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GUINEA PIGS |
I am rather fond of guinea pigs.
Over the last few years we have had several guinea pigs, all with their own individual characters and peculiarities. Our first two were sisters, Rosy and Bonny. Bonny was very sweet, quiet and good natured while Rosy was always into everything and should really have been called Nosy. Bonny was smooth haired and Rosy was a Ridgeback with lots of rosettes-hence the name Rosy.
(L) Bonny:23.10.96-29.12.00 (C) Out in their run. (R) Rosy:23.10.96-13.09.04
When Bonny died, Rosy was inconsolable and so we acquired Nutmeg and Badger to help her get over her loss.
(L) 24.12.01. Newly arrived, and only 8 weeks old. Nutty and Badger are still a bit timid and are pretty unimpressed with having their picture taken with a flash. (C) Rosy shows the young Nutmeg around the run. (R) 22.08.03. Nutmeg is huge and now bigger than Rosy.
We only have a very small garden and they could shave the small lawn in about fifteen minutes. Although grass had always been their favourite food, they also adored dandelions and chicory and really loved carrots and apples. They loved being groomed, (especially Rosy), and used to lie outstretched with their back legs folded out when they had their coats brushed.
Badger had the stripe and Nutty was enormous. Rosy was very inquisitive and liked to see what was going on and was always getting into trouble with the two cats that live next door. Nutty was also very nosy and was always sitting at the front of the cage to make sure that she didn't miss anything that might be going on. Badger was always very timid and tended to hide away under a pile of hay or inside one of the tunnels in their run. She was completely different at feeding time however. She bullied the other two out of the way if there was lettuce on the menu and really only settled down when she had taken her slice of cucumber into the sleeping compartment of their hutch where she could eat it without being disturbed. She died unexpectedly in February 04 and Rosy died in September of the same year shortly before her 8th birthday.
(L) Rosy was very friendly and inquisitive. Both Badger (C) and Nutmeg (R) would climb on the top of their tunnels if there was a lunch on offer. (Rosy was now nearly seven years old when this picture was taken and too old to climb very high. She much preferred to be fed by hand).
Badger;(29.08.01- 01.02.04) much preferred hiding in one of their tunnels to posing for the camera.
(L) Nutmeg ; (29.08.01-05.02.05) does her gopher impersonation.