Skinny Pig Palace

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 1:45 pm

It all started with Barnaby.
He was my first pet after I had moved into my own house.
I knew I wanted a guinea pig and ended up with a skinny pig.
He was so cute and ugly at the same time, I couldn't resist.

This is Barnaby after I got him.

Here is a video of him, he loved his floor time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV34WzcV5Uo

Barnaby lead me into the world of proper guinea pig care. After I got him I did a lot of research and ended up on wonderful sites such as this one. It wasn't long after I got him that I realized he needed a large cage and a friend. So that is how Ernie came to be.
I researched introductions and boy am I glad I did. It was a scary thing to witness but all worked out in the end.

Ernie after I just got him

Barnaby and Ernies first cage. They were divided to get to know eachother and shortly after I did their introductions.
(I learned as I went along what shouldn't be in a guinea pig cage, such as those darn treat sticks).

Their cage then morphed into this.

There were some issues with lack of space, tiffs that I felt more room would help solve and sure enough it did. They have big personalities and needed room, so their cage turned into this.

Once my little guys were getting along like long lost buds, I decidied a door to their floor time was the answer, so that they could come and go as they pleased. I really miss this cage design but it took over the whole upstairs!!

To be continued...

GuineaPigGoddess · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 2:01 pm

Yay, yay, yay! Lookit those cuties! I love Ernie's blonde spot. :)

You have some fantastic cage designs.

LandosMomma · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 2:22 pm

This is so exciting! I love your boys! We are going to do a naked attack of the chronicles!

Mapleowl18 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 2:35 pm

They look so small without their fur.

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 6:14 pm

I enjoyed Barnaby and Ernie so much that I wanted to find another skinny pig boar to add to the mix. Perhaps this wasn't a smart idea.
I found Grover, he was adorable and had such unique colouring.
I quarantined him and then did the introduction. Everything went fairly well and after a few hours everyone was place back into the large cage.
Grover seemed to fit right in.

It wasn't long, maybe a week when I started noticing marks on Barnabys hind end. I wasn't sure what was happening, so I kept a close eye. Sure enough, I witnessed Grover jumping attack Barnaby. Poor Barnaby, my sweetest, most laid back, easy going piggy was being picked on. I became quite concerned because it wouldn't let up and Barnaby started to lose weight from stress.
There was only one choice, seperate Grover.

I wasn't happy with the little space I had quickly given him, so I soon updated the cage to allow him more running room.

frillint · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 6:40 pm

I love seeing all the cage changes!

LisasHerd · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 7:58 pm

I am not a good writer so I am not quite sure how to do this chronicle thing with my nekkers!!!

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:01 pm

Just give it a whirl. I made some spelling mistakes and didn't realize till after the 10 minutes, I hate that. Spelling mistakes bother me.
I would love to see all about your piggies!

GuineaPigGoddess · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:02 pm

All that color, soft, fluffy fleece!

LandosMomma · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:05 pm

Lisasherd, feel free to post in mine. I started it for everyone that has part of our skinny family.

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:07 pm

*cries* I'm not part of your skinny family :(

LandosMomma · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:09 pm

You are an honorary member! If we didn't have stinking red tape, you would be.

GuineaPigGoddess · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:32 pm

Skinnypigs1, you've helped me TONS with being a new skinny pig owner. You sure are a member!

LisasHerd · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 8:47 pm

Thanks Landos!! I am still a poor writer so if they do anythingcute I'll post!

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 10:21 pm

It didn't take long for me to get fed up with cleaning under the loft. Barnaby and Ernie would sleep under it and poop so much.
It was hard to reach to clean and to change the fleece, so that meant a new cage design.

After awhile I tried Grover with B and E one more time, only to have the effort fail again, so this got me to thinking, what about another skinny pig? I toyed with the idea for awhile and one day while on kijiji I searched skinny pigs and along came Rugby. He was being rehomed and I was the first person to respond! I picked him up about a week after I first messaged the owner and have loved him ever since.

Here is the first cage set up that included Rugby.

After seeing so many other cages up on a stand, I decided that was what I wanted to do. So I slowly built my stands and realized that it wasn't going to work to have the cage as a 5 by 6, so of course I split the cage into 2- 3by5's.
Here are the two cages on stands.

This brings me to the newest development.
At first I had both the cages out from the walls so that I could walk around them. I decided to push them up against the walls and magically this left a space perfect for a 2 by 5 cage to be on the floor. I didn't know who would fill the cage until one day I was on kijiji again, looking at skinny pigs and found Calvin and Hobbes. They were located 20 minutes away from me and were 'free'. I wasn't the first to message the owner and was told that they were being picked up the following day already by someone else. I told the owner to let me know if no one showed up to take them. Sure enough the next day I get an email saying the couple who were supposed to pick them up never showed. This meant they were mine. I went and picked them up and boy am I glad I did. They were in a small cage, which is pictured below.

I was so surprised they weren't fighting with eachother terribly. I changed them the next day into the 2 by 5 cage and eventually moved them into the "Skinny Pig Room".

So there you have it, my pigs and the room dedicated to them.

GuineaPigGoddess · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 10:26 pm

Oh, my favorite part! I just love Calvin and Hobbes, I'm so jealous of their perfect pink skin. I just want to kiss them!

Its always so nice to see so many cuties in such a great home, with so much love. I hope there's many, many more happy stories to share. We'll all be looking forward to it!

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 10:44 pm

Thanks!
Calvin and Hobbes are pretty darn cute with their pinkness.

LisasHerd · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 10:46 pm

I heart all your boys!!

FL Cavy Slave · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 11:00 pm

All your boys are just gorgeous and I love your skinny pig room.

Rugby just made it to the top of my pignap list! Thanks so much for sharing.

skinnypigs1 · Post » Wed May 25, 2011 11:01 pm

FL Cavy Slave, thanks for reading :)
It is funny how everyones tastes for who they like best is different.
Rugby is a real sweetie but he likes to nip!