Dudies in Venezuela

Brambles

Post   » Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:44 pm


I wanted to share this, in particular for those people that, like me, are spending New Year's alone with their piggies, and everyone who isn't having the New Year's they would like.

I'm home alone because my inlaws had an emergency in the family. Venezuelan holidays are so loud that for a few hours you can not hear yourself talking, as dogs wail, car alarms go off for hours and neighbours light fireworks on the street.

My Mammoth and Bizonte haven't had a day of rest since Christmas. They must be going insane. Since the first firework night they spent their days in their tunnels and hideouts and only coming out for a quick food or drink. On any sound they run. This is the first time I've seen them like this. I feel for them, they've been absolutely miserable.

On Christmas night we tried putting them in the closet, but the noise still came through. We tried putting them in a fleece tunnel with us on the bed, but they didn't come out and the fleece tunnel got soaked. I tried soft music, which they usually like, but the fireworks just go over every sound.

We started to notice that whenever they were in our arms, they would purr softly when the fireworks went off, and cuddle deeper in our clothes. They seemed to feel safe with me and my inlaws. For D-Day, New Year's eve, we decided to try to put a fleece and my bathrobe on the bed, so they're always close to a human smell.

So at this point I'm sitting on the bed, working on a product presentation and watching tv, with the little piggies in the robe next to me. They made their little squeeky sounds at first, as if discussing what was going on. Then they explored the whole robe together, Mammoth in front, and then quickly each found a spot: Mammoth in my sleeves, and Bizonte between the fleece blanket and the robe, exploring until he found Mammoth, who was still on top. They're sleeping together now. The jumps of fear, the loud panicky squeeks and the running looking for cover have stopped completely.

The true test, midnight, still has to come. It's 8pm now, Caracas time. Even though I try not to project or presume understanding how these little ones feel, I feel happy possibly the feeling of being close to me or my partner makes Mammoth and Bizonte feel safe.

I wish everyone for New Year's the same feeling, of safety and happiness in presence with your loved ones.

A picture of Bizonte and Mammoth in the robe. Whenever I lift the robe they crawl further in, so you'll have to use some imagination. They're there though.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:01 pm


I'm glad they find comfort with you. Really loud noises are annoying at the very least and can certainly be frightening to guinea pigs.

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GP_mum
Supporter in '13

Post   » Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:23 am


Happy New year to you and your pigs. Glad they are feeling safe in the robe.

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AldenM1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:48 am


This thread needs pictures!!

Brambles

Post   » Thu Jan 02, 2014 8:57 pm


In the aftermath of the fireworks:


Oh my god- ohmygodohmygodohmygod! We're under attack, they're everywhere! Does someone read this! They're coming straight at me! I'm in the paper bag, somebody help me! Mammothmammothmammoth!
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Give me a minute.
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Mammoth I think we should go, mammothmammothmammoth!
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- I just need a minute. Hold this bit of grass Bizonte. Got it?
- But what do I DOOOO???
- If it moves, eat it.
- I don't feel right Mammoth, I don't feel right - AHH! I bit it!!
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...
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Mammoth more are coming, Mammoth! Not green man, not green at all!
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Who can guess the movie? Bizonte always reminded me of this character.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:45 pm


Looks like they lived through it all!!

[corrected wrong word]
Last edited by Lynx on Fri Jan 03, 2014 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

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AldenM1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:23 am


Is it Star Wars?

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JaneDoe

Post   » Fri Jan 03, 2014 3:15 am


They have beautiful coats!

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Jaycey
Supporter in 2014

Post   » Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:14 am


I'm rubbish at film quotes :-(

You have beautiful piggies!!

Brambles

Post   » Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:38 am


Thanks! Yeah they're coming through fine, much better than they came through the Christmas fireworks.

The movie is the Fifth Element. Bizonte always reminded me of the character played by Chris Tucker, Ruby Rod, who is completely neurotic, not so very smart and utterly self-centered.

I always felt a bit for the little guy. All of my family was in love with Mammoth, who's always given us tremendous love back. Mammoth enjoys cuddles, fluffy spaces and a good massage. He finds a spot, turns around until he finds a good position, and from that moment on prefers not to be bothered until he has to go... which could be hours. In the meantime, we stroke and massage him, and he purrs and bubbles softly. He's such a perfect companion.


This is Mammoth on the day we got him. He looked like a wooly mammoth, with his mattes and his big affro. In fact, when we came back from the shop, we had to put him in the bathroom (with food and water) because we had a meeting to go to, so we put a large sign on the door saying: Cuidado, cobayo peludo en el bano. Translated: Careful, hairy guinea pig in the bathroom. Poor little ball of fur... but it was an emergency meeting, so we had no choice but to leave him there for a bit.
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I made a big 6x6 pen for Mammoth in my office. However, he seemed unhappy, and when I found out piggies are best housed in two's, I had to get him a companion. In the beginning Bizonte was very much the companion-piggie. We thought he would be like Mammoth, cuddly and enjoying human contact. Boy we were wrong! A Bizonte cuddle would be 20 seconds, and then he'd pee all over us. He was a happy baby though, constantly popcorning and walking-and-talking, but he never looked for contact with us. Food he would tug out of our hands, and run with it to the back of the pen to eat it.
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However, they bonded almost immediately, helped with some buddy baths and a lot of space. Like any boar pair they fight on a regular basis, but Bizonte always goes to Mammoth for comfort, a little grooming and a nose-to-nose, and they call eachother when they're separated. Bizonte still tugs the food out of my hand and runs with it to the back, but now Mammoth is waiting there for him. Mammoth takes the food from Bizonte, and Bizonte comes back to the front for a new portion... until Mammoth is satisfied. I had no idea when I got two boars that there could have been issues. Mine have always done fine.
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Supergreen

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Wle312
Guinea Supporter '11

Post   » Fri Jan 03, 2014 4:53 pm


I love your story so far, and Mammoth asleep in the crotch reminds me of my Barney! I laughed at that pic :D

Brambles

Post   » Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:00 am


Hehe thanks, it was the only picture I had of Mammoth's first days in our home.

So my two little guys were getting along perfectly fine, Mammoth teaching Bizonte the ins and outs of eating vegetables, Bizonte running around the cage and all in all the both of them giving a lot of joy to our family.
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I met my friend Kate when we were both giving classes at the local community center, and we bonded straight away. She had just gotten a little female called Lana and like me, had never met another guinea pig owner in Venezuela.

Lana is a beautiful little mouselike princess. She's the cleanest guinea pig I've every seen: she pees and poos inside her hideout. Kate keeps her free range in her room, and she has pink fleece in the corner, surrounded by a low, white, barbielike fence. In comparison my guys seemed like barbarians!
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At that time I the herd development thread was starting. I enviously followed the stories about the freerangers and their herds, and read about the guinea pig meets they do in the US.

Filled with good intentions, we decided on a little meet and greet between Mammoth, Bizonte and Lana.
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