Boars Behaving Badly??

Or just Boars will be Boars?

Do your humans watch over you and panic over every small disagreement you may have with your cage mates?? If so this brief guide may help to reassure and let them know when it really is time to panic.

Ear Pulling- this is a form of grooming, normally it doesnt hurt the pig being groomed but accidents can occur, if the groomed guinea pig is ending up with bleeding, sore or ragged ears then you need to stop the grooming. (humans may need to seperate you and your friend) If there is no bleeding then humans should leave you alone to get on with it.

Rumble strutting- this is how us boars show each other who is dominant, there is no aggression shown with this action just a slow wiggling of the hips and bum sometimes accompanied by a rumbling noise. No need for humans to panic.

Humping- another way of showing dominance, be warned we can hump from any direction (heehee) again no aggression, no biting just a quick hump and off again, no need to panic.

Bum sniffing- boars love sniffing bums and following each other around nose to bum, again nothing to worry about but if guinea pig being sniffed starts to get fed up it could be worth removing sniffer to give him a break (me too old to keep running all the time)

Head Butts- we do this when we are fed up with whatever the other guinea pig is doing, we normally butt the backside but we can butt anywhere, no teeth are used and the guinea pig butted is not hurt, its a warning for them to stop what they are doing and behave. No panic.

Neck Rubbing-we have scent glands in our necks and like to make the other guinea pigs smell like us, so we rub our necks over their heads, no need to panic.

Nips- not bites teeth are used but skin is not broken as long as this is not accompanied by teeth chattering, things should be fine, keep an eye in case of esculation.

Teeth Chattering- this is warning sign that fight could be about to kick off, humans should keep a close eye on this in case somepig ends up getting hurt.

Showing Teeth-big yawns designed to show how big and strong your teeth are (not to be confused with yawning when tired) this again is an aggressive move and could indicate a fight is about to begin.

Biting/Fighting-this is a very bad sign especially if blood is drawn, this really means that we cant be friends anymore and need to live seperately, humans should break this up by throwing towel over the biters before somepig is seriously hurt.

The general belief is that we do this during our hormonal stage which can be from 3-18 months (thats a long time) if we both make it together passed the 18 month mark, we should be happy living together forever. (Mummy has fingers crossed for the next 2 years heeeheee)

Here is a website dedicated to us boars http://www.susieandpigs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/home.htm

I am sure there are lots of things I have forgotten to mention, so feel free to add your comments.

Is this True???

Mummy says I should stop rumblestrutting and humping Spooky as soon he will be as big as me and hump me back eeeeeeeeeeeek

Is this true???? (it cant be no piggy is gonna get as big as me I am a LAPS pig and proud!!)

Spooky = 468g (see nowhere near as big as me)

Me is a Hair Dresser

Since I have been allowed back in with Spooky I have decided his hair needs a bit of work.

At first I started to eat it coz Mummy had managed to get syringe food in his hair, so Mummy and Daddy gave him a wash (Spooky is a big wimp he dont like bath time)

When he came back clean I decided I wanted to make him into a punk so I have kept on trimming his hair. Spooky dont mind its the humans that have a problem with this.

Mummy has been looking on the internet for advise about barbering and even the late great Peter Gurney cant explain why we do it.

The suggestions vary from it being a sign of dominance, boredom ,stress, genetic or not enough hay, me I just want Spooky to be a punk.

If I was eating my own hair this could be a sign of mites and should be checked out.

The advice to humans is leave us guinea pigs alone we will sort it out, if Spooky dont like having his hair cut he will tell me and eating all the hair is no problem for me I poop it out again.

Mummy says if I make Spooky bald she will have to seperate us, I am just making him a punk mummy OK.

Mummy is calling me Sweeney Todd (heeheee the demon barber I like that)

Are any of you hairdressers??

Spooky update;
Weight = +25g = 413g
Eaten= hay, dried pellets and banana

Poops = nearly normal

Me is a Role Model

Daddy decided that as Spooky's poops have firmed up enough for him not to walk poop everywhere and as he was looking so sad and lonely he need a role model ME!! (can you think of anyone better? thought not)

I went back in the cage with Spooky and I think we should change his name to pritt stick as he has been glued to my bum ever since.

Thats when he is not trying to steal the piece of hay that I am in the middle of eating.

He has followed me about all over the cage munching away (dont know why the humans are worried about him not eating) I mean I am hardly getting a look in and when I do chose a piece of hay thats the piece he wants to eat!!

Spooky has gained 16g overnight and his weight is now 388g hurray a step in the right direction.

He had another tiny piece of carrot (wheres mine hmmmpppffftt, oh yes I had to go back to old cage to have a salad heehee) and more banana (he can keep that)

So being with a hero like me is obviously good for him!!!

Keeping Cool (its sooo hot)

Well my little corner of the UK is being hit by a heatwave (the weather people promise it will be cooler for the weekend)
Here are ways to keep cool until then;

My humans are very extravagant and have air conditioners this means at the flick of a switch I have all the cool air I need.

Other ways you can stay cool include filling bottles with water and freezing them, then standing them in front of a normal desk fan, when the fan blows you get extra coolness from the frozen bottles, or wrap the bottle in a towel and have it in your home where you can lean against it and keep cool. (wrapping it in a towel is important otherwise you could end up frozen against it, not nice!!) Outside piggies can have a damp towel placed over the front of hutch, this will need to be kept damp throughout the day.

You could convince your humans to invest in a cooler tile, these work by giving you something cool to sit on  (without getting stuck to it) as they are made of marble they stay cool.

Get your humans to leave the curtains half shut as this helps stop the sun getting in and making your room too hot.

If you are outside in the garden make sure you stick to the shady areas, to keep cool and to prevent getting sunburn on your delicate ears and noses.

Guinea pigs can get very ill with heat exhaustion, the link belows tells your humans what to look out for and how to treat it.

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/heatstroke.htm

Any other hints and information we can share?

Fresh Water

Now things are hotting up and summer has finally hit the UK (sure it will be over by the weekend) I thought it would be a good time to remind you all that guinea pigs need fresh water everyday.

It doesnt matter if you dont drink all of it, that is no excuse for the humans to leave it there, would they like to drink a glass of water that had sat on the table all night?? I dont think so!! At least dead flies cant get into water bottles so guinea pigs have an advantage there.

I have pure unsweetened cranberry juice added to my water, to give me extra vitamin C and also to help prevent painful urinary tract infections.

So make sure your humans get you fresh cool water everyday and make sure the bottles are checked for leaks or worse than that not letting the water out.

Of course if your humans need reminding to get you fresh water you can always play with the bottle and empty it on the floor of the cage.
Thanks for that tip Agent I ;)

Me Has Eaten Both Strings

heeeheee

Mummy is calling me a little devil, I have chewed through the string on the other end of the tunnel, and then left the soggy bits on the floor to be cleaned up.

Mummy now has to squish tunnel between her legs before fighting to get the bag over the top.

Very funny to watch!!