Queenie and Nala | Two 6yr old sows with cage

Queenie and Evie were my first pair, Evie passed early due to ovarian problems with a rapid onset and an inexperienced owner (myself). While still grieving, I got Nala and Coraline to keep Queenie company.

5 years later I lost Coraline (last year in august). It was an arduous battle long waits for a vet, 2 weeks of intermittent sleeping so I could feed her often enough to keep her gut mobile. When we finally had a date set for her to get her dental operation, x-rays revealed an extensive bone infection. She’d been fighting for so long. We were presented with the options to let her pass away while she was under or wake her up to say our goodbyes (ex partner and I). We opted to not do the selfish thing and let her pass in her sleep, since she wouldn’t have survived the procedure (as advised by our vet).

I’m no longer the caregiver I once was.

Queenie and Nala are amazing and deserve better. I am an avid maker and have made lots of bedding, a IKEA-Custom setup and plenty of accessories that they love to use.

I have made a (somewhat outdated) care guide that I’d be happy to provide on request. It was made for a friend who graciously offered to look after them when I went abroad. They are extremely kind and mild tempered piggies.

Our relationship is one of mutual respect, I allow them to simply ‘be’ and they always approach of their own volition. They greet you on entry, love to be pet (on their own terms) and communicate subtly.

They still don’t like being picked up, (I never took the time to train them to like it) I also take pride in their willingness to communicate their discomfort. Once picked up, they settle right in.

Queenie is a bit more slow to warm up on every interaction, she needs you to be talking (or singing) to be comfortable enough to eat while picked up. She’s the closest thing to a ‘wild’ guinea pig. She’d be voted most likely to survive in the Peruvian wilds if she was in school.

Nala is sheer impulse and gluttony and an ABSOLUTE darling at that. They are both used to my jovial nature and Nala is very expressive but she forgives you immediately. She will always volunteer for a head scratch or to ‘test’ the lettuce for poison. She’s one of those ‘teardrop’ shaped Guinea pigs. Also, she’s a real chonker (visually) but, both of them are a healthy 1.1kg almost year round.

I could tell you about them for years and years!

The ideal scenario for me, would be a great home, not too far outside of London or in London. I would GREATLY appreciate occasional visits and would be open to giving advice any time, even serving as a translator on demand. I would love to help with setting up their cage (if needed) and would be grateful if the custom-made fleece was kept for them. I’d be overjoyed to know that they get to keep something I made for them when I was the Guinea pig owner I should have always been.

Please reach out with any (serious) questions.