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Miscellaneous Information

• Guide to a Successful Pignic
• Farting Cavies
• How To Say "Guinea Pig" In Other Languages
• Power Outages
• Traveling in Cars
• Traveling in Planes
• Cavy keeps Biting
• Squeaking

This guide is divided into four steps and most of the information was contributed by Kelly, based on her own experiances with her pignic.

Step One
You need to find a good day and time for the pignic. Many people prefer to have a pignic during the summer at a public park so they can bring their cavies and children without having to worry about school conflicts. Be sure to write down when the pignic is, where it is, driving directions, and what people should bring. Having a pignic for a few hours around lunch allows you to enjoy a potluck setting. Although it may seem trivial, a name for the pignic doesn't hurt.

Step Two
Announce your pignic on the Guinea Pig Daily Digest, any other cavy lists you belong to, and the Cavy Forums, this is a big help in getting responses from people. As responses come in make a list of the people's names and e-mail addresses. Periodically post a reminder about the pignic for people who missed the last invitation. It's a good idea to announce your pignic about 3 months before it happens and then at least two more times after that.

Step Three
As the pignic grows nearer, e-mail all the people who said they would come to remind them of the day and to check if they can still be there. This gives you a better idea of how many people to plan for. Make sure to remind them to bring their cavies and any friends or family members.

Just like everyone else, cavies fart too. It's a very unpleasant smell and I hope that you will learn how to best prevent this odor. I can't say exactly what makes cavies fart, since they are all different. I can tell you some things that make most cavies fart.

You should feed Cabbage and Clover in small amounts because both are very gassy and can set off your cavy.

Another thing to be careful of is fear. One way your cavy can get realy scared is from loud noises. One of my cavies hates a bath and he can get so scared in the water that he will begin farting like crazy! There are other ways that your cavy can get very scared, I have just a few listed here.

Sometimes a cavy can get so excited that they will be farting out of pure joy and anticipation. Mine always let a few off when they get to run inside my house. There's not much that you can do about those.

You will need a small cat carrier (the smaller the better) and a towel. Take the towel and fluff it up on the bottom of the cage. A good way to secure the towel is to put one side slightly sticking out of the carrier and close the door. The towel will provide a grip and a place to hide for your cavy.

You don't want to put the water bottle in the carrier when you drive because the bumps will make it constantly leak. Instead, give your cavy foods that are high in water: romaine Lettuce, water melon, honeydew melon, pineapple, etc. Every hour or so you might want to stop for 5-15 minutes and let your cavy drink some water.

For safety you need to secure the carrier to a seat so it can't move and don't take the cavy out while the car is moving. By securing the carrier you've prevented it from flying forward and hurting the cavy in an accident. As for not holding your cavy when the car is in motion, your cavy will be much safer in their carrier during an accident.

Don't forget that as you're traveling during the summer or when it's hot to try to keep the temperature the degree that your cavy is used to. Same thing during winter, don't let it get too cold. If you leave the car, make sure that you will be gone no more than 20 minutes and that it won't get too cold/hot in the car. To prevent the car from getting too hot leave a window cracked and try to park in the shade, but if it's really hot then you need to take your cavy with you.

The most stressful part of the trip for cavies is outside the aircraft in the baggage room. It is very noisy, full of all sorts of machinery, and strange people. If you must put your cavy on in the baggage compartment then have it checked with your luggage, but hang on to it. When you board the plane your cavy will be sent straight to the baggage compartment avoiding the baggage room altogether.

When flying with your cavy be sure to line the carrier with a thick blanket on all sides. This insulates sound, blocks out the light, and keeps your cavy warm. Put a small article of your clothing inside with your cavy. A shirt that you wore the day before is perfect. It keeps your scent with your cavy and reassures it that something familiar is present. Don't put toys in the carrier. When the plane hits turbulence they will fly around the inside of the carrier. Don't put your cavy in an overly large container because when the plane hits turbulence your cavy might be injured. The smallest comfortable carrier is best. Also, make sure the carrier is easy for the baggage folks to carry. Ie: one with handles on the outside and a label on it so they know an animal is inside.

A high pitched squeaking.
This is usually your cavy begging for food. It's reserved for humans to get what they want so beware, they don't always need food.

Giggling, butt wagging, and Teeth Grinding.
This can be a few things. It could be when your cavy thanks you for food, when you pet or scratch them in just the right spot, or when your cavy is establishing dominance.