New Invisible Wall

I was lucky enough to snag a large sheet of plexiglass on Freecycle.  Woot!  I was imagining all the quilting templates I could make from it.  First, though, I sliced off a piece to replace the rusted third-level grids for the guinea pig cage.  

Houdini

Mabel had been doing well.  She'd been off all the meds since Labor Day.  Her fur had finally grown back.  She'd gained more weight.  Things were looking great!

Then a week or two ago, she started losing weight.  Her paw looked odd - I was afraid the infection had returned.  She's started to be needy, always looking for food and attention, and started to chew apart her cozies.  Clearly not feeling well.

Back to the vet.  More antibiotics.  No fun.

Soon after Mabel went back on the antibiotics, she started pulling this Houdini trick in the morning.  This first photo?  That is a guinea pig on the wrong side of the gate.  At 7am.  Surprised the heck out of me when I pulled the fleece cover off the cage.  How long had she been on the wrong side?  Just since we got up?  Longer?  I suspect it couldn't be too long for the lack of chewed furniture/boxes on the floor and no poo. 

Ramp Revision

When we moved, I couldn't run the guinea pig ramp the same way I had in Rehoboth.  It would have terminated in the corner under the cage.  I did a quick fix to have it start at the same point in the cage, but the ramp stuck straight out into the living room.  I kept tripping over the end of the ramp and Mabel didn't like it (too exposed and too wobbly).

A Small Step Downhill

Wedgwood had a really, really good October:  eating, comfort, mobility were all great.  She had no problems digesting veggies, there were no painful days or dealing with really weird bloat.  It has been a lovely respite and an unexpected result of August's surgery.

November hasn't started so well.  There's already been a day or two of not feeling well.  She's had worrisome weight gain - Wedgwood's shoulders remain a thin as her backside gets bigger.  That makes me think the tumor is gaining size and weight.  She's often very bulgy on one side.


Wedg abruptly stopped using the upper levels of the cage last week.  The only exception was Tuesday afternoon, when I was clearly ignoring her demands for lunch, and she leapt up to chew the bars knowing that would get my attention.  I literally heard her go "oof" when she made it to the second level.  (Such an effort had to be rewarded, of course!)

So Small

I took the photos for this post nearly two months ago and just haven't gotten around to writing about it.

Any good guinea pig guide will tell you that guinea pigs need room to run around.  This means a big cage and better yet, floor time.  It is a delight to watch guinea pigs race around or popcorn all over the place.  One of my favorite memories is Teddi and Eclair racing across the living room floor.  It's been years since I've witnessed a good set of zoomies.  There's plenty of room and traction in my living room, but I think I adopted my girls too late for them to feel the need bolt and leap across the floor.

Why can't we go upstairs?

Trial Separation

Guinea pigs are hard wired to drive out sick members from the herd.  In the wild that makes a lot of sense, especially if the illness is contagious.  With a caretaker it's not necessary, but it's hard to tell a guinea pig that.  Occasionally you'll find a guinea pig that will protect or care for a sick cagemate.  Wedgwood is not that pig.

I allowed Wedgie to oust Boadicea from hay or a the choice sleeping spot knowing there was more hay and cozies.  But when Wedgie harassed Boadi just for the sake of moving her along, I knew I needed to pull out the backup cage (amusingly called the pigeon cage).

I feared once separated, I'd never get them back together again.  Turned out not to be the case.  A day or two later, when I cleaned the main cage, I let them on the floor together.  They both returned to the clean cage and were happy. 

I've left the second cage set up, because it's only a matter of time before Wedg becomes a bully again.  For now, there's peace in this house.  I am content.

New Upper Fleece

geckos and flowers

I recently bought new fleece for the upper levels of Boadicea and Wedgwood's cage.  As usual, they don't match any of the first floor fleeces.  At least they don't clash as much as some combinations.  I'm positive the geckos will be excellent at hiding poo and hay.  The ice blue flowers should blend in with most of the lower level colors.

New fleece is fun, but I am kind of bummed out.  Some of my favorite fleece shrunk or had worn through in spots, even though there was still plenty of nap left.  I retired the teakettles late last year (oh, woe!); I could not quite stretch it over the coroplast to keep it in place.  Today it's the rooster print, which was such a great color.  I've stashed it away as backup (there's barely enough to clip into place), because I'm not ready to part with it.  I bought those back in the day of Pinniped and Bertie.

Dope on a Slope

I walked by the cage the other day and found Boadicea like this - just sitting there, staring off into space.  Made me think of me of Halfway Down by A.A. Milne.

It's difficult being a pig of very little brain.

Space

Last year I started feeling guilty that the guinea pigs weren't getting much floor time.  I remember years ago watching Eclair and Teddi running laps around the living room.  I loved watching them bound around.  I've yet to have other guinea pigs that run around like that.

Floor setup was time consuming, with food and the water bottle, home base and grids.  My three level setup allowed my sows to have space away from each other, but not really enough for them to get up and go full tilt.

So last November I started the ramp experiment.  It turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone in the household.  The results were surprising, as well.

What a Jungle

I have written about how badly coordinated the guinea pigs' cage fleece can be.  I've been fleecing the upper decks since 2005;  I started to regularly fleece the bottom of the cage just two years ago.  Of course fabric patterns don't stick around that long, so nothing matches from top to bottom.

Well, a few of the top level pieces have shrunk (fleece shrinks?) too much to fit across the coroplast.  In addition, one of my first attempt at lower level fleeces fell apart.  Pair that with a $2.99 fleece sale at JoAnn's - I had a great excuse to buy new fleece.

Goodness - this means there is one full set of matching fleece for the cage.  Boadicea and Wedgwood are finally styling instead of looking like they got their big sister's hand-me-downs.  The fabric is a bit more eye popping than I realized when I bought it.  The feathers look more like palm fronds and all that blue and green is rather tropical.  It's a jungle in there.

The girls seem happy enough.  Works for me!

Not So Bad

Eating pepper next to each other

Wedgwood has been with us two months and continues to settle in nicely.  I have not done many introductions with adult sows, so it's hard to say how much of her attitude is personality or how much is a reflection of the life she's had so far.  Wedgie was initially territorial about food.  If she was eating something, Boadicea couldn't have any of it and couldn't even stand near it.  So I was surprised after doling out morning pepper that the two of them stood near each other - almost touching! - happily munching away.

Wedg still doesn't know what to make of me.  I often reach in to pat the pigs.  She's ready to bolt, but it's hard to refuse a good scratch behind the ears.  At first I thought she'd be another people-pig like Boadicea, but now I'm not so sure.  We'll see how she is in another couple of months.

Training Wheels

Wedgwood had no problem jumping up to the landing to take the ramp the floor, but couldn't seem to get up to the second level.  I've not had a guinea pig that didn't immediately work this out.  But Wedgwood was helpless.

Wedgwood controlled the first level and Boadicea had the upper levels to herself.  I feared that both pigs would become territorial.  Besides, the separation was dragging out Wedgie establishing dominance.  So I wrapped some fleece around a piece of cardboard and hung it off the second level.  Problem solved.

Well.  Kind of.

Because Wedgie made up for lost time.  She ousted Boadi from everywhere:  upstairs, downstairs, from her cuddle cup, from the tunnel, from the hay and lettuce.  I had issue with that last bit.  Food guarding is why Willow and Pinniped had separate cages; I didn't want a repeat of that.  I certainly didn't want to bring Wedg back to the shelter.  The really odd thing was that she would keep Boadi from eating the greens, but didn't eat them herself.  Eventually Boadi would come back and eat while Wedgwood napped.

U-Haul Pads

I made the switch to all fleece bedding all the time just over two years ago.  Before that, only the upper portions of the guinea pig cage were fleeced (I've been doing that since I've had a C&C cage).  In general, I've been happy with a full fleeced cage.  I was recently reviewing old blog posts and realized I could use a few updates; my cage cleaning routine has evolved over the years.  So this is the first in a short series on my experiences with fleece bedding.  (If you're unfamiliar with using fleece bedding with guinea pigs, a great place to start is The Fleece Project.)

Layered up: U-Haul pad on the bottom,
then towel(s), then fleece

Fleece bedding smells best when it has a chance to air out.  Unfortunately Cannoli is a big drinker, which means she's a pees a lot.  I need to change the bedding more frequently and end up with a lot of stinky laundry.

I know some people use U-Haul pads or puppy pads.  When I made the full switch to fleece two years ago, I had several old towels on hand and saw no reason to purchase more bedding.  Cannoli's drinking is motivating me to research my options.  I recalled an article by Cali Cavy Collective about their experience with U-Haul pads.  (Check it out - she has way better photos than I do.)  She said that using furniture pads helped extend time between cleanings.  Extra towels wasn't working for me, so I figured this was an inexpensive solution to try out.

Bumper Pad

Poor Cannoli.  She has really taken a shine to the new free-range ramp.  She loves that it's the perfect escape hatch.  If I make a grab for her and Noli doesn't want to be caught, she makes a beeline to the ramp.  I can't catch her once she's on the ramp.  So I learned - I close the gate before I go after her.  But she forgets that the gate can be closed or doesn't see the grids.  I've seen her do a hard brake just before leaping, or worse, face plant into the closed gate in a full run.  Ouch.

I know Noli will figure it out eventually, but after watching her hit that grid at full tilt, I wanted to prevent her from doing that again.  (Silly pig should stop running away from me!)  I moved the hay rack to the gate.  Can't miss it when the ramp is closed.  Plus the hay will be a good cushion if she forgets and runs into it anyway.

I love my hay rack but it requires two hands to fill it.  It was impossible to thread the hay into in the back corner of the cage.  So I whipped together a new version last week that's a top-loader.  Not a bad design, although it sags in the middle a little. Cannoli and Boadicea seem to dump it quicker than the old rack.  I may tinker with it over the next few weeks.  At least it should keep Noli from bonking her nose!

Finished Ramp

I'm officially done adding the ramp to the guinea pig cage for free-ranging.  The last step was to cover the whole thing with fleece.  This hadn't been part of the original design.  I discovered the hardware cloth had a rough edge even when I folded it over.  I didn't want the rough edge to rub along the back wall.  I also didn't want to chance piggy toes getting caught in any exposed squares.  So fleecing it should keep the paint from getting scratched and keep everyone's toes safe.

The landing originally had overhead supports.  I didn't like that and moved them underneath.  It's a lot sturdier.  I decided the landing doesn't need a cover because Cannoli and Boadicea have lost interest hanging out there.  I pee-proofed (with a little piece of shower curtain) the bottom of the ramp.  They spend time there debating if they want to cross the floor or not. 

Fun with Floor Time

The new guinea pig ramp has been a lot of fun.  I open up the cage on most week days around lunch time for the afternoon.  Cannoli and Boadicea take several trips to the floor.

I had figured Boadicea would be the one to get out and explore.  But who's the pig puttering around?  Cannoli.  She's up; she's down.  If I forget to get pellets on time, she gets quite adamant about it.  She used to just wheek from the cage, but now she gets down on the floor and wheeks, too.  Maybe the acoustics are better down there?

Her new favorite thing is to yell at the top of her lungs either at the end of the ramp, or as she crosses the floor.  She waits until she hears someone in the kitchen.  Then beware!  She's right down there to tell us that we've either forgotten to fill the food dish, or that she doesn't have enough veggies, or whatever else is on her mind.

Landing Pad

Behind-the-cage ramp.  It looks steep!  (but it's not)

A little over a week ago I moved Cannoli and Boadicea's free-range ramp to wrap around the back of the cage.  It's out of the way, far more secure than the prototype and no longer needs to be removed when I want to keep them in the cage.  Even with the improvements, I was a little sad:  I can't watch guinea pig goofiness as they run up and down the ramp.  However, I can hear when they use it, which is entertaining.  The sound tells me which pig is on the ramp:  thump-thump (Boadi), burble-burble (Noli).

I am happy with the location and overall design, although the landing needs more work.  It blocks some of the light into the cage in the evening.  Not much I can do about that.  The landing also needs different bracing and a fitted fleece cover.  Projects for another weekend.

Free Range Ramp Experiment

Cannoli and Boadicea don't get out for floor time as often as I'd like.  It takes time to set up grids, hiding places, water and food.  I make plans to let them out, and then before I know it, it's the end of the day.  I suspect Boadicea is bored, and I'm sure that getting out more often would help.

I'm envious when I see photos and videos of free range (or semi free range) setups.  Some of them have the cage on the floor to allow the guinea pigs to come and go as they please.  My cage isn't on the floor and I need it where it is.  Where else would I hide store their hay, bedding and cleaning supplies?  Plus I like having Noli and Boadi at my level so I'm not looming over them.  It's easier to interact with them as I pass by the cage.

If moving their cage to the floor wasn't an option, maybe I could move the floor up to them?  After a bit of brainstorming, fourteen dollars of hardware cloth and an afternoon of puttering, I had a prototype ramp.  I didn't want to invest too much time or effort, in case my idea was a total flop.  I cut apart the front corner of the cage, attached the ramp and stood back to see Noli and Boadi's reaction.

Boxed In

I've written lately that Boadicea is becoming bossier.  She often ousts Cannoli from sleeping spots.  I've even seen Boadicea snap her teeth at Cannoli when they're eating.  I saw a similar escalation with Pinniped and Willow.  Pinni stole Willow's food and guarded Willow any time she tried to sleep.  Basically, Willow could only rest in the spot that Pinniped deemed appropriate.  If Willow tried to move from that spot, Pinni would attack her.  It's why I had to split them up (it was my very first blog post!).

Boadicea doesn't win every time she and Noli come nose-to-nose.  Cannoli may be non-combative, but  she will stand up to Boadicea from time to time.  So although I'm wary of these developments, as long as Noli doesn't mind, I can't get too worried.

Last week Boadi let Noli have the third level cozy.  Then she decided to nap between Noli and the ramp, effectively cornering Noli upstairs.  My first thought was - oh, no, Boadi is guarding Noli.  But look at that body language - that is a pair of chillin' guinea pigs.  There's no conflict here.

It's a Clean Cage!

A clean cage is an excuse to check out all of the corners of the cage.  Occasionally, it's an all out celebration.  I never know when the jubilation is going to hit.  Sometimes I set up the camera in advance and there's nothing to video.  I get a full ho-hum attitude.  Boadicea is normally interested in a clean cage, but I rarely see Cannoli celebrate.