Expansion of the Piggy Empire : Ramp!

This is the new ramp I put in. Why does it look like that? Well...
 a.) I'm cheap and was using scrap wood from my parents' garden (my Dad is the original scrap collector/hoarder, he's where I learnt my junk gathering skills from). So I couldn't find planks that were long enough for the ramp to reach right down to the ground without it being too steep.
b.) I didn't want all the floor space to be taken up by this massive ramp.

I was hopeful that the girls would just hop up and all their previous ramp walking knowledge would kick in, but it was a bit harder than that. Initially, the green rubber mats were not there, I merely sanded the wood surface so the piggies wouldn't get splinters. Alas, when I grabbed Poe and put her on the ramp, she managed to scramble up, but then looked down in horror from the top when she wanted to get down (she made small scared noises, I felt like a guinea pig torturer...). Tiramisu, more agile and prone to climbing things, made a mad dash up, but then my heart almost stopped as I watched her practically slide down the ramp on her way out. Aaaah! I had a mini panic, removed the ramp, and the upper storey cage became out of bounds.

A couple days passed, I found this awesome rubber mat material at my local hardware store. It came in all sorts of colours, including bright green! I secured it to the ramp with velcro, to make it easy to remove and clean. The ramp is now grippable for little piggy feet! Hooray! No one is going to slide off the end and break their legs by landing funny! (says my over active paranoia)

The ramp's been up for about 10 days, but I've only seen Sylbie use it once. I think the hop up is still too new for Poe and her, and it's also scary for them when they have to jump down. Plus I have an inkling the ramp is a bit steep... Tiramisu uses it fine (she's a little trooper), the cage has now become her private attic :)

I have a rough idea to add onto the existing ramp to make it more user friendly for the other two, once I have recovered from all the DIYing...

To see what their cage looked like before, go here

Expansion of the piggy empire: Boxes!

I always thought the space under the cage was wasted. This cage did come with a steel frame with wheels on which it would be elevated off the ground. I got stuck trying to work out a safe ramp system back up to the cage, so the idea of elevating the cage fell by the wayside. Until now (dun dun duun!). Recently, I picked up some planks from the side of the road (off cut bits that someone doing construction has thrown away). They elevated the cage just enough for a guinea pig to fit underneath, so snug hidey holes they became. Not the airy running space I had previously imagined, but the girls seem to really enjoy this new arrangement. Now they have a new (more inaccessible) place to hide from me! I got a horrible cramp trying to get Sylbie out for their afternoon graze...

Now that it cage is higher, a ramp re-design is needed!

Eating

Sylbie, always wary

You'd never guess Poe's such a bully here, what a picturesque depiction of sisterly camaraderie :)

Sylbie's pulling a face! I think she had some grass stuck in her teeth.

I like these last 2 photos, even though they are out of focus.

Summer's here! We've had some rain, so the lawn is looking great. The extra daylight hours have also allowed me to take the piggies out when I come home from work.

Beatrix Potter!

"There once was an amiable guinea pig, 

who brushed back his hair like a periwig, 

he wore a sweet tie, as blue as the sky 

and his whiskers and buttons were very big."

(Found here)

I've long been an admirer of Beatrix Potter. Now I've discovered that she was a guinea pig fan!  This illustration is wonderful ^_^ 

Read about how much it costs here

A brief history on Ms Potter's collaborations with guinea pigs here

This happens quite often...

It reads from left to right across the page.

None of my guinea pigs like being picked up. Sylbie is the worst. Poe will sometimes stand her ground because she has nerves of steel! So they always appear their friendliest when they want food, but the moment they realize the hands are descending towards them without any edibles, they scurry away quick quick. Don't run away! I just want to love you...

Guinea fairies

Originally posted here

Its Spring!

Cupcake

More guinea pig and baking/confectionery paraphernalia....

Macaroons

My other great love is macaroons!

Guinea Yoga

This is an old drawing I did years ago, its my creative manifestation of just starting yoga class (the weird names! The torturous positions!) whilst owning guinea pigs. Drawing them doing yoga made me happy and lessened the pain!

I'm going to be posting some old stuff in the next week or so, just so everything will be in one place.

Hay love

Poe loves hay more than the other 2 piggies, I often find her doing the one leg out side lounge on her hay nest :)

Poe

Poe: a cloud 9 accredited fluff ball...

The Hand!

Morning Mayhem

Poe got into the hay bag this morning (she couldn't wait for 2 seconds for me to take it out no...)

Whilst Tiramisu munched on the bag corner...hmm plastic is so nutritious!

Yes you know what you are doing is wrong!

Sylbie was no where to be seen. Presumably she's hiding in shame of her unruly children...

Piggies - Away!

Expansion of the piggy empire!

I extended their home Sunday morning - I connected the carrier box to their cage and re-positioned the tartan shirt covered box. I think they liked it, they kept on chattering curiously in guinea pig speak while their investigated the new arrangement - breaks your heart. I use a lot of old towels and clothing for their enclosure because it's winter now and the tiles make it cold at night.

Piggies rule!

Its so true...my guinea pigs shed sooo much! I have researched the cause of this, and many point towards malnutrition or skin disease or stress, which I really don't think is the case with my piggies...Sylbie is the worst! And she's passed it onto her offspring!

Oh for the love of Guinea pigs...

I christen my newly established blog with this here picture! It was first posted here. The theme of the drawing is obsession - which I think quite aptly describes how I secretly feel about my guinea pigs, enough so I now deem it high time for them to have their own piece of the blogosphere... Here I will be posting drawings of piggies, piggies photos and random piggy thoughts and opinions.