Before deciding to adopt guinea pigs, I thought long and hard about whether I would be able to give them the best life that could possibly be given to animals that have to live in a cage their whole lives. I thought about the time I could give them, the space, money to buy hay, food and treats. They’re not ‘just guinea pigs’, they are living and wholly dependent on me. I want them to be healthy and happy.
One thing I did not consider, however, was whether my back could take it. Seriously, my back is screwed. Need to see a doctor.
I’ve known for a few years that I have idiopathic scoliosis of the mildest sort, plus a compressed lower disc somewhere in my spine. Occasionally it ‘goes’, the muscles seize but, after a few days of treating it with anti-inflammatories and stretches, it recovers.
Not this time. All the bending and reaching to clean out the cage … ouch. I am working to adjust myself to more back-friendly positions, but these things take time to heal I guess. So, to the doctor I go. Please help me!
Apart from that, the guinea pigs are fun. They’re getting used to me. I sing to them – silly songs that i make up, mostly. They come up to me now rather than hide. They stay for long if I have treats; they depart in disgust if I don’t. They are happier being handled if I am covered in part by hay, vegetables, and one of their blankets that smells of them (sexy). So, sometimes I lie there among them looking rather mad. But it’s a happy place to be. They’re SO CUTE.
I’m getting to know their personalities. Rogue is the more submissive one; calmer, happier to sit on you and snooze. Havok is dominant, skittish, likes to be under things – so many funny moments where he pops his head out from his hiding place. Havok wheaks the loudest, likes being handled less. Rogue is more difficult to catch but once on you, seems happier. Havok loves pea flakes, Rogue doesn’t. Both love celery and cucumber so much. I play tug of war with them with celery sticks and various other leafy veg.
Havok’s nickname is ‘funny face’. He reminds me of a clown with his antics as well as the large patch of colour on his nose, like a teardrop. My nickname for Rogue is ‘little lion’ as he has a black and orange face, the orange making him look like …. yes, a cuddly little lion!
Get this: I’ve been buying pak choi from Lidl and they both love it. I bought pak choi from Tesco and they won’t touch it. I didn’t even tell them it was from Tesco, they just knew!
Anyway, consider your back before you adopt guinea pigs, is the message I would like to emphasise in this post (though when they come up to you and take food from your palm, and their whiskers tickle … oh, my heart!)
