Buying guinea Pigs

[GuineaBabs]

I often go to this website that people list guinea pigs that they need to rehome pretty quickly, for reasons like allergies, moving, etc. I saw a beautiful “werewolf” piggy that I was looking to take in since they said they didn’t have enough time for him. He was listed at $100 and that’s a bit too much for me just for a rehome. So I asked if $70 was okay and they straight out said no which is fine but Sometimes I feel like they do it a bit more for the money. What do you guys think? I just think that if you truly needed to urgently rehome your piggy you would do what’s best for your baby and not just give it to the person who pays more.

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is the problem with a lot of these websites and why the forum is pro rescue not buying.
It’s not always about welfare of truly needing a new home for the piggies , it’s about money and some may be breeders. This is why i don’t and won’t rehome from websites. A lot of people are economical with the truth, piggies come with a multitude of health issues etc. You take on a lot of risk and potential expense when getting piggies this way.

 

[Swissgreys]

Sadly these site are often used by back yard breeders who are doing exactly as you say - trying to get the most money out of unsuspecting buyers.
The fact that you saw a 'werewolf' guinea pig indicates that this person is a breeder as werewolf guinea pigs do not exist and this is clearly a marketing ploy for Halloween.
Chances are the guinea pigs in question will come with multiple heath issues as a result of poor housing and non selective breeding.

We have several members on here who have rehomed from similar situations and ended up spending a lot more than the purchase price of their piggies on follow up vet care.

Did this seller ask anything about your set up, expereince, or for photos of your cage?
Chances are no, becasue they breed for profit and don't really care where their piggies end up.
It is a very sad situation.

 

[Pigwhisperer]

Here's the page of rescue centres. Genuine people will have already surrendered their pet to a rescue rather than advertising on a web site, and rescue centres will check the health etc of the pigs before selling them on. Good luck with your search, hope you find a rescue near you.
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations

 

[GuineaBabs]

Sadly these site are often used by back yard breeders who are doing exactly as you say - trying to get the most money out of unsuspecting buyers.
The fact that you saw a 'werewolf' guinea pig indicates that this person is a breeder as werewolf guinea pigs do not exist and this is clearly a marketing ploy for Halloween.
Chances are the guinea pigs in question will come with multiple heath issues as a result of poor housing and non selective breeding.

We have several members on here who have rehomed from similar situations and ended up spending a lot more than the purchase price of their piggies on follow up vet care.

Did this seller ask anything about your set up, expereince, or for photos of your cage?
Chances are no, becasue they breed for profit and don't really care where their piggies end up.
It is a very sad situation.

They just called it a “werewolf” piggy because it’s a skinny pig with a bit of more hair on its body than a regular piggy. Some of my friends call them that too even though it’s not an official breed, that’s why I put quotation marks around it. They did ask about my experience, Cage etc but sadly I’m sure they only did it because no one else was interested. I’ve gotten a few piggies like that since there’s almost no rescues near where I live.

 

[GuineaBabs]

This is the problem with a lot of these websites and why the forum is pro rescue not buying.
It’s not always about welfare of truly needing a new home for the piggies , it’s about money and some may be breeders. This is why i don’t and won’t rehome from websites. A lot of people are economical with the truth, piggies come with a multitude of health issues etc. You take on a lot of risk and potential expense when getting piggies this way.

I cannot get a rescuer near me sadly. The first rescue where I live (Piggy Poo) has shut down their number etc and I do not see them anywhere . I have tried with the second rescue in the state that is like and hour and a half away but they always leave me hanging. Those two are the only rescues in my state that I know of

 

[Siikibam]

As long as you know that you may not have the true story of the piggies you take on i.e. they may have health issues that aren’t obvious on sight. You need to be prepared to pay out large sums in case they are unwell.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I cannot get a rescuer near me sadly. The first rescue where I live (Piggy Poo) has shut down their number etc and I do not see them anywhere . I have tried with the second rescue in the state that is like and hour and a half away but they always leave me hanging. Those two are the only rescues in my state that I know of

That’s a shame that they don’t get back to you
As siikibam has said, as long as you know there could be risks and potentially high vet bills when taking on piggies via websites

 

[RedLoredAmazon]

That's sad that you lost your local piggy rescue. I did look up in Guinea Pig Finder and there's a bunch of piggies that people are rehoming in Arizona.

 

[GuineaBabs]

That's sad that you lost your local piggy rescue. I did look up in Guinea Pig Finder and there's a bunch of piggies that people are rehoming in Arizona.

Yes that’s one of the websites I use! Although some rehoming fees are reasonable on there, some people are asking way too much. I’ve gotten around 4 of my guinea pigs from Guinea Pig Finder. From what I’ve seen, people in Arizona are not that big on guinea pigs and there’s almost nothing here on them. 95% of the only places you can get guinea pigs over here are pet shops, which is a shame because the pet shops we have here that do carry them have a really bad past with cruel breeding

 

[RedLoredAmazon]

Yes that’s one of the websites I use! Although some rehoming fees are reasonable on there, some people are asking way too much. I’ve gotten around 4 of my guinea pigs from Guinea Pig Finder. From what I’ve seen, people in Arizona are not that big on guinea pigs and there’s almost nothing here on them. 95% of the only places you can get guinea pigs over here are pet shops, which is a shame because the pet shops we have here that do carry them have a really bad past with cruel breeding

Wow! We have pet stores coming out of our ears here where I live in Indiana. There's one awful one that purposely keeps all of their males and females together! I did ask them why they would sell pregnant animals to their customers, they had no issue with it saying "when we see an animal is pregnant, then we keep them in the back and put them back in the enclosure after they have their babies". I did point out that that all of the females were already pregnant and they said "No, they're not".

The other place that I see people giving away their piggies is on NextDoor.

edit: I don't recommend pet stores to buy animals anymore. Sorry I didn't make that clearer!

 

[Hath]

I never trust such adverts. To me breeders aren't animal lovers. Why would you put them through it when you know there are others needing home. Why make more...?

Giving up pets is easy, rescues are everywhere. They don't have to sell them like piece of furniture... From experience, I know of cases when animals were put up for sale and the background was completely different. Health and behaviour issues weren't disclosed. One was as irresponsible and dangerous as selling dog who have previously bitten to a family with a toddler! Needs to say it didn't end well. I wish any private animal sales were banned...

 

[GuineaBabs]

I never trust such adverts. To me breeders aren't animal lovers. Why would you put them through it when you know there are others needing home. Why make more...?

Giving up pets is easy, rescues are everywhere. They don't have to sell them like piece of furniture... From experience, I know of cases when animals were put up for sale and the background was completely different. Health and behaviour issues weren't disclosed. One was as irresponsible and dangerous as selling dog who have previously bitten to a family with a toddler! Needs to say it didn't end well. I wish any private animal sales were banned...

I completely get where you’re coming from and I feel the same way on many points you make. Where I live, it’s really hard to find a shelter for guinea pigs so a lot of people have to resort to private animal sales. What’s sad is that there are many genuine people that do this and really want to find a home for their guinea pig but the people who are just doing it for the money really ruin it for them.

 

[GuineaBabs]

Wow! We have pet stores coming out of our ears here where I live in Indiana. There's one awful one that purposely keeps all of their males and females together! I did ask them why they would sell pregnant animals to their customers, they had no issue with it saying "when we see an animal is pregnant, then we keep them in the back and put them back in the enclosure after they have their babies". I did point out that that all of the females were already pregnant and they said "No, they're not".

The other place that I see people giving away their piggies is on NextDoor.

edit: I don't recommend pet stores to buy animals anymore. Sorry I didn't make that clearer!

That’s horrible! Those situations are truly saddening! I wish pet stores cared more about the animals they’re supposed to care for! Too many cases of mistreatment.

And thank you for the NextDoor thing! I didn’t know it existed. Just went on it and found amazing local things! Some even do guinea pig grooming

 

[guineapiggies123]

Hi, I live in the Uk and we have a pet shop called Squires. Its a garden centre with a Pet and Aquatics part. All pet enclosures are cleaned very well and kept nice looking. Rabbits are kept in similar sizes to at P@H but kept in pairs or alone and Guinea Pigs are kept in suitable sizes for temporary use. After reading their guide online, they seem to have great care. Has anyone bought guinea pigs there as apart from P@H, its all that is available for me to be able to get them. What was your experience there and what is the temperament of your guinea pigs? did they give you good advice?

Thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi, I live in the Uk and we have a pet shop called Squires. Its a garden centre with a Pet and Aquatics part. All pet enclosures are cleaned very well and kept nice looking. Rabbits are kept in similar sizes to at P@H but kept in pairs or alone and Guinea Pigs are kept in suitable sizes for temporary use. After reading their guide online, they seem to have great care. Has anyone bought guinea pigs there as apart from P@H, its all that is available for me to be able to get them. What was your experience there and what is the temperament of your guinea pigs? did they give you good advice?

Thank you.

We are a pro rescue forum, so getting your name onto a waiting list to adopt piggies as they become available really is best. You can be certain they are healthy, well bonded and not pregnant.

if you buy from a pet shop you do need to be aware and prepared for the potential problems

- missexing can happen - you accidentally bring home a mixed sex pair
- as you are looking to get sows, you do have to keep the risk in mind that they may not have separated in time /been with a boar in the shop so you are taking on a risk of pregnancy
- illness can also come with pet shop piggies
- incompatibility in character. Most piggies are just put together for sale with no regard for their character compatibility so there is a risk that they can grow up and decide they don’t like each other and need to be separated and live in two Side by side but separate 120x60 cages.

 

[guineapiggies123]

We are a pro rescue forum, so getting your name onto a waiting list to adopt piggies as they become available really is best. You can be certain they are healthy, well bonded and not pregnant.

if you buy from a pet shop you do need to be aware and prepared for the potential problems

- missexing can happen - you accidentally bring home a mixed sex pair
- as you are looking to get sows, you do have to keep the risk in mind that they may not have separated in time /been with a boar in the shop so you are taking on a risk of pregnancy
- illness can also come with pet shop piggies
- incompatibility in character. Most piggies are just put together for sale with no regard for their character compatibility so there is a risk that they can grow up and decide they don’t like each other and need to be separated and live in two Side by side but separate 120x60 cages.

The pet shop keeps the guinea pigs in separate cages based on sexes as they get them bought in separately. I would love to rescue however it is unfortunately not possible at the moment

 

[guineapiggies123]

The pet shop keeps the guinea pigs in separate cages based on sexes as they get them bought in separately. I would love to rescue however it is unfortunately not possible at the moment

After being on the phone to them today, they had a litter of male babies only and we’re not sure when they would receive a litter of females

 

[Siikibam]

May I ask why you’re unable to adopt from a rescue at this time?

I also wouldn’t limit yourself to sows only. Unless you don’t have the space to house boars.

If you do decide to go ahead then please make sure you sex them yourself.

 

[guineapiggies123]

May I ask why you’re unable to adopt from a rescue at this time?

I also wouldn’t limit yourself to sows only. Unless you don’t have the space to house boars.

If you do decide to go ahead then please make sure you sex them yourself.

There is no rescue near me that has guinea pigs apart from the RSPCA which rarely has guinea pigs. I would love to adopt but it isn't available. I would be able to sex them myself and have found a reputable breeder and GP boarder who we are going to contact today. Also, i unfortunately don't have to space to accommodate board without them living in unsuitable accommodation which I would never put them through

 

[Hath]

Unfortunately, I fostered piggies where large quantities were removed from breeders who actually supplied to the pet stores. And their conditions weren't great.
In my opinion, no breeder is responsible. Why make more if there are hundreds unwanted... It's still a business and they're keeping customers oblivious to what goes behind the scenes. I've seen the cute videos from breeders with dozens of piggies they breed from and call themselves responsible (one going as far as calling themselves rescue). But why put them through unnecessary pregnancies, which can have complications... The advice you get from them is also based on the business principles and is often incorrect.

You can always wait and ask around. You might find smaller, less known rescue.

 

[Siikibam]

Have you checked the rescue locator to see? They won’t put their singles on the websites. I wouldn’t discount those that are a little further afield. Drop them all an email and see what they say.

What makes this breeder responsible? Would you be able to ‘manage’ a pregnant sow? If you don’t have space for boars how would you handle additional pups?
Rescue Locator

PS please put your county as your location rather than Europe.