Wheek & Squeak

Hutches made by Ryedale Pet Homes www.rehutches.com

MAY 2008

Good weather at last.  The pigs are very happy in the runs munching the grass, it seems ages since they were last there.

Homing has slowed down but sadly pigs coming in hasnt.  I picked up 8 little baby sows last Bank Holiday Monday, they came from someone who was overrun with them AGAIN.  They are really sweet (well what pig isnt) but I will have to keep them a while to make sure they are not pregnant, then they will be up for rehoming.

This Sunday (10th) the car boot sale is on, yeh, so we will be up early and off with our loaded car.

Two of the rescue rabbits who live here were neutered last week.  Fluffy already lives with a neutered male, Munchie, but Snowy will be looking for a female friend in June.

This is one of the baby sows that came in on bank holiday Monday, she is the one with no ears, her ear flaps have been completely chewed off.

These two boars are very lucky to be alive.  They were kept in an indoor cage and left outside all last winter.  There was no cover over them and when it rained the cage just filled with water.  The were fed on cornflakes when the owner remembered.  Luckily the next door neighbour decided to intervene and got the owner to hand them over to him whereupon he brought them over to me.

JUNE 2008

This week I have homed 5 guinea pigs, but sadly 11 came in.  Must work harder on getting these numbers reversed lol.  The first week of June was quite manic.  All the old hutches from the shed were taken out, next day electrician arrived, next day flooring was put in and then the next day all  the new hutches were fitted.  Wow am I pleased with it.  The run for all the sows has doubled in size, and although I have the same number of hutches everything is more compact.  I will be putting pictures up as soon as I get a minute to take any.

I wonder if anyone could help me, on the 5th July 2008 I will be having a stand at a local show to promote the Rescue.  I am looking for something that I can display all the photos of guinea pigs looking for homes on.  It needs to be freestanding or if anyone is clever and can think how I could attach them to a gazebo I would be really pleased to hear from them.

AUGUST 2008

Im sorry for the lack of entries in the diary, I have been very busy with all the guinea pigs and rabbits boarding for their holidays.

Homing has been very busy and am delighted that some of the pigs that have been here in excess of 18 months have finally got a home of their own.  The two peruvian sows with their black and white friend April were homed recently and also the two white and black teddy brothers were also homed.  Another 5 pairs have been reserved so they should be homed over the next week or so.  Even with all these being rehomed there are still over 20 pairs of pigs looking for homes and 6 single boars needing to be paired up.

I would dearly love to find Preston and Mop a home, they have been here two years and they are such lovely characters.  They are now 3 years old, very easy to handle and Mop's hair only needs a little trim now and then.

Another pig that needs a special home is Jerry.  He is a single boar who is very lucky to be alive, his owners stamped on their 40 guinea pigs killing 25, there are now only 5 left to find homes for, Jerry is one of them.  He also has to endure the owners dog picking him up in his mouth.  He is quite friendly now, getting used to being picked up and loves his head being stroked, he actually closes his eyes while you do this.  He needs a home where he will be gently handled and will be patient while he gets used to his new owners.  He likes to live on his own but would like pigs being in nearby hutches so he can talk to them.  If you think you can offer him a home please contact me.

The show we attended mentioned in Junes notes, was a great success.  We sold quite a few pet products, the tombola was very successful and we met some lovely people so I could chat about guinea pigs all afternoon.  I would like to thank the Weeks family very much for inviting us.

Sadly I have had to close the guest page as some people think it is great fun putting stupid messages on their so if you need to contact me please email me privately.  I havent forgotten you Lily Ive just been so busy, I need to photo the new pigs and send you the pics for you to name.  Your names are so popular people always smile when I mention them, particularly Mop and Piglet.

In October, if anyone is interested, I am going to have afternoons where you can come along with your guinea pig/s and learn how to give your guinea pig a bath, maybe a hair cut, trim their nails and check their health and if I can, answer any questions you may have.  If you are interested please let me know and I can arrange some dates.

SEPTEMBER 2008

Well its the 1st of September, where did the summer go.  Poor pigs just havent had the benefit of long summer days out on the lawn this summer.

Homing is going very well, but I still have lots of pigs looking for homes with a waiting list to come in.  The good news is Preston and Mop have been reserved, after two years of waiting they have finally got a home of their own (pending homecheck).

Today I had a call from a vet asking if I could take in a single boar found in a basket floating on a pond.  Someones idea of a joke maybe.  The basket was slowly sinking so he was stood in the sludge and slime.  He was wet, stained, stank, the sludge was still stuck in his botom and his skin looked quite soar.  He was brought here by one of the veterinary nurses and he looked so scared and bedraggled, he is now curled up in his cage after having his bath in Gorgeous Guineas shampoo, with lots of veg and hay and looking alot more relaxed.  I dont usually name pigs when they come in but I am afraid I couldnt resist this one, I have named him Moses.

Well yesterday having taken Moses in, today I had a call to ask if I could take a rabbit in.  He had been running wild for three weeks around someones garden, they finally caught him and after phoning the local rescues none of them had room for him.  He is only about 16 weeks, white with brown ears and nose.  I know I cant afford to do rabbit rescue with the cost of vaccines and neutering but what could I do, so hes here.  If anyone is interested in him I would be delighted to hear from them.  When he is rehomed he will be fully vaccinated and neutered, so he will be ready to live with a lady friend.  Lily I need your help here can you think of a name for him.

OCTOBER 2008

Can you believe its nearly a year ago that I received the call asking me to take in 107 guinea pigs.  I still have some of them here waiting for a home but most are now well settled into their new homes.

I have been very busy rehoming pigs which is great but sadly still the pigs keep coming in.  Preston and Mop are now in their new home.   The rabbit that I took in about 5 weeks ago who had been running loose for 3 weeks has been neutered, vaccinated and now gone to live with a beautiful rex rabbit called Rita.  I really dont know how rabbit charities survive, I take in the odd rabbit in an emergency, but that one rabbit has cost £90 and that is just in vet fees, all I can say is they must have some wonderful fundraisers, have a very good vet or be deeply in debt.  Probably the latter.

Moses the guinea pig who was left in a basket floating on a pond has now been paired up with another boar so hopefully in the next few days he will be rehomed.

The end of October always seems to be a very busy time for taking in rescues.  Over the course of 4 days I have had three phone calls from people who have bought guinea pigs from a particular large pet store and have found the sows to be pregnant.  I have been contacting their head office to inform them of what is happening but it really needs the people concerned to complain, not to the shop they bought them from but the head office.  So the outcome of one of these calls is I have three sows who could be pregnant (as the shop sexed a pig incorrectly) and two beautiful 3 week old babies.

Homing is going very well and I thank these people for adopting rescues and not going to pet shops.  But sadly still more and coming in that going out.

Sadly my sponsorship scheme may have to change.  My local signwriters who have always been supportive of the rescue and did the signs for me at a very reasonable price have now had a change of manager and they have nearly quadrupled the cost of the sign which results in the scheme no longer being financially viable.  I can continue with the ones that already have a sign but will need to work out a different scheme.  If anyone has any ideas I would be pleased to hear from you.

I would like to give a big thank you to my volunteers, both new and not so old.  I do appreciate you giving up your time to help and I also appreciate your company. 

NOVEMBER

The weather at night has been very changeable lately.  One minute is it freezing cold and then mild and damp, please make sure, if your pigs are kept outside, that they are suitably covered over at night.  You need to check the weather forecast each day as some nights the temperature can drop very severely and catch you unawares.

Homing has slowed down alot but sadly pigs coming in hasnt.  I was hoping as my numbers were down a bit I could start painting some hutches and have some afternoons for people to come along and learn how to bath their pigs, trim their nails and answer any questions people may have.  But pigs have been pouring in and October has flown by, but I am getting my act together and dates will be available very soon.

Pictures have been taken of some of the new residents and they will be put on the website in the next 7 days.

On Thursday, 13th November, another juvenile hedgehog was brought into the Wheek & Squeak, this is the second in the last month.  It is a common problem at the moment as they are too small to hybernate, they are feeling the cold and are hungry, so if you see a young hedgehog either shaking, or out during the day or acting strangely please get him to safety.  I feed them kitten food and keep them warm until I can get them to Brent Lodge near Chichester, which is a wildlife trust and they do sterling work.  http://www.brentlodge.org/.  They have had an open/christmas fayre this weekend and it was very interesting.  They take in injured wildlife, and if they can when they are well they introduce them back to the wild.  Some have to stay in captivity as they cannot fend for themselves.  If I wasnt running my guinea pig rescue I would certainly offer my services as a volunteer, well thats if they would have me lol.

I get lots of messages left on my answerphone and you will not believe the number where people do not leave a telephone number or leave a long gabbled message that I cannot understand.  So if you have left a message and I have not phoned you back, it is probably because of the above and its not that I am ignoring you.  I try to return all calls but sometimes things are so busy here it is difficult to find the time so if I havent called you back please try again later, your calls are important to me.

I have at least one sow which is pregnant in rescue.  I would think they were due in the next 3 weeks.  Although I dont agree with breeding for the sake of it, it is always exciting when babies are due.  Its like magic you come down in the morning and there are two or three extra little faces looking at you and you feel like saying and where did you come from :-).  and yes I do know.

The new handmade cards made by Pocket have been really popular.  They are beautifully made and very individual.  They are for all occasions, Christmas, Birthday, there might even be easter bunny ones, best wishes and blank ones.  If you would like to purchase some you are always welcome to pop over, by appointment, and have a look at them and perhaps have a peek at the rescue pigs here as well.

Rescue is now absolutely full, only enquiries coming through now are for pairing up of guinea pigs who have lost their mate.  October/November always seems a bad time for losing pigs, Im sure its the cold, damp weather that affects them.  They do suffer with this type of weather and ideally should be brought indoors around October time and then move back into their outside accommodation in Spring when the days are warmer.  If you really cannot take your pigs indoors make sure they are covered over with thicks blankets/duvet/old carpet and water proof cover on top.  Also keep checking their breathing by putting your ear to the side of their body.  If they sound ruttly then take them to a vet for antibiotics, if you ignore this there is a good chance it will progress to something for more serious and you will definately lose them.  You can buy in pet shops a pad especially for pets that you put in a microwave and it keeps warm for about 11 hours, this is a must if you are keeing your pigs outside or in a cold shed.

This is Frizzy Lizzy who arrived on Sunday, a little 6 week old baby sow who I fell in love with the moment I saw her.  I have never seen such a long coat on such a young guinea pig.

DECEMBER

Sad news to start the month off and that is Mop (picture above) has died.  After nearly two years being in rescue was adopted by a very loving family but at least he died in his own home and not is rescue waiting for someone to want him.  Preston has now been paired up with another guinea pig so he wont he lonely, his new friend is a white version of Mop.

Thought I would add this picture, it is part of the run in my shed for the sows that come her for their retirement years.  I never get tired of watching them, they are a very peaceful group and are quite happy when any sow is added to their group.  The white Aby with the black nose (Smut) at the back of the picture is the top pig of the group.  The black and white pig (Pepper) led by the food tray is a neutered boar and the brown and white face at the back sticking out of the door of the house is Ruby the meeter and greeter of all new pigs.  She always approaches new pigs cleaning their eyes and ears and introduces herself, she is a darling.

All the Christmas cards have been sold now, that you to everyone who purchased them and thank you Helen for making them.  There is still a selection of Birthday, Thank You, and just blank cards still available.  I will try to get pictures of them on the shop page so if you want to purchase a card I can post them to you.

JANUARY

A belated Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope you and your piggies had a lovely Christmas.

On the 17th December 3 little baby pigs were born here, on Christmas morning another 3 babies were born and on Boxing Day I was very surprised to see another baby guinea pig had been born to a sow who had been put in my run.  I will add that she was pregnant when she come in unknowingly to me, lol, but as she only had one baby she never looked pregnant.  Anyway, all are well, there are two baby boars and four baby sows.

There are going to be big changes at the Wheek & Squeak in the next few weeks.  Another shed will be arriving so all the rescue guinea pigs will have the luxury of living inside a heated shed.  On top of this Carol (a wonderful supporter of the rescue) has been so generous as to donate the money so it will be completely fitted out with hutches like my other shed.  This will mean I can make the most of the room I have here so rather than having 12 hutches in the shed I think it works out that I shall be able to have 24 hutches in there.  Not only will the guinea pigs benefit it will also mean that myself and my volunteers will be able to keep warm and dry but we will be able to clean the hutches out in half the time, freeing up time to do so many other urgent jobs.

Not only has Carol helped the Wheak and Squeak but another guinea pig rescue will benefit, the hutches that are being replaced (picture above) will be donated to another guinea pig rescue in Bristol and DHL have kindly offered to transport them for us.  So I think there will be alot of smiley happy faces all round for quite some time.

On the floors of the indoor hutches I always put vinyl flooring, it makes it easier to clean and also protects the floor, so I am always on the hunt for bits of flooring usually found on freecycle.  This time no flooring was forthcoming and in desparation I contacted Peter Green's the furniture shop in Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire asking if they had any bits I could use.  Without any hesitation they have donated quite a large roll and said if they get any other suitable bits left over I would be welcome to them too.  How nice is that of them, alot of companies wouldnt even bothered to have looked.  Thank you very much.

I think when everything is finished Im going to have to have a party to celebrate the new shed.  I dont have alot of space but Im sure well fit in one way or another or maybe I will have to have two parties lol.

Rehoming is slowly picking up now but pigs are coming in quicker than going out.  Also a guinea pig rescue in Bournemouth are in difficulties so we are trying to support them and find homes for the guinea pigs there too.  So please if you are getting a guinea pig please consider a Rescue rather than a pet shop one.  There are lots of little babies available and we really need you help.

FEBRUARY

The new shed and hutches are all in place, electricity has been connected and all the pigs are now settled in.  The old hutches were picked up by DHL and are now in the new homes in Bristol.  It was great meetin Fi and her team who picked them up, I dont think we stopped laughing the whole time they were here, and I believe some great photos were taken at the end lol.  Hopefully I will be able to put them on here very soon.

A very kind lady came to help during the week, who has a very organised brain, nothing like me, and suggested about putting all the pigs available for rehoming in the new shed and all the retired and ones still needing care in the old shed.  Now why didnt I think of that.  So this Saturday with two volunteers we spent hours cleaning out and moving them all round.  Not such an easy task as I have an index system where every pigs details are in a certain slot (see I can be organised sometimes) so every time a pig was moved I had to make sure the paperwork moved to its new slot.  Well between the three of us we completed the task by the end of the day.  Thank you both very much and also the kind lady whose thought it was.

Rescues are still pouring in and although I have those extra few hutches now they are now full.  There are over 30 pairs and a few single boars here ready for rehoming now,  well over 30 here needing medical treatment or being closely monitored and the rest are here for their retirement, most of these are either too old or needing constant medical care so cannot be rehomed. 

Because of the changes with the new hutches I am having to review the sponsorship scheme.  Obviously the people who have sponsored that will continue to the end of their year but the new sponsorship scheme will involve sponsoring a guinea pig rather than the hutch.  Hopefully by the end of March the new system will be up and running, with pictures of the piggies needing sponsoring.  These will be the ones that cannot be rehomed and in need of  Wheek & Squeaks care.  Further details will follow at a later date.

I heard some very sad news this week, about 2 years ago a lovely couple came to adopt two guinea pigs from me.  They were warm, friendly people who adored their pigs and I had no hesitation letting them adopt.  Sadly last month the gentleman died suddenly at just 38 years of age.  I send my condolences to his wife and all his family at this very sad time.  I just wish I could take all their pain away.

One of  my rabbits died this week and has left Snowy on his own.  He is so missing his girlfriend that this Sunday I am going to another rescue to find him another friend.  By the looks of their website they have loads of rabbits there and I think I will know how people feel when they come here to choose a guinea pig, there is just too much choice and how do you decide.  I have decided not to choose one myself but ask them to start with the one that has been there the longest and work chronologically until we find one that he likes.  Well thats the plan Ill see if it works when I get there.

In April there will be an official opening of the new shed and in May there will be a small party to celebrate the Wheek & Squeaks third birthday.  So if there is anyone who has adopted in the past or supported the rescue at sometime, if you would be interested in coming along for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon for a cup of tea, cake and meet the residents here please let me know and I can give you the full details when a date has been confirmed. 

I hope you are all keeping your guinea pigs warm in this very cold weather, if you cant take them indoors then at least cover them over with blankets, duvets, waterproof cover and purchase a snugglesafe heat pad.  You put them in a microwave for 5 minutes and then put them in the hutch and that will keep them warm for 12 hours.  You can buy them online or most pet shops will sell them, they are inexpensive and can be a life saver.

APRIL

I dont know what happened to March this year it seemed to fly by.  More rescues are still coming in but on the good side rehoming has picked up.  Thank you to all the people who have adopted guinea pigs, not only have you helped those pigs but you have freed up a hutch so I can help another pair.

I have had five pregnant pigs come in.  A boar and sow were actually advertised in freeads free to good home as a pair.  I dispair.  Some observant people noticed the ad and were very worried, they phoned me and we arranged they would go and pick the pigs up and bring them straight to me.  On 1st April four babies were born, sadly one died, but the others are doing well. One down now four to go lol.

On a very sad note, we lost Gus today.  He was a white Teddy who came here nearly 5 years ago from a breeder.  He carried the roan gene and was born blind, deaf and had very bad teeth that needed trimming each month.  Usually this type of pig lives no longer than 6 months and I have been told, though I dont know of anyone, that some breeders cull these at birth.  But to prove everyone wrong Gus lived to 5 years and two months, his friend who came with him who had exactly the same problems lived to just over 3 years.  Everyone who saw Gus fell for him and we will miss him enormously RIP Gus we love you loads.

The number of volunteers here has increased and I would like to thank them again for there hard work and good company.  There is an enormous amount of work to do here so help is always needed.

This year we are hoping to attend some fetes and shows.  Last year we did Braishfield Show which was very successful, so this year we will be attending Curdridge Show in July and hopefully a couple of others as well.  So if you have a local show or fete and you think may be interested in having our stand there then please let us know.

I am now stocking alot of Pamperred Piggies goodies.  Lots of toys and natural treats for your piggies or bunnies even, so if you would like to treat your pigs pop over and have a look.  Prices range from 15p to £2.99 so nothing that is going to break the bank.

I dont know if anyone can help at all, but I am looking for the felt type display boards to put up at the shows we attend.  To buy a six board stand costs around £129, Im sure there must be some laying around unused or slightly damaged that needs a new home.  So if anyone has any ideas I would really love to hear from you.

Have a good Easter everyone, and hopefully all the pigs will be out eating grass very soon, please remember dont let them gorge too much on the spring grass it can make them very ill.

MAY 2009

Well summer is nearly here, well date wise it is, and piggies will be enjoying the grass.  Please be careful you dont let your pigs gorge themselves too  much on the spring grass it can be harmful to them.

On 25th April we had a party to celebrate the Rescue's 3rd birthday and to officially open the new shed.  It was great to see some of the supporters here and I trust they enjoyed the afternoon as much as I did.  Over £100 was raised on the stall, so thank you very much.  The weather was beautiful and really set off the yellow decorations and balloons.  I didnt get to talk to everyone as long as I would have liked to but thank you all very much for coming.

The cake was very kindly made by Alison http://www.alisonscakesforall.co.uk/.  Carrot cake, of course, and was delicious.

A few of the supporters having a cup of tea and enjoying the weather.

I would also like to thank Alissa and her friends and family who raised a staggering £100 at her Birthday Party for the Wheek & Squeak.  It was so generous of you all and the donation will be put to very good use.  MANY MANY THANKS.

During May the Wheek & Squeak is one of the good causes at Waitrose in Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire.  If you are in that area or know someone who is, please please please support us.

The new sponsorship will soon be up and running, at last you might say lol.  It will be sponsoring a piggy from the Sanctuary here rather than a rescue hutch like it used to be.  Full details on the sponsorship page.

If I havent replied to your phone call or email in the last few weeks I do apologise.  For the second time this year I have gone down with a very bad bout of flu, yes real flu lol, and had to close the rescue for 10 days.  I am slowly catching up but please do not think I am intentionally ignoring you.

The hand made cards that are sold in aid of the Rescue have been really popular.  The Christmas cards sold last year were gorgeous and now we have cards for all occasions, birthdays, congratulations, weddings, birth congratulions, well done, sorry etc etc.  The prices range from £1 to quite large ones at £2.50.  If you are interested please give me a ring and come and have a look at them.  The pictures on them are mainly, dogs, rabbits, cats and a few piggy ones.

Rescue is still very busy with an endless stream of piggies coming in.  Rehoming is steady at the moment and I would like to thank the people that continue to support The Wheak & Squeak by coming back to us when they need another piggy.  Thank you so much for that.

JUNE 2009

Hey its June already, hope all your piggies are enjoying some time in their runs and nibbling the grass. 

There is still no let up in the amount of piggies needing to come into rescue.  Poor little souls.

Some sad news, Preston who is mentioned above (August 2008), who was in rescue for two years, is back in rescue.  He is now on his own.  He does seem a bit lost being back here and having just lost his mate so suddenly, so if anyone has an older boar who needs a friend Im sure Preston would pair up quite easily.

Waitrose has contacted me this week to say that The Wheek & Squeak's share of the good cause money was an amazing £297.  So thanks to all of you who shopped their and put your tokens in our slot.

I have been told off by Helen (card maker) for not mentioning above that we now have some brilliant mens birthday cards now.  It is always difficult to find suitable ones but these are really good.  So if you would like to pop along and have a look at all the cards here you are very welcome and also maybe say hello to the piggies here too.

I have also set up 'Friends of the Wheek & Squeak' membership.  The cost of £12 per year and for that you will get two newsletters, invites to afternoons for sponsors, supporters and friends of the W & S.  If you are interested please either email or phone me and I will send an application form to you.  Your £1 per month donation will make a huge amount of difference here.

I am sorry I have not got back to the people who sent lovely pics of their piggy to go on the sign on my van.  The people doing the sign seems to be having difficulty in receiving my emails with the pics which is causing long delays.  So once we have decided which one looks best you will all be notified.

Are there any budding artists out there.  I would love the Wheek & Squeak to have a logo.  It needs to be simple, probably in black and white and somehow convey the work we do here.  Not alot to ask I guess lol.  It doesnt have to be drawn by an adult, I would love children to have a go too.

JULY 2009

Sadly July has started with lots of calls asking if there is space for their guinea pigs to be brought into rescue (about 10 guinea pigs a week).  I have been able to take a few and the others have been taken in by a nearby rescue.  Most of these piggies have been bought for children who have lost interest.

On the 18th we had a stand at Curdridge Show which was very successful.  We raised funds on a tombola and sold treats and toys by Pampered Piggies, so there were lots of lucky guinea pigs that night.  We had a competition to name the little boar (below) as we could not think of a special name for him.  The winner was Brandon who named him Jimmy after his guinea pig who had died the day before.  Jimmy had lived to 5 years old and was obviously very much loved.  We are hoping Jimmy Jnr will have such a long and happy life too.

I would also like to thank people for the lovely emails they send me.  Either updates of their new guinea pigs or even ones they have had for some years and also the thank yous to say how much I have helped them.  I do appreciate these emails, thank you.

We are now selling blank handmade guinea pig cards which are suitable for either notelets or birthday cards.  All the pictures are of guinea pigs from the Wheek & Squeak.  They are £1.40 each or four for £5.  They are all different and I should be putting some sample pictures on here for you to see, I know you will not be disappointed.   If you have adopted a guinea pig from the W & S and would like your piggy to be on one of the W & S cards please send them to me, they need to be fairly close up pics.

We are still short of volunteers during the week, so if you have a couple of hours spare and would like to surround yourself with piggies, please give us a ring we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Enjoy your holidays everyone and lets hope this rain stops so the piggies can get back on the grass.  Oh and dont forget if you want to support the Wheek & Squeak please join as a friend.  See separate page.

SEPTEMBER

I dont know what happened to August it just seemed to rush past.  I hope you all had a good holiday.  Boarding was very busy here which was brilliant, it certainly helps pay the rescues bills.

Homing has been fairly busy and Id like to thank you all for adopting a rescue pig rather than go to a pet shop.  I feel very happy that the pigs have gone to such loving and caring homes.

This last week has been very strange with three appointments for viewing made and all three not turning up and not even making a phone call to say they wont be coming.  I dont think people realise how annoying and time wasting this can be.  I can only do one appointment at a time, by making an appointment it does mean I have to put other people off to another day.  My day is planned around visitors, I cannot arrange homechecks or get to pick up food and bedding for the pigs or get stuck into bigger tasks, my poor dogs are shut in, I am constantly checking the front door and when no one turns up I have lost practically half a days work which I cannot afford to lose.  So please be considerate, I know other rescues have the same problem, we are busy people too.

I have recently taken in 12 single boars.  Poor little souls have been bitten to pieces where they have been able to get together and fought.  Alot of them have masses of large crators on their backs and bite marks around their eyes.  None of them are used to being handled.  They are very frightened but are eating well and hopefully with time and lots of tlc they will start to enjoy life again.

Do you remember Frizzy Lizzy mentioned in November (pictures above) well this is her now

This is what happens when you dont trim your guinea pigs nails.  This guinea pig came in recently for rehoming, his nails were so intwined that he could not walk properly.  This is absolute negligence and so unnecessary.

These four piggies are looking for a very special person to adopt them.  Second from the left is Dumbo who is just over 2 and such a sweetheart and he now lives with three sisters who have just turned 4 years old.  They are a lovely group and so friendly. 

The Wheek & Squeak now have a reception area and shop.  The prices are VERY competitive so please consider getting your guinea pig goodies from us, we have Megazorb, hay, food, bottles, dishes, cleaners, gorgeous guinea shampoos, toys, guinea pig greetings cards, nature treats and lots more.  The shop is open from 10 to 12 most days but please ring before leaving.

We are also having an afternoon or evening for potential, new or novice guinea pig owners.  This will cover nail trimming, bathing, feeding, handling, how to set up and clean out your hutch, health and care of our new guinea pigs etc etc, you can ask questions as we go along and you can also suggest any topics you would like covered.  There is no charge for this but a donation to the Rescue would be expected.  Please contact me if you are interested and times and dates can be confirmed.

OCTOBER 2009

Well its only the 8th and so much has happened already this month.  Already 8 guinea pigs and a rabbit have come into Rescue with another 28 waiting.  Three guinea pigs have been to the vets one with a very large abcess on her neck, one with an infected cyst on her back and one very strange teratoma, Wikipedia describes as:

A teratoma is a kind of tumor (neoplasm). Definitive diagnosis of a teratoma is based on its histology. A teratoma is a tumor with tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of all three germ layers. There are rare occasions when not all three germ layers are identifiable. The tissues of a teratoma, although normal in themselves, may be quite different from surrounding tissues, and may be highly disparate; teratomas have been reported to contain hair, teeth, bone and very rarely more complex organs such as eyeball,^{[citation needed]} torso,^{[citation needed]} and hands, feet, or other limbs.^[1] Usually, however, a teratoma will contain no organs but rather one or more tissues normally found in organs such as the brain, thyroid, liver, and lung. A teratoma is an encapsulated tumor. Sometimes the capsule encompasses one or more fluid-filled cysts and when a large cyst occurs there is a potential for the teratoma to produce a structure within the cyst that resembles a fetus. In part because it is encapsulated, a teratoma usually is benign, although several forms of malignant teratoma are known and some of these are common. A mature teratoma typically is benign and more commonly is found in females, while an immature teratoma typically is malignant and more commonly is found in males.

Teratomas are thought to be present at birth (congenital), but often they are not diagnosed until much later in life.

This was a major operation and glad to say she is coping very well, although with that enormous lump removed looks half her usual size.

There has been a big drain on rescue funds these last few weeks, all the outside hutches, sheds and runs need painting to protect them through this winter, our printer has finally died and we have had an unusually high number of guinea pigs needing veterinary care.  So please consider the Wheek & Squeak shop when you need to buy a new water bottle, dish, hay, readigrass  toys, tubes, houses or nature piggy treats.  We also have lots beautiful handmade Christmas cards in with guinea pigs, dogs, rabbits on them and also your more traditional cards.  Also we have greetings cards for all occassions available all year round.

The new Sponsorship Scheme and Friends of the Wheek & Squeak Scheme has become quite popular so please support us.  The first Newsletter will be going out in November and the first open afternoon for these supporters will follow shortly afterwards.  Your donations make an enormous difference to the help we can give these unfortunate piggies, as I have often said before without your donations we could not exist.

We have also had the first introductory to guinea pigs evening, I have decided that there will be more throughout the year so if you are interested dates will be listed on the Home page so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Lets hope the rest of the month is quieter that the first week.  One point I should add the weather has turned colder and alot damper so all piggies should be taken in now, either indoors or a warm dry shed.