Two new rescues!

Hello Everyone,

What a surprise it was. What we thought was just some guinea pig supplies, turned out to be that and two cuties. Harriette and Harlequin both seem pretty healthy, although, their claws were quite long and some were starting to curl.

Harriette is a silver and white Agouti Abyssinian, and Harlequin is what’s known as a Crested with her crown. We think that Harriette might have Satin Syndrome, also known as Fibrous Osteodystrophy. They have weakened skeletons and can be extra-sensitive to touch. I can relate as I have a hypersensitive nervous system, which is sometimes called Princess and the Pea Syndrome.

So far, Harlequin — Harley for short — is the bravest of the two and has let me pet her a few times. Harriette is quite a bit more skittish, but she has taken food from my hand. We don’t know much about how they were living before, but we’re pretty sure they’ve never been fed hay, which is a big no-no as hay is a major staple of their diets. Guinea pig teeth grow fast if they don’t almost constantly eat.

They also came with a no rinse freshening spray that has baking soda. Baking soda is a lung irritant and is quite toxic to guinea pigs. I even looked it up and Google gave me a funny answer like it was Opposite Day. See the meme I made here.

It’s by a brand called, Full Cheeks. I’m not familiar with this brand, but I won’t be buying any of their products. It even has a picture of a hamster on it which has an even smaller and more sensitive respiratory system.

It is one of the last ingredients, but it’s right next to phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative used in cosmetics and soaps.

"Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions." — Google

It’s going straight into the garbage. I wish there was a way to safely dispose of such chemicals, but I have to go with my gut which tells me it will be more toxic to sea life.

On top of that, they came with several cut up pieces of fleece and other fabrics which smell more heavily of laundry soap than I’ve ever experienced. Oh, and it smells like Tide, but I could be wrong. I haven’t used soaps like that in quite a while. My sensitive skin can’t handle them.

Anywheres, we’re now up to forty rescued guinea pigs! The veggie math is easier now, but we’re using up all of our water bottles and cages.

We’re planning to set up a Patreon page where people can come to support our efforts. We are always in need of grains, hay, and medicines.

Thank you so much for reading. Have a wonderful day….[[|:-)