Reecey and Hershey were introduced to each other a month ago and it has been anything but easy for me! While Reecey got along with my previous guinea pig just fine, it was an emotional roller coaster with Hershey. There were so many times where I thought they would be just fine until they would have days where all they did was bicker. I consider myself an experienced guinea pig mama but bonding Reecey and Hershey really tested me!

    During the introduction phase, I did my best to follow the typical introduction rules; neutral meeting ground, clean cage, separate after fights with health check ups afterwards, and interfere as little as possible unless blood is drawn. It became clear during the introduction phase that Reecey wanted to be in charge and Hershey just wanted to be left alone. Also, Hershey lunged at Reecey a lot which was expected since Hershey wasn't socialized well prior to adopting him; he also had a rough start so he was overcoming a lot of trauma.

    After 1 hour of meeting each other, they both finally had settled down so it was time to move onto the next phase and move them to their cage.

1 hr after introduction

    The next day, I let them see each other again but the fighting continued to the point where both were rolling around in their cage. I decided that this was the point I'd give them a buddy bath and clean the cage completely...again. It was a pretty stressful process for me because it required me to learn new things about guinea pigs behavior that I didn't really have to do before with my previous pigs.

    If you don't know, Buddy baths can help neutralize guinea pigs scents while at the same time, helping them bond over a scary situation (aka, the water). Sometimes it works though and sometimes it doesn't, but it was worth trying anyways.

Buddy bath complete! Look at those faces!

8 hrs after the buddy bath!

    It definitely stirred them up a bit more but I made sure they had two of everything and gave them as much space away from each other as possible; just because they're cage mates doesn't mean they always want to see each other! While they were making so much progress, I already had plans at this point to expand their cage to help them both be more comfortable around each other. 

    The next day, I spent all morning expanding their cage and modifying it to a 2x5. I knew I wanted a loft so after 3 attempts, I finally built a 1x1 loft with a ramp. Once the cage was finished, the piggies immediately took a liking to their bigger cage! I also had to teach them how to use the ramp and once they realized it led to more food, it became one of their favorite spots. Expanding the cage really helped the fights die down which was a huge relief!

Their new upgraded cage - setup 1

Their final setup w/ improved loft

    Even though the fights died down drastically, they still had their moments where they bickered. Hershey was going through his last months in his teen years which left him irritable and constantly annoying Reecey. When this happened, I separated Hershey for an hour so he could calm down and it normally did the trick. However, by the end of the month, they got into a major fight over night that left Hershey constantly hiding under the hay bag and Reecey very territorial of one side of the cage; it threw me off completely so I once again was back at work. 

    It was clear after checking Hershey over that they had gotten into a fight; Hershey had a bite mark behind his ear and a big patch of fur missing but there was no sign of blood. Since I knew Reecey wouldn't attack unless he was heavily provoked, I was under the impression that Hershey had annoyed him so much to the point where it lead to a big fight. It also seemed as if the dominance between the two shifted because Hershey would squeal really loud whenever Reecey came near him and Reecey was back to controlling the cage.

    

    I let them hash it out for 2 days like this but when things didn't get better, I ended up cleaning their cage and giving them both a quick bath. While I had second thoughts on it at first, it honestly helped them both make up to one another! I later then changed a few things in their cage by adding a privacy wall under the loft - this way they didn't constantly face each other as they were using this area as a way to square off at one another. I also added another hidey hut and a big long tunnel that they could use to escape from each other if needed.

New privacy wall & both pigs lying near each other

    So far, these changes seem to be working and I can only hope that my piggies only get closer from here on out. It's been one heck of a roller coaster ride with these two but I'm beginning to have hope for them. 

Until next time! - Sarah 

    As I've mentioned before, for the past 6 months - maybe even 7 - I was in the middle of suing my landlord. If you want context for what exactly happened, I wrote a lengthy post on it that can fill you in.  After 6 months of preparing for a trial, working with our lawyers and gathering up witnesses, we finally had our trial on the 23rd of this month. Just when I thought the case was going extremely well, it took a turn for the worst and the judge ended up dismissing our case. 

    Words can't describe how betrayed I feel by the Alexandria City court house. To hear a judge - who is supposed to be unbiased - literally question my own lawyer for why he was working with us and why he charged the rates that he did, was appalling. On top of that, he even ignored the facts or the laws that were broken by our landlord, giving us no chance from the start. He then made a remark that we could have spent the money on a vacation rather then paying for a lawyer - what judge does or says this? It was disgusting to witness and it truly was a scenario that not only made me lose faith in the justice system but even God. 

    Now, I know for anyone who has faith, trusting God's reasoning is of utmost importance. I myself am very much connected to my own intuition, my faith and spirituality, and I honestly hate the idea of being afraid because I feel more in control when I am calm or assertive. The only exception to this is of course death, but I'm slowly learning to accept this as well.

    When it comes to my faith though, no, I'm not and have never been super religious. However, I've always felt connected to a force greater than me that has helped me get through so much of the chaos in my life. I've wondered countless times how I'm even alive today and I've come to the conclusion that it's because of this force that I feel but can't see. I've felt it my whole life, yet as the phases in my life upgrade and I'm hit with bigger challenges than the one before, it's harder for me to continue believing. I sometimes wonder if it's all just a part of my imagination; a part of me that's desperate to believe in something when I feel like giving up. 

    I know there are millions of people who have been wronged to the point where they lost their faith or their connection to what means most to them yet they found a way to push forward. I've secretly wanted to be one of those people because I admired their strength. I wanted to be so internally strong and capable to the point that no obstacle in my life could phase me. I wanted to accept life for being harsh so that nothing could knock me down or take me by surprise. It's exhausting though.

    What do you do when the very system in place to restore the balance here on earth turns a blind eye? What do you do when your heart believes in the fight you're fighting for, yet your environment is tarnished by corruption and evil? What do you do when you maintain your faith and love just to continue being knocked down? What do you do when the world tips off the scale and you're the only one trying to make things right?

    Well...the best I can do now is mind my way of being and accept the challenge before me. I've done it before and I'll continue doing it. There are some fights you win and some fights you lose, but it ultimately boils down to how many times you get back up. I know I could easily be resentful and allow myself to break the very foundation I've built for myself for over a decade, but that would be fruitless. As someone who once said to me, why settle in the dark when it's the light you want to be in.

    After 8 wonderful years together, it was time to say goodbye to Twixy. His condition quickly got the best of him these last few days and he had his final breaths two nights ago in my arms. I have never had a pet for so long and I have never developed a bond so close with one before the way that I had with Twixy. He was a special boy who really made me a proud guinea pig mama. 

    When I first adopted Twixy and his brother, I knew nothing about where they were coming from. All I knew was that they were brothers and that Snickers was a bit feisty when held. They were also older then all of the other guinea pigs in the store but I decided right then and there that I would be their new guinea pig mama. So I took them home and built my first C&C cage for them and they absolutely loved it. Compared to the small tank enclosure they were in at the store, their new home was like paradise. 

Their C&C cage

       Many years ago, when I was little, I came home from school one day and found my guinea pig, Fluffy, gone (we were moving and could not have them where we were going). I was so devastated since I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him. From that point on, I told myself that I would get a guinea pig of my own when I grew up and sure enough, fifteen years later I did. While most people have cats or dogs, I adored having guinea pigs because they were funny, demanding, loved food, had so many ways of expressing themselves that I knew nothing about, and they were complex in their own ways. 

    Since Snickers did not like being held, even with food, I mostly held Twixy. He would enjoy lying in my lap or resting his head on my arm as I worked on the computer. His number one favorite place to be though was on my shoulder. As soon as I picked him up, he'd crawl right up to my shoulder and give me kisses on my cheek. I never knew guinea pigs gave kisses until Twixy did it to me and it was the best feeling a guinea pig mama could have. 

Twixy's favorite spot - my shoulder

    The first big scare I had with Twixy was when he was deficient in Vitamin C. I thought I was giving him and his brother enough but it was only after he stopped eating and lost weight that I took him to the Vet. She didn't confirm that he was deficient in Vitamin C and after many tests later, she was confused. So I took him home and decided to care for him myself even though I feared the worst. I gave him more Vitamin C and tube fed him critical care 3x a day. After 2 weeks, he went back to being his usual self and it was a relief, but a major lesson for me.

    The thing that I didn't think to look into was the fact that whenever Twixy ran, he would trip over his legs. I thought he was just clumsy but as he got older, the tripping increased and I started to worry that it would get worse as he aged. It wasn't until two years ago that I started to give them both joint supplements, hoping that it would help him move around easier, as well as CBD.

    Last year Twixy started to have issues with his hind legs pretty bad though, so I took him to the Vet again. She found he had a mass on his stomach but that his bones were in decent shape. Since he was older and underweight, he didn't qualify for the surgery to see what the mass was, so I just decided that I would do my best to make his time with me comfortable and stress free. 

Piggies waiting to be fed

    Having Twixy and his brother made me realize how remarkable these animals are. They're small and may not be as mobile as some pets, but they're precious. At the same time, how these animals are bred for pet stores is heart breaking. Most of Twixy's conditions were genetics that were hard to treat once he got older. For anyone who has bought a pet from the pet store, it is better to adopt from shelters since the truth behind pet store's breeding process is often inhumane and horrific. Even with that said though, I am still blessed to have adopted my fur babies because I know my love and care has helped them live a long happy life.

    With Twixy now in piggie heaven, his brother is alone. I have been reading up on how to care for a guinea pig that is mourning, and so far Snicker's is doing well. He keeps to himself a lot but he still continues to eat and drink. I do take him out of the cage multiple times a day to feed him in my lap and so far, he has been very receptive. To keep him calm, I also play music around his cage with guinea pig sounds paired with it. Because guinea pigs are very social by nature, I have plans this weekend to go to the animal shelter to look for Snicker's new cage mate - if all goes well, Snickers will have a new companion very soon.

    Since his brother fell ill, I saw a whole new side of Snickers that I have never seen before in these past 8 years. A few days before Twixy's final moments, Snickers had stayed by his side often and was very protective of him every time I tried to pick his brother up. Normally, Snickers does his own thing and his brother would follow him around, but I felt like Snickers genuinely wanted to comfort his brother when he wasn't doing so great. 

2019 Christmas

    Twixy's passing hit me hard because I wasn't expecting his health to decline so fast; I truly thought I had more time with him. In only three days though, he had stopped moving completely and became depressed; he didn't even want to eat or be picked up. It caused me so much stress to see him like that but deep down I knew he was telling me it was his time to go which was hard to accept. Right before he passed away, I had picked him up to give him kisses and told him how much I loved him. Within a few seconds in my arms, I knew he had moved on.

    So to my Twixy Pooh, thank you for all of the wonderful memories shared with me, Dimitar, and your brother. You were a wonderful piggie that gave me so much happiness and laughter, even during my hardest times in my life. I hope where you are now, you're happy and loved. I love you so much and will miss you forever.

Twixy  2013-2022 Snickers 2013-2023