Guess what arrived tonight!!!
- Thread starter Hexx
- Start date
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Aww, they're adorable!
tiahatti
Well-Known Member
Sweet little faces, congratulations!
hobo
Well-Known Member
I love how piggies come out perfect mini pigs.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Yeah welcome to the world piggies. I always think they come out big (and fluffy!)
Rumtytum
Have Marmite, will travel
Ultra cute! And I’ve learned that baby pigs are born furry ?
Errin Paddywack
Well-Known Member
I love the way they are born as mini adult guinea pigs. We were amazed at our first babies, hadn't realised just how independent they would be from birth.
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
My first encounter with Guinea pig babies/pups many years ago was sadly definitely not a pleasant surprise. Had several hamsters, and piggies as a child/teenager, and thought having piggie pups would be like having hamster pups = not so mobile at the beginning.
Then one day when I came walking up the stairs to my room, I met Felix the cat walking down, proudly carrying a piggie baby he had killed!
I had vaguely thought that I would have some days after the birth on me, to put up something so the pups wouldn't be able to get out through gaps between the metal bars part of the cage, if it turned out to be necessary. But the piggie baby must have escaped the cage quite soon after birth, Felix presumably heard something which made him go up to my room to investigate, found the piggie baby...
I've later read that piggie sows give birth to their litters relatively quickly, but Livia didn't have her second baby until maybe 15, 30 minutes after the whole Catch cat, check if piggie baby really is dead, quickly looking through cage for any litter mates + frantic room search checking so there weren't any more escaped piggie pups anywhere-havoc had stopped.
I don't remember if I temporarily attached something around the cage to cover the bars, or if I temporarily moved them to an empty bird cage, to make sure the remaining piggie baby stayed where she was safe.
Anyhow, that is how I learnt that A: piggie pups are more or less born as fully functional miniature versions of the adults (besides the fur, and mobility, they can also begin to eat adult food within 24 hours after birth, even though the sow usually nurse them for around 3 weeks or more).
And B: even though many cats thinks that the size of almost adult, and adult Guinea pigs are too big for them to be viewed as (easy) prey, a baby sized Guinea pig is a different matter.
Then one day when I came walking up the stairs to my room, I met Felix the cat walking down, proudly carrying a piggie baby he had killed!
I had vaguely thought that I would have some days after the birth on me, to put up something so the pups wouldn't be able to get out through gaps between the metal bars part of the cage, if it turned out to be necessary. But the piggie baby must have escaped the cage quite soon after birth, Felix presumably heard something which made him go up to my room to investigate, found the piggie baby...
I've later read that piggie sows give birth to their litters relatively quickly, but Livia didn't have her second baby until maybe 15, 30 minutes after the whole Catch cat, check if piggie baby really is dead, quickly looking through cage for any litter mates + frantic room search checking so there weren't any more escaped piggie pups anywhere-havoc had stopped.
I don't remember if I temporarily attached something around the cage to cover the bars, or if I temporarily moved them to an empty bird cage, to make sure the remaining piggie baby stayed where she was safe.
Anyhow, that is how I learnt that A: piggie pups are more or less born as fully functional miniature versions of the adults (besides the fur, and mobility, they can also begin to eat adult food within 24 hours after birth, even though the sow usually nurse them for around 3 weeks or more).
And B: even though many cats thinks that the size of almost adult, and adult Guinea pigs are too big for them to be viewed as (easy) prey, a baby sized Guinea pig is a different matter.
julesjoy
Well-Known Member
Oh no FL! My cats would definitely have the adults given half a chance. They are cat telly.
Congratulations Hexx, were you expecting them?
I too have been fascinated by how baby piggies are basically fully functioning!
Congratulations Hexx, were you expecting them?
I too have been fascinated by how baby piggies are basically fully functioning!
FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Enjoying them as a bit of cat TV when the piggies where in their cage, was to my 3 - 5 cats definitely not the same as actually thinking of trying to catch an adult piggie if they happened to see them out on the floor. Then they always switched to I'm going to pretend I haven't seen you.
I've also read more than once that the majority of cats sticks to killing small mammals, and birds, and that there is actually only a minority of our cats that are skilled enough to hunt, and kill for example adult rabbits.
I've also read more than once that the majority of cats sticks to killing small mammals, and birds, and that there is actually only a minority of our cats that are skilled enough to hunt, and kill for example adult rabbits.
WandaMare
Well-Known Member
Congratulations on your new piggy babes. They look so adorable, enjoy!
Hexx
Well-Known Member
Oh dear FL - that's not good.
The rescue I got the girls from were not sure whether they had been "caught" or not. However, Ada started to get quite fat, so I twigged there might be puppies on the way. I wasn't expecting them for another week or so, so it was a nice surprise. Sissy is being a good Auntie, she stands on guard while Ada feeds them.
They are seriously cute and I am hoping they are all girls, but knowing my luck, they will be boys!
I will get some more pics when they are not so skittish.
The rescue I got the girls from were not sure whether they had been "caught" or not. However, Ada started to get quite fat, so I twigged there might be puppies on the way. I wasn't expecting them for another week or so, so it was a nice surprise. Sissy is being a good Auntie, she stands on guard while Ada feeds them.
They are seriously cute and I am hoping they are all girls, but knowing my luck, they will be boys!
I will get some more pics when they are not so skittish.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
cuties, yes please more photos would be good
Hexx
Well-Known Member
Mini prigs are doing well. 2 wheeeks old tomorrow! I have managed to work out what they are - 2 boys and 1 girl. Does anyone want 2 boys? They are the ginger one and the black and white one. Luckily my favourite one is a girl so I will keep her.
Chinchilla
...
Mini wheekers!!!!!! ?? Awwweeeee they are so precious!!!!!
Equi
Well-Known Member
My friend is a piggy breeder and so i saw all the photos of her babies and how they were born yesterday etc and i was always so confused about how they just looked so formed! I would also have assumed they would be like other rodent babies and be born pink and useless. I have to unfollow her cause the want for a piggy is killing me haha but i know i deffo am not the right home for a piggy.
Chinchilla
...
Only muridae (mouse like) rodents are born like that. Caviomorphs (cavy like rodents - guinea pigs, degus, chinchillas etc) are born developed. ?
Equi
Well-Known Member
Interesting! Nature always has a plan eh.