[Gpdd] ANNOU NCEMENT...New Member with a question

[Paula]

Hi all!

I just found the list a week or so ago and am thrilled because of all the good information that people are willing to share. I was even more amused by the use of the title "slave" rather than owner, because it's a pretty accurate description of just who has become the boss around here!  ;)

We are relatively new slaves to our two boars - Rex and Fluffy who are about 5 months old.  We got them for our 8 yr. old son who had been begging us for a pet.  After doing a lot of research, we settled on Guinea pigs as a first pet.

Even though we did a lot of research - books from the library, etc... there is still so much we don't know since a lot of the information seems contradictory.  For example, how often should a guinea pig be bathed? One of the books we read suggested weekly bathings, but another said to only sponge bath the rump area on a regular basis. 

Fluffy, who has sleek, silky fur does not seem to get dirty enough to warrant a weekly bath.  Rex, who has shorter, coarse fur does seem to get dirty a little quicker.  We brush them often so the fur is not tangling or retaining debris, but I'm still not sure what is too much or too little in the bathing area.

Any advise in this area would be greatly suggested.

Thanks
Paula (Mom to Tom and the pigs Rex and Fluffy)