A Tale of Two Pigs

kailaeve1271

Post   » Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:58 pm


Since I was a very small child I had always wanted a small pet that could be sweet and loving companion, to call my own, for many years. Now don't get me wrong, I had pets before, a rabbit, gerbils, and dogs, but they were always family pets. I tried so hard to get any of them to bond with me, but many would run away and love one someone else. In all honesty, when I look back, I don't blame them. If I saw a 9 year old El Mira running up to me so she can smother me in hugs and kisses, I would run too.

At first I thought a hamster would make a good pet. So one day at the pet store when we were buying dog food, I begged my parents for one of the hamsters. My mom's reply eventually was "okay... but you have to hold one first." I was alittle confused at first, but we finally flagged someone down to open the cage and let me get one out. I saw one sitting in the back corner all alone. My 9 year old mind thought, 'oh look he's so lonely. I can get him to like me and he'll love me forever.' The man told me to be careful with the hamsters before I reached in. Once I had the little guy in my hand he looked so calm and peaceful. He slowly yawned like he was tired... or so I thought. Once his mouth was open as large as it could he clamped down on my hand. The man snatched the hamster from me before I could drop it. After that small bean me decided I no longer wanted a hamster. After cleaning my hand we did leave with a pet though. It was a beta fish that somehow died before we even got home.

After this I gave up on my search for a few years. At about age the age of 13, I saw it at the pet store in search of dog food again. The was a fluffy creature with bug-eyes and a chunky stature. It was a guinea pig. This is where my addiction started.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:10 pm


This is where my addiction started.
To this day, I hope ;-)

kailaeve1271

Post   » Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:43 pm


Of course ;) Charlotte and Jitterbug are the center of my life. I love them so much

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Sat Apr 14, 2018 5:01 am


Is this the Jitterbug that went onto a big adventure and disappeared for a few days? So glad you found pets to call your own. We don't have hamsters here as they're not allowed. Shame that it bit you, fast moving on the petshop owner/worker though. Can't wait to hear more.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:17 pm


Not the same, daisymay. That Jitterbug was in the Pacific Northwest, can't remember whether it was Oregon or Washington. This one's in Georgia.

I sure do wish we could hear about the other Jitterbug, though. I've always wondered what happened to that pig.

kailaeve1271

Post   » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:02 am


Haha no she has not gone on her own adventures but as headstrong and curious as she is I’m sure she would, if she had the chance

kailaeve1271

Post   » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:17 am


So I started spending the next three years researching what I could do for any guinea pig I ever adopt. On my 16 birthday I begged for my parents to allow me to adopt Guinea Pigs. They agreed as long as I paid for them myself. That wasn’t an issue since I recently started my first job.

I looked for guinea pigs in our local shelter for over 4 months before I started to think that there were no guinea pigs to adopt. By this time I had already had a large c and c cage, hay, toys, bowls, water bottles, litter boxes, shavings, and fleece. I just needed pellets so we headed off to a certain very common pet store, let’s call it petshmo, as many people do to cover up the name, so they don’t sue me haha, for pellets.

I walked in and saw three little pigs in the cage. Any time I go into a store I look at the cute guinea pigs just to see them. The biggest was a silver agouti and white who kept nipping at the two littler pigs. The other was a calico female who looked awfully chunky yet sweet and a pig who has split in half orange gold on one side and cocoa brown on the other with white on her belly and chin. All were supposed to be female.

Not too long after I started searching for pellets by the cage, I saw an employee toss the split pig, yes TOSS, her into a box.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:31 pm


I trust you are going to intervene?

kailaeve1271

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:00 pm


Of course! I was very angry with the employee about this and mentioned it to the manager. She did nothing so I no longer purchase from said store

kailaeve1271

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:28 pm


So after watching the employee act so roughly with the pig I confronted him. Asking why is was so rough with her and what he was doing. All he wanted to tell me was there was a mistake in her lineage and they could no longer sell her. I didn’t get another word out of him. Talk about sketchy! So I demanded a manager to come and speak with me. After an hour long arguement she told me to take the pig as long as I purchased something else as well because “they couldn’t do anything with her anyways” I saw this to be so rude and arrogant, but I took the opportunity to take her. Looking in the cage I saw a pig in each of the back corners. I wanted to get a partner that she was bonded to and based on how nippy the silver one was, I assumed the chunky calico one would be the best choice. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little girl, but I hate that I gave in to buying a pig from a store over adopting. Those two little pigs sure have stopped those paws around my heart though. I bought the second pig and a bag of food and brought them home. The split guinea pig became known as Jitterbug and the calico was Charlotte.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:30 pm


I hope the thrown guinea pig did not suffer serious injuries.

The employee should be fired.

kailaeve1271

Post   » Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:33 pm


When I took her to the vet she had no injuries other than bruising on her leg which went away after a few days. I have to agree though. He should have been fired. I never went back to the store to find out if he was. My sweet little Jitterbug is just over 1 year now and as healthy as could be. She is huge compared to Charlotte though and very muscular, but I guess that isn’t a bad thing

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