The Pets Blog Week in Review for April 7-14

Guinea pigs, poop, and DIY aquarium troubleshooting were among the topics Aimee and I covered last week. In case you had to miss a day or two, here’s your handy Week in Review recap of what we wrote on: Monday, April 7 I’ve had a chance to do a lot of reflecting lately on who I am and how I got to be that way. In What if Animals Hadn’t Been Okay? I pondered what sad shape I’d be in if I had been taught differently about pets. Tuesday, April 8 In DIY Aquarium Leak Fixes, Aimee rolled up her … Continue reading

Interview with Fantasy Author Joshua Palmatier

I first heard of fantasy author Joshua Palmatier through a friend — she loaned me his first book and I was hooked! Now let me introduce you to him. Aimee: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.) Joshua: I write fantasy novels that deal with a young girl named Varis who was orphaned in the slums of the city of Amenkor. The books mainly deal with her struggle to survive, and the moral questions that result from the question: what would you be willing to do to survive? There are a lot … Continue reading

Guinea Pigs are Herd Animals

Studies of guinea pigs in the wild have shown that they tend to live in herds of five to ten. A herd generally has one adult male and the rest female or sexually immature children. You may not want an entire herd of guinea pigs in your home, but your pigs will be happiest if they aren’t alone. Both anecdotal and experimental evidence points to domestic guinea pigs being happiest and healthiest when living with other guinea pigs. So how do you pick the right partner for your pig? A very young pair (under six months) may experience personality changes … Continue reading

Guinea Pig Fact and Fiction

After talking with fantasy author Joshua Palmatier about his guinea pigs, I noticed that we don’t have a whole lot of info here at the Pets Blog about the breed! Time to remedy that. Here are some basics about guinea pigs (also known as cavies). The average body temperature of a guinea pig is between 99 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Like many other house pets with fur, that’s warmer than the average human! An average adult male guinea pig weighs (called a boar) between two and three pounds. An average adult female guinea pig (called a sow) weighs between one … Continue reading