| Author | Message | ||
     Alayne Senior Member Username: Alayne Post Number: 866 Registered: 02-1999 |
How adorable Carolyn. We had one when our daughter was little and were able to bring him out the other side of a stroke and he lived a long life. They are so cute. Lea | ||
| Lpenda Senior Member Username: Lpenda Post Number: 378 Registered: 03-2003 |
We LOVE all animals here. I think your new babies are CUTE! Linda | ||
| Kdeer Senior Member Username: Kdeer Post Number: 707 Registered: 06-2003 |
Great pic and story Carolyn! Our pet was a pig we creatively called "Ginny". LOL! She was so much fun too. They are very sweet animals. Thanks for sharing! -Krista | ||
| Touchofbaskets Member Username: Touchofbaskets Post Number: 46 Registered: 05-2004 |
This sounds much like our experience of going to bed with 3 hamsters (what we thought were all girls) and waking up to 15hamsters - two sets of 6 babies and 2 moms and one dad (lucky guy). Have fun watching the little one grow up it is really a lot of fun to watch. Kim | ||
| Admin Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 662 Registered: 01-1997 |
Carolyn, Thankfully, one generation of "in-breeding" is often done in rabbits, goats and other animals. The problem is that if it's done ~too much~ it will bring out the best AND the worst in a breeding line. Just look at some of the problems with registered dogs and you can see that the best look often comes with hip problems etc. We tend to think along the lines of humans.. but it is natural for animals in the wild and in domestic operations to in-breed to some extent. I can assure you that one "mistake" will not be cause to worry. I left a Momma rabbit with one of her babies last summer as I was running out of cages. Momma surprised me with a litter of 8 a few weeks later. Thankfully I had removed the "baby" male weeks before. Rabbits have a 30 day gestation period and males can start breeding as early as 10 weeks of age. Geeze, I thought it was 12 weeks.. OOPS!  Becky McAllister, GBE Moderator http://gbexchange.net http://autumnwinds.com/bbbltd/ | ||
| Admin Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 663 Registered: 01-1997 |
Not to worry.. you usually can go a few generations before you see issues.. it really depends on any defects that might be "hidden" in the genetics. Again, most likely you are safe as G Pigs aren't bred for specific traits, that I am aware of, like dog breeds. And we're talking numerous generations of similar bloodlines. Just be sure to separate them before it matures.. just in case it is a HE or you will be giving more to the pet store in a short amount of time. LOL! I don't know much about G pigs... but rabbits tend to be territorial, especially female rabbits.. I would be cautious mixing the G pig and rabbit unless the rabbit grew up with the pig and was quite comfortable with them. I have seen fur fly and it ain't pretty. Those cute rabbits can be downright mean. I (usually)can't even put two rabbits together once they have been separated and for breeding, the female is added to the male's cage. If you go the other way (male to the female's cage) she can kill him. So much for cute, eh? (Message edited by admin on March 07, 2006) Becky McAllister, GBE Moderator http://gbexchange.net http://autumnwinds.com/bbbltd/ | ||
| Tere Senior Member Username: Tere Post Number: 689 Registered: 02-2003 |
Carolyn, they are so sweet. I too had a guinea pig when I was a girl and her name was Ginny. >>>>>>So if it is a male and they breed, how bad is it going to be? Think Billy Bob Thornton. Calm down everyone. I can say this...we're cousins. I'm sorry I just couldn't resist. If I've offended anyone. oops. Tere Pia's of Pleasant Valley | ||
| Touchofbaskets Member Username: Touchofbaskets Post Number: 47 Registered: 05-2004 |
Oh- What did we do with 15- Well, many went to friends and teachers at school and a couple went to a pet shop and we kept one and quickly went a purchased three more cages. I have to agree with Carolyn- having had a guinea pig when I was young and raising these hamsters- g. pigs are better especially for young children. Our hamsters were trained to a litter box but that needs to be done at a very early age and they are not consistent. Ours were up both day and night depending on what was going on in the house. They would be up and about during the day in the summer when there was a lot of activity in the area but as soon as school started or the kids weren't in the immediate area they would be asleep. We didn't have too many problems with bitting, I was bitten twice, once when I tried to separate two males from fighting and second when I tried to rescue a baby from being another females lunch (don't go there) and my daughter was bitten once when she stuck her finger in the cage where they always stuck the carrots. Though we always warned kids from sticking their fingers in the cage. They are fragile though and can be really hurt easily, so for young children g. pigs are a bit more sturdy for those possible drops and they usually don't jump which is how hamsters get hurt the most. If you do decide on a hamster, do not get a himalayan dwarf- as they are very mean and can bite a lot. Also look for a hamster that has been handeled alot as a baby perferably hand raised by a breeder as theyre temperment will be much better. Or opt for a dog or cat. Kim | ||
| Alayne Senior Member Username: Alayne Post Number: 869 Registered: 02-1999 |
Yes the pig had a stroke. We've had cats, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters and you name it. Once had a bird but I'm best with things with 4 legs. One hamster had pneumonia and had to give it penicillin. Also had a cat that had a stroke but rehabilitated that too after the vet couldn't do anything. Also had two male hamsters and they lived in the same cage and occasionally would fight but most of the time were fine together. One escaped it's cage one night when our daughter had a sleepover and spent the night running back and forth into the kitchen bringing back cat food to it's "fort". Too funny! I used to carry hamsters around in my waist when I was a kid and never got bitten. You have to make sure you don't smell like food!! Babysat for a neighbor whose rabbits had babies and did all I could to keep them from slipping through the cracks in the cage and then they came home and he drowned them. Ticked me off!! That's why our newest cat that was in his front hedges a couple years ago we rescued as we knew he would drown that too! She's a sweetie! I'm no pro but we try! Lea | ||
| Telegift Advanced Member Username: Telegift Post Number: 182 Registered: 02-1998 |
Carolyn, My 15 yr old lab/dalmatian has geriatric vestibular disease. She had her first episode last May and totally recovered from it. She had another one Sunday and is still trying to recover. Sunday was very bad and I thought it was going to be the end, but Monday she perked up and has done better each day. She is now walking in the house on her own, but only on carpeted areas. She can't balance on the tile floors yet. I have to put her on a lease and to go outside so I can keep a constant tug to the left so she doesn't fall over on her right side in the grass. She is a food beggar and during dinner she looks a little like Stevie Wonder trying to look in each direction. But other than that her head tilts to the right a lot. I was sorry to hear that you lost your dog, I know how important a part of your family she was. I know I will have to face the same thing soon. Do you think this disease is something larger dogs seem to get? Joni Joni Damico www.nsgaonline.com www.telegiftnetwork.com | ||
| Telegift Advanced Member Username: Telegift Post Number: 185 Registered: 02-1998 |
Carolyn, Jamie is doing much better! She still has a slight tilt but is getting around fine. Hopefully it will be awhile before this happens again. She also has severe arthritis and takes medication for it so it was scary when she was falling. She is so old I was afraid she would break something. Glad to hear you got a new puppy Joni Damico www.nsgaonline.com www.telegiftnetwork.com |
