Magnus and Maximus Guinea Pig Guinea Pig Sachse, TX

Meet Magnus and Maximus!

The two bonded males are the sweetest and cutest boys! They were quite chonky little potatoes too when they first came in but are down to a more appropriate weight now that they've had a proper diet. Magnus is the pig with the brown nose and Maximus is the one with the white nose. They're chatty, wheek like crazy when they hear the fridge open, and have quickly become some of our favorite piggies.

These boys have been in a stable bond since their arrival though they do need a larger enclosure or they have little squabbles. We currently have them in two Midwest enclosures we've connected together and we make sure they have two of everything - two water bottles, two sources of hay, two bowls, and multiple hides. Since we made that adjustment several months ago there have been no territorial spats of any kind.

Our pigs are fed Mazuri or Oxbow (red bag) pellets, orchard grass hay, and fresh veggies. They are perfectly fine with timothy hay as well but we feed orchard grass at the rescue due because several of us are allergic to timothy. These potatoes love food, and as far as they're concerned all food is their food.


Common questions:

Special needs: They have been with us for almost a year following their rescue from a city shelter the day they were to be euthanized for space. It was a very close call and we barely made it in time. It took quite a while to get them healthy enough for adoption and they have been fully cleared by our vets. There are two very minor lingering issues to note. First, they do still sneeze pretty frequently due to their previous environment being extremely unclean and being kept on cedar bedding. For anyone who isn't aware, cedar is toxic and safe alternatives are aspen, kiln-dried pine, or fleece. The other issue is their nails. Guinea pigs are prone to fungal infections on their little potato-feeties and both boys had some yucky toe beans. While that was easily cleared up, there is still damage to their nails that has permanently changed how their nails grow. The nails grow extremely thick and twisted instead of having the usual smooth texture and gentle downward curve. As long as the adopters clip the nails regularly they cause the boys absolutely no problems. We will be happy to show the adopters how we cut their nails if needed. These two minor issues are the only reason Magnus and Maximus have been marked as special needs.

Magnus came in with a lump on his side that was confirmed to be a blocked gland that ultimately required surgery. He made a complete recovery and aside from his fur being slightly shorter in that area, you'd never know anything was ever amiss. He had a great recovery and was kept on a medical hold for a month. There were no complications and he was cleared by the vet.

Children in the home: While no child should ever be left unsupervised with any small mammal of course, since small mammals are generally poor choices as pets for a small child, Magnus and Maximus are safe for slightly older children to interact with. They're easily bribed from their hides with yummy treats or favorite veggies (tip: parsley is a favorite). While they do have the skittish behavior typical of guinea pigs, we have been able to catch and hold them with absolutely no trouble at all.

Other pets: Please keep in mind that guinea pigs are prey animals. Also note that male guinea pigs become territorial when females are around and can then become aggressive toward other males - including their bonded BFF. Magnus and Maximus should not be housed in the same room as any female piggies or left around the family dog while unsecured. As far as cats; we have two cats here and there have never been any incidents between our cats and any of the guinea pigs but adopters are advised to be extremely cautious until they know how their specific cat will react to the piggies.



Adoption:

It is the policy of Small Pet Safe House that bonded animals must be adopted together. There is an adoption application we will be happy to email you. Their adoption fee is $50 for the two of them and there is no application fee. All adoption fees go into an account dedicated to providing vet care to incoming rescues.