Let the updates begin ...

When? I want to know. It's been ages. Hellllooo! Wheek!
[Lots of updates this time around; working down the list –
1. Everyone visited the Cavy Spa for baths, nail trims, and hair trims as needed.

2. Kylie's weight has returned to normal. Yeah!

3. The three males (who still have no names except for the young one who is now Tyler) were moved from their quarantine cage to the shelving unit. They stayed there a week and then their cage was expanded so that it is now 2' x 8'.
4. Bella shut down again; the third time in about two months. The vet does not know what is wrong (tests were run).

5. I modified a couple of sleeping cocoons so that they were tunnels, which is a favorite around here. A couple more tunnels/sleeping pads were created out of cat pads. Since I’m tired of folding fleece I decided to make some cage pads and small pads. Still lots more to make if I don’t use the fleece.

6. Willie got into mischief again. This time he jumped on top of the cloth that was over part of Bella's pen and he went right through it!
7. Charlie has been doing his best to keep up with Suki’s cross-county track exercises. He has even included her twists, circles, and figure eights. However, he has opted out of the high jump. He’ll let her have the roof of the house.
8. Capycoppy arrived and was greeted by Molly and Willie (cats). They were not too thrilled with his arrival and kept knocking him over. Undaunted, Capycoppy went to work to check out his Shadow. All systems are go for the next race.

9. Some of the guinea pigs have been using the new slipper bed and tunnel bed made by Pinoy PetCuddle Cup. They love them!

10. One of the two TSW Peruvian males who had been living with a rabbit has a possible UTI. He is receiving an antibiotic to see if that will eliminate the pink urine.
11. Kylie’s lookalike arrived this past week. She had been living with 15-pound rabbits and chickens in an outdoor aviary. Emma’s been gaining weight so the rabbits may have been eating her food or keeping her from it.
12. GuineaPigSqueakSqueak made a cute Christmas card from my Facebook avatar photo. Thank you. You do nice work!
13. I tried to bond Emma with Kylie today and that did not work out at all. (12th attempt at bonding Kylie; only one worked and she was still stressed so he was placed.) Next I tried Emma with Dolly and Kira and then Charlie. None of the parings worked out.]

Laundry: $40

Hello! Why??? Make them wash their own laundry! Wheek! [The cost this week was $40 to wash the guinea pig laundry at the laundromat. A lady there asked if I was doing laundry for a rescue and I said yes so she gave me $5. Very nice, particularly since she had just lost lots of money in the machines because she forgot to put soap in them and had to wash them again. Thank you!]

UPDATE: Misha and Belle adopted!

It's official! They love it there! Yeah! [Both Belle and Misha are staying with Nick long term. Misha loves Nick and Bella seems to tolerate him. Their new set up measures 4' x 8' feet so that will give Misha plenty of space to practise running laps. More good news is that they will be staying in their home with a house sitter while their caretaker is away for a month on vacation.]

Suki is chewing Charlie's hair!

No more, Suki! You are not a hairdresser! Wheek! [Suki seems to think that it is her duty to keep Charlie's curly locks trimmed. However, no one else agrees with her.]

Now Charlie is doing laps!

Why? Suki is too fast for him! He will never catch her. Wheek! [Suki regularly practises her long distance running skills and regularly leaves Charlie totally confused as to what is going on. He tries his best but Suki is way to speedy for him. She loves to do figure eights and tight circles along with in-and-out maneuvers. But at least he is trying to join in so he deserves an A for effort.]

Cozy Caves arrived ... they are so warm!

I want one now. Where can I get one? I want to know! Wheek! [I posted earlier about modifying a companion sack made by the Cozy Cavy that I had but did not use. Very soon afterward she started selling her fleece Cozy Caves and they are wonderful. Very warm and perfect for one - three guinea pigs. I bet you and your pigs will love them.] 

Willie is in timeout!

He's in big trouble! I saw it! Wheek! [Willie is part of the welcoming committee at GPF and he needs to make sure that all of the critters here are okay. I was holding one of the two males who came with the rabbit. Willie startled the guinea pig big time when he jumped up on the computer desk. :( The guinea pig scrambled off my lap and onto the floor and ran into the bedroom where I retrieved him. The two guinea pigs are two of the most terrified that I have ever seen but one of them is relaxing a bit. They are also the most amazing since they are so bonded and are excellent with the little male baby who was added when the rabbit was removed.]

Bella not eating .. went to Dr. D!

Why is she in a lump? Move around, Bella! Call Dr. D, now! Wheek! [Bella wasn't eating or moving so she went to the vet last Saturday. I thought she was in stasis (due to fur ingestion from self-grooming) but that was not the case. Her temperature was 105.9 (normal range is 100 - 103) so the vet took her home with her to treat the infection (cause unknown). The fluids and antibiotics brought the temperature down to the normal range so I picked her up on Monday night. She's on Baytril until the bottle is empty; the Propulsid was just for two days. So far she seems fine and is doing binkies when out and about in the bedroom (supervised); she decided to claim the cat tree as her own. She is eating her hay but just a small amount of her measured pellets. She loves veggies (in moderation). Another update to follow at soem point. Thanks again to Janet for donating money for her take-home meds!]

Misha and Belle packed their bags and left!

Why? What's wrong with the food here? I want to know! Wheek! [Anita emailed me that her seven-year-old female had died last week and that Nick might be lonely now. I took Misha and Belle to meet Nick to see if either of them might work out as a companion. Nick was very protective of Misha who is about two-months-old and quite amourous with Belle who is about five-years-old. We weren't sure which would be the better choice so they both stayed while Anita sorts things out. (Belle is the one who was thrown against the wall and her sister died at the shelter.) Stay tuned for an update.]

Bonding attempt with Kylie/Belle/Misha

Call the guinea pig police! Kylie hates everyone! Wheek! [I decided to try to bond Kylie with Belle and Misha. They are living side-by-side and I thought that perhaps Kylie might like a buddy or two to encourage her to eat more. After eight attempts at bonding with different pigs, both male and female, I noticed that Kylie now has a sign that says "Enter at your own risk!".]

Baby still here -

Why? I want to know! Wheek! [I was contacted by a shelter asking if I could take a surplus male baby. Since someone had just contacted me asking for a male for her adult male I said yes. However, it turns out that her adult male lost his former companion because the caretakers did not take him to a vet. Plus, they wanted to let the baby run around. I felt that it would be best for the baby to join the two males who had arrived with the rabbit. The bonding was right after the rabbit was removed and so far things are going along well but they all three are very skittish and need to be socialized.]

2 guinea pigs living with a rabbit???

Call the SPCA now! Wheek! [I was contacted about taking two adult male guinea pigs and later told that they were living in a "too-small" cage with a rabbit. The cage was 17" x 30" and the rabbit could barely stretch out. Since it was an abusive situation I took them. One of the guinea pigs appeared to be quite bonded to the medium-sized female rabbit. The other guinea pig was underweight and the rabbit would lunge at him. After they were moved to a larger cage the rabbit had more room to move around in and would upend the stools. I removed her after I saw her lunge at the one who was underweight. Since the rabbit was removed a male baby from the shelter who was here was bonded with them and the two adult guinea pigs have each gained about 100 grams. The guinea pigs are terrified and slowing being socialized.]

What's with Willie?????

Why does he have that on his head? That's for guinea pigs, Willie! Stop playing around! [Once again Willie has taken his quality control inspections a bit too seriously. He decided to check out a cozy that was sent and ended up wearing it! He was "rescued" and, much to his relief, can now see again.]

Kylie update ...

She gained weight! Wheek! [Update: Kylie was checked by the vet last weekend and was on the low side of normal for her weight. I decided to go back to what she was eating a while ago (alfalfa-based Mazurri vs. Oxbow or Kleenmama's timothy-based pellets) and she immediately ate all of pellets. She gained weight but lost some yesterday so I'll just keep an eye on her. If she loses more the vet said that blood tests and/or x-rays would be the next diagnostic options. This morning she was shivering again and she might be cold. She had two warm items in her cage but she did not use either one so a hut and a crash pad will be put in instead.]

Kylie still loosing weight!

What's with that? Where's Dr. D? Call her STAT! Wheek! [Kylie has now lost 170 grams since May. Part of this is due to pellet change and part due to her companion - whom she seemed stressed out being around - being adopted and part unknown. She eating, but like Izzy when she was by herself prior to adoption, not eating as much as the others. I do have a call in to the vet to have her checked. She has been tried with several pigs but she's not into cage mates at the moment but I may try her with Belle and Misha and/or Dolly and Kira next weekend. Here she is in her winterized cage: warm corridor by Jens Custom Crafts and a nap bed made by the Fuzzies Kingdom. There is a quilt attached to the back of the cage (the top is covered) and a thermometer keeps track of the temperature inside her cage.]

New photo of Belle

No bleeding! Wheek! [So far there has been no blood in Belle's cage or on her like there was at the shelter. The cause for the blood is unknown. She is shown here in a cozy tunnel made by Piggy Bed Spreads that she and Misha are using to keep warm.]

Tunnel: Prime Real Estate

What real estate? I only see a tunnel and a skateboard. Get the guinea police now. She has lost it! [After the skateboard was added to the cage the tunnel, made by Pinoy Pet Cuddle Cup, was moved and suddenly it became very popular. As you can see both Charlie and Suki were trying it out at the same time. When it was on the other side of the cage they ignored it.]

Where's the skateboard!

Suki, where is it? I want to know! Wheek! [Suki decided that she had enough of the skateboard so she hid it. However, Charlie knew something was a miss as soon as he hit the ramp. Luna has no clue yet.]

Dolly and Kira love their new tunnel!

Dolly was even popcorning! What's with that? She's five years old! Wheek! [A while ago I decided to modify one of The Cozy Cavy's cozies that I had and make it into a tunnel since none of my pigs will use a cozy. I finally got around to finishing it and they love it. It is at the base of one of the one-grid-wide ramps. If you think your guinea pig might like one, be sure to contact The Cozy Cavy and ask about her fleece Cozy Cave.]

Kylie has been house hunting ...

so many to choose from! Wheek! [Each of the cages has different items in them. Dolly, Luna, and Charlie's cage need something for Luna to jump on so they have a wooden house. Belle and Misha have fabric huts and tunnels as do Dolly and Kira. Kylie on the other hand has been trying out a variety of "houses". She has her favorites. They need to be warm and comfortable and a place to hide out. So far she loves huts, cuddle cups, crash pads, and mini tents. She's still house hunting so who knows what her next favorite will be.]

Suki now does agility!

Suki has stepped up her training which now includes agility. She runs rapid-fire through the cage: up the ramp, does multiple tight circles in and out of the wooden house, jumps on the roof of the house, and then takes off again. She is very, very, very fast and Charlie can't keep up with her. There is no way that he or Luna can jump on top of the house so they just watch her. The photo shows Suki checking out the skate board. She finally gave up and crawled underneath it!

Belle has a new buddy!

Check her out. Someone thought she was a blind mouse! What's with that???? Wheek! [The shelter had a foster pig who was weaned from her mother so she was tried with Belle. They seemed to do well together. Molly jumped in the tub when I went to get some hay and the photo ended up on the shelter's Facebook. So far Belle is still not displaying any symptoms that might indicate a medical concern.]

Fun stuff from the Philippines!

I love the slipper bed! I want it now! Wheek! [The pigs have been trying out some new items that were made by Pinoy Pet Cuddle Cup. The biggest hit so far is the tunnel. There are some cuddle cups and a cute slipper bed, all detachable, to be tried out. Thanks, Rey!]

Charlie bonded to Suki and Luna ...

Suki loves it! Why? She has tons of room to run laps! Wheek! [Charlie was tried with four females before ending up with Luna and Suki. Their cage was enlarged so now they have a 2' x 8' cage. Suki loves to race all around the cage and escapes from Charlie by jumping up on the wooden house. Click any of the small photos in the blog posts to view a larger image.]

Willie over doing his petsitting duties ...

Get out of the cage, Willie!!!!! No cats in the cages. Wheek! [Willie tends to take his care of the guinea pigs a bit too seriously. He loves to greet newcomers and has been known to test out cages and hay boxes to make sure they are truly clean.]

Belle was thrown against a wall!

What's with that? Call the guinea pig police, STAT! No animal abuse! Wheek! [I received a call from a shelter asking if I could take a pig who was displaying symptoms of a medical issue. Since her sister had died at the shelter they were concerned that she might have the same problems (liver disease, bleeding, inflammed intestines). Both she and her sister were impounded when Belle was thrown against a wall. She was examined by my vet and she may have a mass in her abdomen (that did not show up on the x-rays). So far there was a only a same amount of pink urine; no frank/real blood. She is very sweet and five years old. Thanks for the Carefresh donation, Cathi!]

Izzy adopted and Reggie visiting!

Good news! Izzy went to join her sister, Sasha, yesterday. The timing was perfect and she will get wonderful care from Cathi. The report this morning that she was doing fine. More news: Reggie is here for a week or two while his home is being remodeled. He was adopted five years ago and is very sweet. He will be returning to GPF when his family moves overseas in March.

Where's the cam????

I want to know! Who took it? Call the guinea pig police!!! Jazmacam MIA! Wheek! [The web cam is currently down for two reasons. The first is that someone is broadcasting in another country without my permission. The second reason is that I moved the cage recently and enlarged it and have not figured out how to set it up again - it is not near the computer.]

2 weeks to go!

2 weeks for what??? I know and I'm not telling! Wheek! [Charlie was neutered two weeks ago and he has two more weeks to wait before I try to bond him with Kylie. Hopefully they will be friends. If so, I will connect the two cages so that they have a large cage like Dolly and Kira. In two weeks Izzy is going to her new home to be with her sister so Suki and Luna will get their cage enlarged also.]

No more sneezing for Suki!

What's with that????? Why? I want to know now! Wheek! [Recently I moved one of the cage shelving units to the front room so I could join it to the other one. I noticed at one point that Suki was no longer sneezing but I'm not sure why. It could be the front room location, or removed from near the wall heater vent, or the fragrance-free laundry soap. Whatever the reason, I hope the sneezing has stopped for good!]

Connected the cages

... about time! What took so long??? Wheek! [Joined the two shelving unit cages this past week to create one that is a little less than 2' x 7.5'. I used three grids to create a ramp in each cage with a platform to connect the two acrylic bases. The plus is that due to the six-inch height of the acrylic base sides there is a sleeping area underneath each ramp. The platform is secured to the cage sides; each ramp may be lifted up to access the area to retrieve a guinea pig or clean the area. At first the ramp was covered with a pad but tonight I used fleece. The other two cages will be joined in two weeks after Izzy is placed and Charlie's wait is up after his neuter.]

And the updates for the week ... helloooooo?

Where is the staff person? Anyone on duty here???? Do I have to do this myself? Anyone? Ad run yet? "Need reliable blog writer: STAT!" Wheek! [Four of the pigs here decided to try out the Cavy Spa. Dolly and Kira particularly liked the in and out bath; very speedy! Izzy and Kylie got the summer mini trim. They gave the spa a four paws up rating and will definitely to go again. Suki and Luna were very busy yesterday checking out their new flower garden crash pads made by Piggy Palace. Luna decided at first that it was necessary to lie on top of Suki but since that wasn't exactly comfortable she decided to get inside her own crash pad. Suki felt that she needed a cave rather than a flower garden so she tipped hers on the side.]

Where to begin?

Been too busy here to take the time to update the blog; it's time for a recap of what has been happening at GPF. Tibby and Pippa, the two pigs from the shelter, were fostered and then placed by the shelter three days after they went back. Licorice and Sam, who was also being fostered, were placed later that week. The big news is that Nick was adopted and is now living with Coffey, a seven-year old female who recently lost her cage mate. For the past year Nick needed special care that put off adopters but that self-corrected over the year and he is fine now. Izzy had her bags all packed and ready to go live with her sister but one of Sasha's two cage mates got sick so that was put on hold. Suki still sneezes occasionally but exhibits no other symptoms. She has been seen by two vets but so far the treatment has not resolved her problem. The next try may be a look at treating for possible allergies. More big news, this time for Luna and Suki. They were first tried together two months ago and that did not work out well at all. I tried bonding Suki with Izzy and Izzy immediately attacked her (as she did later with Kylie). I tried Suki again with Luna and they hit it off immediate and spent their bonding time popcorning and running around the bonding pen. On a sad note, Tigger the little guinea pig who was abandoned and later found cover in mud and suffering from scurvy, was PTS due to his medical condition which did not improve. When he was PTS the intake person said that he was the saddest guinea pig that she had ever seen. Rest well on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, Tigger and then enjoy your fill of fresh veggies! Bella, the stray rabbit, had a couple visit her to see if she is mellow like their own rabbit. She is but they are still looking around for now. If you are looking for an awesome very user-friendly rabbit to adopt, please contact GPF. Suki has been very busy inspecting her new van whereas Luna found no food in the van so she quickly left. Luna doesn't seem to be scratching as much now like she did when she first got here. She's had a variety of treatments and will receive one more dose of the non-diluted Ivermectin. After Charlie's long drive he went to the spa where he got a bath and haircut. He was neutered on Saturday and hopefully will be paired up with either Kylie or Izzy. It was very hot here recently so the guinea pigs got to try out Becky's ice pack covers. Suki, Luna, Dolly, and Kira especially loved them! Kathleen wrote today to say that Oscar and Pyrn are doing fine. She mentioned that when she took them out on an errand she heard some people say "look at the baby teacup Shih Tzus!". (They are Peruvians.) The web cam is still down since someone else is publishing it as their own overseas.

Updates ... about time!

What's the problem with the staff these days? On summer vacation? Get a replacement STAT! Wheek! [Big news! Oscar and Pryn were adopted last week by a woman and her teenage daughter. They have had guinea pigs before and felt that it was time to have another pair in their life again. Oscar and Pryn were very at ease with them and Gwyn is happy with them too! Tigger went back for another vet visit since he was not progressing as hoped. He has slightly pale gums and his left rear "knee" does not function fully as his left one does. He gained back all of the weight that he had lost but he is losing weight again. Suki went along with Tigger to get a second opinion on her occasional sneezing. Her nostrils were swollen so she was put back on a (low) dose of Bactrim along with Little Noses nose drops. She can be seen above inspecting her Corner Cabin made by Jen's Creative Crafts. Pippa and Tibby were dumps that I was supposed to "climb a ladder" to retrieve if the family was not home to meet me. They ended up at the shelter where I pulled them since they had too many guinea pigs. They have the same coloring as Kira and Licorice and apparently came from the same source. Fluffy got checked again at the vet yesterday. He got his incisors lightly trimmed. Fortunately, he does not have a major problem with his teeth. Luna has been scratching since she arrived here and so far the various treatments have not resolved her itching. Today she got a CocoNeem melt treatment followed by a Manuka and Neem shampoo (both by Gorgeous Guineas). Not sure if it will work but she ended up looking like a grease ball! She's been shampooed twice but the oil didn't come out so I'll wait a couple of days and give her another bath.

Tigger Update

Tigger still is not gaining weight and may have problems related to his scurvy that are not obvious visually (such as internal hemorrhaging and bone loss). He will be checked again by Dr. Harvey today.

They're back!

Why???? Helllllooooo. Wheek! [Nick and Kylie took a summer vacation and are back home again. They look great and are enjoying some fresh veggies. Welcome back!]