How 3 pigs became 5 pigs

[guineapiggoddess]

Well, today was a very busy day so we were out for most of the morning shopping with family. My grandmother needed help carrying her groceries to her apartment so Cierra helped her while I lugged our things over to our house (we're neighbors). About 3 minutes later Cierra came RAGING home banging on the front door, me teasing her decided to let her wait awhile until I finished putting groceries away and when I slowly came down the stairs she was yelling that she NEEDED to talk to our mom. She ran past me and started blabbering to mom when I heard the story...

A lady in the basement of the apartment building needed to re-home her two guinea pigs because she could no longer care for them, I pitched in the argument and flung on my coat waiting for a "Yes." she pondered for what seemed a lifetime and the next moment we were running down the street grinning from ear to ear. We went to her apartment eagerly waiting outside the door when she brought out a "large" pet store cage, and two FILTHY pigs. I felt sorry for them but I couldn't help but coo and awe at them. She helped us carry the cage to our home where we took out the pigs and immediatly gave them a bath and nail clippings. Their stomaches were COVERED in filth and dirt, what was once a white belly is now tainted yellowish brown. They took very well to the bath but neither of them liked the nail clipping, the older one (who's around Goofball's age) had to walk on the sides of her toes, her nails were curling and brown. We got them settled in a make shift C&C cage, while I cleaned the old cage and my mom sat in there baby talking to them.

There were tons of things wrong, she gave us all of the supplies which included the cage, one bitten up pigloo, a huge water bottle connected to the cage by wire (actual wire like as in a cell phone charger wire), and cedar chips. I know that it's horrible but the cedar chip bag was only used once and luckily I spotted CareFresh bags in the apartment as they hulled the cage through. So they were in the cedar chips for about a month. I know it was atleast a month because of the cages condition. The floor was not shavings, it was pure grounded poos and pee. So the pigs' bellies were completely covered in in. There were at least 7 baby carrots in the cage which explains the fatness of one of the pigs. While cleaning their old food bowl I spotted dried broccoli and cheese, just pitiful. I even asked what their names and ages were and the lady said she doesn't know their ages and she never named them.

We named them while giving them bathes, one is little and somewhat skinny (that's sure to change while she's here) she is a red Dutch, the pig of my dreams! We've estimated her age about 7 months old, her name is Honey. The other is brown and white. she has small spots of brown around one eye and on the other is a star, so her name is Star. They are doing great now and acting like normal pigs, Honey VERY skittish though, she jumps into your lap nad doesn't stop squirming so we're giving her time to settle in. While Star has a nibbling problem, she's already eaten 1 cup of veggies, A LOT of pig food, fleece, Cierra's hair, my sweater and the other pigs' hair. She's been barbering the ladies the whole hour she's been here.

Both pigs have small spots of missing hair, which I suspect is her barbering (which I blame on her previous owner since they didn't have nor come with food) but just to be on the safe side we'll be ordering Ivermectin for mites.

While I was cleaning the old cage I heard my mom talking to the other pigs because they were going too close to Honey, I raced in to see that she had already added the two into thier cage, oh well. I watched to see that Goofball was cleaning them and licking thier ears, and Nugget did the same, we thought of it as a "Welcome!" When we put Precious near the other two she looked scared but gathered her courage and made sure the others knew that she was still the boss. So they are all living happily together, but Precious still plays the bully and Nugget still plays the helpless nerd of our small herd.

Goofball seems to LOVE them, she's touring them around the cage and won't dettach from their sides. Hopefully they'll all have a vet visit soon and some treatments of Ivermectin.

Cierra will be posting pics of the pigs and of thier previous living condition.

In what seemed like 10 minutes we went from 3 to 5, and my mom said as we walked into the kitchen from caring for the noobs "Merry Christmas!" because she thought we were too old for Christmas she didn't get us anything but these guys are the best!

[cielo]

Congratz girls!!!

[guineapiggoddess]

Here are a few pics--

The old cage:

Honey:

Star:

Star's belly:

Drying off together with their new found friends:

[cielo]

Honey looks like precious, so now you have twins...LoL!

[guineapiggoddess]

Haha, yeah she does look like Precious at least the coloring. I LOVE that coloring. I've always wanted a Dutch.

[Critterpaws]

So happy for you and the piggies. The woman saying she couldn't take care of them "anymore" probably more like NEVER took care of them How is it you get pets and not even name them? Obviously she has no feelings for animals she should have never had them in the first place. I could see if they got dumped on her maybe, but in that case you think she'd want to adopt them out asap or call a shelter or something.

Anyway there will always be negligent and careless people in the world. I can rant all I want and it wont change a thing. It's just exhausting sometimes.

This story makes me really happy though because they are so lucky you lived near by and was able to save them. I literally mean SAVE them it's people like you that keep the world turning .

I'm picking up my 3 piggies tomorrow I'm soo excited!! I'm new to piggies btw but I've done proper research. I visited them today and held one for the first time! These are rescues too and I'm glad to provide a good home for them! Anyway just wanted to let you know I was touched by your story!


EDIT: I swear I should have this as my siggy. I have no idea but every post I have on here my little stalker smiley sneaks into every post with the question marks. I already posted in the how to and feedback to see how to remove it. I'm just noting in this email bc the question mark is in a place that could misinterpret my intention so ignore the stalker smiley *stabs smiley* lol

[guineapiggoddess]

Haha, just put : confused : without the spaces and a green smilie with a huge grin will come up. That smilie annoys me too.

Thank you! We've found out that Honey was apparently kept in an exercise ball for "floor time" quite frequently. Her back is now sloped and she walks very low to the ground. She's learned that she can pick her feet about 1cm off the ground but that's it. The poor thing trips over everything, including wrinkles in the fleece. So now I have to make sure there aren't any wrinkles.

[guineapiggoddess]

We had been planning to adopt a buddy for Nugget for such a LONG time, setting up things, it collapsed all the time. We were always telling family that we finally found a buddy and such. And who thought they would be so close? I never imagined that lady having guinea pigs.

[Caro90]

Oh my goodness! I am so glad you took these piggies in. We have three now and I would love more. Not sure our girls would put up with more...

[guineapiggoddess]

Yeah, the inrtoduction didn't go very well. I hadn't realized all of my three were in heat when I introduced them so I'll wait until next month when I'm sure Nugget's out of adolesensey and the ohter two are chilled down some. They have a divider now and tease each other, haha.

Sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't. But if you rescue 2 more, Caro, then they will be two groups so it really won't matter as long as you have the floorspace for another cage. That's the good part of having them already bonded, hehe.