So this will be the last day of my "Babywatch" posts. I just wanted to document how their first week went for future reference. Going forward, I'll be working on posts related to things like nutrition, bedding, and behavior.
The babies seem to have settled into their new home pretty well. They are still skittish, but typically easier to catch than they were at first, and I usually handle them 2-3 times a day for just a couple of minutes each time. I plan to continue to work with them and I'm hopeful that over time, they will become more comfortable with their humans.
They seem to be eating quite well. Wheatgrass is hands down their favorite food, although they enjoy green peppers, carrots, bananas, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and lettuce too. Raspberries and celery are on the borderline list, so I'll probably continue to feed them occasionally to see if the babies change their minds later, and I will continue to introduce new foods periodically. They seem to like both the botanical hay (which is mostly timothy) and alfalfa, so I give both free choice. I also have been feeding 2 tablespoons a day of Blue Seal pellets. They definitely love the pellets, but I remain unconvinced that feeding pellets in large amounts or even at all is a good idea, so that will definitely be a topic I want to research further.
The fleece cage accessories are working well, and using fleece and vet bedding for the cage liner, along with U-haul furniture pads underneath has worked great for the past week. I still would like to experiment a little, though, to find the option that works for the guinea pigs and is easiest for me.
I'm also still working on the cage set-up. I have a 2x4 C&C cage that I'm using now, and I'd like to add a partial second level. I'm still debating on how to set it up so I can remove the second level easily to clean the main level or catch guinea pigs, but still have the second level secure. So more on that in a future post.
In all, I find these two additions to my life to be quite adorable and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and learning more about guinea pigs.
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