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Cant find anywhere to get a piggy except pets at home?

Cavyloverxox

Cavyloverxox

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
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Location
Scotland
Hello i am kind of new to this website however I've had guinea pigs the past few years, I'm looking to get 2 new boys and I'm so excited however i have no guinea pig rescues near me (i live in Lanarkshire, Scotland). Ive tried my local spca shelter they have 2 boys that I'm going to go look at soon hopefully they are still there however if it i cannot find any anywhere:( really don't want to buy from pets at home as i have in the past and the guinea pigs are never as friendly:(

Could anyone give advice or has anyone had a good experience with pets at home? Thanks in advance x
 
Cavyloverxox said:
Hello i am kind of new to this website however I've had guinea pigs the past few years, I'm looking to get 2 new boys and I'm so excited however i have no guinea pig rescues near me (i live in Lanarkshire, Scotland). Ive tried my local spca shelter they have 2 boys that I'm going to go look at soon hopefully they are still there however if it i cannot find any anywhere:( really don't want to buy from pets at home as i have in the past and the guinea pigs are never as friendly:(

Could anyone give advice or has anyone had a good experience with pets at home? Thanks in advance x
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I have had good experiences with pets at home twice. My two are from the adoption section in there. But i must admit, you dont know if you are getting a pig with some kind of illness or weva if you buy a pair, that they are truly bonded or not, or even if they have been sexed correctly. My good experience was down to luck i think.

Can you travel to another rescue if this one doesnt work out? With a good rescue, the pigs will have been health checked first and have been in good hands
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
I have had good experiences with pets at home twice. My two are from the adoption section in there. But i must admit, you dont know if you are getting a pig with some kind of illness or weva if you buy a pair, that they are truly bonded or not, or even if they have been sexed correctly. My good experience was down to luck i think
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Next time I'm in ill make sure to look at the adoption section! My first ever piggie Simba, who sadly passed a while ago, was bought from a very nice breeder and simba was the sweetest and cuddliest pig ive ever owned, compared to my piggies from pets at home just arent quite as cuddly and friendly. However that may just be down to their personalities.
 
Cavyloverxox said:
Next time I'm in ill make sure to look at the adoption section! My first ever piggie Simba, who sadly passed a while ago, was bought from a very nice breeder and simba was the sweetest and cuddliest pig ive ever owned, compared to my piggies from pets at home just arent quite as cuddly and friendly. However that may just be down to their personalities.
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My two from pets at home are now very friendly. I still must say, go to a rescue if you can first
 
Cavyloverxox said:
Hello i am kind of new to this website however I've had guinea pigs the past few years, I'm looking to get 2 new boys and I'm so excited however i have no guinea pig rescues near me (i live in Lanarkshire, Scotland). Ive tried my local spca shelter they have 2 boys that I'm going to go look at soon hopefully they are still there however if it i cannot find any anywhere:( really don't want to buy from pets at home as i have in the past and the guinea pigs are never as friendly:(

Could anyone give advice or has anyone had a good experience with pets at home? Thanks in advance x
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Hi and welcome

It is great that you are considering rescue! Unfortunately, Scotland is a desert when it comes to good guinea pig rescues! :(

Please consider the SSPCA boys! The RSPCA/SSPCA have rules and adhere to a certain standard of care, so you will only rehome fully quarantined, healthy and properly sexed boars and won't have any nasty surprises re. ringworm or mis-sexing/pet shop pregnancy, like we have been seeing increasingly in pet shope piggies in recent times .

Many RSPCA branches (but not all) tend to use a private foster home system, so your boys are a lot more used to a home environment, to human interaction and grooming than pet shop babies. They will generally also not put piggies up for adoption unless they are OK with being handled and you will be warned ahead if there are issues/ideosyncracies you should be aware of, which you won't in a shop.
The SSPCA/RSPCA will also support you during the settling in period and will take any adopted piggies back in case you run into serious trouble along the way.

As to rescue piggy personalities: that depends on their background and individual outlook. More than half the piggies fetching up in rescue have started out in a pet shop (or their parents have), so you are often picking up the pet shop pieces and giving them a second chance at a good and dedicated forever home. Surely that is worth something?
Please be aware that guinea pigs are prey animals and not instant cuddly toys; and that the majority of piggies never turn into breathing cuddly toys. This a human misconception, perpetrated and perpetuated by all those online videos that cater to strictly human expectations of cute and funny for hits, but that do not reflect the reality. Who wants to watch videos of piggies getting fed up with being handled after a quarter of an hour and not being happy to be picked up from their cage?

We can help you with tips how you can bring your piggies round in ways that they instinctively understand (piggy whispering) and speed up the process somewhat. We can also help you with tips on how you can avoid upsets when settling into her their new territory in your home (boar guide). But we cannot change guinea pigs as a species; just help you to appreciate them more for what they are and gain a new insight and interest in seeing them in a less human-centric and more cavy-centred way.
You can access our very useful and practical information via these links:
Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome
Hi!

It is great that you are considering rescue! Unfortunately, Scotland is a desert when it comes to good guinea pig rescues! :(

Please consider the SSPCA boys! The RSPCA/SSPCA have rules and adhere to a certain standard of care, so you will only rehome fully quarantined, healthy and properly sexed boars and won't have any nasty surprises re. ringworm or mis-sexing/pet shop pregnancy, like we have been seeing increasingly in pet shope piggies in recent times .

Many RSPCA branches (but not all) tend to use a private foster home system, so your boys are a lot more used to a home environment, to human interaction and grooming than pet shop babies. They will generally also not put piggies up for adoption unless they are OK with being handled and you will be warned ahead if there are issues/ideosyncracies you should be aware of, which you won't in a shop.
The SSPCA/RSPCA will also support you during the settling in period and will take any adopted piggies back in case you run into serious trouble along the way.

As to rescue piggy personalities: that depends on their background and individual outlook. More than half the piggies fetching up in rescue have started out in a pet shop (or their parents have), so you are often picking up the pet shop pieces and giving them a second chance at a good and dedicated forever home. Surely that is worth something?
Please be aware that guinea pigs are prey animals and not instant cuddly toys; and that the majority of piggies never turn into breathing cuddly toys. This a human misconception, perpetrated and perpetuated by all those online videos that cater to strictly human expectations of cute and funny for hits, but that do not reflect the reality. Who wants to watch videos of piggies getting fed up with being handled after a quarter of an hour and not being happy to be picked up from their cage?

We can help you with tips how you can bring your piggies round in ways that they instinctively understand (piggy whispering) and speed up the process somewhat. We can also help you with tips on how you can avoid upsets when settling into her their new territory in your home (boar guide). But we cannot change guinea pigs as a species; just help you to appreciate them more for what they are and gain a new insight and interest in seeing them in a less human-centric and more cavy-centred way.
You can access our very useful and practical information via these links:
Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
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Thanks for all the advice, will visit the spca in the next few days
 
Cavyloverxox said:
Thanks but Its over an hour drive away from me and unfortunately I'm not a confident driver as I've only been driving a few months x
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Also, there is no guarantee the piggies can handle the drive lasting that long.

I got my boy Finn from Petsmart here in the US. Finn is now a year and a half years old and I love him. He is simply the perfect pet, lovable, adorable and very loyal. I was searching for a boy cage mate for Finn when my friend appointed me as Lara's pet parent. Lara was about to be homeless so I took her in. Finn and Lara live side by side in different cages. They seem to keep each other company, they can see, smell and hear each other so it has worked for us.
 
I find most petsmart or petstore piggies have great personalities. They just take a while to come out of their shells because they don’t really have any human interaction. If the boys at the rescue are no longer available when you go, your last opt would be petshop piggies. Also i reccomend getting piggies that live in the same cage at the petstore, as they are probably already bonded. If you do get petstore piggies, please double check their genders to make sure you are getting whatever sexes you want. Both of my boys, Alfie and Archie, were bought at petsmart. Alfie last year in January and Archie last week on Tuesday. They have bonded really well and are amazing pigs. Alfie is the tricolored and Archie is the pure white with a black spot above his eye. They are the pigs in my profile picture.
 
I don’t think where the pigs are from ultimately results in how much they like cuddles, it’s more to do with personalities. The two pigs I’ve had from a pet store have absolutely loved cuddles and the one I have from a rescue does not. The one from the pet store that’s still alive is the dominant one of the pair, I used to call him a meanie during his teenage years, however he’s never been able to resist sitting under the duvet on my lap curled into my hand, he’s asleep in seconds haha. Whereas the one I rescued has never enjoyed being pet including sitting on me and going to sleep - I remember once I took him to the vets and one of the nurses held him on her chest and then stroked him quite roughly on his back and I was so angry but couldn’t really say anything, he just hates being petted in any form and it mainly just stresses him out. He’s a really sweet pig though, during floortime he’s constantly crawling all over you and the fact that he hates being pet doesn’t take away from the overall joy of owning him.
 
Seven7 said:
Also, there is no guarantee the piggies can handle the drive lasting that long.
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An hour's drive really isn't that long at all. I have done this kind of journey just to go to an excellent vet with two sick piggies before and they have managed fine. I have also adopted from rescues one an hour away and one an hour and a half so the journey, if you are prepared and they have access to hay, really isn't an issue. When I factor in my local vets, even with no traffic it's a 20 min drive so by the time you drive there, back and have the appointment it's an hour or more.
 
Sorry you are having difficulty finding piggies, whilst the forum recommends rescuing for a number of reasons we are also well aware that not everyone has the access. I hope the spca boys are still available and able to come home with you. If not, would you have someone who could accompany you to ayrs rescue? I've been driving nearly 4 years now after learning late and certainly for the first couple of years I would talk my other half or my mum into coming places with me as I wasn't too comfortable driving there on my own
 
Would it be possible to take a train. Lots of members take their piggies on trains to visit the vet. If you have Or can borrow a suitable carrier they would be fine. Hope you manage to get some lovely piggies soon.xx
 
Jaycey said:
As long as you have them in an appropriate carrier with some hay an hours drive is nothing for a piggy.

I travel an hour to my vet.

My vet sees pigs from all over the UK, some people have travelled over 6 hours from Scotland.
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just out of interest @Jaycey what vet do you use?
 
I agree that piggies will cope perfectly well with an hour or so in transit.
I hope the SSPCA piggies are still available.
 
:agr:
When I take my pigs to the vets, they are in almost an hour both ways so I’d say around 1 hour 45 in total and they cope wonderfully, just make sure to stick some watery veg in the carrier.
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
One of my friendliest pigs ever, spent 6 months living in a primary school, being bullied by his brother, in a too small cage, fed only carrots, tiny amounts of low quality hay, and taken to a different kids home every weekend, witnessed two burglaries. Just goes to show
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Gosh - he had a great escape then by coming to you!
I don't know how schools can do that :( Poor piggy being up-rooted each week!
 
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