[Gpdd] ANNOUNCE - a bit of good news

Andrew a1.mills at portset.net
Tue Mar 24 17:05:13 EDT 2009


First I'd like to say thanks for all the post expressing sympathy for all our losses over the last few weeks.  It was quite a difficult time but hopefully we won't have any more now for at least a few months.  Unfortunately I have got a couple of rats who are getting quite old so don't know how much longer they'll be with us, but I always find it easier to cope with losses when it's a case of old age rather than illness.  I feel at least they've had a good life and, although it's obviously sad when they go, it's much easier knowing they've lived their full life.

Now for the good news.  For the last few weeks I've been keeping my eyes out for a dalmatian guinea pig, they've always been one of my favourites and I decided that, although I want to keep my numbers down a bit from what they were previously, I still wanted to get a dalmatian.  At the weekend I saw one advertised on a local breeder's website.  My aunt got in touch with the breeder and she said that the one that was advertised was reserved but that she had some babies which would be available in a few weeks.  However, there was a possibility that, as the people who had reserved the other little boy were moving house, they may decide not to have him, in which case I could have him.  Yesterday the breeder rang aunt to say that the people who had been going to have the guinea pig had decided they were going to get a hamster instead, so he was available if I wanted him.  Aunt went and picked him up for me today.  He's about 10 weeks old and seems very easy to handle.  Apparently!
  the breeder handles all the babies a lot before they go to new homes to make sure they're well socialised.  He's got a little brown head with the usual white body with little markings, I think his markings are still coming through at the moment.  I must say after all the losses it's nice to have a bit of good news, something good to think about for a change.  I'm going to be on holiday from work next week so I'll be able to spend more time with him, it'll be nice to watch him settling in and getting used to everything.  I always enjoy the first few weeks when I'm getting to know a new pet and what their little ways are, they're all different.  So, we're back up to 6 pigs again now, I think that's enough for the time being.  Although I used to enjoy having a lot more, they didn't get as much time spent with them and also we used to have a lot more health problems (mites, etc).  With less it's a lot easier to keep things under control if there is any problem.  I'm certainly !
 not intending to get any more at the moment but certainly don't think 
I'd have more than 10 again now.  The breeder we got the new boy from has got about 70 at the moment, some are the breeding stock, some babies and some retired breeding stock which she keeps.  Aunt saw quite a few of them and said they all looked healthy and well looked after, I really can't imagine having quite as many as that!  The most we ever had back in the early 90s when we tried breeding was about 40 and they took a lot of looking after, so 70 must take forever to look after.  We were no good at all for breeding, we didn't like parting with the babies and ended up keeping most of them!  Knowing what I know now I'd never intentionally breed again, but it was an interesting experience.Well, I've got my new boy to enjoy now, I'll have to start thinking what I'm going to call him.




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