The Legend of Barry Jenkins
Well, the big guy had a minor setback today. His cage door opens upward and when I opened it to feed him, it got stuck, slipped out of my grip and slammed shut. It didn't actually hit him, but it was close enough to scare him. Poor BJ! Of course I feel terrible. He ran to the back of his cage and hid. It took me a lot of fresh grass and a bit of time to get him to come out. Some lap time, a rather large handful of grass to eat while I made it up to him and we're good. By the time he ate all the grass, he was his normal happy self.
I'm doing his bedding change tonight, so I'll make sure to fix the door so it doesn't happen again. A little extra grazing time is in order when it cools down this evening as well. I think I'm more upset about it than he is. I just can't handle even the slightest thing upsetting my little ones; particularly BJ since he's had rough times at the humane society and with my having to treat his mites. I want nothing but sunshine and rainbows for him.
I'm doing his bedding change tonight, so I'll make sure to fix the door so it doesn't happen again. A little extra grazing time is in order when it cools down this evening as well. I think I'm more upset about it than he is. I just can't handle even the slightest thing upsetting my little ones; particularly BJ since he's had rough times at the humane society and with my having to treat his mites. I want nothing but sunshine and rainbows for him.
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ItsaZoo
- Supporter in 2020
Poor guy. They get so scared and then just freeze in a corner for a while. Mine scared herself once by flipping her hidey over when she did a popcorn jump inside. It took a few days before she finally got over it.
But they always feel better if they have a little snack.
But they always feel better if they have a little snack.
BJ is over it for sure now. He got a good 45 minutes worth of frolicking and grazing in the cool evening air. He wanted to stay out there, but it was starting to get too dark. I still have to do his bedding change, but he's resting up from his outside adventure, so I'm going to let him take his nap before I disturb him again. I know for sure now that I was more upset about the door slamming in his face than he was.
Nail trim went well. BJ had a nip or two for the technician, but otherwise uneventful. He didn't even seem upset by the time they finished and brought him back out. He's resting now after some hay and water.
The big guy got his fill of grass too. He's such an angelic guinea pig. I just love having him! He is probably the most laid back of all my boys. It's a close tie between him and Mr Bubbles. You can really tell from the photo below with Oreo Cookie in the background, who is very close in size with the rest of the boys that he dwarfs them all.
BJ took a little longer to come out and graze this evening. Probably because I woke him up from his nap to bring him outside. Once he came out and started chowing, there was no stopping him.
Poor BJ. I had to take away his fleece forest because it was getting pretty gross. I'll have to make him a new one, but in the meantime he's got a tunnel to hide in. He doesn't mind it, but I think he prefers the fleece forest.
The fleece wasn't the problem. It was the wood legs. They just got too much urine soaked into them. I couldn't clean it anymore. Time to make him a new one. I think I might make the legs out of PVC pipe or metal conduit.
Thought I should post an update on the big guy. He's doing good still. He's the weirdest guinea pig I've ever seen. I'm still having trouble getting him to eat leafy greens consistently and have been getting creative. I found that he likes parsley, but only the leafy part. He won't have anything to do with the stems. So that complicates my guinea pig veggie prep. I have to trim the stems for him. Don't worry though; they don't go to waste because the rest of the boys love them and I divide them up equally between them.
I had him eating parsley leaves for a few days in a row until he stopped eating it. I then switched it up from the regular parsley to the italian parsley and he ate it just fine. I was switching him back and forth between the two and it worked out for quite a while until he figured out the routine and stopped eating it again. I threw green leaf lettuce into the rotation and I got him to eat his leafys again. It's the same thing with the secondary veggies I feed him. I can't give him the same thing more than two times in a row. It's weird, but it makes having him more fun and adventurous.
When it comes to hay and pellets, none of the piggies come close to what BJ eats and that's why I don't worry when he doesn't always eat his veggies. Plus he empties his water bottle with the vitamin drops every day. He can be moody sometimes too. It's not a problem. He's healthy. It's just his personality. He never misses the chance to come up to greet me and nibble the cage for attention. Sometimes he's just saying hello but doesn't want to be petted or picked up and other times he's all about the chin rub and getting loved on. That's when I get to hold him. He has his way of letting me know which mood he's in.
I had him eating parsley leaves for a few days in a row until he stopped eating it. I then switched it up from the regular parsley to the italian parsley and he ate it just fine. I was switching him back and forth between the two and it worked out for quite a while until he figured out the routine and stopped eating it again. I threw green leaf lettuce into the rotation and I got him to eat his leafys again. It's the same thing with the secondary veggies I feed him. I can't give him the same thing more than two times in a row. It's weird, but it makes having him more fun and adventurous.
When it comes to hay and pellets, none of the piggies come close to what BJ eats and that's why I don't worry when he doesn't always eat his veggies. Plus he empties his water bottle with the vitamin drops every day. He can be moody sometimes too. It's not a problem. He's healthy. It's just his personality. He never misses the chance to come up to greet me and nibble the cage for attention. Sometimes he's just saying hello but doesn't want to be petted or picked up and other times he's all about the chin rub and getting loved on. That's when I get to hold him. He has his way of letting me know which mood he's in.
He really is an interesting pig. I call him the big guy because he's the biggest guinea pig I've ever seen LOL. When he's next to the others, even Mr Bubbles or Sammy, who aren't all that tiny themselves he makes them look small. You can really notice the difference when you hold him after holding any of the other guys. The pictures of them together don't really do the size and weight difference any justice.
The big guy is still humming along quite well. He's been eating lettuce regularly now. I thought I'd never get him to eat it, but he does now. He finishes the whole leaf. He's pretty outgoing these days. He doesn't run at all when I go to pick him up. He's stopped the nipping at my hands and arms when I hold him too. I guess it took him a while to realize that the poking of the syringe into his mouth is over. He even purrs when I pet him. His nail trim is next Friday. I hope it doesn't make him apprehensive again.
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daisymay
- Supporter 2016-2021
So glad BJ has mellowed out and enjoying life! Do you cut the claws or the vet? We are always haunted with Jupiter. We were cutting her claws, struggling as all pigs do.
Next thing we know is her mouth was doing the gold fish motion. She had fainted and her heart had stopped. Every time I cut a claw she pops into my mind. She was 2 years old. I was talking to her and trying to comfort her but she just freaked out! Good luck BJ!
Next thing we know is her mouth was doing the gold fish motion. She had fainted and her heart had stopped. Every time I cut a claw she pops into my mind. She was 2 years old. I was talking to her and trying to comfort her but she just freaked out! Good luck BJ!