Am I away too much for guinea pigs?

[bonhomiebear]

Hello! I'm considering getting a pair of guinea pigs - I have owned them before so understand their space and food requirements etc. I'm studying full time and have been really struggling with stress and anxiety, and feel like having pets back in my life could help with that.
What's making me hesitate is that I will be away about a month every Christmas and 2.5-3 over the summer. There is a girl who can come in and feed/water/clean them every day, but not really take them out and floor time them or anything. On the one hand if I give them a big enough cage with lots of enrichment, they'd still be well ahead of a lot of pet guinea pigs in terms of care, and in my experience don't actively seek out human interaction like a dog or a cat would (not to say they don't enjoy it - just that they're more into veggies and other pigs). On the other hand, if they're used to cuddles and floor time, that's a big change in routine for them to adjust to.
I'll be flying home so taking them with me each break is not an option, and while I'm still exploring options, this petsitter seems like my only option for the area. She's cared for guinea pigs before and is a vet student so no worries on the quality of care or recognising illness/injury.
I'd really appreciate others' thoughts on whether or not this is a deal-breaker in terms of their welfare. Thank you in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

It is good for you to consider good care carefully before you are getting your guinea pigs! You are obviously a caring, conscientious and responsible owner!

As you will be long a distance away for weeks/months on end, I would personally recommend to wait with having pets until your life is more settled again.

If it is any consolation for you, I stopped keeping guinea pigs for a decade once I went to uni and left my parents' home because I was not willing to compromise on quality of life for any pets while I was a student and afterwards living in a small inner city flat.
I have enjoyed and appreciated my adult piggies once I was able to come back to them all the more and have been much more aware of them as a species, their interaction and their welfare. My guinea pigs have certainly profited from that!

What you can do now in the meantime:
- start saving up for a vet/pet fund to be able to take any pet of yours to the vet and have it treated appropriately, which can quickly run into the hundreds of pounds or dollars.
- follow, fundraise for and support a good standard guinea pig rescue. This keeps you in touch with guinea pigs and you can still contribute and learn new things in a constructive way while getting a piggy fix. You also learn a lot about welfare as well as some life skills; it also looks good on your cv!
You do not have to be local to do things and to help.
UK rescues: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Recommended rescues in other countries: Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

 

[Merab]

Thinking ahead and considering the animals’ welfare is the sign of a loving pet owner.
It’s hard when our circumstances in life mean that we’re not settled and we have to adjust.
@Wiebke has given some good advice.

There will come a time when life settles down and it is easier to make a commitment to pets

 

[PiggyPoo]

I’d probably wait. A great idea is visiting/helping out at pet rescues to get your piggie fix until you’re more settled xx

 

[bonhomiebear]

Thank you for the responses!

Unfortunately there are no small animal rescues near me, but I'm in vet school so I still get plenty of interaction with animals I do volunteer at rescues and clinics whenever I'm home though.
I'll look into something more along the lines of reptiles for now, and get my pig fix from lurking the pig photo thread on here

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for the responses!

Unfortunately there are no small animal rescues near me, but I'm in vet school so I still get plenty of interaction with animals I do volunteer at rescues and clinics whenever I'm home though.
I'll look into something more along the lines of reptiles for now, and get my pig fix from lurking the pig photo thread on here

If you want to get a bit more into what happens in good standard rescues, you might like to have a look on my Wiebke's Tribe facebook page. I also share guinea pig rescue news and stories from around the world. You can find the direct link in my signature.

Guinea Pig Guru facebook page (by an exotics vet nurse) may also be interesting for you.

PS: Any vet with a particular interest in guinea pigs is MOST welcome wherever you are! The species falls into the gap between being classed as an exotics pet and therefore not being all that much on the radar of a general vet, but sadly too 'everyday' for most exotics vets although they are fascinating species in themselves. There is a growing number of caring owners out there that are suffering from a dearth of access to piggy savvy vets!