buy in pet stores, such as tunnels and igloos, but more cost effective options can be created at home. Here are a few examples:

-Tunnels and hideaways made of cardboard or untreated wood
-Toilet paper rolls cut down the length so that your piggie does not get stuck in them!
-Old rags - they love to hide under them. You can even hide their veggies in them!
-Small upturned plastic chairs for them to hide under (I don't know if you have any, but my guinea pigs like to hide under them)

That's about all I can think of right now. I think that tunnels are the best because they can hide in them AND run through them, and they like to dart from place to place, but it encourages them to keep running and not just sit in a corner all day!

Good on you for making such a large effort to better the life of your guinea pig. If you have more questions, this is definitely the place to be as there are a lot of knowledgeable and friendly people! Welcome to the forum! :)
 
I'm going shopping tomorrow. I'll see what I can pick up for veggies. Trick is buying them in piggy-sized portions (I have even had small bags of carrots go soft before I can finish them and she gets one a day!)

she's way too big for a toilet paper roll. Her head would hardly fit (though I hear hedgehogs like 'wearing' tprs like that.).

I'll also look into adopting a friend for her too.

I do have a few ideas for a tunnel/hutch thing for the playpen at least. (also gives her a hiding place in case the cat wants to play. Kitty does LOVE the piggy but will often just lay beside the enclosure and casually reach over as though stretching, the sneak! Playtime is ALWAYS supervised though just in case)

And you are welcome.
 
Oh no not the cereal they are just for us...lol Just boxes. :)
 
just thought of something you could do with the toilet rolls which i do with mine and it proves to occupy the piggies quite alot,Stuff them with hay;)
othe things you can try in terms of diet are

here is my own food list i hope it helps
cherry tomatos-small amounts no stalks

radishes-mild in small amounts

redigrass and sweet corn for weight gain

grass-handful each day

Banana-very rarely

Parsely-sometimes(high in calcium)

Herbs Corriander,Basil,Mint,Dill,Thyme,Chives-sometimes

Cabbage_sometimes in small amounts

Sweet potato peeled-sometimes

Watercress,spinach and rocket-sometimes in small amounts

Timothy hay,Meadow hay,Alfalfa hay-unlimited

Cauliflour-moderate amounts

Apples-small amounts sometimes

Strawberrys-1 strawberry per pig at most

Orange-small amounts

Celery/leaves-everyday

Carrots-moderation

Green & Yellow & red capsicum-everyday-red caps(high in sugar so alternate it)

Cucumber-small amounts everyday

Broccoli-every few days

Brussel Sprouts-occasionally

Baby corn-sometimes

corn silks and husks

Green beans-everyday

Bok Choy/pak choy-moderately

Peaches,Pears,Nectarines-occasionally

Plums-very occasionally

Pumpkin-no seeds or skin occasionally

Snow peas-everyday

Kiwifruit-occasionally

Baby corn-everyday

Honeydew melon and rockmelon-few times a week

this list is fairly correct i have sourced the info from a few sites x
 
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I will see what I can do! I may buy one or two veggies a week. I cannot eat many veggies myself so this limits the use of the veggies (the parrots and other animals wont touch them except red bell pepper) but one or two a week, then buy new ones and cycle though should vary it up.
 
horsetuna said:
I will see what I can do! I may buy one or two veggies a week. I cannot eat many veggies myself so this limits the use of the veggies (the parrots and other animals wont touch them except red bell pepper) but one or two a week, then buy new ones and cycle though should vary it up.
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ok,try make sure they get at least 3-4 different veges each day;)one cup per pig per day is a good amount x
 
three to four?

I'll see what I can do!

Maybe i can find a bag of shredded mixed salad with things like carrots, fresh greens/spinach, radishes and all that in there. That would work no if it has all the right food and none of the bad stuff?
 
The way to get around the veg thing is bags of mixed veg, obviously ensure they can eat all the veg inside. So I would get Cabbage with carrot, thats 2 veggies and a veg meledy like broccoli and caulflower then maybe a bag of apples. But be aware that gassy veg like cabbage and broccoli will give them wind so mix it up if you can. :)
 
horsetuna said:
three to four?

I'll see what I can do!

Maybe i can find a bag of shredded mixed salad with things like carrots, fresh greens/spinach, radishes and all that in there. That would work no if it has all the right food and none of the bad stuff?
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radishes have to be mild and in small amounts
as you can see mine have a huge variety and thats just one meal,they get veges morning and night in total about 10 different fruit and veg a day,i do go a little over the top with the variety but the way i see it they are very healthy because of it

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I am a bit concerned about you too hun, it sounds like you are not feeling too brilliant yourself.
You didnt mention cuddle time, i must admit i cuddle my girls every night and it makes me feel relaxed, calm and special especially when Crunchie snuggles in to my neck and Sparkle kisses/licks my arm.
It is fantastic that you are wanting to enrich the life of your piggies and I'm sure this will give you the lift you need.
Welcome to the forum
Claire x
 
Firstly I would like to welcome Horsetuna to the forum, secondly to remove confusion over feeding I would like to add this link to help you!

http://www.waggfoods.co.uk/animals-small-fact_sheets.aspx

http://www.burgesspetcare.co.uk/pet-care/guinea-pig-feeding.html

To help you correctly, I would recommend you follow these guides as they are from 2 of the top food specialist companies there is! please read it and follow as recommended and do not overfeed the veg, as it's mostly water and they need more than just hay to give roughage!

Again welcome to the boards :)p:)p:)p
 
Wow. thanks everyone!

and piggy will eat all that food in one day? (I also noticed a body cast? Poor piggy!) I should have no troubles with food going bad before its' eaten.

going to go to grocery store later today. I also checked out the SPCA last night for piggies and found one. Very cute! we'll see how much adoption is and if she's still available (All their animals are fixed. Added bonus of no worries of a mistake)
 
horsetuna said:
Wow. thanks everyone!

and piggy will eat all that food in one day? (I also noticed a body cast? Poor piggy!) I should have no troubles with food going bad before its' eaten.

going to go to grocery store later today. I also checked out the SPCA last night for piggies and found one. Very cute! we'll see how much adoption is and if she's still available (All their animals are fixed. Added bonus of no worries of a mistake)
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all the othe pics you saw yes they did eat all of that twice a day,the piggy in the bandages(Boris) didnt eat all of it i just wanted him to have extra range and food as i was trying to keep weight on him x
 
Wow, ok.

And there will be cuddle time every night or second night (depending how fast I get through Firefly) or so for sure with the piggy, I promise!
 
I just wanted to say that I think you're absolutely right. Happier guinea pigs have happier owners, when my piggies moved into more space and loved it I felt so good I could have burst! And I still feel good about it. Best of luck with your piggies, enjoy them as much as possible!
 
KingBoris&HisFollowers said:
all the othe pics you saw yes they did eat all of that twice a day,the piggy in the bandages(Boris) didnt eat all of it i just wanted him to have extra range and food as i was trying to keep weight on him x
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They will eat that amount because it's mostly water!
 
I gave her an empty paper tube. She seemed to like it (grabbing on, jerking her head up and down and 'headslamming' it repeatedly).

I am going to clean her cage in a few minutes as well as give her a trim and see if she needs a bath. I wasnt' able to make the grocery store (lost my keys, grumble) but she has carrots at least until I can.

Thank you all for the help. I will keep updating here.
 
horsetuna said:
I gave her an empty paper tube. She seemed to like it (grabbing on, jerking her head up and down and 'headslamming' it repeatedly).

I am going to clean her cage in a few minutes as well as give her a trim and see if she needs a bath. I wasnt' able to make the grocery store (lost my keys, grumble) but she has carrots at least until I can.

Thank you all for the help. I will keep updating here.
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I am sure you'll do great, as long as they have some roughage in their diet with their main meal :)p

Oh I don't see where you are based!
 
oooh very nice area, I would love to visit around there, nice scenery! :)p
 
Lemme know if you do. while my place is a mess, if its summer we could go pigwalking or something :)
 
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