Foraging, Floorboards & Finding Space

This week’s been chaos – the kind that somehow feels productive and grounding all at once. If you’ve ever wondered what life behind Guinea Gourmet Treats looks like, here’s your peek. It’s not all neat labels and cute animals. Sometimes it’s bamboo sticks flying out the attic and ferrets getting their heads stuck in floorboards. Yep, seriously.

Ferrets and Floorboards

It started with one of the ferrets – he got bored after a round of tormenting me and decided to entertain himself by shoving his head under the carpet, finding a tiny hole, and promptly getting stuck under the floorboards. Cue full-blown rescue mission, which involved my partner sawing and hacking through a board to get him out. He's fine. The floor is... not.

The Bamboo Situation (and Panda Curiosity)

While the chaos unfolded downstairs, I tackled the attic. Honestly, it was horrendous – loose forage everywhere, bags stacked high, dried plants draped over every available surface. But once I’m up there, it becomes my space to breathe. I’ve started trimming and bagging up everything I’ve dried recently. Some bamboo sticks I’ve kept natural with multiple branch-offs – they’ve got a nice wild look to them that I think gives our mixes a USP edge.

Also, in a peak moment of curiosity (and maybe slight mania), I tried to chew one of the thicker bamboo stalks – I wanted to know what pandas see in them. Turns out? Rock hard and tastes like paper. Not recommended.

This Week’s Forage Log:

• Bamboo sticks (with branch-offs for natural texture)

• Bamboo leaves and stems (bagged separately)

• Sow thistle (this season’s batch, bagged)

• Carrot tops, dandelion leaves, and flower tops (stored)

• Final batch of white rose petals from my front garden

• Ash leaves (newly foraged)

• Fruit & veg added to the mix (for rabbit & guinea pig only)

• Pine cones (more packed for enrichment)

• Dried linden branches (trimmed for use)

• Hazel branches and leaves

• Separated rose petals, dead nettle, and elderberries

All slowly being sorted and logged to keep things fresh, safe, and species-specific.

Labels & Shortcuts

You might start noticing some of our labels now have the mix name simply highlighted – it’s not laziness, it’s survival. With so many blends and custom orders flying out, this helps me stay on top of things while still giving your pets the forage they love. It’s a practical shortcut that lets me spend more time prepping and less time arguing with the printer.

Emotional Bits Between the Leaves

While I was up there sorting, my daughter came up just as my partner returned home. She asked for a hug – said she was fine, but the timing said more. She often seeks that comfort when the house dynamic shifts. Today, she even vented about her dad's moaning after he went out. That’s new. Usually, it’s my son who shows relief when he’s gone – but this time, both kids lit up when I said he was heading out.

It's something I’ve noticed more lately. I’d given my partner some of my saved-up stash money to go out because he was getting restless – and when he’s like that, his behaviour shifts. More control, more food-related rants, more tension. When he left, the house exhaled. The kids and I could just... exist.

These moments, however brief, are gold. They remind me what our home could feel like – and what I need to protect.

The Bigger Picture

Running a small business like GGT isn’t just about products – it’s about real life, messy kids, emotional labour, bamboo sticks, and finding sanctuary in between it all. Foraging isn’t just something I do for the animals; it’s something I do for me. It gives me purpose, stillness, and a chance to remember why this all matters.

Thanks for being part of that.

If you’ve ever bought a bag of forage from us, you’ve supported more than a business. You’ve supported a family trying to create something good – for animals, for people, and for ourselves.

• Tara x