WE HAVE BABIES!

So, after what seemed like FOREVER, Snickers finally gave birth to her babies--7 days after her "due date." Dave, Belle, and I were constantly checking on her to see if she had them yet, but they were never there.  Those 7 days were probably some of the longest days ever.  We were all getting seriously impatient.

And then to our surprise, Thursday morning [11/1/12] we came home from work/school to find two beautiful babies, perfectly clean and suckling on their mother.  They had to have been born hours before we all came home, since the babies' coats were perfectly clean and dry.  After all the anxious waiting, we finally had our beautiful little pups.  Snickers was so big that we were sure there had been 3 babies, but nope...just two really big ones.  So without further adieu, meet the newest editions to our guinea pig clan:

 

Fifi

Boots

More photos of the babies on the day of their birth:

Snickers and her babies, 1 day old:

The babies [and Mama] 3 days old:

There you have it.  The two most ADORABLE baby guinea pigs in the entire universe.  They are only 3 days old and have already started eating hay, pellets, and lettuce.  They follow their mother EVERYWHERE she goes.  I'm totally in love with them already.  Their father must've had black in his coat.  I was surprised, I guess I just never expected with such a bright white mommy, she would have a nearly all black baby.  Boots has all black fur, except the strip down the middle of her face, her front paws are white [like she's wearing boots ;)], and she actually has a white patch on her butt just like Ariel!  She is so sweet.  And VERY loud already.  When away from Snicker's for just a few moments, she starts to let out a high pitched squeal. And as you can see, Fifi is black on one side of her face, and brown on the other.  She also has coordinating black and brown on her hindquarters, with about 3/4 brown fur, and 1/4 black fur on the exact matching sides as the patches on her face. They are both roughly the same size [can you even imagine poor Snickers pushing these two out?], however, when they are stretched out, I think Boots is a bit more longer and slender looking than Fifi ever appears.

Note that have been referring to them as "she's".  Well, Dave and I have extensively researched sexing newborn guinea pigs, and are about 99% sure that they are both female pigs.  However, we know that even experts can make mistakes, so we will continue to check them on a routine basis for the next 2 weeks until we can confirm the sex.  I'm sure the names will stay the same no matter what, though.  My daughter has wanted to name one of them Fifi since long before they were born, so even if they were both males, the name on that one is a done deal.  And Boots is essentially gender neutral. 

It is absolutely vital that we are 110% sure of the sexes by the time they turn 3 weeks old.  3 weeks old is approximately when guinea pigs become of sexual maturity.  To prevent any unwanted pregnancies, we will have to immediately separate any male pigs from the mother.  Soon after giving birth, actually increases a guinea pig's chance of a pregnancy reoccurring.  At this time, a reunion between Snickers, Ariel, and Ellie will be attempted.  As well as the introduction of any female pups.

If one [or both] of the babies turn out to be male [which is unlikely], a new cage will be constructed at that time.  Also, if we end up having a single male, we will be on the lookout for a young male in need of rescue. 

So we have a plan set in place.  I am actually relieved that there was only two babies because that's less pigs to accommodate for.  Especially here in my small apartment.  I hope to eventually have enough space to make MASSIVE c&c cages.  In the meantime, we are going to relocate an end table to expand our current cage a couple extra cubes.   They better both be girls, because I am sick of having two cages!  I can't wait to get all the pigs together and consolidate to one cage.  Well, I will certainly keep my fingers crossed.  Either way, we are keeping both of these two cuties.  How could we not???  Boy, girl, whatever, they are ours.  Well, they're Snickers', but they're our grandpigs!  And we all love them very, very much.  :)

Magazine Review

Hello everyone!  Well, still no babies.  It's looking like it will be any day now.  I'm hoping she delivers when we are home/awake so we can make sure everything happens safely. 

Anyway, yesterday we went to Petsmart which is about half an hour from home.  [We only have 2 pet shops in our city - Pet Depot and Petco. ]  We picked up this magazine:

 This magazine is fun and packed with tons of great guinea pig information.  It cost $9.99, which does seem pretty steep for a magazine, but it really is a comprehensive guide.

Here's an example of some of the pages on the inside.  Pretty much every single page has adorable piggy pictures.  A lot of the stuff in this magazine we already knew, but we definitely picked up a few good tidbits from it.  

All in all, I would definitely recommend this magazine to anyone considering adding guinea pigs to their life, or even for the inexperienced cavy owner.  It has everything -- food, housing, health issues, training, breeds, and more.  I'd say this is an excellent guinea pig resource guide!

Update!

Hello readers!  Well, it's almost time.  Snickers is getting bigger and bigger everyday.  We can feel the babies moving, and Dave even heard their teeth grinding the other day.  It's probably going to be any day now.  We have separated Snickers from the other two girls for now.  Since both of us work, and of course have to sleep, we want to decrease any possible tragedies that could occur by keeping them all together.  We still let them spend time together, but keep them separate when we aren't around.  Here is a picture of the sequestered tote that is now Snickers' temporary home.  [It was a former "cage" I had built for our now deceased hamster, Kendall.]

We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of our pig pups.  This picture of snickers was taken just moments ago:

As you can see, she is humongous!  She barely lets us hold her at all anymore.  She hides a lot, is difficult to pick up, and she is extremely moody most of the time.   Oh...and she eats more than ever.  I swear this pig is ALWAYS hungry.

Earlier today; David and I went to go pick up some Timothy Hay at Petco.  Right now they have a sale for buy one get one free 24 oz. bags.  We also had a $5 off any purchase of $5 or more rewards coupon.

Here's Ellie showing off our great deal.  $1.07 for two bags of hay?  Yes please!  I felt like I was on Extreme Couponing for a moment.  The girls haven't tried this kind yet, but I'll let you know what they think.  With the new additions to our pig family coming soon, we really need to find good deals on this kinda stuff.  [We don't plan on changing their pellets, though...we use Oxbow Essentials young guinea pig food.]

Going to make this short and sweet today, but for your viewing pleasure, here is some close up shots of Ariel and Ellie:

 

She is so stinkin' cute!

 

 Awe, just look at that face!

 Ariel's white butt patch.

 So inquisitive.

 Don't you just want to kiss her?

 She's getting so long!

 Dying of cuteness right now.

Well, that's all, folks!  Have a great day.  I will try to write again sooner next time. 

-Sharon

The Cage

Hello!  So since we're still getting acclimated here, I figured a cage post was in order.  The cage is pretty much one of the most important things you need to consider before acquiring a pet pig.  Many folks assume that the cages you can buy at the pet shop are a suitable home for their new fuzzy pal, but usually that isn't so.  Most cages sold at pet stores are far to small for one, yet alone two guinea pigs.  [Pigs should always be at least kept in same-sex pairs!]  You can find large enough guinea pig cages at some stores, or online.  But they can get pretty pricy.  Especially if you order online, then you also must consider shipping and handling costs.

A much cheaper option is to build your own cage.  While this is financially a better option, it is also more fun.  You can customize it to your liking and make it a lot bigger than the ones you could purchase elsewhere.

This website is an excellent resource for cage guidelines.  We constructed our cage when it was just Snickers and Ellie, so it is currently a 2 grid x 4 grid cage.

We purchased grids like the ones pictured above, at Bed Bath and Beyond for $20 a box.  We only used 2 boxes to build our current cage, with quite a few grids left over.  And not only that, our cage has a second story, as well as two full cubes on the top used for storage.  The ramp going to the second level is also made out of leftover grids.

Okay, so here is a very early picture of our pig mansion.  It has changed in a few ways, for safety reasons.  First, we changed the ramp.  It is now made of 2 partially overlapping hand-curved grids, that are connected with cable ties.  We have also removed the hay wheel and added a "lip" to make the second level more of a...balcony?

Here's a shot from above of the cage as it looks now.  Here you can see the lip on the second level, and an idea of what the ramp looks like.  The pigs really love running up and down as they chase each other and try to hide.  The cage is lined with coroplast, or corrugated plastic, which we purchased at a local sign shop for $20 for an 8' by 4' piece.  Which again, may cause a space predicament.  My mom helped me transport it home, and she drives a Chevy Uplander.  Luckily, the coroplast does have some give to it, and will bend a bit if necessary.  We followed the following video when it came to measuring/cutting the coroplast to line the cage:

When it comes to building a cage for your guinea pigs, the sky is really the limit.  Or at least your ceiling is, anyway.  Making the cage really turned into a nice project for my whole family.  It was fun and relatively simple to make.  I actually can't wait to expand the cage and build a second one if Snickers has any boy pups.  [We are keeping all of the babies, regardless.]

Once your cage is built, then you can fill it with your bedding of choice.  We use Carefresh Natural bedding mixed with aspen shavings.  The cage is really simple to clean.  We spot clean on a daily basis, and do a total clean every 2 weeks.  The cage never smells foul in the interim.  Basically, one of us will sweep the cage, while the other holds a garbage bag.  The waste completely fills approximately one regular garbage bag.  After it is completely swept, I take a hand held vacuum and suck up any extra missed bits and pieces in the corners.

After it's all swept, then it's time for the mopping.  I have a regular spray bottle that I got at the dollar store, with a water/vinegar mix, specifically used for cleaning the pigs cage and cage items.  I spray down the coroplast and vigorously mop with a cheap sponge mop I also purchased at the dollar store.  Take a few paper towels to wipe up any missed bits, and then let it air dry.  Once dry, lay down some fresh bedding.  Voila!

The pigs love their cage for now, and I am sure they will appreciate it when we expand it.  Stay tuned for updates!

-Sharon

Pig Art.

My girls <3

All About Ariel

Hi!  Well, I guess this is my big internet debut...my name is Ariel and I am the youngest of the herd...well for now anyway.  Soon my big sister is going to pop, and I am definitely not going to be the baby of the family anymore.  It would figure that those crazy humans decided "oh, maybe just one more pig," right before they discovered that my sis was preggo.  Oh well, I am loving my new home.  I get plenty of attention, and sometimes even more than I'd like!  When the humans reach in to the cage, my big sisters will usually stay still and allow themselves to be picked up... not me!  I run for cover.  I am quick, swift, and sneaky!  But, when the humans finally catch me, I am exceptionally lovable.  =p

Here's a picture of me while Belle and Dad dry me off after my bath.  Once they get their hands on me, I usually will let the humans hold me however they want,  and I actually will sit pretty still!  I sat like this while they dried my belly without kicking up too much of a fight.  Even my sisters won't sit that still for the humans, but they really praise me for my efforts... and I like that!

Here's a pigture [hehe] of me and my sisters enjoying an afternoon salad in our luxurious c&c cage [which I overheard Mom and Dad talking about making it even *BIGGER*!].  So far, life in my new home has been pretty wonderful.  I am adjusting pretty well with my pig sisters and my human family.  I can't wait to see what my little nieces and/or nephews are going to be like.  I think I am going to do a great job at being a good aunt for the little piglets.  Well, I hope to talk to you again real soon!

<3 Ariel ((Aka "AriBear"))

All About Snickers

Hello world!  My name is Snickers and I am the second pig to be added to the clan.  I am the loudest of all of my sisters.  I also recently found out some wonderful news...I am expecting!  My mother and father took me to the veterinarian the other day where my pregnancy was confirmed on an ultrasound.  I was pretty nervous, but my humans were very excited.  I already knew that I was pregnant, but I guess they needed to see it to believe it.

Anyway, here is a picture of me right after the humans brought me home. As you can see my coat is all white, except for the two brown patches around each of my eyes.  I also have red eyes, but it is kind of hard to tell by the pictures.  This picture was taken before my humans knew that I was expecting.

But as you can see, my belly has quickly gotten bigger.  The vet estimated that I have 2-3 pups in there.  I might know how many are in there, but it is much too fun listening to Mom and Dad speculate about it to ever confirm or deny that.  ;)

This picture really shows off my big pig belly.  I have been eating a LOT lately.  That was one of the first things that clued the humans in on my little secret.  I will BEG for lettuce!  When I hear my mommy's voice, or somebody opening the refrigerator door, I will squeal and wheek for joy!  As soon as I hear mother calling my name, I know she is coming with a delicious snack.  Since I have been pregnant my mom has been extra careful to make sure I am eating enough of the right things.  Since my sisters and I are so young, we have already been eating alfalfa pellets, but it's even more important for me now, since I need the extra protein.  The humans also bought me some special alfalfa hay as well, but I'm not sure I like it much better than the timothy.  My mommy makes me a "salad" every day and crushes a daily vitamin c tablet and mixes it in with my greens.  I could eat veggies all day if mom allowed it.  Boy, just reading that all made my tummy growl!

Well that's it.  All about me.  Snickers.  Although the humans usually call me Snicky.  Or Snicky Doo.  Or Snicker Doodles.  Or one of the zillion other "cutesy" names they come up with.  My mom and Dad say that I will probably be having my pups between October 20th-25th.  But even the vet couldn't be sure.  Mom and Dad have been checking my pelvic bones every day for widening, and have been feeling my belly to see if the babies are moving about.  Mommy has felt a couple of kicks, but Daddy doesn't think he could really feel much of anything.  I am very excited and very nervous.  I promise I will attempt to post at least once more about the progression of my pregnancy before the pups come.  And of course, like any brand new mother of a newborn you can expect plenty of baby pictures when they do arrive.  :)

-Snickers