Double Decker Cavy Accomodations

11/25/11
 The past two weeks I have been making double decker cavy cages for Leela (directly below) and the two foster pigs I have right now, Chip and Dale (last two pics).  I was motivated by Chip and Dale, who are 6 month old boars with lots of jumpy energy.  I figured even though Leela is on her own and doesn't need the space, it would be fun to make one for her too.  The cavy cages the pigs had previously were pre-fab and had about half the real estate I created for them with the coroplast and wire grid make-em-at-home model.  Check it out....
 

Leela in the bottom layer while I construct level 2.

Top level in, now for the ramp.

Ramp installed, but some interior design work needs to be done.

New carpeting (the ramp got new brown carpet too).

Here is Chip and Dale's cage, level 2 is under construction.

Alright!  Now it's playtime!

You can see Chip's little feet on the ramp, he's hiding under the second level....

In January 2007 I started volunteering for Rabbit Rescue, working on Saturdays to clean cages and feed bunnies....

Rabbit Rescue Shelter bunnies!

http://www.rabbitrescue.com/

 

The rabbit below is one of "my" rescues- I paid for it to be spayed and had the honor of naming her Whiskey.  She's a Lion's Head breed.

Cleaning shelter bunny enclosures...

Below is one of the Pet-Co rabbits, up for adoption.  His name is Willy and he's a Jersey Wooly breed- soooo cute!

This big white rabbit is Parka.  She belongs to a friend of mine, but occasionally lives at my place, where she digs holes in the sofa, eats the cable cords, chases my cat around and generally wreaks havoc!

The Pigs I've Loved

For the past four years (since early 2007) I have been volunteering for Rabbit Rescue (http://www.rabbitrescue.com/index.php) .  I started out working at the shelter cleaning cages on Saturday mornings; now I live too far from the shelter (behind the "Orange Curtain") to drive there so I volunteer one day a week to feed/pet the Rabbit Rescue rabbit at the PetCo location in Huntington Beach.  Also - to get to the point of this post - I foster guinea pigs for Rabbit Rescue (they have a side-line in pigs http://www.rabbitrescue.com/browsepigs.php) when they don't have room at the shelter, the pigs need vet/extended care, are pregnant, etc..  Below are pictures of some of the foster pigs, and my own.

Carmela (RIP)

Shanti (the white mama) and Zuda (baby) (both fosters)

Prana (left) and Yama (right) (both fosters)

Axyl (one of mine), a Peruvian long haired pig (RIP).

Leela, my baby girl!  She's stealing watermelon from my plate, the little pig.

The black one is my baby girl Penny (RIP); the other two are fosters I had for about a week and never named...

The two 'un-named' fosters.... so cute!

Look what the cat dragged in...

This is Django.  He is a seven year old 17 pound Snowshoe-Siamese that I adopted in 2005, while living in Mexico.  In his lifetime this cat has traveled from Mexico City to LA; LA to Ottawa; Ottawa to Baltimore Baltimore to Mexico City and then back to LA. 

He also likes to hunt. In the Spring, Django brings in live baby possums (I capture and release them in a park about 5 miles away).

He also likes to sleep, alot!

and try and figure out how to eat the guinea pigs!

When all else fails, Django can dumpster dive to bring home the 'ribs' (and once, a dinner roll!) - too bad it's after they have been eaten!

July 5, 2010 - Django's dumpster loot- half eaten ribs...

November 8, 2010 Django's contribution to dinner: a cardboard-stiff half-eaten burger.  After eating hid dry food plus a ration of peas (he eats 2-4 tablespoons of canned peas, twice a day)...he comes into the apartment and drops THIS THING in his food bowl!!  Sheesh.

December 7, 2010

I wake up to these chicken bone offerings, laid very nicely at my 'feet'.  Such love!