Daily Drama 108 – Three Little Pigs

I once had five male guinea pigs in a large L-shaped cage and I called it my Dude Ranch. They got along great and we had loads of fun, but I decided that five was my limit. Suddenly I have nine! What happened?

My old Grand Dame, Brutus, recently died at six years after a couple of tough dental surgeries. I had been tracking a couple of adoptable females, presumably sisters, that were not getting any interest. In the throes of grief, I agreed to take the sisters in, putting me one guinea pig over my limit: six.

Recently rescued guinea pigs, in quarantine cage

Cruella looking perky

Deville looking expectant

I picked them up on a Saturday and on Wednesday one of the sisters burst forth with three piglets. Apparently, the sisters had recently been caged with a male who was now entertaining a classroom of students. If he only knew.

Deville appears surprised at what fell out of her into this cuddle cup.

So I had four guinea pigs, adopted two more, and now I have nine. They are adorable and they have an excellent mom and a very frisky auntie. Because the “moms” are new rescues, I had set up two veterinarian check appointments, the pregnant one first. Oops! Probably ought not to move the new mom and pups right now. We’ll take in Aunt Cruella first. She checked out fine, so Deville is probably okay, too. She went in with her family a few days later.

Cruella goes to the vet

Guinea pigs are born with teeth and big appetites! They need milk for several weeks, but they start eating hay and vegetables right away.

Auntie Cruella with Fondue and Ninja

Deville, the actual mom, takes a look.

Where’s Pumpkin Pie? He’s the littlest one, tucked in behind the girls.

The salads are ready! Nine is a lot of guinea pigs!

Pumpkin Pie, Fondue, and Ninja in back right.

Most of their photos look like this. Run! Also, five in one cage means a lot of cage cleaning, that’s a lotta beans!

The former owner wanted to see the babies, so I set up a photo shoot. She brought a friend and I provided some props.

Props

There was a lot of wiggling but I even managed to come up with some teacups, too.

They didn’t settle down until I turned on the TV.

They weren’t ready for bedtime, either.

Shopping was the worst idea yet.

Ah, the teacup ride at Disneyland! Always a winner!

So, how is it working out, five in one cage? I’m reluctant to rock the boat, but Aunt Cruella is one frisky gal. Everyone likes the corner cuddle cup best and Cruella likes to jump into the nest and spin. On a lucky hunch, I ordered this soft hut and now it is the favorite nest. They all piled in the minute I put it in there, highly recommended. It has an escape window and brushes out easily. There will be some squealing when I take it out for serious washing.

Nobody liked the cuddle cup in the middle.

Enter the cuddle hut!

Plenty of room for five!

Snack time, again!

They are growing fast! Three weeks now, and they are still nursing, but not as often. I have seen all of them at the water bottle. Next week I have to separate little Pumpkin Pie from his moms and sisters.

Four days old. They are all in there. See the foot?

Twenty days old. Pumpkin Pie with his dollop of whipped cream, Fondue with her chocolate dipped head, and Ninja with the white belt.

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Stacy’s Funny Farm does not adopt out: we are a sanctuary. The animals are here to stay*. Pet owners faced with difficult life decisions often find it easier to surrender an animal when they know where it will live, and where they are welcome to visit. I don’t judge the owners because every situation is unique. Solving a difficulty for a human is so much more complicated than providing a home for a pet.

Sanctuaries do not breed. We need the space for rescues, plus, breeding is a specialty, like adoption. Breeding can go horribly wrong. (Check out Microphthalmia) That’s why all these baby guinea pigs are a mixed blessing. I have to find a home for these cuties, while they are still cute. Unfortunately, they can’t be spayed/neutered for months, so they will go out to the world intact and that can lead to more guinea pig surprises. That’s why adopting out is a specialty- I need to find someone who will promise to spay/neuter these tykes. They do best when they live with a pal and I have two girls and a boy. I can send out the two girls (that’s a future spay bill of $500 each if you can find a vet to do it) together, but little Pumpkin Pie, the male? I might have to keep him, but someone just contacted me about an older spayed blind female. Would Pumpkin Pie like a grandma? Stay tuned. Donate if you can- Cruella and Deville both have to be spayed.

*Also called Live Out Full Term, or LOFT