An unfortunate end

M

Miniandy

New Born Pup
Joined
May 2, 2021
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Points
45
Location
Uckfield, UK
Hi all,

First post, could do with a little advice and this seems to be a good place to try. Sorry for the long post.

A little history from me. Had Guinea pigs since I was young and in total we probably had approaching 10 over the course of 15 years, or so. Now with a family myself I thought perfect idea to introduce them to guinea pigs as I had been when I was young.

So we went out an purchased 3 sow's from a reasonable local breeder and all has gone swimmingly over the last 5 years. They are Garden/Shed piggy's and until Friday night we hadn't any anything other than (very) minor bumps in the road.

Alas after putting them in the garden run a couple of weeks back a fox has managed to get its way in. If it had got into the run, everything should have been fine. I built the run/housing myself and it was designed with this in mind; if something were to dig under it wouldn't be able to get in to the sleeping area, there is only space for a piggie to get through the door and nothing bigger. However, the fox managed to pry off a 10 to 15kg roof section of the hutch/sleeping area and two of the three are now missing presumed dead. Very sad and we are all truly gutted.

The remaining piggie is unharmed, was found in the run and has been returned to the shed hutch for now. However, this is where the question comes in. What to do now we have a lonely remaining sow who is almost exactly 5 years old?

Having talked it through, my daughters are keen on replacing said piggies - they really miss them. However, I'm not so sure after the recent events.

Interested in your thoughts and how to go about it, but my thinking is along the following lines:

1. Find a circa 5year old mate for sow - I'm struggling with where to get one.
2. Tough it out with the remaining sow on her own - I don't like this, but it maybe reality.
3. Re-home the sow - my children would disown me.

Thoughts / help would be really appreciated right now.

Thanks
 
I’m so sorry for the tragic loss of two of your piggies x
Have you had a look at our Rescue locator, it’s in the green bar. I think there’s quite few around the East Sussex area. Email them and explain that you have a bereaved elderly girl and that you want a companion or two. Single or older piggies are often not advertised on their sites as much as young piggies. They may offer dating, do ask
Good luck and let us all know how you get on
 
I adopted a 5 year old sow from a rescue so it is possible. Patsy is lovely and was clearly well loved in her old home. I adopted her in September and she has only just started to feel settled over the last few weeks. Good luck in finding a sow and I'm very sorry to learn of your loss.
 
Miniandy said:
Hi all,

First post, could do with a little advice and this seems to be a good place to try. Sorry for the long post.

A little history from me. Had Guinea pigs since I was young and in total we probably had approaching 10 over the course of 15 years, or so. Now with a family myself I thought perfect idea to introduce them to guinea pigs as I had been when I was young.

So we went out an purchased 3 sow's from a reasonable local breeder and all has gone swimmingly over the last 5 years. They are Garden/Shed piggy's and until Friday night we hadn't any anything other than (very) minor bumps in the road.

Alas after putting them in the garden run a couple of weeks back a fox has managed to get its way in. If it had got into the run, everything should have been fine. I built the run/housing myself and it was designed with this in mind; if something were to dig under it wouldn't be able to get in to the sleeping area, there is only space for a piggie to get through the door and nothing bigger. However, the fox managed to pry off a 10 to 15kg roof section of the hutch/sleeping area and two of the three are now missing presumed dead. Very sad and we are all truly gutted.

The remaining piggie is unharmed, was found in the run and has been returned to the shed hutch for now. However, this is where the question comes in. What to do now we have a lonely remaining sow who is almost exactly 5 years old?

Having talked it through, my daughters are keen on replacing said piggies - they really miss them. However, I'm not so sure after the recent events.

Interested in your thoughts and how to go about it, but my thinking is along the following lines:

1. Find a circa 5year old mate for sow - I'm struggling with where to get one.
2. Tough it out with the remaining sow on her own - I don't like this, but it maybe reality.
3. Re-home the sow - my children would disown me.

Thoughts / help would be really appreciated right now.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi!

I am very sorry about your tragic loss. Determined predators can unfortunately get their way in; dogs and foxes are much stronger than you'd expect.

It is a normal reaction that you do not want to continue after the kind of shock you have just suffered; it is however equally common that others may prefer to continue. We all reacti differently.
You may want to contact one of our recommended good welfare standard rescues. They often offer a solution re. companionship for the last standing piggy although you may want to revise/check whether your living accommodation is welfare compatible and safe enough an dbe open minded about any recommendations from a rescue; they are always rooted in their own experiences and made with the welfare of your guinea pigs upmost in mind.

You can find more detailed helpful information via these links here:
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Rescue Locator
Cage Size Guide
 
So very sorry for your tragic loss.
I would echo the advice given about contacting a good local rescue.
Given the trauma you are a great owner thinking of your bereaved girls needs.
Don’t forget to give yourselves time to grieve.
 
So sorry for your loss. It sounds like you built an awesome run. But fixes can be so determined. I would also agree with contacting a local rescue and dating your girl there.
I don’t think I’d leave your piggy (ies) unsupervised in a run again now that a fox has broken in once. They are clever and will come back again for another go if they get the chance. I just pop mine out for an hour or so while I can watch them as we also have an issue here with predators in the garden.
 
Thanks for the replies and kind words, its been a difficult weekend.

There are a couple of rescue places nearby, I'll give them a call and see where we end up. I didn't know any offered a matching service, that's an interesting thought. The one that's left is typically timid on the piggie range of personalities.

I agree with the suggestions about likelihood of return etc and being very difficult to keep them out. We could just use the outdoor cage during the day and get them back into a more permanent setup in the shed overnight.
 
Space is the problem there. A compromise might be to put them in the conservatory, which we unusually use as a washroom, where I could carve out some space. Its warmer than the shed, but only marginally and the swing in temp might be more of an issue.

I'll put some thought into it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top