Pigtures: Floortime!

The boys enjoy floortime in the kitchen.

When he's in a new situation or place, Bobby still follows and imitates his Uncle Phin.

It wouldn't be a pigtastic photo shoot without Phin demanding a close-up.

Bobby trots about, looking for fun.

Phin's fluffy butt.

A very sneaky Bobby.

So big, yet so small.

Things Done, Things To Do

It arrived sooner than I thought. The Cavy Health Record Books (one for each of the boys) we ordered were here in time for their follow-up visit with the vet. I was so pleased! It's an impressive resource.
The visit went well (of course I'm sure the boys would disagree). They received another shot of Ivomec, and that was that. She suggested an oatmeal bath for Phin's dry skin, so once their new bedding arrives, I'll give him a nice warm bath to ease his skin and wash off the dander. Bobby will get a bath as well. Having them both fresh and clean will be great so that I can start using their brushes to groom them.
Because they were such good sports, I made sure they were rewarded with lots of extra head scratches, snuggles, and treats. I bought alfalfa blocks for Bobby, and toys for them both -- a stuffed carrot, and a stuffed apple. Bobby took to them immediately, pushing them around with his nose (I wish I had my camera on me!) and popcorning around them, while Phin looked at them with suspicion.

Tonight we ordered a couple of toddler gates for floortime. This will eliminate the sad excuse for a play pen we have now, plus we won't have to sacrifice our carpets. I keep thinking of things to get for the boys, so I think it's time for something for myself. Perhaps a new bag? We shall see. That's about all for the moment. As you can see, things are absolutely pigtastic.


Photos from GuineaLynx.info, and RabbitMart.com.

Pigtastic Project No. 1: Tepee, Attempt #1

Last week, I made a sorry excuse for a tepee. Well, it wasn't that bad, but it could look much better. The boys liked it alright, but aesthetically speaking it's an eyesore, and I'm reluctant to add it to the new cage.

I've decided to share the steps I took to make one, as well as the mistakes I made in making the pig tepee.

You'll Need:
Three wooden dowels, twine (or thick wire), scissors, measuring tape, chalk, fabric (not shown), needle and thread (not shown).







Step One: Fasten two of the dowels together with twine to form two sides of a triangle.









Step Two: Fasten the third dowel to form a tripod.











Step Three: This is where I made the mistake, so read on.

Measure out and cut the fabric. When you cut the hole DO NOT cut it the way I have (shown here). Leave a border and cut a hole an inch or two away from it. In other words, there should be a hold in the middle of Spidey's head, not a "bite mark."





Step Four: Drape the fabric around the tripod. If you cut the fabric properly, there will be no need to sew the top the way I did. You live and you learn.









Step Five: Let your dear little furbabies enjoy!








Of course, there are better methods of creating a tepee... simpler ways... like towels and clothes pins. I could just smack myself. Anyway, be sure to visit this link to view photos of cavy tepees.
And if I ever decide to do mine the right way, I'll be sure to post it.

Completed Cage

Finally! The cage is done, and the boys are making themselves at home. It was great to see them so curious and excited about their new home. For the time being, we've decided to keep them in the living room until we move the Bear's computer desk to the future game room.

I admit, I'll miss greeting them first thing in the morning (they were in the loft, a few feet away from our bedroom door), but they'll get to see us most evenings, and they'll see me practically all day during my days off, like today. That reminds me, today is weigh-in day.

The Bear picked up an adorable sofa chair for the boys. While he wasn't sure they would care for it, I was positive at least one of them would take to it. Leave it to Mr. Curious to take a sniff at it. Bobby seems to be the one to like it. Phin prefers his pigloo.

To see some more photos of the cage, click here.

My next order of business is to start sewing up cavy cozies. I haven't sewn by hand in a very long time (aside from mending the occasional hole in a shirt, or loose button). Not too long ago, I picked up some fabrics: Spider-Man (which I used at my first attempt at a pig teepee), USA, baseball, and white fleece. I still have a great deal of Spider-Man fabric left, so I might make an extra cozy, or try making a better teepee.
I couldn't believe how hard it was to find a fabric that wasn't incredibly feminine, and while I was tempted to pick up some animal print fabric, I decided that sticking with the bachelor pad theme was best.

I'll be sure to post the end product of that venture, as well as my first (and second) attempt at a teepee.

Under Construction

The construction of the piggy condo has begun. Pictured to the right is the first level, along with the storage level beneath it. So far, so good.

I called the vet today, and so far the culture taken from Phin is negative. They had a marvelous time during floor time today, playing with their new toys -- a double tunnel, a crinkly tunnel, and a pigloo we picked up yesterday (we also picked up some organic wheatgrass and a hanging basket for veggies/treats). Speaking of which, yesterday marks a full week since the boys have been with us.

They had a ball but Phin was pooped after a bit. Such is the life of Uncle Phin -- playing hide and go seek with little Bobby, then tag, and then pig racing all over the play pen. The Bear and I had a few good laughs over the boys. I took so many photos I'm going to have to upload them to Flickr.

I will have photos of the new condo once we've finished building it. For now, enjoy a couple of pigtures.



Bobby enjoys his new crinkly tunnel.











His royal highness Phineas Q. Butterfat is the king of his own little castle -- a pigloo modified for his large frame.









"OH HAI. I HAS YOOSURPT UR CASSUL."