Meet the HayPigs!®

Nutmeg or 'Nutty' as he was affectionately known, was the first piggy we adopted back in 2014 (along with his best mate, Neptune). He was a male, brown, short-haired guinea pig.

PERSONALITY:

This handsome little dude was full of personality and very inquisitive. While he could be grumpy and never liked being picked up, once he was in your lap, he'd climb all over you or curl up (like a croissant!) to have a nap. Nutmeg loved his food and always clambered up his cage in the morning, wheeking frantically to get your attention! He was remarkably friendly and even greeted cats and dogs!

LOVED:

Carrots, fresh grass, tunnels, nap time and saying hello!

HATED:

Being picked up, having his nails cut and aeroplanes.

Nutmeg passed over the rainbow bridge in May 2018 after a lengthy battle with Osteodystrophy. We feel so honoured and privileged to have looked after this little piggy, he truly changed the course of our lives and is missed every day. Rest in peace Nutty.

Neptune was a male,grey and white, short-haired guinea pig. He was named after the planet Neptune. He was adopted in 2014 with his best pal Nutmeg (one of the original two HayPigs!®). Initially a very timid pig, Neptune found his confidence later on in life, particularly when he got his first girlfriend, Pepper! They loved a snuggle and being lazy together! Towards the end of his life he was also an incredible father figure to Barnum, teaching him everything he knew. 

LOVED:

Exploring new run layouts, snuggles and chin rubs.

HATED:

Tingly sounds.

Neptune passed over the rainbow bridge in May 2020, aged 7 ½. He lived a full and happy life and was a wonderful companion to Nutmeg and then Pepper and Barnum. We have so many found memories of handsome little piggy and he remains deeply embedded in our hearts. Rest in peace buddy.

Pepper (pig) was a grey and white, English crested guinea pig. We adopted Pepper in Spring 2016 along with Xena, her bounded friend. Pepper had beautiful big eyes and a cute bottom lip making her a very pretty pig indeed.

PERSONALITY:

As the matriarch, Pepper was a mother figure to our herd and would look out for them all. She was very outgoing and loved the attention of humans. Pepper also very much enjoyed a snuggle, while in the herd with Napoleon and later on in life, with her retirement buddy, Neptune.

LOVED:

Peppers, snuggling and posing.

HATED:

An empty bowl.

Pepper passed over the rainbow bridge in December 2019. That day our little family lost a legend, but she will go on in our hearts. Rest in peace princess.

Xena (warrior piggy) was our big grey and white fluff ball. She was a Rex guinea pig so her hair was very wool-like. We adopted Xena in Spring 2016 along with Pepper. Xena was named after a famous Warrior princess because she was incredibly strong and her fur made her look much bigger than she really was. Her belly had beautiful rings of hair on it.

PERSONALITY:

She was quite a timid pig and liked to run away with her food. Her timidness would sometimes be miss-interpreted as grumpiness, but she was the sweetest girl!

LOVED:

Broccoli, hidey huts, chin rubs and Ludwik.

HATED:

Mint, being caught.

Xena passed over the rainbow bridge in October 2018. We miss her fluffiness dearly and the beautiful friendship she had with Napoleon. Rest in peace our little fluffball.

Crunchie (the ginger ninja) was our youngest pig, adopted in Summer 2016 when she was only 9 months old. She was a ginger Abyssinian guinea pig and had amazing rosettes of hair that stuck out in every direction. Crunchie was named after a famous UK chocolate bar that has a honeycomb centre and a golden wrapper.

PERSONALITY:

She was incredibly cute to look at but also a secret ninja in disguise! When you tried to catch her you needed reaction times like a sprinter! She was also very, very vocal and loved to wheek for attention!

LOVED:

Kale, following the other girls in a piggy train, wheeking for food.

HATED:

Carrots, waiting in a queue, Napoleon's romantic advances.

Crunchie passed over the rainbow bridge in March 2017 after her life was cut tragically short due to a liver lymphoma. We miss her big personality and beautiful piggy face every day. Rest in peace our little ginger fluff monster.

Napoleon was a neutered male and lived with the girls. He was a cross between an Abyssinian and Himalayan guinea pig and was white in colour. We adopted him in Autumn 2016. He was a very striking chap, with a long nose that had a dark patch on it (from the Himalayan in him). He also had dark ears, dark feet and beautiful red eyes!

PERSONALITY:

He was delighted to be living with his little heard of lady pigs and was remarkably well mannered and gentle around them. When ever a piggy was sick, he would look after them.

LOVED:

Cuddling, carrots and rumble strutting for the girls.

HATED:

Having his man bits cleaned.

Napoleon passed over the rainbow bridge in January 2019 after loosing a long term battle with a bone infection in his jaw. We miss his handsome face and gentle demeanour, he was a real gent and he left a huge impression on everyone he met. Rest in peace our handsome little boy.

Harlequin was a tri-coloured, English crested guinea pig. She had incredible markings all over her body in very straight lines (hence her name!). She was adopted with her sister Jet in Spring 2017.

PERSONALITY:

Harlequin was quite timid with humans when she was younger but far more confident and bolshie with the herd. This changed over time as she discovered the joys of chin rubs! When Pepper died, Harlequin had trouble adjusting to her new position within the herd and was not very accepting of new piggies. But once she had established herself as the new matriarch, she became an incredibly caring mother figure (particularly to little Elsa). We were very proud of her transition.

LOVED:

Chin rubs, eating with her belly on the ground, poking her head out like a turtle.

HATED:

Being taken out of her Circus Hidey Hut.

Harlequin passed over the rainbow bridge in September 2020 after battling hard to overcome illness following surgery to remove suspected cancerous lumps. Despite thinking we were through the worst of it, she was still cruelly taken from us with what we suspect washer kidneys giving up. She was an incredibly beautiful piggy and loved working with us in the camera booth! Our daughter, Scarlett, was particularly taken by her, we miss her so much. Rest in peace, our patchwork piggy.

Jet was a black, English crested guinea pig with a flash of ginger on her backside! She was adopted with her sister Harlequin in Spring 2017. Her coat was incredibly glossy and smooth to the touch. She was named Jet because of her speed and the fact she was black (jet black!).

PERSONALITY:

As her name suggests, Jet was as quick as lightning. She was also extremely inquisitive and very good at problem solving. She was always very wary of humans (probably down to her intelligence!) but learnt to trust us towards the end of her life. She was always very tricky to photograph!

LOVED:

Climbing, working out puzzles, following Napoleon.

HATED:

Being caught.

Jet passed over the rainbow bridge in June 2020. We found it incredibly hard to take, as she was still so young and full of life and we’d worked so hard to help her with illness. She had always been susceptible to bloat, and we had a lengthy battle on when she started losing weight. The day she passed, she had just been to the vets for an injection to help stabilise her gut for a second time, but she never recovered. We will never forget just how much her personality changed with all the extra attention we gave her, she really enjoyed our company and we’re just so sad we didn’t have more time with her. Rest in peace Jet, we love you.

Indiana was a sandy coloured Abyssinian guinea pig with an incredibly cute face and a little twitch in one of her ears. She was adopted in Autumn 2017. She was named after the French translation of guinea pig, 'Cochon d'Inde' which translates to 'Indian Pig'.

PERSONALITY:

Despite her 'butter wouldn't melt' appearance, Indiana was a little madam when we first met her and frequently nipped and chased the other piggies. She soon calmed down though and became very close with all the other piggies, grooming them regularly and following them around. She had a massive personality and was very friendly and inquisitive with humans. This got her the nickname 'sassy' pig.

LOVED:

Food, pushing other piggies out of their beds, coming to say hello, piggy kisses.

HATED:

Having to wait, other piggies owning anything, carrots.

Indiana passed over the rainbow bridge in November 2018 after a defective kidney ended her life heartbreakingly early. Her loss was really hard to take, especially as she was so loved by all the other piggies. We miss her incredible personality and stunning beauty every day. Rest in peace our little miss sassy pig.

Sylvester (or Sylvester G. Pig Sr.) was a black and white Sheba Mini Yak (a cross between a Peruvian and Abyssinian guinea pig). He was adopted in February 2019 after losing his companion.

PERSONALITY:

Some pigs just love interacting with humans and Sylvester definitely fell into this category! A very handsome chap, Sylvester would leave a lasting impression on everyone who met him. He was larger than life, with his crazy hair and outgoing personality and it was sad that we only had a short time with him.

LOVED:

Food (any form), Humans, cuddles and chin rubs, chasing lady pigs.

HATED:

Conflict.

Sylvester passed over the rainbow bridge in May 2019 after a prolonged fight with illness. Despite his health issues in later life, he lived a happy and fulfilling life with three different families and was a good age when he died. Rest in peace little dude, you were one of a kind.

Storm (affectionally known as ‘Stormzy’ or the ‘Tiny Tempest’) is a silver-haired, Silkie (Sheltie) guinea pig. Her beautiful hair is dark at the front and cascades back from her head in waves of silvery grey. She also has a very unusual eye colour that can look silver, black and even red in varying light conditions. Storm was adopted in January 2019 with her sister, Nutella.

PERSONALITY:

She is a bit more confident than her sister and will come and say hello when she thinks there might be some food up for grabs. Like many Silkie guinea pigs, the showgirl in her means that (once caught!) she is very relaxed and still in your hands.

LOVES:

Parsley and posing.

HATES:

Having her hair combed, her nails trimmed and having a bath (like her sister!).

Nutella (or ‘Tella’ as HayBaby calls her) is a brown-haired, Silkie (Sheltie) guinea pig. She is a lot shyer than her sister and also a lot smaller. She was named in honour and remembrance of Nutmeg, our original piggy and has the same multi-toned brown in her hair. Nutella was adopted in January 2019 with her sister, Storm.

PERSONALITY:

She is a gentle soul with a heart of gold. While she will let the other piggies dominate the food bowl she does have a voice of her own and can often be heard wheeking loudly at dinner time!

LOVES:

Hiding under wicker tunnels, charging through tunnels (including the Cavy Cannonball!) and looking fabulous.

HATES:

Having her hair combed, her nails trimmed and having a bath (like her sister!).

Barnum is a black and orange, American short-haired guinea pig. He is named after the American showman and circus owner, P. T. Barnum. We adopted Barnum in December 2019 as a new companion for Neptune. Ne has a beautiful strip of orange all the way down his nose.

PERSONALITY:

We are still getting to know Barnum but we can already tell that he’s quite a confident little fellow. He certainly loves to rumblestrut and because he’s still only small, his rumbling is quite high pitched!

LOVES:

Rumblestrutting, cucumbers and treat balls.

HATES:

Not being allowed at the girls!

Ziggy is a zany Abyssinian guinea pig with a white body, brown head and a flash of orange covering one side of her face. She was adopted in October 2020.

PERSONALITY:

Ziggy is a classic “Aby”, sassy, outgoing and fascinated by people. She thinks nothing of bounding up to humans for attention and is also very photogenic! We love her fluffy butt hair and the striking colouring across her face.

LOVES:

Exploring (especially climbing!), Greeting humans and any treat she can lay her paws on.

HATES:

Waiting for the hutch door to open for floor time.

Elsa is a tri-coloured, English crested guinea pig. Her eyes have blue tinge to them. She was adopted with her sister, Bea, in July 2020. Elsa was one of a litter of 6 pups born in Blackberry Patch Rescue after their mother was surrendered. Contrary to popular belief, she is not named after the Disney character from Frozen. Bea and Elsa are little homage to the Argentinian football manager, “Biesla”.

PERSONALITY:

Elsa is extremely outgoing and not at all fazed by humans and larger piggies than herself. She has an impressive side eye, which always gives you the impression she’s up to something!

LOVES:

Cavy Cannonballs, pea flakes and nose scratches.

HATES:

Anything touching her back end, sharing with her sister!

Bea is a tri-coloured, English crested guinea pig. Like her sister, her eyes have a blue tinge in them. As a pup she sustained a broken leg in an accident and consequently spent an extra couple of months at the rescue before joining her sister in our herd.

PERSONALITY:

Bea was a nervous and scatty piggy as a pup who would race around and was easily startled. It was this recklessness and “wild side” that we suspect led to her injury (although to this day we’re still not quite sure how it happened!). As Bea has matured, she has definitely calmed down, but is still quite shy. She enjoys her food and is already considerably bigger than Elsa.

LOVES: Climbing, jumping and sitting on pee pads.

HATES: Sharing food bowls, piggies that get in her way.

(Marvellous) Mabel is an orange and white coloured Sheba Mini Yak. She has a distinctive white nose surrounded by a “lion’s mane” of ginger hair! She was adopted in November 2020 and is named after Mabel Stark, a famous circus animal trainer.

PERSONALITY:

Mabel is outgoing and inquisitive. She is frequently found popping her head out of hidey huts and archways to see what’s going on, or marching straight up to you! She also believes anything that is thrust her way must be food and will nibble your finger even if there’s nothing in your hand! Mabel’s hair is quite extraordinary, shooting off in every direction possible - this does give her the appearance of a Fraggle (see Jim Henson) and her personality kinda matches!

LOVES:

Saying hello, nibbling your finger, posing.

HATES:

Having her hair combed, the disappointing flavour of fingers.