Yay version 4!! Hope we have more GP owners and more GP as well.

Welcome to our thread!

Piggies make very good companions and are quite easy to care for.

The most important step of every owner is research. Reading more means knowing more and that means you're equipped with the knowledge of what your pets need. You can read first page first and there are tonnes of information all over the Internet.

Get a toilet that's a different color from your bowl. A sharp color will be nice. Basically clean your enclosure. Put a few poop of your piggie in the toilet. When it poop outside the toilet, pick up and put back in the toilet. If it seems like wanna pee dy, put it directly in its toilet.

It'll get the idea where to do its business. Rodents usually poo in 1 place only.

@zulkis: Well, sometimes they will miss. They will time their "need to go toilet" wrongly. So when rushing to the bathroom, maybe 1 or 2 poo come out jor. This wan cannot be helped wan. Your piggie will get the timing right eventually wan la.

@n3sbaby: Hahaha. Slow slow. Learning is a lifelong process after all. Anything you want to ask, can go ahead and ask here ok?

Piggies, like many other pets, are scared when they go to their new home. So you need to be gentle and slow in movements. They get frightened by fast movements. I think it reminds them of predators.

When you try to touch your piggie, move your hand slowly. Then gently stroke your piggie's fur. Then take out of the cage. Spend a lot of time with your piggie. they have a great sense of smell so they'll come to know you. Stroke your piggie, talk to it, cuddle it. When you are free, take out your piggie, put on your lap and watch tv together.

Whenever I watch tv, Micheri gets to lie on my stomach while I lie on my back. then I'll stroke her and talk to her occasionally. When I get frustrated about my assignments, I put her on my lap and complain to her. They're avid listeners. When I cry she will lick my tears and groom my face. When I watch anime, she also wanna watch. She'll pay close attention to the screen when the show is going on and turn around to face me when the show finish.

So if you like cuddle companions, they're such a good choice.

Oh, about food, don't spoil them la. I train them to eat anything they get. If they don't eat the vege I give, they get nothing else until they eat it. Being picky of food isn't healthy right?

This post has been edited by Jamien: Nov 13 2008, 04:57 PM

lol, I prefer to think that we learn from each other. The same as any pet, close and frequent contact makes them feel safe with you. And Micheri is naturally gentle.

Have you decided what breed of piggie you're interested in?

Yes they recognize people. But if you wanted one that follow you around I suggest you get a dog. Even cats don't do that. You really have to appreciate the nature of a piggie to love one. You can't replace a dog with a piggie.

tongyam, if you want a low maintenance pet, I suggest you get animals like scorpions or centipedes. Feed twice a week. mist a week. Kau tim.

Piggies have maintenance each week. Everyday must feed vegetables and refill water. Everyday must clean toilet. Every week must change shavings. Everyday must spend time with you piggie. Of course it entails vege and fruit shopping.

Their care is no less than a dog's. So I hope you think it over.

@d-hanz: Hahaha. the most popular breed. But good also cuz short fur means no need to cpmb daily although piggies enjoy hair combing.

Wow she looks so chubby now!! Become so pretty liao. emino, take a picture of them together la. It'll look so cute! BTW her nails look well clipped. You've done a great job in caring for her.

lol, sharil, you become a grand daddy again! And your super mum produced another bunch of black beauties!! Congratulations!!

I really admire your Luna. She must have given you 15 grand piggies by now.

I hope they all find their way into lovely caring homes.

It's fine. The babies produced will look like either parents. on a rare occasion, it will look like a mix of both breeds.

@carol: lol! looks like Jasper's sporting the looks that human guys will spike their hair into. good looking!

This post has been edited by Jamien: Nov 16 2008, 02:38 AM

lol. Limie, GPs have the average lifespan of 4-6 years. there is a record of a GP living at 14 years old.

@xiong: My ladies are not nice to each other. I think my Micheri would love to socialize but Kiki and Girl Girl aren't interested. There are a few times that when I try introducing them, they'll be nice for a while, then Kiki will chase Micheri around and a few times pulled off some hair from Micheri. Thus Kiki's mouth will be holding a lot of hair like you describe. Micheri also got bitten from Girl Girl before. She ran under the table, Girl Girl gave chase, and by the time I grabbed Micheri, she was bleeding. Sigh...

My girls all used to live together and groom each other and do what GPs do together. Since we separated them for lice and mites treatment, they never mixed again. So they lived totally separate lives for 1.5 years already. sigh...

Gps bite because they are scared, because they feel threatened, because they're acting dominant, because you made them feel uncomfortable.

They nibble to taste and for play.

And yesh they just become so nice when it's feeding time. Otherwise can't really be bothered with you. Other times they'll follow you like a puppy. When I let Micheri out for walks, sometimes she climbs into my lap.

lol i rock. I go GP shopping with you lar. cheap sale or no, most important tips to choose a gp: age, fur condition and of course, love at first sight!!! XD Lice and mites is almost unavoidable.

Micheri is 700 g about there. look like pig jor so i don't wnna let her gain too much.

hi sweet cat! how about you try to give them everything but apples? They need to get used to the idea of eating other stuff. They need the vitamins different fruits and vege can give them.

Vaseline works. Yeah, those you put on your lips, also referred to as petroleum jelly (vaseline is the brand). I had trouble a while when ants discovered my pig's leftover fruit so fast that it haven't become leftover yet. So apply vaseline at the bottom and poof~ no ants! But clean out the place first so that it doesn't have ants in it. Keeps ants out and in if it's already in your enclosure.

sweetcat, you better bathe your piggies. Just in case they're lice ok?

Happy new year everyone. May you and your piggies share yet another lovely year together.

Hahaha. Are you sure they're not complaining? Check out some guinea pig sounds online and see what they're trying to tell you.

My girls like to moan and complain when I brush their fur.

lol, chut chut means wat? wheeking?

If I'm not wrong there's another member who puts his GP enclosure right next to his bed. I think should be ok as long as its not too cold. maybe you can provide some cloth for them to snnuggle up to. Also, don't place them right under the air cond flow lo.

Hi carol! My ladies are good and fat! They just had their 2nd birthday a little while back. Fruts and vege salad with dried fruits as treats. 1 pack of super fresh smelling green japanese timothy hay.

This post has been edited by Jamien: Jan 3 2009, 09:52 PM