Cavies on the Coast

02/03/2024

Did you know that pink eyed guinea pigs are less likely to be adopted because of their eyes? The truth is, these piggies have so much love to give, I personally own 4 pink eyed cuties and they are amazing little pigs. Please consider adopting a pink eyed beauty and no they aren't blind :)

29/02/2024

The wheekly cage clean is complete including a lunch snack for the piggies. My full cage cleans include the following:

Fresh newspaper and shavings
Fresh meadow, Timothy hay and dry feed
Water bottles and bowls washed and refilled
Full vacuum of the piggy room
Soiled bedding bagged up
Dry feed bucket refilled

I do full cleans every 5 to 6 days, I hope everyone has a great wheekend and your piggies are happy, safe and healthy 😊 ❤️

26/02/2024

Hi everyone I run Cavies on the Coast which is a piggy boarding and spa day service. I am now open again for boarding and offer indoor or outdoor stay, what is included in my boarding is the following

* All hay provided
* All veges and pellets provided
* proactive cage cleaning
* All bedding provided
* cages and hutches provided
Updates :) free nail clip

If you're interested please flick me a pm to discuss 😊

26/02/2024

Clean cages and an early dinner as they were being demanding hehe. My piggies are safe, dry and happy on a rainy day 😊

23/02/2024

Some information about hay!

23/02/2024

I'd like to introduce you all to Petal my 10 week old crested black baby that came all the way from Timaru. She is eating like a little champ and lives with my Rex sow, I'm pleased that they are getting on well 🌼 🌸

21/02/2024

I see this a lot on overseas piggy groups - ''there is no need to bath guinea pigs, infact it's cruel and stressful for the guinea pig''

I personally bath all of my guinea pigs and this includes all of the spa day piggies that come through.(referencing pigs in need here, most of my cilents have amazing care routines) if I didn't bathe these spa day piggies, treat the urine scald, clip matting covered in f***s, treated nails and Parasites these piggies would not be happy, healthy piggies. They would be miserable 😢

I try to attend atleast 5 shows per year and I have amassed quite the collection of bathing equipment that i'll list below. A big gripe on online is the belief of oil stripping from bathing but I have never encountered that, remember the judge is looking for a silky coat, free of dandruff, scurf and Parasites. Some of my products include:

*Naturally White Soap
It has neem oil for natural insecticidal properties
Antibacterial properties
A great option for white piggies and lightening their staining

Gorgeous guineas posh and go shampoo
Is a great little shampoo that leaves fur looking and feeling great, so great for longs

Fidos flea rise
Very important one to own
It treats hay mite, static and running lice.
Multiple dips bfore a show ensures your piggy will be Parasite free for the table

Anti dandruff shampoo can be used to treat flaky, dry skin and scurf. Just a note Rex can be very prone to dry skin and fungal issues.

Absorbine stain remover and whitener is an a amazing way to do touch ups on the light/stained areas. I also like absorbine showsheen for an all over body wash :)

Malaseb is great for dry ears and feet, being antifungal, it's great to lather your piggy up and leave for 10 mins in-between reapplying. This is a medicated shampoo for fungal infections

Palamoutians animal wash
A great shampoo, to make the coat be in amazing condition (Very smooth & healthy)

Now every showie has their own tricks and tips and everyone does things a little different. I have been using these products for 8 years and I've never had a single reaction or negative concerning my piggies

Last but least, I'm wanting to focus on what we do at shows, the planning, prep etc. I might wash a piggy for you all tomorrow to show the process :) sorry for the rant guys just wanting to showcase that piggies do need bathing from time to time!

20/02/2024

Just another full cage clean this arvo, I don't know about you but I always feel so satisfied after a good clean. Fresh vege dinner and the girls have been put to bed hehe

19/02/2024

hahaha classic!

18/02/2024

Dinner time at the piggy zoo 😋 😍

16/02/2024

14/02/2024

Clean cages and lunch for all the piggies 🐷 😋

13/02/2024

Selena wanted to say hello everyone. Selena is a self saffron, self meaning a single colour. She has been to a few shows and has done well for me, I'm looking forward to some lovely babies from her

12/02/2024

Due to their highly social nature, GPs can only be truly happy as one of a pair or as part of a small group of the same s*x – litter mates make the best companions. If you’re planning to keep a male and female together, it’s essential that the male is neutered to avoid the unwanted patter of tiny guinea pig feet. Never keep guineas with rabbits or chinchillas as they all have different housing and nutrition requirements. Bullying between species can occur and rabbits can give guinea pigs serious diseases.

11/02/2024

Your daily dose of adorable featuring Evie 🌼 🌸

11/02/2024

The piggy room got rearranged to accommodate another indoor cage made by my partner. Here is everyone enjoying dinner 😋

06/02/2024

Clean cages & fresh veges = happy piggies 🐷

04/02/2024

My amazing sister Sam clipped all the piggy's nails for me ❤️ 💙 she also helps me with spa days and cage cleaning, I'm very lucky to have the best sister in the world :)

03/02/2024

Meet my newest piggy that im getting at the end of the month, she is affectionately known as Petal and is a crested black sow from Claremont Cavies

02/02/2024

I spent 2 hours cleaning all the cages this afternoon. I organised the soiled bedding into garden bags and fed veges to the girls 💙 definitely having a gin this afternoon after that workout hehe 😅🍷

Happy, clean piggies 🐷 = Happy pig Mom hehe

30/01/2024

Lunch time for the ladies, lucky wee things got some apple as a treat 😋

28/01/2024

I thought I'd share my day with you all. Cleaning cages, feeding piggies, sorting soiled bedding and just being around the cavies. I also have some exciting news, my saffron Selena has been paired with McCloud Sesame Sid. The self saffron breed is very dear to my heart so I am over the 🌙 to have my first litter 💙

28/01/2024

In the wild guinea pigs live in groups of between five and ten and so keeping guinea pigs in pairs or small groups is ideal. Good combinations include single-s*x pairs or a combination of neutered male with one or more females. The right pairings will help keep your guinea pigs happy.

Making friends with your guinea pig is also important. Careful, considerate handling by an adult from an early age will help guinea pigs be calm and relaxed in human company.

27/01/2024

Alora talks about pine shavings as a bedding option 🥕

25/01/2024

Windy, Evie and Alora want to know how do you take your tea? ☕️

23/01/2024

Clean cages and new toys for the new piggy enclosures being built this week!

23/01/2024

Announcement - please read!!!!

Hello everyone, i understand that this post may upset a large portion of my followers and i completely understand why this post will make many of you unfollow, but i want to be transparent. I have been showing guinea pigs under Auckland Cavy Club for around 5 years now. This amazing community has been so welcoming and they have guided me with their individual wealth of knowledge on their chosen breeds, how to manage appropriate cavy nutrition, as well as a comprehensive understanding around the health of their guinea pigs. Out of this i now have some amazing life long cavy friends that mean so much to me. Last year was the most successful year for me to date with a young self black sow affectionately called Poppy winning multiple reserve in show's. My saffron sow Selena also did amazing with a best of breed against a good line up. Earlier this year i took a leap, i made my own stud called 'Tundra Cavies'. That is because after many years in the fancy i feel i am now ready for the next step and that is breeding a small, select amount of proven show sows. What sets me apart from backyard breeding is the following:
All of my guinea pigs have full access to veterinary care around the clock and including after hours.
Because purebred guinea pigs have a lineage and papers, they strive to improve bloodlines and select for healthy stock. Unlike a backyard breeder that pairs unknown bloodlines together that could carry very detrimental inherited factors such as satin syndrome.
I'm striving for safe and comfortable housing for all of my cavies including my breeding sows, i want to involve this community in the whole experience and maintain a strict code of care and maintenance
Currently all of my potential sows babies' are spoken for within the show community and this is not unusual within the community which makes me feel great about knowing they will be safe and looked after. Any remaining babies with have their new homes vetted thoroughly.
You might not agree with this statement but from my observations a lot of guinea pigs that were either rescued or bought from a backyard breeder are crossbred animals. From time to time you see pet quality purebreds but the bread and butter of this all is a crossbred animal. I know many will go on to consider me a backyard breeder but i intend to provide my cavies with the best nutrition, care, caging, vet care and fully dedicate myself to produce a limited amount of litters for the rest of my showing career.

If your still reading this thank you for getting this far. If you chose to unfollow, thank you so much for the support you have given me and i wish you and your piggies health and happiness, my only request is that if you wish to unfollow please simply do that instead of leaving a comment on why you disagree with my choices - i have a lot of personal family issues going on and i don't need negativity right now. I'm going to be completely transparent on this page about my journey as a registered breeder of purebred cavies, the ups and possible downs, just an inside look into this part of the piggy world. Thanks so much again for reading and i wish you all best

22/01/2024

It was a day of organizing, freshening up cages and buying piggy supplies today at Cavies 🥕 🥕

Piggy top ups included
* Fresh veges
* Two bags of purepine shavings
* Two bales of hay
* Two bags of fiskins mix (for my girls)

I cleaned out my side of the garage and organized that as well as the piggy room. Umbrellas and ice bottles for my boarder boys as its a hot one today :)

21/01/2024

Romping around in fresh hay 🥕