Bringing Home Piggie: How To Snuggle

As humans we think that squeezing and petting an animal is the best way to spend time together and snuggle because dogs love that type of attention. A huge difference between small animals and the dog PUPulation is that small animals are a lot shyer and can see their loving people as predators. Small animals need to feel cozy and safe before a good relationship can be built.

Below Lova models a cozy nice way to wrap your guinea pig up for snuggling.

1. Place your pig in the middle of 1 yard X 1 yard piece of fleece

2. Fold the fleece in half leaving your guinea pig's head exposed while it's body remains covered.

3. Fold the excess side fabric over the guinea pig into a secure swaddle that allows for movement and burrowing

4. Place your piglet on your chest or stomach and put on a movie or begin listening to music. Spend some quality time (20-30 minutes) snuggling and lightly petting your animal with the grain. After that time put your pet back so they may go potty and drink some water. Continue to spend time with them like this every day multiple times a day so your pet can trust you. 

The Smell We Don't Want To Talk About

Daily cage cleaning is important to keep your pigs from taking over your home. Here are some easy and inexpensive things that can be done to keep your neighbors from complaining about 'that smell'.

1. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN! A daily deep cleaning may be necessary to eliminate the stench of multiple piglets. An odor elimination spray always needs to soak at the bottom of the cage to actually remove potty and caked on bedding but after 10 minutes can be removed with paper towels.

2. Air Fresheners! "Pet safe" perfume sprays are NEVER to be put in your small animal cage. That is dangerous for so many reasons. The most obvious reason is that fact that is it approved to use AROUND cats and dogs. If you used it in a small animal cage they would be unable to get away from the chemicals that aren't necessarily approved for them to even be around let alone breathe for an extended period of time

There are actually pet safe hanging air fresheners that are absolutely fine to attach right to the outside of your pet's cage as long as your animal cannot reach it. Below is a highly effective small animal order eliminator called Funky Friends in a banana scent. Personally, I've found this an amazing tool at keeping the daily guinea pig smell at bay until I get the time that evening to clean the cage. I purchased mine at Petco for around $3.

Cage Cleaning: The Basics

I could probably write a six or seven hundred page novel on cleaning rodent cages and I may still leave out important information. This is a basic step-by-step that should help in some cage sanitation.

1. Gather all supplies. My recommendations are a cage cleansing spray, scented garbage bags, a litter box scoop and paper towels.

2. Remove the lid of your pet's cage. Make sure they have a safe temporary home while you clean. 

3. Remove all soiled bedding

4. Spray down the cage bottom and let it sit for 10 minutes

5. Use a cage cleansing wipe to clean all bedding, food and potty of the rim of the cage

6. Scrap away at the stuck bedding and scoop it out then wipe up the remaining solution. 

7. Replace the lid and, much like a cheese grater, grate your bedding through the top fence and into the cage allowing it to get fluffy and comfortable. ENJOY! 

 

My Photogenic Sprite

Sprite is a cuddly, and now 14 month old, blind guinea pig. She likes green apple slices, carrots, chew toys, napping and snuggling. Sprite dislikes the left water bottle, sharing her snacks, exercise and cats. She very shy and is not friendly with anyone besides her mommy and calm young children.

Meet my darling babies Lova and Sprite. I brought them home August of 2012 when they were 2 weeks old from a petting zoo that was giving away guinea pig babies. From what I was told they were part of an accidental litter of four that was brought to the petting zoo to find them homes.