We recently spoke to our good friend Anna about the day to day running of a small pet boarding business. Anna (or should we say Piglet and Percy), have been HayDay fans since day 1 before we even started selling our products... If you can remember that far back! Her two guinea pigs, Piglet and Percy are permanent residents at her luxury guinea pig holiday boarding site - sounds like the dream to us - and are also our chief Moreish Meadow taste testers.
To shop our 4.5kg boxes of Moreish Meadow for your guinea pigs > Click here.
What is your 'day to day' schedule at Fluffies & Friends Small Animal Boarding, or is everyday different?
We have a daily routine, but this changes depending on the guinea pigs I have staying with me at the time and my work schedule (as I run Fluffies & Friends alongside my full time job in marketing)!
On arrival, I always ask for usual routines and feeding schedules. Piggies are sensitive animals and don’t like change! I also try and replicate their home environment when they arrive so they can adjust more easily to their holiday with us. Usually lots of cosy fleece items and tunnels!
The mornings involve all the guinea pigs squeaking loudly at me as soon as I wake up, reminding me that their breakfast is due! While the guinea pigs get excited for their breakfast veggies, I’ll do a big hay top up for all cages to last them throughout the day - we use a mix of Timothy Hay and Meadow Hay from HayDay! I’m usually working from home in the guinea pig room, which means extra snacks and treats throughout the day. I can’t resist giving a few pea flakes and chin scratches!
After work, all cages get a proper clean out before dinner veggies, water refill, a scoop of nuggets (depending on usual diets) and MORE hay. I also make sure I get some cute photos and videos to send to the owners – they always enjoy getting updates on how their guinea pigs are doing!
Do you offer your resident guinea pigs different varieties of hay and how do you know what’s suitable for each resident?
Before arriving, all pig-parents complete a booking form which includes any special requirements or medical issues. I can then tailor forage choices depending on this. Guinea pigs without any issues get a wide variety of forage sprinkled on top of their hay in the evenings. This includes a range of dried leaves, dried herbs and dried grass - I usually have a big batch mixed together so it’s easy to give the guinea pigs a blend. This keeps them busy during the night!
As the owner of a luxury guinea pig boarding, what would you recommend to others who may want to start their own?
A genuine love of guinea pigs is essential! It’s a really rewarding job as you develop a relationship with these little animals and they learn to trust you during their visits. I recommend transport and spare funds available for vet visits, time to care for sick pigs, and space for quarantine.
It’s important to be experienced enough to spot small changes in behaviour, appetite and health. Already owning guinea pigs makes this a lot easier! Insurance is also important to ensure you’re covered should anything happen. I check over all guinea pigs on arrival to ensure they are healthy and don’t have any visible issues. Don’t forget to ask what their favourite veggies are too!
We know that you're a guinea pig lover, what’s your favourite thing about Piglet and Percy?
Honestly everything about them is my favourite! Their personalities are so unique and they have learnt to completely trust humans through their life with us. Piglet is much more curious whereas Percy is more of a follower – despite Percy being a lot larger! They are also both fairly unusual breeds, so their hairdos are very cute!
What is Piglet and Percy’s favourite HayDay - Tasty Timothy or Moreish Meadow?
It’s got to be Moreish Meadow! It’s perfect for napping and eating at the same time! I love how green it is and it smells amazing every time I open the box. It seems to be a firm favourite with our boarding guinea pigs too!
And lastly, where is Fluffies and Friends located and where can you enquire about your boarding services?
We are based in West Sussex, about 20 minutes south of Gatwick. Perfect for boarding guinea pigs when owners are going on holiday via the airport! Anyone interested in finding out more about boarding their guinea pigs can get in touch via our Instagram or Facebook page.
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