# Piggy Palace (Guinea Pig content) Pic!



## donniej (Dec 9, 2010)

My wife used to be a cabinet maker.  As our pig family expanded, she built them this wonderful home   
It matches book cases which are on the other side of the room.  Doors for the front are not yet complete....

Thanks for looking!


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## agriffin (Dec 9, 2010)

So cute!!


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## Sunny (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks so much for sharing this! Feel free to share more pig photos, I looove guinea pigs.

You are a very talented pair!


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## soapbuddy (Dec 9, 2010)

Very nice! I bet those would work well for curing soaps too.


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## Traceyann (Dec 10, 2010)

so cool , the C & C grids r great.....we have 19 of the lil buggers but love them all and they bring a smile to my face each day as they are all different in personality.......I have so many as I used to rescue them from harms way.....so I have many piggies that have disabilities as well as perfectly healthy ones......they are all very spoilt now though lol


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## nattynoo (Dec 10, 2010)

Cute!!
Love the shelf unit.
I'm with soapbuddy & instantly thought soap...rofl.... few extra shelves & voila!! Excellent soap curing rack.


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## cmd439 (Dec 11, 2010)

Traceyann said:
			
		

> so cool , the C & C grids r great.....we have 19 of the lil buggers but love them all and they bring a smile to my face each day as they are all different in personality.......I have so many as I used to rescue them from harms way.....so I have many piggies that have disabilities as well as perfectly healthy ones......they are all very spoilt now though lol



If you are rescueing them, I admire you.  My family used to have guinea pigs that used to breed like...rabits...lol...we would give them away.  Do yours produce a lot of offspring? Can you spay or neuter a guinea pig?  Maybe dumb questions but you have piqued my curiosity.  What kind of disabilities do they have?  

BTW I love it when you have such a wonderfully crafty person who is able to make things when you need it...I wish I was/had one.


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## Traceyann (Dec 11, 2010)

Hi cmd, we used to rescue them , but as I work such long hours and also study I cant do this any longer.....We dont breed as I believe there are way to many piggies out there and people see them as a disposable pet....Hence y we had so many rescued ones ( I had about 100 at one stage, they have all found new forever homes ) As for nutering you most certainly can ....I have a special boy called Sebastian and he lives VERY happily with 12 Ladies lol.....he is nutered , but this must be done by a cavy/guinea pig/exotics vet as its a bit tricky as they are sooooo small .

The disablilties range from broken leg to eyes missing ( as in poked out ) and yes some people are extremely cruel.....I have 2 boys that were extremely shy and nervous as they lived with 38 other pigs in a cage about 1metre square ( they were in an extrememly bad way when we got them, eats bitten , sores , fur missing ) but they have now come to trust us and will take food out of our hands now.....All my piggies have a story some as simple as just not wanted any more , but some as terrible as covered in mange , suffering bumble foot ( kinda like a huge ulcer on there foot and so sore they cannot put pressure on it )and fitting ...this lil piggy was on deaths door , she had no fur at all and squeald from the pain whenever I held her......she now has a name ( Princess ) and a beautiful coat of black hair and loves cuddles , her foot healed extremely well, ( thanks to betadine and colloidial silver ) .....so sorry to write so much but even though we dont rescue any more its still dear to my heart


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## Sunny (Dec 12, 2010)

Traceyann said:
			
		

> even though we dont rescue any more its still dear to my heart



thanks for sharing your story Traceyann, I love rescue stories and just love animals in general. Someday that is something I would like to do, take in rescues. I love little pigs! The way they talk to each other is so funny.
Although I can imagine having 100 of them would be almost a full time job!


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## Relle (Dec 20, 2010)

We are a two pig,one rabbit family at the moment. The male we have, lost his friend last christmas and I held off buying another until I found another boy at the produce store in July. Couldn't leave him there. They can't live in the same cage together as they'll kill each other,but run round the yard and its fine.When we first got him,they ended up with bites all over them. Don't think they can decide who's going to be the boss. :roll: The new one loves to sit on you and watch the TV.

Relle.


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## Bubbles Galore (Dec 30, 2010)

Oh, that's lovely. Another piggy lover here. I am down to 5 piggies. Used to have about 50.  :wink:


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## Traceyann (Dec 30, 2010)

Relle , when u had your boys together did they have their own everything , like own bowls, own water drippers own hideys and heaps of space ... 

some boys r real buggers, if you tried to introduce two adult males           ( even if the new male was older than 8 weeks ) it can be really hard getting them to accept each other especially if the new male was  breeding aggressive ( used for breeding ) , but they can also live happily side by side, as long as they can hear each other they wont get lonely and it sounds like u give plenty of cuddles anyway.....

One thing that sometimes worked for me was bathing them in
 Fidos fre-itch then introducing them in neutral territory like the bath tub, worked most times but not always !! 

we cant  let ours roam the back yard as we get heaps of snakes, but they get fresh grass and hay each day as well as veges . OHHHH and the loungeroom floor as a run every now and then......the cat loves them !!!!


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## donniej (Dec 30, 2010)

Yesterday we picked up another adult girl.  One of our girls passed away a few weeks ago, we don't know how old she was but she was probably 5 or so.  A local rescue picked up a 4 year old and she's now here in her new home.  

We have the girls cage divided into 2 sections so they can't fight and we had a little play date with the both of them on our couch earlier today.  There was a little grumbling, walking over each other and treat-stealing from each other but no bighting.  We still have the cages separated, I hope they get along and can live happily together.  

I've heard older pigs can be tough to accept new friends, hopefully our "old ladies" can get along


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## Relle (Dec 31, 2010)

I'll try bathing them Traceyann and see what happens. I've bathed them twice already and let them out in the yard to dry off,so they can go their own way. Might confine them in the bath and see what happens.
The new male when he came home was hissing at the other one and chattering all the time. Never heard the hissing with all the pigs we've had(its very funny).
We have only had boys and they have all got on ,except these two.Just been down the back to check where they were and yes in the fenced off vege patch.(little poos)didn't know it was self serve.  
Don't know if I could have coped with 50 like you, I had 10 bunnies at one stage and was pulling my hair out.
Minding a bun for the next 2 wks,then another 2 in Feb while people go on hols. Ellie (my bun) might not like the intrusion on her turf.
Thanks for your info - I'll let you know how I go.
Relle.


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## Relle (Dec 31, 2010)

Good luck with your new piggy Donniej. Hope she gets on OK with your lot.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Dec 31, 2010)

Donniej , girls are generally more accepting and laid back, like I said in the last post  bathe both pigs and introduce them in neutral territory , make sure the cage is newly cleaned and wiped down with white vinegar as it neutralises the smells , fingers crossed all will be well......but having said that I did have one who just wouldnt tolerate any other female, she was a real handful, in the end I put her in with 6 other females and they sorted her out lol.....

5 is a pretty old age as 8 as long as most piggies live ( depending on their start to life ) 

Relle if you have already tried the bath dont bother with another , maybe in time they will mellow.....I have 2 boys who are brothers and are extremely dominant but dont fight as they have never been bred, and then I have my awesome foursome ,three have been bred from but all four get along famously ....figger that one out lol


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## Traceyann (Jan 3, 2011)

Heres a pic of my girls enjoying grass time, as we get heaps of snakes the grass has to come to them.....the 5th piggie on the right is Sebastian, he is my beautiful desexed coronet ...he is so laid back and loves being combed








The girls have 2 huge cages joined by a tunnel so they can access both ends


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## Relle (Jan 3, 2011)

WOW, the piggy Hilton. They certainly look happy. You must be in the bush to get snakes. Can't have those piggies getting bitten.

I'd love all those piggies, but think I'd get into trouble if I brought anymore home. Its nice just to have 2, although the three little pigs would be good hehe. Ours are out in the yard on the grass now, we get out the prawn net and catch them when we have to bring them in at night. Little poos don't want to get caught.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Jan 3, 2011)

Lol Relle, we r kinda in the bush, but dont worry all our cages are snake proofed, besides they lil buggers are sooooo fat I really dont think a snake could eat them...not taking any chances tho.....

Ohhh and these are just my girls ( and sebastian ) .....i also have 6 other boys but for obvious reasons they live seperate to the girls ...


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## Traceyann (Jan 4, 2011)

Pics of my back yard......my actual yard goes as far at the rocks in the bottom of the pic, beyond that is council land, but its really thick bush...so very private .....





looking left






looking right 

we get all sorts of birds and aminals here is so nice .....I love it


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## Relle (Jan 5, 2011)

Trace

You'd have to put flags on a pole on their backs to see them in the grass lol.
We have had a small break through with Possum and Oscar, I left them in the cage locked up together this morning and no biteys, they were together until 3pm when I put them on the grass. So heres hoping. I'll try again tommorrow. Yayyy
I need them to get on cause when we go on hols in May or June my friend minds them, so can't have two cages happening.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Jan 5, 2011)

perservere relle, if they are not fighting, dont remove them leave them together....even if there is teeth chattering going on, as long as there is no blood...leave them to sort it out....if you seperate them it will only start the pecking order all over again ........but have a towel ready incase they do attack.....and *NEVER EVER* put your hand in to seperate them ....throw the towel in......believe me I have seen a womans hand really badly torn up by two GPS fighting........


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## Relle (Jan 6, 2011)

I know all about the hand in the fighting bit. I have a few scars on my hands.
My bun went to my friends place last year while we were on hols, she was dropped off on Sat night and let out the back Sunday morning when a fight broke out with her bun, she put her hand in to pick one up and got mangled. A trip to the doctor,tetanis and a huge hole in her hand that took months to heal and this was the first day. My bun had been there before, but not with her new female rabbit there. Think it was mine that started it with a grunt.
I'll keep an eye on the pigs,it gets expensive at thevet these days.
Been there, done that. Operations from fights to stitch them up.

Relle.


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## Bubbles Galore (Jan 11, 2011)

Lovely photo Tracey and great set up for the piggies.  :wink: I put four boars together after they hit the 4 year mark, with no problems at all. Tested them in grass runs first. My first guinea pig Fluffy  :roll: could never live with any other boy, even when he was 7 years old, he was just too aggressive but was a real sweetie with me.

I've had problems with aggressive females from time to time but found that the bigger the group, the better behaved they were.


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## Traceyann (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks Jenny, and yes some piggies can be soooo frustrating lol just lioke some humans I know.....luckily ours have all bonded now.....I gave nutsy a cuddle this afternoon and he snuggles right up under your chin....if im on the laptop he sits beside me and I swear he is reading as I type lol


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## Relle (Jan 12, 2011)

I just love all piggies, so cute. I suppose its just like humans - you can stand some, but not others.

Ours are just tolerating each other at the moment in the same cage, I wonder what they're saying about each other. I don't think they have a smile on their faces.


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## Relle (Feb 5, 2011)

Trace how are those pigs of your going in the heat ? 

Mine just lay around in the dirt, they can't seem to get cool. Yesterday it was 41, so I put them in the shower recess, it was the coolest place in the house. Think they can have a bath today - then they'll smell good and it will cool them down. Poor Oscar, was so hot I put him in a tub of water at 8.30 at night and he loved it.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Feb 5, 2011)

Relle keep a really close eye on them the heat will kill them really quick...

I use 2 or 3 ltr milk cartons and freeze water in them ....the pigs love them and lay beside the milk container to cool down....

Also get plastic cups and put some watermelon, honeydew or rockmelon in top it up with water and freeze .....they will love this and keep hydrated.....

Another thing to try is a stryrafoam box upturned with a milk container will act like a fridge , but just tape up the opening so the lil bits of the box dont break off...

Mine are actually inside with me in the Air Con lol girls r in the main bathroom and the boys in my ensuite ....

Dunno if I have mentioned it b4 but there is a great website www.australiancavysanctuary.com.au , heaps of info on the on heat and all sorts of this medical, general......I am a member on here...Nuts & Bolts lol ( my first two pigs ) ....


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## Relle (Feb 8, 2011)

Thanks for the piggy web site. All I need is to spend more time on the computer (NOT).

It's funny I have one pig that likes drinking water and I rarely see Possum the pig have a drink. Ellie the rabbit doesn't seem to drink much either. Years ago I bought a pig and we had a 3 hr drive ahead of us - he was heat stressed so had to race and put him in a tub of water to get his body temp down - so I know about the heat and to keep them cool.

Glad your furries have air con, mine don't have that luxury. 8)   Me either for that matter.  

Relle.


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## Relle (Feb 8, 2011)

Trace I clicked on your cavy link and it said it didn't exist.

Relle.


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## purelight (Feb 8, 2011)

Hi, the piggies are beautiful, can I ask for some advice?

My brother has two piggies, but has recently got a kitten. She was great at first but now is behaving more roughly around them and he's worried.
Any tips for helping them to be friends?


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## Traceyann (Feb 8, 2011)

Unfortunately kittens are boistrous.....I would definately let the kitten be near them but maybe put the piggies in a run with a top so the kitty cant get to them but can see them......just becareful that it doesnt terrorise them too much or they will never trust the cat......My cat plays with 2 of my boys but doesnt bother with the rest .....


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## Traceyann (Feb 8, 2011)

sorry Relle, its www.australiancavysanctuary.com


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## ChrissyB (Feb 10, 2011)

Well I'll admit, I'm in love.
DH bought DD a guinea pig last week, the cutest thing ever, don't know why we've never had one. On doing research I learned that they like to have a friend, so we got another one last night, and an extra large home for them. Wow. They are so cute. The kids absolutely love them and they are so fun to watch.
Any tips or hints that you guys can give me as a beginner, I think I've got the basics covered: big home, hay, salt lick, food, water, fresh veges, hiding spots, they're inside in the air con cos it's pretty warm here...


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## Traceyann (Feb 11, 2011)

Chrissy u got done on the salt lick...they dont and wont use it ....never mind I bought one too when I forst got piggies.....they LOVE toilet rolls to chew, and pvc pipe ( kinda like the down pipes on your house but round and plastic ) .....dont feed iceberg lettuce, potato ( sweet potato is ok ) onion as it will kill them.....

Go to www.australiancavysanctuary.com there is heaps and heaps of info on here.....I hope u have the same sex so u wont have the problems of babies.....air con is great they will love u 

If u buy the GP mix from the pet shops it will need some more oaten or wheaten chaff added to it......I would add the size of the bag u bought ...as the pet shop mixes have too much grain and lucern in them....


ENJOY your piggies , they are so cute to watch and cuddle.....the more u cuddle the more they will trust u .....


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## donniej (Feb 11, 2011)

Chrissy,
They need something with vitamin C in it regularly.  We feed ours carrots (which has vit. c) as well as romaine lettuce and green beans every day.  They *love* apple, which also has vitamin C and fiber.  They also need pellet food and LOTS of timothy hay.  I've read not to give them alfalfa too often because it contains too much calcium and can give them stones.  I've read spinach is another one to avoid for this reason.  

They don't handle heat well and their cages should be cleaned every week.  Don't forget their nails either, they need to be cut every month or two.  You don't need any special cutters either, regular nail clippers work great.   And be sure to give them plenty of love.  

For treats, ours love pumpkin seeds, dried coconut, dried carrot, dried orange and some of them (not all) like yogurt treats.


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## ChrissyB (Feb 13, 2011)

Thanks TraceyAnn and Donnie.
Oh well about the salt lick...it was only about $10 so if that's all I get ripped off I'm doing pretty well.
When I got them the big cage I got them some fresh lucerne hay, they cage (I hate that word) has a grate at the end to put hay in and they can help themselves whenever they want. I did buy them a bag of food from the pet store they came from but it had weevils so I threw it out and got some pellets. In addition to this they are going through most of a carrot a day, love green beans, cherry tomatoes, strawberries...We are big vege eaters so there is always lots of stuff for them. I knew about the potatoes and onions, but didn't know sweet potato was different, good to know!
Well between all of us they are both getting lots of cuddles...they make the cutest little noises, I never knew that they chatter so much. If you want to hear what's on tv you can't hold Sprout cos he makes so much noise you can't hear a thing!! Spike is a little quieter. He has got really long hair...even hairy ears. He looks like a mop with eyes. I got them a water bottle too...got sick of cleaning out the water bowl. 
I've told the kids that because they are the ones that wanted to keep them then they have to look after them , so there is a box of tissues on top of their home (in our living room), they just pick up any droppings when they see them in there. 
And they are both boys! At first I just took the pet shops word for it, but after reading online I have learnt how to check and they are both definitely boys! So no little surprises! Oh, and according to the pet store these little guys are 4-5 weeks old, so just little babies!!
Thanks guys, I can see we are in for some funny times with these little cuties!


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## Relle (Feb 13, 2011)

Chrissy,

I haven't been able to get timothy hay here without paying an arm and a leg for it, so ours just get straw in the cage for bedding if they want to eat that they can. I give our long eared guinea pig (rabbit) oaten hay. I think timothy hay is more accessible overseas.
Pigs are so cute aren't they and love how they whistle. Our boys are - Possum and Oscar.We lost Jasper about 1 yr ago, wish they lived longer, he was a good age - 6 1/2 yrs.Ours haven't read the guinea pig book and don't always eat what the book says.  
Caught ours in the veg patch today picking their own food.  
Hope you get a lot of fun out of them.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Feb 14, 2011)

Piggies also love chickory, parsley, milk thistles, dandelions ( go easy on the dandelion as it is  a diruretic) , if the pigs are less than 6 mths old lucern is ok , but dont give it after 6 mths as it is too high in calcium.....Capsicum is fantastic for vit c , go easy on the sugary fruits as it can and will give them probs like obesity and diabetics ( dont laff ) ....cucumber is fantastic especially in hot weather , green beans, corn, husks and strings ( they love the lot ) ....grass lots of grass as it is their natural food

I feed mine grass one night & vege the next.....

They need to be wormed as well every change of season....u can buy the "kitten revolution" ( pink one only ) and put 1 drop on the spot behind their ears....this also treats for mites...

Make sure there is no wire on the bottom on their home as it will cause probs with their feet....does their home have wire like bird wire on it or are they like black bars ??? if they are the black bars then it isnt snake proof.....


UMMMM wot else is there lol.....if u join the ACS...( Austrailan cavy web site ) I am on there as Nuts & Bolts ( my first piggies )


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## Traceyann (Feb 14, 2011)

I forgot Alfalfa is another word for Lucern hay.....if u are getting hay which they do need constantly as it provides fibre as well as keeps their teeth short...just get a grassy hay, rhodes is ok ( dont get barley as they will get eye spikes from the barley heads ) 

sorry to bombard u with all this info, but I hope it helps


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## ChrissyB (Feb 27, 2011)

Well these little cuties continue to entertain me each and every day. 
I've been bringing them in a couple of handfuls of grass from our garden every day to supplement their other food. 
I love it how they whistle at me as I walk in the room!
Green beans are the absolute favourite at the moment, as well as carrot, and they like red capsicum more than green, go figure!


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## Traceyann (Feb 28, 2011)

its a nice feeling to be welcomed (wheeked at ) lol...I only have to speak and I set our off lol.....and our 19 piggies grew to 21 a week ago lol....there was 2 boys for sale onm the side of the road for $5 .....so they came home with me , I had full intentions of rehoming them but chaged my mind lol


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## Relle (Feb 28, 2011)

Trace, sounds like you are a sucker for those cute little furries. I have to avoid the pet shop on the way home from shopping, I walk the other way so I don't see any of them. Its usually bunnies that catch my eye and I want to free them from there. Dh rushes me out from the produce store so I don't get attached to the pigs (thats where I got the last one).

What are these boys names ? and have they settled in AND taken over.

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Feb 28, 2011)

We named these two , Frankie and Sylvester....they are about 6-8 mths old I reckon, still skittish but in time will calm down.....they have kinda taken over at the moment as we r trying to handle them heaps so they get used to us, as Frankie runs like lightning lol

And Yeah I am a sucker lol


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## ChrissyB (Feb 28, 2011)

Traceyann that's so sweet that you bought them home. they are lucky little guys!!


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## Relle (Mar 28, 2011)

How are all your piggies Trace ? Ours are a little stir crazy at the moment as we have had a lot of rain and they want out. Let them out this afternoon and they are having fun eating all the long grass.

I made soap cupcakes yesterday, so while I had the the scales out I thought I'd weigh them. Possum is 980 grams and Oscar (the porky pig) weighs 1.210 kgs  :shock: .

Relle.


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## ChrissyB (Mar 28, 2011)

I haven't let mind outside for any length of time, I'm scared their going to run away   
I do cut them some grass every second day for them to eat.
I'm curious how much mine weigh, so Im going to weigh them this afternoon!


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## Relle (Mar 30, 2011)

They are hard to catch if they're out in the yard, we have an outside cage as well so they run in there (sometimes) when we tell them to go to bed. Otherwise the prawn net comes out and theres this crazy woman running around trying to catch them.

Ours is pretty escape proof. You can get those doggy fences and put them in the yard while your home that way they get use to the yard, but I wouldn't do it unless your at home in case anything happens. 

Relle.


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## Traceyann (Mar 30, 2011)

Hey Relle, Mine r great , spoilt lil brats lol.....i actually have 8 more here ATM that someone dumped at the local shopping centre and the RSPCA gave the person who found them my number......but otherwise all is real good.....

Chrissy if you want to allow them to run on the grass but dont wanna spend all afternoon trying to catch them, C&C grids are great , I think they are called IBEX grids at bunnings they are not very expensive and we zip tie ours together  that way they fold up nicely and are easy to unfold when u want to use them......also old security window screens       ( with the screen still in ) are great....find them at the tip shop for next to nothing


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## Relle (Mar 31, 2011)

EIGHT  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: , can imagine that many running around altogether, Hope you find homes for this lot, I couldn't give them away.  

Relle.


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## ChrissyB (Mar 31, 2011)

Well, I am very sad to let you know that our little guy Sprout passed away. He was our very first guinea pig, he was the one that made me fall in love with them. He was fine,then we got up the next morning and he was really ill, our vet (admitting that he didn't have much experience with cavies) couldn't really tell us what was wrong with him, he felt because he was such a young guinea pig (3 months) that it was a congenital condition, he saw our other one and he is healthy and showing no signs of illness. 
So we've all had a good cry, my 9yo son has written a story about him and how much fun he was, he is definitely feeling the loss. I would even go as far to say that he is depressed about it.

RIP Sprout, we loved you so much  :cry:


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## soapbuddy (Mar 31, 2011)

I'm sorry. Loosing our furbabies is hard.


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## ChrissyB (Mar 31, 2011)

Thankyou Irena, it is hard, it's brought about a lot of questions from my little ones that's for sure.


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## Traceyann (Apr 1, 2011)

Crissy, Im so sorry to that, and im glad your vet was honest, They are such sweet lil animals and really do steal your heart


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## Traceyann (Apr 1, 2011)

Relle, I already have 21 so I have no more room lol.....But one of the boys is becoming very special, so I dunno we may end up keeping him , depends if he can fit in to one of my boar groups ....will just have to see


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## Relle (Apr 1, 2011)

Sounds like you are going to keep him no matter what. He's already wiggled his way into your heart. Sneaky aren't they. 

Relle.


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## Relle (Apr 1, 2011)

Chrissy, I remember Dr Harry saying once that you have to love them while you have them because they don't live as long as us. :cry: 

I think I might have to get one of those huge turtles like they have at the zoo - think they live for 100 - 150 yrs :shock: 

Relle.


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## Bubbles Galore (Apr 3, 2011)

Chrissy, so sorry to hear about little Sprout. They certainly do leave their little paw prints on our hearts.


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