New Guinea Pig

She is just so lovely, especially when posing!

 About 2 months ago we lost Pumpernickel to old age.  It was hardest on Nase the dog, who knew him best.  Nase spent a lot of time with one of Pumpernickel's blankets, snuggling and chewing on it for about a week when I finally took it away.  He then became stressed and started chewing his leg until he had started a lick granuloma.  Eventually after steroid spray and a cone for a few weeks he quit chewing his leg and started behaving normally again.

Family friends called me Saturday morning and told us one of their homeschooling families needed to rehome an 18 month old guinea pig.  Their pig lost its buddy and this this pig had lost her buddy, so the new pair were to be new roommates, but they weren't getting along.  I said I would take her.  Owen met the family in town, picked her up for me, and brought her home, much to Nase's delight!  He is so excited to have a new friend, talking to her in the morning and evening.  She is not so delighted that a huge dog is trying to befriend her, it's a little stressful.  But she is eating and drinking well, and enjoys being held and snuggled, which is a change from Pumpernickel who was a pig of action.  He would tunnel through the towels when I held him in my lap, chase Nase around the bathroom floor, chase ME around the bathroom floor for that matter, and nip Nase on the nose if he could reach.  The new girl prefers to snuggle and be held.  She also will talk to Owen but no one else yet. She will whistle and hum at him, but it's because he speaks Guinea Pig-ese.  Get it?  Guinea Piggies!

We are still working on a name.  She had been called Minerva in her first home, but in keeping with the bread theme we've considered names like Rye, Crumpet, Brotchen, and Baguette.  So far we're leaning toward Brotchen (a little German loaf), but I've been calling her Mouse, too, because she is much more timid than Pumpernickel, and she scurries. 

Me, my camera, and my new pig

She does love to be pet on her chin