Early in September 2009 and after long deliberation and research as to possible extra pets, I decided to have a couple of guinea pigs as they're fairly small (I had originally thought of a pair of dwarf rabbits) and easy to look after; and easily catered for by the pet shop in the local High Street. Having searched various adverts on-line I was lucky enough to find some 8-week old youngsters in a nearby nursery, so after having purchased all the necessary housing/bedding/food requirements they came home and we slowly got to know one another.

George (as in 'curious', the greyish one) is continually bossed around by Custard (as in 'cowardly', the tri-colour) and even has food literally stolen from his mouth as he's eating it, but he was also the first of the pair to discover many things: how to use the water-spout rather than the original dish they had been used to (being easier to reach); to hold food down with his paws, to lift himself up on edges with his front feet; to recognise my entry to the room and squeal for food; to leap from the floor of their cage onto the roof of their hide (a series of small branches held together by thick wire) and look around; and to fearlessly sniff my hands even though he (and Custard) both run away when I go to pick them up even though after a couple of week they stopped squirming when being held and now eat from my hands all the time. Custard also loves to bulldoze the hay and has even rolled in it, and he's by far the better jumper of the pair.