Guinea Pigs...

It wouldn't be fair to call what we do "Spring Cleaning" but it is cleaning that we do on a pretty much daily basis. Its fair to say that to keep a home looking nice and tidy that it takes a team effort and with the two of us working on things, our home is as clean, tidy and inviting as it ever was. Its not just our home though. It is the home of 5 small creatures as well and it is our responsibility to love them and tend to their daily needs. As a result the bond we have with the animals is absolutely amazing. I would like to update a bit on the guinea pigs as they are really progressing well and they are happy and lovable!
First off, I would like to talk about Gizmo. Gizmo was one of the guinea pigs that I had when I was with one of my ex's. We also know him as "Baby-bull" or "Mo-mo". He's really come out of his shell over the last few months and is one of the more affectionate of them. He's a bit on the dim side at times (chews the bars when he wants to go back in the cage" but he is just so adorable. In some ways that crazy little monkey reminds me so much of my beloved Patch. I miss him greatly still but I know he'd be proud of his Mummy and what she has achieved. As for Gizmo, he is still a ball of ginger fluff and he still has that really cute look on his face. He's had a few scraps with the other pigs, but all in all, I think the one who could have potentially suffered most with the last year (with the break-ups and loss of his adorable little brother, Hope and best mate Patch) has done so well and has come out of his shell so much!

One of his cagemates, Kadaj has also come a long way in the last year. When we first met Kadaj (who was then called Marley) he was a shy, timid little creature. He came from a home of abuse and was wounded in many places. He was wary of humans and it took a while for me to earn his trust. I managed it eventually with offerings of food and gentle stroking. He was aggressive towards the other guinea pigs at first and now he doesn't mind them, so long as they aren't aggressive first. Now Kadaj loves to spend his time in a lap or popcorning happily around the living room (we have to get him out for a run at least once a day as he was starting to get a bit chunkier than he should have been! We love him though!

The final cagemate in this cage is a baby, Zell. When Patch passed away I was a bit down until I met Zell and his brother. Zell is a cute little white Abyssian with pretty blue eyes. Hes a chatty little guy and is always making so much noise, little ears flapping as he goes! He also seems to have taken up Alphonse's old job as the squeaking alarm clock! He also has a habit of trying to crawl in to pizza boxes as we think he is of the conviction that Zelly is not peoples. Zelly is Pizza! When he popcorns he almost flips himself over and he likes to try and follow Kadaj around the cage. Kadaj doesn't mind though. In some ways he kind of reminds me of Hope. In the way that he is in to anything and everything that seems to be in the area! I just hope that he doesn't actually develop the habit of humping EVERYTHING like Hope did!

Zell also has a little brother who lives in a cage with just one other guinea pig. Zell's brother is called Tenzou which is Japanese for "Heavenly Creation". I named him after a character from Naruto. Tenzou is a quiet little guy, but seems to like resting his head on my arm. He doesn't really wheek much, but he has been showing his cagemate who wears the trousers and has developed a bit of a bar chewing habit! He doesn't always like to sit and cuddle but when he does, its really nice. He does ocassionally try to wheek but doesn't make a lot of noise!

And last, but by no means least, there is our lovely Gaara. I adopted Gaara just after Hope passed away. It was a sudden death but Hope will always be remembered. When I first saw Gaara he was called Jim-Bob and he was with a trio of guinea pigs. The other two hid from him and he squeaked so loudly you could hear him across the room! Behind the glass as well! He's always been a bit of a vocal chappie and is always bouncing around his cage! He's become so friendly and affectionate and we love him to pieces, even if he does get a bit annoying at times! He likes to accost the carer and squeak at her for cuddles!

So yeah, over the last year, my brood has become bigger, although there has been losses, we have been able to carry on, find new friends and keep moving. I really hope this year will be one of even more change and growth.

Loves
Wendy xx