Meet Barley, our cute but socially inept guinea pig

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TwoWhitePiggies

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:31 pm


This is Barley.

Image

A few weeks ago, my supervisor called me on her afternoon off to tell me that there was a little girl sitting on a street curb with a cage and a sign that said guinea pig for sale. She pointed out that it was really hot out and they had been outside at least a couple of hours, and thought I should go take a look.

I made it 45 minutes before I broke down to take a look.

Sure enough, a little girl was out there with this darling silver agouti pig.

"Why are you rehoming him?"

"I got him for Christmas last year and then we got two dogs and two cats and my parents said that was too much and to get rid of the guinea pig," she tells me.

So I acquire Barley for $15 because I loved him at first sight and brought him home.

His physical needs were met; he was healthy and clean. But he wasn't very well socialized. He's a big, muscular pig (1240 grams) and skittish. We kept him separate from the other guys for several weeks because he needed time to get used to us.

We introduced him to the other guys during floor time and he did okay. We expanded Frost and Milo's cage and put them together.

Barley is not looking for dominance, but he's doing things that just annoy the heck out of the other guys. He will sniff at them while they're sleeping. He invades their space. He's not threatening, but when the other guys react, Barley takes their actions as threats and a fight breaks out. Barley also isn't used to noises from the cage (because he was a single pig for most of his life) and will run in fear if he hears the hay rustle or a water bottle clink. About half the time, he'll end up sprinting into Frost or Milo, which they find irritating.

Milo is holding his own just fine and he and Barley seem to be figuring each other out. We're worried about Frost, though. Frost is six years old, and even though he can handle himself, he's getting that look of paranoia, like he needs to be watchful at all times.

We're hoping they'll settle into a routine, but any advice you might have would be appreciated.

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Piggywig

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 2:28 pm


I have no advice... but Barley is the cutest thing ever. He looks like one of those children that is so cute that no one ever bothered to teach them any manners.

Perhaps he'd be better as their neighbor rather than their roomie for a while until he gets used to noises?

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GuineaPiggin

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:07 pm


No advice here either. But, what Piggywig said, he is most adorable!

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Princess Aurora

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:53 pm


First of all thanks to you two for taking him into a great home where he'll not be given up and he will know what love and care is. :-)

He's so cute and so huge!! ^^ About his issues getting used to his new cage mates and environment I can only think that time will solve all that on itself. Guinea pigs are from nature skittish, we've also lived many episodes of skittishness and piggie paranoia through these years as piggie parents, but time made it all better and eventually they learn to live with their cage mates and to get used to their new home and its noises, smells, voices, etc.

Do you have an idea of his age? Have you already tried to cuddle him or to spoil him with some pieces of veggies or something like that? How does he react to you guys?

Wishing Barley settles in soon here! :-)

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BamBam

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 5:24 pm


Oh my. He is precious.

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clairey

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:31 pm


I have no insights to share but I do need to squee. Barley is all my favourite things in one package and he even has bed-head like my Stephen to boot. Want!

I hope he learns piggy manners soon, or at least his room-mates get used to his lack of grace. I also hope we get lots more pics.

C Cole-Chakotay

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:33 pm


What a cutie!

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GuineaPinny

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:49 pm


Adorable!!

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JudiL-MetroGPRescue
Poop Obsessed

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:50 pm


Well, yeah, he sure is adorable! I'm so glad you got him. That girl's parents suck.

I would separate them with a barrier and then introduce them in another space for feeding times and maybe small running around time. No hidey houses. Try that for a few days, gradually increasing the time.

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AlisaPiig
Piig Life

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:18 pm


Ditto what Bam Bam and clairey said.

Barley you are a heartbreaker! Muah!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:19 pm


What an absolute cutie! I can only think a really, really, really big cage so he doesn't bumble annoyingly about quite as much. I do hope they become accustomed to each other!

rpaws

Post   » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:06 pm


Barley is absolutely gorgeous. He has landed himself a fabulous guinea pig home.

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