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Rodent Mortician posted:Agree with what everyone else said. I've had few pigs that would share houses and cuddle. Good to hear. We weren't terribly worried about their behavior, but most websites you see out there say that two females should bond, so we weren't sure why they weren't using the same house (bond drat you!). And the skittishness was just different for us because my wife's first pig, Spork, was super-friendly and would even snuggle with the cat. Zester is also super friendly, you can even reach into the cage and pet her. But get anywhere near Spatula and she runs for the hills. As for PEW != albino, that's pretty interesting. Googling the issue led me to realize that rodent breeders know far more about genetics than I ever care to learn. Thanks.
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Jul 15, 2013 16:49
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I took some photos of my gerbs. Mulder:   Scully:  
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Jul 15, 2013 18:07
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Does anyone have any experience shipping rodents via a pet relocation service? My fiancé wants one or both of the chinchillas with him in Omaha but neither of us has the time or desire to do a 12 hour round trip since airlines only allow people to fly with cats and dogs in the cabin (if I'm wrong on this, someone please correct me). We could meet halfway and only drive 6 hours each, but that's a huge pain in the rear end, not to mention that the cages will not fit in my car in any way, shape or form. Is this a terrible idea or something that's do-able?
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Jul 28, 2013 05:19
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I just moved 3000 miles with a cat, bearded dragon, and my chinchilla. If you fly United, they have a climate controlled cargo area for pets. The rules for flying are a pain in the rear end, but if you send them that way he can pick them up at the airport. I also looked at a few transport services. They make it seem pretty convenient, but I went with flying pretty much because it's EXPENSIIIIIIVE (taking him on the flight was too, ugh. They don't tell you you have to pay the booking fee AND a fee when you get there). Plus I wanted to be on the same flight. There's tons of places you can go with, but they are all pretty much identical in price. In any case I was quoted no less than $300 to relocate my chinchilla. I remember one place I called was OATS but I can't remember the few others. I'm having serious brain farts ATM but let me know if you have questions or need help!
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Jul 28, 2013 11:25
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:(if I'm wrong on this, someone please correct me) I'm pretty sure you can take any animal in the cabin as long as it fits in the under-seat carrier, at least on some airlines. I regularly used to fly with my parrot and I've sent bunnies and pigs with people as recently as a few years ago.
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Jul 28, 2013 13:04
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alucinor posted:I'm pretty sure you can take any animal in the cabin as long as it fits in the under-seat carrier, at least on some airlines. I regularly used to fly with my parrot and I've sent bunnies and pigs with people as recently as a few years ago. Hmm. Don't you have to remove the animal from the carrier for security? That is a 100% no-go with a chinchilla, especially this one. As soon as that crate opens he's GONE. I'll have to investigate American's policy, since American is the one and only airline that flies in and out of this town. I guess if it comes down to it I can drive him two hours to the next closest airport.
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Jul 28, 2013 17:05
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So this is my new little buddy, Ferris She's super chill, my boyfriend and I just got her today and she doesn't even seem scared or skittish. Every time we've reached into her cage (not necessarily reaching for her, just to put stuff in) she's come right over and sniffed and put her little ratty hands on our fingers.  She has plenty of stuff to chew on, as well as a little igloo and a wheel, but I'd like something for her to be able to climb around on. Recently I was at Goodwill and saw a small animal cage that had a little attachable second level inside of it, that was made from the same wire material as the cage itself and just clipped onto the corner like a little shelf. Is there anywhere to buy those attachable shelves/levels separately and just put one into her cage? Or can anyone recommend anything else that she might like climbing around on?
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Jul 29, 2013 03:23
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Hmm. Don't you have to remove the animal from the carrier for security? That is a 100% no-go with a chinchilla, especially this one. As soon as that crate opens he's GONE. Yes, you do. You have to be able to hold him while you take him through the scanner and then hold him while they test for explosives and what have you. When I talked to American a few months ago they told me no rodents at all :/ I was flying Boston to San Francisco though so I have no idea if the volume of passengers at those airports has anything to do with what they'll do/not do. I flew when it was still pretty cool out so I understand your concern. I'd try asking on maybe Chins n Hedgies since the breeders there are always shipping chinchillas in all sorts of weather. There are some places that will drive your chin from A to B in a climate controlled truck and that might be a better option in your case. That was actually going to be my choice but as a disabled lady with no help I just ended up putting everyone on my flight with me.
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Jul 29, 2013 06:27
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Budget Bears posted:So this is my new little buddy, Ferris You can look for 'rat cage plastic ledge' and stuff like that. There's also lava ledges, but they tend to be pretty pricey and small. Have a look at bird toys and give her some hammocks to run over, pee on and sleep in. Also, please get her a buddy! Rats are incredibly social animals, and unless you're giving her attention all night every night (and curling up to sleep with her in the daytime) she's likely going to be lonely, and may become neurotic. There's a rat thread around PI somewhere.
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Jul 29, 2013 08:30
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Also, ditch the wire wheel. There's a really good wheel for rats called a Whodent Wheel (I think?) that is flat material. You can also get the largest sized Silent Spinner. Wire materials, especially on wheels, can amputate fingers and tail-tips and cause bumblefoot, which are painful sores on the bottom of rat feet. Seconding getting her a companion! Rats are super social and having two is about the same price as far as food and bedding and all goes. Also the rat thread is here. The OP has tons of info.
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Jul 29, 2013 14:07
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Whoa, thanks for the wire wheel info! I actually asked the lady at Petco if it was safe to have a wheel with so many little holes and nooks and she was pretty dismissive about it. As far as getting her a companion goes, will she definitely get along with another rat? She was in a cage all by herself at the pet store and I have no idea how long she was hanging out with other ratties. Would she still be nice to another rat if she didn't spend a lot of time around others growing up?
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Jul 30, 2013 18:57
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Yep, rats are super social, almost every rat is going to be happier with other rats. I just introduced a young solo boy who had been alone for quite a while, and he was ecstatic to meet my other rats. Of course, one of my old guys doesn't feel the same way and has been kind of a grump, but the other is very happy to have a little cuddle buddy.
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Jul 30, 2013 19:06
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Good to know! Thanks for directing me to the rat thread, I'll head over there with the rest of my nervous first time rat parent questions.
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Jul 30, 2013 20:19
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Budget Bears posted:Whoa, thanks for the wire wheel info! I actually asked the lady at Petco if it was safe to have a wheel with so many little holes and nooks and she was pretty dismissive about it.
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Jul 30, 2013 20:31
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Captain Invictus posted:Rule #1 of owning pets: never trust the Petco guy A million times, this. I can't think of a specialty retail shop where the employees are more ignorant/misinformed about their products. If the guy at the auto parts store gave you the kind of terrible advice pet store employees give out on a regular basis, people would be dying in car accidents left and right.
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Jul 30, 2013 21:55
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My favorite when working there was overhearing a coworker recommend a dwarf bunny as a pet for a 2 year old and also to put it on cedar. Well that and "hamsters should always be in large social groups like in the display tanks".
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Jul 30, 2013 22:07
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How do you tell if your hamster likes running around the house in their ball? I can't tell if she's running into the wall because she's terrified or just retarded.
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Jul 31, 2013 01:45
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tentawesome posted:How do you tell if your hamster likes running around the house in their ball? I can't tell if she's running into the wall because she's terrified or just retarded. Running to the wall is an instinctive thing, rodents don't like to be out in the open so they run to the nearest thing that remotely resembles cover.
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Jul 31, 2013 02:33
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I have mystery rodent poops in my garage. They look identical to chinchilla poops, but can't be because the chinchillas have never been in my garage. Can mouse poops be that big or do I have rats?
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Jul 31, 2013 04:13
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RazorBunny posted:Running to the wall is an instinctive thing, rodents don't like to be out in the open so they run to the nearest thing that remotely resembles cover. Oh no, now I feel really bad 
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Jul 31, 2013 04:20
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tentawesome posted:Oh no, now I feel really bad She's probably having fun in the ball, they do like to explore. She just wants to be away from the big scary open area where a hawk might swoop down and eat her 
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Jul 31, 2013 04:25
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:I have mystery rodent poops in my garage. They look identical to chinchilla poops, but can't be because the chinchillas have never been in my garage. sounds like rat poops..
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Jul 31, 2013 04:47
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Captain Invictus posted:Rule #1 of owning pets: never trust the Petco guy It goes beyond Petco. Something like 95 percent of the stuff on the market sold for guinea pigs is either useless at best or actively dangerous to them at worst. Pretty much the only thing you can buy at the pet store for guinea pigs, unless your store happens to carry a decent brand like Oxbow, is water bottles, food bowls, and pigloos.
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Jul 31, 2013 09:06
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So, I had a guinea pig pass away a month ago, and I'm not sure what happened, but they keep trying to murder each other. I've had to spend my birthday weekend in an emergency vet and our regular vet taking care of an eye injury. I'm going to try bathing them together, but I can't get them to stop chittering and turning into a wiggly ball of bitey guinea pig. Any ideas?
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Jul 31, 2013 15:41
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tentawesome posted:How do you tell if your hamster likes running around the house in their ball? I can't tell if she's running into the wall because she's terrified or just retarded. I know that my hamster loves running around in his ball, because I'll put the opening of the hamster ball by the cage and see whether he chooses to get in or not... most of the time, he eagerly climbs right in, it's clear that he enjoys it. Of course, his favourite thing to then do in it is to ram up against the side of the bathtub noisily for awhile and then fall asleep.
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Jul 31, 2013 15:48
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Bastard Tetris posted:So, I had a guinea pig pass away a month ago, and I'm not sure what happened, but they keep trying to murder each other. I've had to spend my birthday weekend in an emergency vet and our regular vet taking care of an eye injury. I'm going to try bathing them together, but I can't get them to stop chittering and turning into a wiggly ball of bitey guinea pig. Any ideas? If they are fighting to the point of injury then it's probably time to start thinking about housing them separately. You could always construct a C&C cage with a divider in the middle so that they are separate but can interact with each other safely. You may need to keep them like this for weeks/months/years before they mellow out and start liking each other, which (in my experience) is a point that can come at any time for seemingly no reason.
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Jul 31, 2013 16:37
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thexerox123 posted:I know that my hamster loves running around in his ball, because I'll put the opening of the hamster ball by the cage and see whether he chooses to get in or not... most of the time, he eagerly climbs right in, it's clear that he enjoys it. I tried that and she ran right in! I'm glad I don't need to worry if I'm traumatizing her, then.
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Jul 31, 2013 23:09
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Bastard Tetris posted:So, I had a guinea pig pass away a month ago, and I'm not sure what happened, but they keep trying to murder each other. I've had to spend my birthday weekend in an emergency vet and our regular vet taking care of an eye injury. I'm going to try bathing them together, but I can't get them to stop chittering and turning into a wiggly ball of bitey guinea pig. Any ideas? Is this a new pig you've introduced, or two remaining cagemates that are fighting?
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Aug 1, 2013 01:44
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Two remaining cagemates (brothers, neutered).
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Aug 1, 2013 02:34
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If a pig that was instrumental in the herd hierarchy dies, it can trigger a power struggle between the remaining animals. Normally, the pecking order is pretty easy to establish; one pig bullies the other, the beta pig submits, and everything calms down. It sounds like both the remaining pigs have designs at being the boss, which is leading to the fights. What I'd do is put both of them in some holding area where they can't interact, and then do a full clean on the cage. Spray everything down, clean it really good to get rid of lingering odors, and when you put the furniture back in, mix it up. Then, spray your hands with cologne or perfume very lightly and rub down the back of the guinea pigs to confuse their scents. Reintroduce them on neutral ground, like a playpen, and if they seem to be calm put them back in the "new" cage. May not work, but it's a technique that's paid off for me on occasion. I tried to introduce a teddy pig to the herd once that was an absolute terror -- I nearly ended up needing stitches from breaking up one fight -- but one dose of scent masking completely defused the aggression and they never fought again.
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Aug 2, 2013 02:19
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I'll try the cologne thing- we bathed them and cleaned everything and they seemed fine, but then they bumped into each other a few hours later and everything went back to problems. I would let them sort it out but I'm certain they'd injure each other pretty badly in the process.
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Aug 2, 2013 03:26
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How much should guinea pigs drink? My Jenna will drink I'd say three quarters of her water bottle in less than 3 hours, and she squeals like a maniac, wheaking away until I refill it. I'm giving her plenty of fresh veggies (carrots and celery mostly), the occasional small grape or strawberry, as well as her pellets and hay. Should I be concerned? Is she drinking and being a jerk because she's bored? 
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Aug 3, 2013 04:25
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Is she actually drinking it or just playing with it? Do you have a bowl under the water bottle to catch what doesn't make it into their mouths? I do, on both my water bottles, and usually end up emptying them daily/every other day because they slobber/like to play with the bottles.
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Aug 3, 2013 14:25
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Sirotan posted:Is she actually drinking it or just playing with it? Do you have a bowl under the water bottle to catch what doesn't make it into their mouths? I do, on both my water bottles, and usually end up emptying them daily/every other day because they slobber/like to play with the bottles. I had never thought of this until last night, when my boyfriend asked the exact same question (along with doing a hilarious impression of what Jenna would be like slobbering water everywhere, seriously, he's a keeper ). I think next time I fill her bottle, I'll put a dish under it to check, should be an interesting experiment.
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Aug 3, 2013 16:49
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My pigs just love slobbering water under their bottle, then mix it in with hay and poop to make some bizarre form of guinea pig adobe.
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Aug 5, 2013 23:18
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Do you guys think gerbils care if you destroy their tunnels or do they just enjoy having an excuse to dig more?
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Aug 6, 2013 02:37
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They're probably pissed about it for about three seconds before forgetting and resuming on their way.
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Aug 6, 2013 02:59
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My bestest pig ever, Fuji, was put to sleep today. She was 8.5 years old. My mom sent out this piggy obit to my family. It's super sweet and I can't help but post it here, since I've posted a lot about Fuji in this thread over the years:quote:Fuji, who was 8.5 years old died today after a long and happy life as Sirotan’s oldest and most cherished guinea piggy. 
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Aug 20, 2013 00:28
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Aw, I'm so sorry to hear that, but man what a great long life you gave her. Such a lovely little girl, I do adore PEWs with those sooty noses.
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Aug 20, 2013 01:10
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alucinor posted:Aw, I'm so sorry to hear that, but man what a great long life you gave her. She had a great piggy life, I have no regrets. My biggest hope was that I didn't need to have her put down in the end, but that wasn't meant to be. I've been a piggy owner for more than 20 years now and she was the best I've had. I'll be lucky to have another one like her, who will live just as long.  Edit: Here's another pic, because why not:  Fuji at ~6mo old
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Aug 20, 2013 01:31
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