Here Piggy Piggy...

[AneesasMuse]

I went to pic up dry goods for my Zoo today, and someone dumped a piggy in the store... something about moving into a place that doesn't allow animals.. blah blah blah...

Anyhow.. I haven't had a pig since I was in elementary school, so I'm interested in forums, info sites, ideas, suggestions and all that... anything anyone has to offer, I welcome it.

I have Piggy in an 18" x 36" x 15" cage.. and it already seems too small for him. He's a "healthy" boy    The food he was dumped with is "8 in 1" ?? I've never heard of it and it doesn't pass my personal restrictions for dietary/nutritional values, so I will be gradually changing him over to Oxbow brand Piggy food and offering lots of whole foods ..with Timothy Hay and a little Alfalfa Hay, as well.

I have an organic garden in my backyard with lots of healthy greens and herbs that he can share with the tortoise and lizards, and I already give my rattie kids fresh salads, carrots, grapes, berries, etc. ..so he will be sharing in that also. I was told to try and get him to eat fresh oranges, too, so I'll be working on that in a day or so.

So yeah.... any ideas, suggestions, help, info, etc. ...I'm open to it all. I'll get pics of the handsome "little" guy when I get a moment. I have class tonight and tomorrow morning, so I'll do my best. He reminds me of a Pinto pony that I had growing up... really pretty.. and his coat seems to be very healthy and soft.

I've been calling him Piglet, but I think he deserves a more geeky name.. LOL ...I dunno. My classes are wearing off on me, maybe. I thought of naming him after one of my professors... haha! That could end badly, though... I just don't know.   

[Punkygirl0101]

Definitely get him over to oxbow! You will want to feed him atleast a cup of green leafy veggies everyday, and not a lot of pellets. (I would say half a cup for the entire day). And things high in Vitamin C such as oranges, and bell peppers etc. (Bell peppers were a favorite of my piggies). And as much timmothy hay as he wants.

Have you done research of C&C cages? When I had my foster pigs I made massive ones! hehe. They really are the best cages for guinea pigs.

Try and get him a friend! They are herd animals and get very lonely and depressed without others of their kind. I find them to get even more depressed then rats.

Good Luck! And would love to see pictures!

[AneesasMuse]

Thank you so much for the reply! 

I went out and got Oxbow today, and will be gradually getting him off that other stuff ...don't want to upset his little tummy, y'know. I also found a site with a forum... CavySpirit ...and read quite a bit about homemade cages and toys, treats, general "do's and don'ts" and what not.

I have 2 boxes/sets of those cube things that you can put together any sort of way, so I am working out a floorplan for his big cage, now. I looked around for a Pigloo today, too.. but no luck yet. I may just get a regular jumbo one and customize the opening.

Last night, I gave my buddy some escarole, dandelions, carrot slices, cucumber, one red grape (seedless), and a few pieces of blood orange without peeling or pith. He was very excited about his little dish of snackies, so I will definitely be giving him fresh fare everyday ...along with the Oxbow. Oh.. and the sweet peppers are always here cuz my lizard and tort like them, too.

I was thinking about jumbo sized hammocks for him, but his legs are kind of short to maneuver such a thing... so.. I think I'll just make him some cute "cubby hole" things and some "floor cushions" for his abode.

I was looking at him looking at me yesterday, and he has the cutest little portly pink lips... like he's just about to say something really funny... and it made me think of "Georgie Porgie, Puddin' Pie" ...and one of my professors is Giorgi (cuz she's Italian), so I'm leaning toward the name, Giorgi   

[OldsGal]

Hey you can't post a thread about getting a new member of your zoo without posting pictures dangit!    

Here is a link to a GP site that I used when trying to diagnose some problems with my sisters GP.  It seems very informative and a lot like the Rat Guide is for us rat people...

http://www.guinealynx.com/index.html

Staci

[AneesasMuse]

"I couz seez youz and smezzz youz... no touchy, k?"


"Comez leeeetle closer... I tellz youz a funnyz!"

This boy is being uber shy since I brought him home. He was all squishy and outgoing in the store (guess he knew he had to work it) ..and here, he's not real keen on my picking him up. He'll come to me and he'll take treats from me, but doesn't want me to scoop him up at all. I think Ambassador Poodah may have something to do with this, but I'll give him a few more days and see if he's just getting settled in.

I'll get better pics then, too. Between school schedule and Zoo schedule ...and hubby and blah blah blah!!! ..I have little time for photoshoots.... and even less with uncooperative subjects.