It all started with Gordy...

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serelixyue

Post   » Sat Feb 05, 2011 10:02 am


I do enjoy reading your stories Jaycey, text filled or Gorgeous-Gordy pictures filled :)

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:38 am


Awww, he was so cute!!!

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:55 pm


Lesson 1: Always make sure everything is pig proofed

We learnt our first important lesson in guinea pig care on the first day we had Gordy. We were extremely lucky that the outcome was good; it could have easier been a very different ending!

The day that we got Gordy, and my sisters rabbit, Buster, it was bright sunshine and lovely and warm. So, we decided that whilst we’re attaching the new hutch to the fence (Arrgh, luckily it wasn’t there long) we would leave Gordy and Buster in their box, in a shady corner of the garden.

It didn’t take long to attach the hutch to the fence, and fill it with bedding and food supplies so the two guys weren’t in the box for long.

I had the honours of putting Gordy in the cage, so I opened the box to get him out.

“No, Gordy, oh my god, where has the guinea pig gone?” I looked frantically around the garden, just in time to see a small blonde bottom disappearing through the fence into my next door neighbour’s garden.

“Dad, quick!!” Dad raced through the house, into next door, and they all came dashing out into their garden. They couldn’t see him. By this time I was completely hysterical. They continued looking. After what seemed like hours they found him. He had dashed under their shed looking for somewhere to hide. Phew!

As I was the smallest person I was given the task of getting him out. My dad dug a hole at the front of the shed, so I could squeeze under and retrieve him. Luckily the little guy wasn’t hurt. I brought him back home, checked him over, cleaned him off, and put him in his new home with Buster. What a welcome for the little guy eh!

Our next job was to secure the garden. My dad went straight out to the local DIY store, and bought rolls of wire to put along the bottom of the fence. The garden was then escape proof.

I really wish that I could replay that day again, the poor little guy. We did learn a really important lesson, in that you should always check that the area is pig proof. We assumed Gordy would be safe in the box, but he got out. Who knows how, but he did. That’s the magic of guinea pigs, they can get out of many places you think they won’t.

No matter how safe you think the area is, it’s always worth checking one more time to see if there’s a way of the guinea escaping, or getting trapped, or getting at those electrical wires.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:17 pm


That would have been so scary! Very glad you recovered him!

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:43 pm


The summer changed into autumn, and then winter started to appear. Poor Gordy and Buster still lived outside, attached to the fence. We had blankets, and a plastic cover to go over them so the rain wouldn’t get into the hutch. But even so, I was starting to think that it couldn’t be very nice for them to live out in the elements like that.

I spoke to my mother and she had the same feelings as me. I left her to approach the subject with my father. Surprisingly he agreed. We decided to move the shed that we had in one garden, round to the other side of the house, so the animals could move into there. I think father agreed only because he wanted the shed gone, but it was still a win for me nonetheless.

Once we’d found enough “volunteers” to help, we transferred the shed onto the other side of the house, and I got to work making it into a nice home for Gordy and Buster. We removed the hutch from the fence and transferred it into the shed, I also hung some curtains at the window to try to stifle the elements a bit, and drew some pictures on the wall so they had something to look at. The shed had a stable type door, so we were able to leave the bottom half closed, and open the top to let in some fresh air. My father also made a secure fence for the door so we didn’t have to worry about cats getting into the shed.

I was very happy that I had made the transition from having the hutch outdoors, to at least getting it into a shed. It however would be quite a while before I was able to get them into the house. I would need the help of poorly Arnold guy for that!

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pigjes
Cavy Comic

Post   » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:36 am


Can't wait for the next part of the story!

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Bethie
Still supporting in 2014

Post   » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:45 am


My kids has set up the outdoor run once. They didn't make sure it was down to the grass. Sid got out and we ended up playing all around the mulberry bush!. Eventually, I managed to get him. I think he just got tired of running away.

Outdoors is a very dangerous place for pigs. They need to be watched constantly.

I'm glad you found Gordy safe. It sounds like he had more adventure than he bargained for.

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:25 am


It was so frightening! I think my heart was literally in my mouth when I saw his little blonde hiney disappear through the fence!

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:49 pm


I always wanted to do my best for Gordy. We didn’t have access to the internet back then, so I had to rely on reading guinea pig care books. I still have the little notebook that I started to take notes in. It contains his weights, the food he liked, brief notes on what to look for when they’re ill. The best part of it though is his little teeth marks. Looking back through it now I can see that the advice is complete junk, but I always tried to do my best.

Gordy spent alot of time out of his hutch and with me in the house. He used to follow me around, and come to me when called.

After Gordy had been in my life for a few years we learnt lesson no 2.

Lesson 2: Don’t believe breeders, rabbits and guinea pigs shouldn’t live together.

Gordy was in the house with me as usual. He was trundling around on the floor, when he gave out a scream, and so I dashed over to see what had happened. He was holding his rear right leg up. I wasn’t sure what he had done, but we decided to take him to the vet. This was to be his first trip to the vet. The vet checked his leg, Gordy didn’t want to put any weight on it at all. So, the vet thought it was likely to be a break or fracture, and because of the size of his leg he couldn’t pin it, or fix it.

He suggested that Gordy was kept in a confined space to give his leg time to heal on it’s own, and for us to take him back in a fortnight. Gordy moved indoors for the two weeks, and we kept him in a small cage. After the two weeks had passed, he was back to using his leg and the vet gave him the all clear.

The same day we decided to put Gordy back into his hutch, with Buster the rabbit. As you can probably imagine Buster wasn’t happy, and had become very territorial of the cage. He bit a huge chunk out of Gordy’s ear. There was blood everywhere. Whilst crying my eyes out and holding a tissue to his ear we dashed back to the vet. Luckily there wasn’t a lot of damage done and the bleeding stopped quickly. Obviously Gordy was now going to need a new cage.

We bought a new cage immediately, which Gordy moved into that evening.
As he was now a lone pig I made sure to have him out of his cage whenever I was at home, and he still loved running around on the floor with me, or watching tv.

Here’s a few pictures of Gordy in his prime, in the new cage that we got for him:

I love his chubby cheeks in this photo:
Image

Image

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Bytxlaura
Remembering Nemo

Post   » Tue Feb 15, 2011 5:22 pm


He is so beautiful!

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:29 am


I picked myself a stunner didn't I?

I really wish I had access to a digital camera back in those days. The photo's that I'll post on here of him are the only photo's I have of him.

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GP_mum
Supporter in '13

Post   » Wed Feb 16, 2011 4:24 am


Yes, he is stunning. Look at that cute face and his pink nose and ears. Absolutely adorable.

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