Guinea pig

[enismirdal]

I went to Spitalfields Farm last month when they had a fair thingy on, and fell in love with various of the animals. One was a big orange goat that baa'd at us whenever we stopped petting her until we started again. Another was a sheep, which unfortunately brought me out in dermatitis but was adorable nonetheless. And a lovely couple, a funny little pony and a friendly donkey. And of course, the guinea pig shed.

Afterwards, I decided I really wanted to sponsor one of their animals, but which? First I looked for the goat, but that particular goat wasn't on their "To Sponsor" list. Then I thought about the sheep, but decided as lovely as it was, it wouldn't be so great to sponsor an animal I couldn't touch without my fingers falling off! I considered the equines, though I'm sure they have lots of sponsors, and the birds, as they probably don't get as much love and attention. And then I realised what I really wanted was a winnie pig to hold and cuddle again. I do miss my winnies.

So I decided Rosie would be the one for me, and sent off my form and my cheque, and today my welcome pack arrived! There's a slightly wrinkly laminated poster of Rosie, and a certificate, and most importantly, a VIP card for a hands-on Rosie-meeting session. :D I get to have a wee wee wee thingy on my lap again!!!!!!!!

There was also a wonderful little fact sheet about guinea pigs. Unfortunately, they slightly failed at the taxonomy and the typing.

Oh well, they're a good cause, and are involved in loads of community projects and making sure the city kids around here actually know how to tell the difference between a sheep and a horse. I'm sure I can forgive them for putting my new beloved not only in the wrong genus but in the entire wrong order... :)

Comments

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

Of course only someone like you would discover the mistake. :)

I think piggies are adorable but they always scream at me when I try to pick them up. You know, that "eeeep! eeeep! eeeeep!" sound?

Bec wants one but I think the cats would eat it.

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

LOL! I have a "Rabbits and Rodents" poster on my bedroom wall with all the Latin names on, so I've tended to absorb them a bit (though it's a poster from the Guardian, and in classic Guardian-style editing, they've included a ferret in with the "rabbits and rodents" and misspelled several of the species, not to mention having no concept of how much hamsters and guinea pigs actually weigh!).

I guess if you kept the guinea pig indoors and let it wander around unattended it could be at risk a bit...ours lived outside in secure hutches so cats and stuff fortunately didn't get a chance to make them dinner!

[nienna-weeper.livejournal.com]

Our raccoons and coyotes would find a way to get 'em. *shudders*

Last night I was watching 'Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman." Guess what the main course was in Chile? *shudders again*

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

She is very cute!

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

Yep! I never had a Dutch guinea pig as a kid - various part-Dutch, part-tortoiseshell, part-Shetland, but not a proper one like Rosie is!

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

I didn't know there were so many kinds. I think they are originally from South America.

[(Anonymous)]

An Inca delicacy.
Wrong order could be entirely misunderstood!
Abner

[enismirdal.livejournal.com]

I guess once the Europeans discovered them, they decided to do the usual thing of seeing how many colours and shapes you could get. End result? This. (http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e127/carriebridges/satin-peruvian-guinea-pig.jpg) *eyeroll*

[silver-trails.livejournal.com]

Oh dear... that's a dog! (g)

They are not pets here, but food, but they are cute anyway. =)