oh wow - thanks everyone
I think I'm really lucky to have them, considering I 'didn't like guinea pigs' 6 months ago, and had never heard of alpaca pigs (the flufsters) - I just couldn't part with them now
Jane - I cut their hair every 6-8wks approx - It gets too difficult for them to find their caecal poops with it long, although some of them keep it immaculate, I do feel sorry for them having to deal with all that hair - it grows about an inch a month, and it's not easy to cut as it's so thick and curly - goes into corkscrew ringlets after 8wks on some of them - No way would a child cope with them, so I guess they are for showing - I hope they never get fashionable as they'd get in a right state ungroomed - show breeders put their hair up into 'wraps' like paper curlers - poor piglets
Angie - Not sure which piggies you mean as I can't remember who was in the kitchen when Tia came - I think it might have been the 2 fluffy boys in this thread, with their brother? Or it might have been Milo and his dad, Basil?
Or Rudolf and his brother Irwin?
Milo started bullying Basil when he grew up to be a bigger piggy - Basil's hair fell out and he looked so quiet and unhappy - He's bouncing now he's on his own and his hair's grown back - seeing the way Milo hoovers up veg I don't think his poor dad was getting any before :?
Rudolf and Irwin are adorable boys - very quiet and steady, and love each other very much (too much sometimes
) - Their hair is really hard to manage though as it's superfine, like human baby hair - gets knotted really easily - I think they are Sheltie breed? They are so easy to handle though - Just sit on my lap while I cut their hair for 20mins - Milo, and all the fluffy pigs, except Imogen and Beattie - well! :roll: I have to concentrate and be very careful with those scissors - it's like shearing a jumping bean :lol:
Rabswood I never groom them other than haircutting - they struggled a bit with all that hair when they were babies, but they all seem to manage it just fine now - If you keep their hair short, it doesn't need combing - just as well as I've no time to do it!
But they are lovely to cuddle - unlike my feisty bunnies! Even if the pigs object, I don't fear for my fingers really, and they are starting to calm down now they're older and settled - all teeth and claws when they were tiny, but so NOT scary! :lol: