Lettuce Chomping Contest Added!
Tuesday, 01 November 2011
GUINEA PIGS TO INDULGE THEMSELVES AT OCEAN CITY QUIET FESTIVAL, NOV. 12
(Organizers hear from "Guinea Pig Today" about exercise wheels!)
OCEAN CITY, N.J. --- Guinea Pigs will indulge themselves during this City's seven day Quiet Festival on Nov. 12.
Quiet Festival organizers have scheduled a Quiet Pet competition between white mice, hamsters and Guinea Pigs. The event will be held at the Ocean City Community Center's Senior Meeting Room, 17th and Simpson Ave.*
The white mice and hamsters, being nocturnal, are scheduled to be judged for their lack of energy, unusual sleeping positions and general disinterest in their surroundings. Guinea Pigs were to be judged for liveliness, appearance, personality and interest in their surroundings plus their agility on the exercise wheel.
The plus proved not be a plus. Festival organizers received a concerned email from Angela Mitchell, Editor in Chief of "Guinea Pig Today." She pointed out that recent studies have shown running on exercise wheels leads to serious spine and leg injuries in Guinea Pigs. But wheels are perfectly fine for rats, mice and hamsters."
What to do? quietly mused Festival organizers.
Ms. Mitchell provided the answer. "Guinea Pigs are voracious eaters," she wrote. "I would suggest a lettuce eating contest using dark leaf greens such as romaine, a spring mix or parsley. Ice Berg Lettuce is not recommended because it is empty in calories."
And so it will come to pass that the World's First (until we hear otherwise) Lettuce Chomping Challenge for Guinea Pigs, will be held on Sat., Nov. 12 as part of the Quiet Festival's Quiet Pet Competition starting 10:30 a.m. at the Community Center. Awards will be given to the quickest and quietest chompers. Exercise wheels have been deleted from the competition.
The Band Amber Blues will provide acoustic music during the contest and HALT Rescues Danielle Challendar Clark will present information on how to care for and protect Hamsters, white Mice, Guinea Pigs and other pets.
Entry in the contest is free. All participants will receive a free photo with their pets. To register for the contest call 609-525-9300 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . After hours and on weekends call 609-364-4010. Use the same contacts for a complete schedule of Quiet Festival events.
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*The event was originally scheduled for the Community Center's Aquatic and Fitness Center but was moved to the Senior Meeting Room a few yards away in the same complex because of a scheduling conflict.
