Saturday, October 1, 2011

Meet Undercover Agent 007GP



My friend Sammy invited me to become one of the Undercover Guinea Pigs. I thought that sounded like fun, so I decided maybe I would try it out. I chose Agent 007GP as my undercover name, since I am the 7th member of the Story Piggy herd. Also, since I have been told that I am such a smart and handsome guy, I guess my spy name fits me. My hobby is eating, and my favorite food is fresh hay. I love to play with it, bury myself in it, and, of course, eat it. I am a newly adopted member of the Story Piggies, so I am not quite sure what my favorite toy is yet, but I know that one of my favorites is my hay bowl. I love to head butt it around my cage and flip it over. I just can't leave it on my shelf with all of that good hay sitting in it. I have to bring it down to the floor of my cage where I can run through it, hide in it and play with it. When I am tired of that, I eat some and fall asleep on it so it will be right where I left it when I wake up. I have to get my beauty sleep so I will remain such a handsome boar. That way I will be able to live up to my spy name "007GP". I look forward to some exciting cases with the other Undercover Guinea Pigs.




Can you guess my real name?

Friday, September 30, 2011

Home Improvement

Today I'm gonna show you how to build your own wooden house (we had to throw away the previous one because something white and fluffy was growing inside)

The wooden panels
Hurray! First wall is up!
The door goes over here..
Checking the inside before the roof goes up
Tadaaaa!!
When you're finished you an use this house for shelter or as a lookout.

Wkz!
Agent Chanel

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

PLAY: Hammocks

In Memory of Agent I, we'd like to repeat all the PLAYs (Piggies Like Activities and Yummies) Professor Igor wrote before he became an undercover agent. Unfortunately all of the piggies in this PLAY have crossed the rainbow bridge by now.. But as former owner of these piggies I love looking at their pigtures.

PLAY 1: Hammocks

This wheek I evaluated hammocks for you guys. I must admit, hammocks turned out to be an extraordinary versatile and interesting study object.

Agent I inspecting the hammock
I asked my slave to put up the hammock in my cage and have been studying it thoroughly. There was also a lot of photo material in the archives, I did not want to deprive you guys of that..

What is it?
Concept: Hammocks are little mats in which you can hang around. It is a square cloth, raised a little above the ground and you can lie comfortably in it.

Material: My hammock is made of fleece. Hmm..nice and soft. But it is also possible to find or make hammocks made out of other materials. Small towels..... pieces of fabric. Nowadays my slave usually makes a hammock with a bottom made out of fabric to which no sawdust will stick, and the top made of a softer fabric like fleece. Attached to the mat are cords which can be attached to the cage bars. These can be made of fabric, but there are also mats available that have little chains.

Application: Your slave should first set up your hammock. There are several ways of doing this. First of all, your slave can attach the hammock to the ceiling of the cage. My slave usually ties the hammock cords to the side cage bars or she ties them around the bottom part (knot underneath the cage, against the floor) and then puts the cage bars on top. Choose whatever you and your slave finds convenient and pending on the possibilities of your cage. The knot-around-the-cage-method is ideal for cages with a plastic top. But this will not work when the cords are too short. When the mat has been installed, us guineas can get to work. Climb on the hammock (that can be quite a challenge! :-D) and relax.. lie down like a true pig.. ehm did I just say that? I meant start studying for you masters degree in piggin' out.. But be careful of cage mates that will try to bounce you out of your hammock.
Top left: Suus, Top right: Yaya and Jan, Bottom left: Lotje,
Yaya and Guiny, Bottom right: Suus and Yaya
Variations
Other applications of a hammock include; a nice place to study under, or as food storage. Every guinea will appreciate an extra roof above his or her head. And eating from it, is quite a challenge. Imagine balancing while everyone in your cage is pushing and pulling, trying to nibble from the veggies or hay. Ah well.. a little cavy exercise, there's nothing wrong with that, right?

Do it Yourself factor?
Top left: Lotje, all other pigtures: Suus
It is very convenient when your slave knows how to handle a sewing machine. Because if she can, it is just a matter of sewing a square rag and attach the cords to it. For the less gifted slaves, guest towels are ideal (tie shoelaces or something else to the corners and there you go). Slaves can also buy hammocks in a store. There is loads to be found on the internet and some pet stores sell hammocks. If you cannot find any, try looking for ferret toys, the ferret section usually contains some nice hammocks!

Variations
There are also hammocks with pockets in them. These are very comfurrtable. There's the oven mitt model, with an opening in the side But there is also a model with an opening in the middle. The one Lotje is showing on the pigture has boning in it, in order to keep it open. I really thought that was a useful addition, because balancing on the mat while you try to stick your head in an opening is hard enough already. Suus is a big fan of the bunk hammock (see pigture). But I have the impression that Suus is a rat inside a guinea pig body. In my opinion, the bunk hammock can be dangerous. Suus is a very good climber so she can manage, but this concept is not suitable for everypig and your slaves should consider this.

The hammock is a tool that is suitable for both the climbing guinea pig and the relaxing guinea pig. Your can pull the funniest pranks in a hammock (Suus: popcorning in a fleece hammock will launch you to greater heights, Squeeeaaaak!!). But above all, it is very suitable to study for a master's degree in imitating a fireplace rug. In other words, it's really perfect for guinea pigs who like to relax. When your slave puts some food in the hammock, it is also good for the munching guinea pig.

Top: Suus, Lotje and Jan the Boar, Bottom pigture,
from top left to bottom right: Jan, Lotje, Yaya, Guiny, Suus
Well, getting into a hammock requires some practise. I actually find it quite scary. Although I have to admit it's not really dangerous in our cage because I won't fall very far. Yaya used to eat the hammock cords. In the past this has lead to diarrhoea, so now our slave uses materials that are simply not edible (like metal chains) or aren't harmful (like sisal rope).

User experiences?
Suus: I am very pleased with our hammocks. I find it an ideal way to explore the surroundings, while bouncing in it. It keeps me fit, and I like to practice my climbing skills. But relaxing is also very nice. Though it could use a defense mechanism, that would enable me to not get pushed out of it by Yaya.. or accompanying earplugs.. because if I do not make space for Yaya she will start to whine really loudly..

Yaya: I think the hammocks should be made of a more edible material. The fleece is so heavy on my stomach. The material of which my lil' Bahama shack is made would do perfectly... hmmm... SLAVE!!!

Igor: Well this was my first PLAY report, if you have any user experiences, photo's or remarks, let me know!!

Wheeks and lots of Play-sure!
Professor Igor

Monday, September 26, 2011

Guess the Heaviest Piggy Agents Avatar and Firenze.



Here are two of the Piggyfriends. From left to right you can see Agents Firenze and Avatar.

Here is another pigture of them - a risque shot of them in the bath just for the boars. In this pigture Agent Avatar is on the left. This is really just an excuse to plug the best ever shampoo for piggies, Vet Sect Repel, as well as to give the readers another clue. This time Agent Firenze is on the right.



And here is a shot from the rear. This time Agent Firenze is on the left.




Which is the heavier of these two girls?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Guess the Heaviest Piggy Agents Pirate and Acorn


Left to Right Agents Pirate and Acorn

You may have spotted that Agent Pirate is a totally new Agent so here are the clues for her real name, this is a tough one we have been told she is named after a female pirate but when we googled the name for more details she appears to be a computer character whose full name is Two Hands Rebecca Pirates real name is the characters nickname.

Good luck

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Hungry piggies!

Hi all,

We just wanted to let you know that we are very hungry piggies too! (starving really..)


We have a nice little routine worked out to get the most out of our slave J;

- in the morning we wheek her out of bed, especially Bo is very good at this (we suspect that she'll become an opera singer when she grows up). As soon as we hear the alarm clock we'll start wheeking. After we've had our fill, J's toilet breaks and trips to the kitchen are a good cue to start wheeking again.

- when J comes home from work, Coco will sit on the wooden shelf in the left hand corner of the cage for a good view and she'll hit J with her most adorable smile when she comes up the stairs. Then Bo starts squeaking up a storm and tadaaa... veggies!

Ow and don't forget to show off paws, noses, and or cute lips ;-)

How do you guys beg for food?

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Sleep Research: Pepper in the corner

My friend Pepper is showing of some of her sleep research. Not only is it a very nice version of the banana position, it's also clever because with her head in the corner it's harder for cagemate Jimmy to bother her (ghegheghe.. well done Pepper!)

Agent Chanel
p.s. extra point for the cute paw!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Spider dog

I know he's not a guinea pig, but this dog has got some serious skills..
Maybe we should invite him for a guest lecture in the agent training program?



Agent I

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Piggysnap; Adorable Alpacas

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Agent at the Rainbow Bridge Aerial


Mystery Agent Curly

Hello.

My pseudonym is Agent Curly and I am an Alpaca cavy. Alpacas are curly haired Peruvians and come in many colours. Our hair should fall forward over our faces but Slave trims mine so that I can see out. My coat would be much longer but it is cut short to prevent tangles.

Our Slave saw an ad in the local petshop saying "Guinea Pigs free to a good home". She did not waste any time in phoning the number on the ad and my friend and I both came here to live with many other piggies. You have met my friend, Agent Wizard, in another Piggy Snap.

Our previous owner could not manage our long coats, which were dirty and matted with hay when we arrived. She thought that we were not cuddly enough for her children and that piggies may not have been a good choice of pet for them. We both love a cuddle!

Slave named me after a favourite character from a series of books called "Little Grey Rabbit" that she loved as a child. She calls all fluffy piggies by the nickname of -------- but decided to use this as my real name. This character is actually a hedgehog but the name suits fluffy pigs. I can't think of another clue but you should be able to find my name via Google.

Are there any other Alpacas out there? I'd love you to join me in playing Piggy Snap.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Story of Chico and his house.. err.. girls


Once upon a time, there was a boar named Chico. 
Chico lived with 3 beautiful sows, but he wasn't a very active boar.
Thats why the housekeeper made sure everything he needed, like hay, pellets and water was available in his part of the cage.
One morning Chico woke up and found that the girls moved to the other part of the cage, a part he couldn't reach...


Ow my poor house.. err.. girls.. are you okay? wheeked Chico.

So our poor hero toiled and twaddled around the cage. And then a thought occured to him.. 

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and jumped!!!

Aaaaahh my lovely house ..  girls. Finally we are reunited again.

And needless to say, Chico and his girls lived happily ever after. Chico took a nap & the girls jumped to the other side because it was kinda crowded.

(Chico) Yeeeeehaaah!! ... POPCORN.. *runrun*.. purrrrrrr .. POPCORN .. *jumps fence between cages* .. Woooohoooooh!!
(Woopy, Lily and Daisy) Don't look at us, we don't know what has gotten into Chico either.

(Story written and photo's taken by my sister Janneke, whilst we were on holiday, and my pigs got pampered by my sister..)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Hungry Piggy


First thing every morning our Slave gives each Piggyfriend a chunk of carrot to eat while she makes her coffee and they all rush off to eat it up. All except me, Agent Minty, as I don't like carrots. So I have to remind Slave that I want something else.
So first I have to look as though I am starving and then I chew the bars to attract her attention and then I get a chunk of something more palatable.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Hungry piggies!

This is us begging for food at our auntie Janneke's, slave to Agents I, Chanel and agent in training Bo Peep
STARVING!!!! 
How do you look when you are begging for veggies or other yummies?

From right to left Left to right: Agents Lily'Explorer, Wheeker and Lil'Woop

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Piggysnap; Super Shelties


Agent Carrot


Agent at the Rainbow Bridge Anastacia


Mystery Agent Mole

Agent Mole is nearly 2 1/2 years young, weighs 1200g and has long flowing lilac/grey locks, she has blue eyes (cause of the cataracts, they used to be deep black) and black finger and toe nails.

Her special likes are red capsicum, snow peas, cucumber and green beans........as a very very special treat she gets a tiny bit of corn and carrot on her birthday.

She is a loving piggie, never annoys her sister and is such a darling, loves to have chinnie rubs and doesn't mind a few head strokes either.
Loves to lounge around in her sisters special cuddle cup. She has a VERY loud voice and let's her slave know when she's hungry or not impressed during bathing or manicure time! She is excellent at slurping out of syringes!!

She has a huspig whom she adores

Mystery Agent Mole gets her secret agent name from the main character in a novel by Sue Townsend she has chosen this name because like Sue Townsend she has developed diabetes and is now blind.

Her real name is a soft material that has had 2 songs written about it in blue and in black.

Mystery Agent
Cookie


Mystery Agent Cookie lives with a largely female herd in the UK she has chosen the name Cookie as her real name is a type of dutch biscuit that her slave loves.

Good luck guessing this one.......

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Piggysnap; Cute Coronets


Agent Chanel after a Haircut






Mystery Agent Wizard



Lets meet Agent Wizard

I am a Piggyfriend and I came here with my best friend Fuzzypeg, when our previous owner decided that she did not want us anymore as we were not cuddly enough for her children.

We were both horribly dirty and matted when we arrived and needed haircuts and baths but now we are very happy piggies. We both like to eat almost anything except broccoli. I am still a bit shy and like to stay close to my friend but we both love a cuddle.

I am sending two pigtures, one of which shows why I am a Coronet not a Sheltie.

Wizards real name is the same as that of a wizard in a famous story by J R R Tolkien.


Mystery Agent Ginger Cake

Mystery Agent Ginger Cake lives as part of a largely female herd in the UK, her real name is the same as a country famous for its rum and chilled out attitude...


>Mystery Agent Pick Me Up

Mystery Agent Pick me Up comes from the same herd as Ginger Cake her real name is a dessert the literal translation of which is pick me up, its one of the few desserts Mummy doesnt like as its coffee flavoured..............

Friday, August 12, 2011

Piggysnap Appeal Alpacas

We are now looking for a very rare type of piggy the alpaca we are hoping we manage to find 4 but suspect that we wont.

If you are an alpaca piggy and would like to join the undercover agents send us your details.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Our Shelter has entered a Competition.


Agent Firenze reporting.

The shelter where our Slave's son works and from where many of the Piggyfriends, including myself, have come over the years has entered into a competition for a cash prize.

They have made a little video and the charity whose video receives the most hits wins the prize.

You do not have to do anything except watch the video and your view will automatically be counted. You do not have to donate or text anyone. Just watch. It is very short and is about hens but this shelter cares for any animal in need from a mouse to a horse and also has a wildlife hospital.

Here is the link.

http://www.raystede.org/

They are hoping to build a new cavy house soon and the prize of 500 pounds would go into the pot for improvements.

Thank you on behalf of all the Piggyfriends.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Rainbow Bridge Punky Peruvian Piggysnap

Agent F has insisted that Diamond join in the Peruvian Piggysnaps to keep our secret project on track.

Diamond is at the rainbow bridge with her fellow peruvian piggysnap Agent Master of Disguise see 1st post.




"Diamond was a participant in many GPDD virtual adventures, latterly escorted by Alge's Jolly Rodent, Chester."

Friday, August 5, 2011

Small warning (Trojan horse virus thingy) when using Google Chrome

Hi there,

Just a small warning from me, Mieke,
at the moment when I try to open  undercoverguineapigs.blogspot.com (ie this site),
my virus detector goes wild! This ONLY happens when I use Google chrome as a browser.
I do not get linked to this website, but to some kind of video website (looks like youtube, but isn't)
and a voice and text on screen says I've been selected for a 30 second survey...
According to my anti-virus software this contains a trojan house, and it's blocked by the software.
I'm really hoping i'm the only one who has this problem, and no one else gets this.
If you use google chrome, be sure to run your virus software to see if you didn't get the trojan horse virus thingy! If you don't use chrome, I would be to concerned, you can always run your anti virus, just to be sure...

Stay safe on the web,
and hugs to all agent (in training) piggies,
Mieke

Piggysnap; Punky Peruvians


Agent Master of Disguise at the Rainbow Bridge


Mystery Agent Mystery








Slave tells me that you are looking for Peruvians for a Piggy Snap.

I am a pure bred Peruvian, my father being a champion show pig, but I was unwanted by my owner as I have a slight head tilt and a black patch around my right eye. She wanted a pure white piggy so I came here to be a Piggyfriend, where I am loved instead of being placed on a board for a show.

A Peruvian's coat parts down the centre and should be brushed straight forward over the eyes but Slave trims my fringe so that I can see out. For showing, I would have had my coat spread out all around me but Slave cuts it to floor length so I can run around and play with my friends.

In these pigtures you can see me from either side so you choose which one to use. Clue. When you can only see white that is my left side. There is also one of me with my fringe cut. Slave isn't much use with a camera but I really do have ruby eyes.

I have chosen the Agent name of Mystery as you cannot tell which end of me is which.

Agent Mystery's real name is spelt the same backwards and forwards is that over the top? He also shares the first name of a man refered to as "the most dangerous man in Europe"


Mystery Agent Campfire

Hello, I am Agent Campfire, a white and red long-haired Peruvian boar. My favorite food ever is carrots! I love carrots, and will often continue wheeking loudly at my slaves if they do not give me my favorite snack. But I also like to eat grass, corn husks, carrot tops, celery leaves and timothy pellets. My slaves always think its funny because I enjoy napping with my face in my pellet bowl. When I’m not napping with my pellets, I like spending time with my best friend Agent Java. Even though whee can’t be in the same cage because she’s a sow, I nap next to the divider so whee can be closer to each other. My secret agent name is Campfire because my real name is a snack humans traditionally make over a campfire – can you guess it?

Get guessing.............

PS we would really like another Peruvian so anyone out there send us your pigtures!!