4 week old guinea in a pet shop...are they too young?

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Guinea-Tia-Flossie

Hiya,

I've not been on this forum long, and don't know that much about guineas, so i thought this was the only place i could get some info on this.

Yesterday i went into a pet shop and saw 4 Abyssinian (spelt right?) guinea in a pet shop. I stood and watched them for a while because they looked just like one of my piggies.
The man who owned the shop came up to be and tried to pester me into getting one of these guineas, but when i asked how old they are he said "just under 4 weeks love"

I said i would think about it and he left me alone for a while...and as i turned round i saw about 7 bunnies huddled up, he saw me looking and shouted "they are just under 5 weeks"

Now i know rabbits shouldn't be separated from mum until at least 9 weeks so they were far too young...but what about guineas.

Is "just under 4 weeks" to young?

If so do you think i should report him to the RSPCA? and would anything come of it?

Please help, as this pet shop is obviously trying to break the rules of good animal keeping.

Oh and i told my local pet shop who is his 'competition' and she said most of the animal bought from there die after a few days. >:(

I'm really concerned...HELP!
 
Yes you are very right, just under 4 weeks is way to young...another example here of why pets shouldn't be sold in shops >:(

The RSPCA are unlikely to do anything, do try them though. Guineas are weaned at 4 weeks so in theory the RSPCA may say it isn't a welfare issue.


The people to call are your local environmental health team who you will be able to get in contact with via your Town Hall/civic centre. They issue the license to these shops.
Explain your concerns and ask them to visit the shop and let you know what they find. Are the conditions okay there? If not mention so and what the problems are. This will be treated in confidence.

Pets shops...don't you just love them ::)

Barbara
 
No >:(

Although I'm sure that there are some good ones out there
 
They are too young. they should be kept with mum till 4 weeks, 3 weeks for the boars. they then should be kept for antoher 2 -4 weeks to make sure they are thriving and eating and drinking ok. They look very cute at this age which is unfortunately why they end up in pet shops so young. >:(
 
Bless those little piggies being taken away from their mum so early, makes me very annoyed and sad :'(
 
4 weeks is awlful but i'm guessing not only pet shops do this and not all pet shops would ever entertain them this young I know of one who would'nt take them let alone sell them until 8 weeks, but yes I would report this place as they do sound an unscruplious shop with no welfare worrys about keeping a GP so young, and this is probably why the animals die so young this is an example of a nasty greedy pet shop owner not of all pet shops, ( sorry my pet shops is great and does everything to help animals care etc)
 
A pet shop in Glasgow today had 2 8 week old piggies 1 male and 1 female together. I told the owner thye shouldn't be together coz they can breed from an early age and she just laughed at me and walked away >:(
 
ignorent cow ! ( the pet shop owner I mean) wish all owners were as nice as my one here on the Island she simply adores animals thats why she brought a pet shop and she has often said to me some times her hubby get cross because she takes them home and keeps them luckly they live on a big spread in the country, shes as daft as me and you lot
 
The pet shop I go to only really sells fish he'll order in the odd bunny or piggie if someone really wants one but he prefers if they would check a local rescue first. He's got cages all over his house full of animals :) He's got a baby white chipmunk in the shop that he owns because the last 2 died of old age. It's really friendly
 
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