Wednesday 19 August 2009

Guineapigs!

I had my first ever guineapig for my 7th birthday. He was a tri-coloured Abyssinian and he lived to the ripe old age of 7 years! His name was Fluffy. I remember the day he came into my life and all the joy he gave me. Years of friendship. I used to sit on a set of ladders in the shed and tell him all of my troubles. Fluffy used to sit there with a very knowledgeable expression on his face as if he knew exactly what I was talking about.
Since Fluffy, there have been lots and lots more little friends; King, Princess, Tufty, Pinky, Perky, Clover, Twigwidge, Pierre, Nibbles, Poppy, Mouse, Betty, Bumble, Jim, Willow, Zippy, Albert, Snowdrop, Lucy, Thistle, Pixie..... to name but a few. These are the ones who have passed on.
My entourage now consists of Jessica (the cream one), Elsa (the long haired one), Jilly (the grey one), Snowdrop 2,Polly, Patch and Arthur. I love watching them live their little lives, I love hearing them calling me, they are lovely little creatures.
Today I lay on the sun lounger. It is quite warm at 20 degrees, the wind was blowing hard (still is) and I lay there with the warm wind carressing my body, listening to the wind chimes, watching the leaves and trees dance their wind induced dance. What a good day to dry washing!
So at that point, I decided that it was time to bath my guineapigs! I use lovely shampoo from Gorgeous Guineas http://www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk/ it is made from natural products and contains no nasty SSL's - I use it on my dogs too. You see, guineapigs are prone to various skin conditions such as fungal infections and mite problems so it is important to bath them in the appropriate products and keep n eye on their coat for signs of problems.
I selected Patch to be the first guinea bathed because I noticed he had been biting his hind leg and as it is harvest mite season, thought he would benefit from the first soak. So "Lice and Easy" shampoo it was! He really, really enjoyed his bath! Amazing, because most of my little friends hate it and squeak the house down. I trimmed his coat first because he has longer hair at the back which has a tendancy to pick up dirt! Now, he is in the garden enjoying his grass and natural wind drying!
If you have the pleasure of being owned by a guineapig then you may like to visit the following web sites http://www.oginet.com/ and http://www.petergurney.co.uk/ These web pages are filled with guineapig advice, most especially how to treat them if they are ill. Most products are not licenced for use on GP's and many vets do not know much about the little creatures. I have successfully treated and cured my own guineapigs over the years and have only had to seek professional help when antibiotics or euthenasia are needed. The best tip I can give a GP owner is.... any signs of fungal infection..... athletes foot powder adn cream - works every time!

10 comments:

  1. Sorry readers! I have been trying my best to seperate the text but it won't let me so I have given up!

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  2. You have a natural affinity for these beauties Sara. And you've had a lot of experience. What a lovely way to spend a relaxing day...some sun, some breeze, some lovely sounds of wind chimes and spending time with your little ones and keeping them healthy and happy. Days like this one are treasures!

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  3. There's nothing like a furry critter to tell your woes to. Amazing that you have so many. They are adorable.

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  4. I think pets help kids get through their adolescence. I had a dog that carried me through the tough times.

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  5. More pics, more pics!

    Loved your post :)

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  6. I have a new camera and I am experimenting so I have taken a few pics of my GP's which I would love to share x

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  7. Thanks for the comment on my recipe post. I did not use the fennel, it was very flavorful without. I really loved it and once the weather cools down, I will be keeping this on hand for quick launches.

    On the the guinea pigs. We have one right now, last year we were at a high of 6, after our pair that we were told were both females were not, had a litter. (I quickly realized after it was too late that we indeed had a male and a female!) They were such fun, but a lot of work to keep their living space clean. In preparation for our relocation we found homes for 4 of them, and kept two. Sadly Mickey the dad passed. We now have Oliver (Ollie) the tri colored, and I LOVE him. (Sometimes I think I am more attached than my 12 year old!) I give him free time every day and he runs around our patio, but never leaves it. We don't have much grass that I feel is safe for him to roam in, but I think he is happy. I too love when GP "talk", and I love their cute little mouths. Had I known how great GPs were, we would have had one long before instead of three hamsters! (Sorry so long!)

    Oliver
    Babies Day 1

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  8. Sara, I love guinea pigs and had two when I was young (Henry and Henrietta), they are precious little critters. They're talk is so adorable, too.

    I see that no one mentioned your line breaks. I might be able to help you with that one :)

    In your blog's settings, click on Settings and then Formatting. Down, underneath the language box; there is a "convert line breaks" box, set that one to "yes". It might not change existing posts but will allow for paragraph transitions in your future posts :)

    Hope it works for you.

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  9. I just realized something else, too. I've left you comments before and never knew that there was a captcha request afterwards. When I write my comment, and finish up....blogger brings me back up to the top of the page. I assumed I was finished. I wondered where my comments went in previous posts, now I know...you never even saw them.

    Oh well...atleast you know I was trying :)

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  10. Aw ... your Guinea Pig adventures bring back memories of my own childhood love of Hamsters and Guinea Pigs. I've since transferred my attention to canine companions (and a feral cat who adopted me about 12 years ago). There's nothing quite like a furry friend ;--)
    Hugs and blessings,

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