More on Madea

Madea, our foster guinea pig from Dakin Humane, continues to entertain.  I swapped out the old bedding with clean fleece and she had to check out every corner to see what had changed.  

When I set up the cage for new foster piggy from the shelter I usually include lots of hiding spots.  I'll add extra fleece draped over sections of the second and third levels of the cage (called fleece forests).  I sometimes add extra cozies to hide in.  As the fosters settle in I'll remove the extra hiding spots so we can interact more.  Madea boldly tried out the new exposed spots like a champ!

Ready.  Set.  Leap!

In the several years that I've fostered, I have found that single boars are generally more outgoing than single sows.  Madea doesn't constantly beg for attention, but she does wheek at night if I haven't interacted with her enough.  She is fairly comfortable with me reaching in to pat her, and she likes nose-scritches and chin-rubs.  I did not expect her to be one of the more outgoing single sows I've fostered.

I thinks she genuinely likes lap time.  I've had a lot of guinea pigs that only tolerate being held because there will be treats at the end of it.  I've had several that when I put them back in the cage they immediately demand their reward.  Not so with Madea.  

She's a silly pig - Madea continues turns up her nose at most every fruit or vegetable I try on her.  Strawberry tops and blueberries were shunned (she didn't even like the smell of strawberries).  I caught her nibbling on some corn husk but I swear she's avoiding them now that I saw her do that.  Give her carrots or give her death.  There is no compromise.

Well, I'll keep trying....