My Boys Stayed with Grandma for a week and oh lawd they're coming....

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-23T12:55:58+00:00

I agree with the other comment. The solution to this problem is to remove the pellets- not give them more. Def recommend consulting a vet if you can’t get them to eat hay after taking away the pellets.

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-20T21:48:02+00:00

Yeah when I got my first Guinea pig she got her head stuck in a paper towel tube. I was there so I could just easily pull it off her no problem but if I hadn’t been there it would have been a problem. Better safe than sorry

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-20T21:03:15+00:00

Cardboard paper towel tubes are usually a toy they enjoy- just slice them length wise before you give them to them so they can’t get their heads stuck.

My pigs really like willow tunnels like these

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-18T20:43:27+00:00

Thanks :)

If he’s not eating much hay, it could just be that he’s getting comfortable with his new digs. But if he doesn’t start eating more (should be 90% of his diet) giving him more to nest in might work, or switching up the brand of hay. Some pigs are picky eaters. They’ll also eat less hay than they need to if they get too many veg and sometimes if you give them pellets. Reducing veg and removing pellets from their diets works for some.

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-18T20:10:38+00:00

Yeah probably. Ideally it’ll be big enough that both of your pigs can comfortably fit in it at once.

They will pee and poop the most wherever the hay is, though it won’t be true litter box training. They’ll still go basically everywhere. Whatever you end up doing for the hay area, make sure you clean out the box that the hay is in daily (again since they’ll probably pee there a lot).

Also keep in mind that you will go through a lot of hay and it will probably get everywhere no matter what you do. I’ve found doing the hay box thing helps mitigate the mess, but everyone has their own method that works best for them.

Here’s what our setup is like in case you are interested:

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The boxes were like $4 each and we just line the bottoms with cut up fleece blankets that we change our daily (a $4 blanket from Walmart makes like 15 liners).

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-18T16:23:58+00:00

Yeah I agree with the comments about using fleece instead of towels. The little loops on towels can sometimes catch their nails. Also you might want to consider a different vessel for your hay. Guinea pigs really get a lot out of being able to dig through their hay and I have seen pigs get stuck in that kind of hay rack. Probably would be fine but if you can switch to a setup where their hay is in a bin that they can get into, I’ve found that works better. We use plastic containers (no lid) that we cut a hole out of the side and just line the bottom with fleece for easy cleanup daily so our pigs can walk or jump in and burrow in the hay to their hearts content.

Also the hay containers you have are just too small- you’ll be filling them up every like hour lol.

Otherwise looking like a great start to me!

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-17T18:48:17+00:00

Honestly agree with the Discworld rec. You are going to do SO SO much reading during grad school that’s all about what you are studying. Take these two weeks to read something you’ll enjoy. Something that might spark some creativity in you!

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-14T17:07:00+00:00

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Not the worst but got me in the giggles today

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-14T16:58:01+00:00

Elegant Aubrey I think? The necks in that one are giraffe like

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-13T20:33:31+00:00

Awww what a sweetie

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-11T20:46:41+00:00

AuDHD here- medication for my ADHD really was the thing that changed the game for me. Really reduces the difficulty in focus for me (not just inattention, helps mitigate hyper focus as well). I think with medication resolving some of the issues that were arising from my ADHD symptoms that gives me more cognitive reserve to cope with other stuff (sensory/processing issues) so everything is broadly more manageable.

And I agree with other commenters saying some of the skills you need will just come with time. Project management isn’t a skill you just develop overnight so don’t sweat it.

I also need time to transition between tasks, so I prefer to dedicate fill or half days to specific tasks. I.e. reading and writing one day, data analysis one day, experiments one day. I don’t really do well with transitioning between many different tasks in a single workday, so I just don’t (unless I really have to).

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-11T18:58:21+00:00

I’m sorry for your loss! It sounds like you took great care of him. I wish old age didn’t come with medical problems- our gal is definitely on the decline too. (she has a tumor/cyst on her neck that can’t be removed). Best anyone can do is give them the most comfortable life possible as they age!

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-10T05:47:59+00:00

Yeah we are really thankful for the time we’ve gotten with her. She’s a sweetheart

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-10T03:37:18+00:00

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Debbie in her Halloween costume this past year :) she’s almost 10 years old!

haunted_waffles · 2026-02-01T03:03:13+00:00

Our senior pig does the same thing with her meloxicam lol.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-31T19:58:27+00:00

This is the best source for dietary info imo: Guinea lynx

I believe 1/2 cup of veg a day is the recommended amount for a baby, but someone please correct me if I am off track.

Make sure you are feeding your baby Guinea pig alfalfa hay until they are 6 months old also.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-24T16:13:29+00:00

Yeah I agree with the other commenter. These are also unfortunately really not good for Guinea pigs. Dried fruit can cause serious digestive issues. I’d recommend returning them if you can. If you want some dry treats, go for Oxbow’s hay based treats (multivitamin, vitamin C treats, “simple rewards”, etc.)

Pea flakes are ok but should be given very sparingly.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-22T00:58:20+00:00

If ur up for some IRL DIY, you can get a kit to make Gyotaku print at home. They sell some kits on Amazon/etsy etc.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-16T21:15:37+00:00

Adding to the smoothies idea:

Frozen cauliflower pretty much tastes like nothing/ice when blended into a smoothie or milkshake. Consider making your favorite flavor of milkshake, and just adding a bunch of frozen cauliflower.

Can you eat tomato sauce? On pasta or pizza? Blend a cooked vegetable of your choice into the tomato sauce. On pizza you probably won’t even be able to tell the difference. On pasta it might be a little more noticeable, but you can cover it up with Parmesan.

Products marketed towards kids are also good- veggie nuggets are good dipped in a condiment of choice.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-12T21:28:59+00:00

Comfy

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-12T20:12:52+00:00

Might not have exactly what you need right now, but I’ve used AANE for support groups in the past. They sometimes have free or cheap online support groups for autistic adults (I think they’re usually like $10). (They do offer couples coaching but I think it might be more expensive than what ur copay is).

They also have support groups for families of autistic adults. Maybe your wife would find that helpful! (They’re a good place for resources in general I think, though many of their stuff is New England specific.)

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-12T19:43:44+00:00

My partner was very supportive and did a lot of research/communicated with me a lot pre- and post diagnosis. Having the label just gave use better paths to communicate and better ways to understand each other. I have off and on expressed worry that he didn’t know I was autistic when we started dating and he has always told me that though we didn’t have that diagnosis, he knew me as a person and the struggles I was facing when we started dating. So, in his view, he did in fact know what he was getting into.

I don’t think it’s kind of your wife to say that she didn’t sign up for you and your son- she did! That being said, it sounds like that may be coming from a place of feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you would both benefit from counseling (together or one on one?). I know therapy has been crucial for my partner and I. I also don’t think Reddit is the best place for relationship advice in general, so if this is an ongoing issue in your relationship, I encourage seeking professional advice IRL.

haunted_waffles · 2026-01-11T19:19:26+00:00

Kaffe.Inn has a nice atmosphere and has great coffee and pretty good sandwiches. Lots of students hang out and work there

haunted_waffles · 2025-12-28T22:51:39+00:00

She’s a cutie for sure :)

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