Guinea pig boarding - filled with guilt!

AimeeOx

AimeeOx

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
174
Reaction score
231
Points
330
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
Hello all!

We are taking our old man (15 year old dog) to the coast for his birthday in July, only for four nights, but it should be a lovely break.

As we can't take the boys, I've booked them into a local boarding facility for small pets, made sure it's indoor as that's what they're used to, given all the info needed including insurance and vet details..

Now, I keep having awful dreams about one of them escaping, totally unrealistically climbing 8ft fences with me chasing after him! I am filled with guilt for putting them somewhere 'strange' for the duration, but we've no one who could come in and take care of them at home. I'm going to take their pellets, favourite fruit, some used bedding and their bowls with me when I drop them off, but is there anything else I should consider?

One of them is particularly hard to handle, but loves a head stroke through the bars, so I've asked that they don't try and hold him, just stroke him - I've not heard from them since, do you think that was out of order?

I am racked with guilt! I keep having them out for bedtime snuggles and promising them I'll be back to pick them up, telling them they're going on holiday..!
 
Please take a deep breath.
Your boys will be fine.
You have done the right thing by booking them in somewhere decent, and made the appropriate arrangements in plenty of time.
Enjoy your break at the coast.
 
Thank you both.. I've never left them anywhere before, they're three now and even travel 150 miles with me for Christmas with my family! Sadly they couldn't stay with us on this holiday (not allowed, though dogs are..!)..

I know in my rational brain they will be fine and have a great time, but it's like mum-guilt! I feel like a nasty parent going away without them!
 
I am feeling highly anxious as we are leaving my girls for a week! We have paid a pet care professional to come in each day but I’m still feeling so bad about it. What if they don’t know where we are? What if they get too hot and there is no air con? What if they aren’t looked after properly? Urgh. No other options but I feel your pain.

These are my girls excited for their breakfast!

115637
 
Awww @SqueakersNYC look at the little darling under the hammock! Those noses!

I would have rather left them at home but we couldn't get anone to come in, so have to take them in to boarding.. When are you going away?

I hope you have a lovely break, and I'm sure your beautiful girls will have a lovely time!

Hello from my two troublemakers!
7F32CCC7-238C-4B96-9DFA-EB6F98086586.JPG
 
AimeeOx said:
Awww @SqueakersNYC look at the little darling under the hammock! Those noses!

I would have rather left them at home but we couldn't get anone to come in, so have to take them in to boarding.. When are you going away?

I hope you have a lovely break, and I'm sure your beautiful girls will have a lovely time!

Hello from my two troublemakers!
View attachment 115638
Click to expand...

Ahh they’re gorgeous! We are going to London tomorrow (from NYC). So couldn’t exactly take them with us! They’re enclosure is also fairly big, especially for NYC apartments so it’s not easy for them to go to anyone else. I’m trying to use house sitters for future trips.

And not out of order for leaving instructions.... I’ve left two pages of A4 instructions for mine :P
 
Have a good journey and bring a rain coat.. I'm in Oxford and it's been wet forever!

I think next time I'll convince my mum to come and stay..!

Hehe people must think guinea pig owners are mad! 2 pages is good - I feel like re-writing mine to take with me, too!

Happy holidays!
 
AimeeOx said:
Have a good journey and bring a rain coat.. I'm in Oxford and it's been wet forever!

I think next time I'll convince my mum to come and stay..!

Hehe people must think guinea pig owners are mad! 2 pages is good - I feel like re-writing mine to take with me, too!

Happy holidays!
Click to expand...
Hi! I see you are based in Oxfordshire :) Me too! I have used a SUPER pet carer called Pixie Lee Pet Services (Oxford Pet Sitter & Dog Walker - Pixie Lee Pet Services) who does home visits for your pets. She looked after my piggie while I was away on holiday and sent me updates everyday with pictures.
 
Ah thank you @Roxy_Piggy_Mom I'll definitely keep that for future trips! I've booked with Holiday Ark in Kidlington this time around so I'll see how they get on. Higgins is a sensitive soul so I'm not sure he'll be too happy about being without his oh-too-often treats from the pair of us..!
 
I think it's completely normal to feel this guilt.... I am lucky that my parents always come and stay at my house when we have been away and looked after the piggies for us..... My mum never reads the flipping instructions I leave tho so they get too much food...... Enjoy your break!
 
AimeeOx said:
Ah thank you @Roxy_Piggy_Mom I'll definitely keep that for future trips! I've booked with Holiday Ark in Kidlington this time around so I'll see how they get on. Higgins is a sensitive soul so I'm not sure he'll be too happy about being without his oh-too-often treats from the pair of us..!
Click to expand...
@AimeeOx no problem! I have a spoiled little pig and I didn’t think he’d fare too well being away from home. Lee was a lifesaver! I’ve heard good things about holiday ark as well though, so I’m sure your little ones will be well looked after 😊
 
My mum would be the same..

We happened to say to her once that our dog really enjoyed cheddar cheese. She then came out with a whole block of it cut into bits for him! We had to tell her we meant one or two cubes a s a treat! :lol::)) Gotta love mums!
 
Roxy_Piggy_Mom said:
@AimeeOx no problem! I have a spoiled little pig and I didn’t think he’d fare too well being away from home. Lee was a lifesaver! I’ve heard good things about holiday ark as well though, so I’m sure your little ones will be well looked after 😊
Click to expand...
They do seem really nice and happy to accommodate all of my daft requests..!
 
Have a great time both of you. Why is it that holiday cottages, caravans, lodges etc are happy to take doggies but the mere mention of a rodent and they run for the hills. Guinea pigs are a lot less likely to damage furnishings than any dog I know!
We could do with setting up a database of piggie friendly holidays!
 
@Bill & Ted thank you!

Yes a database would be great - Some marked as pet friendly just mean dog friendly, which is great but I hate leaving the boys behind!

It's crazy, I'd even sent a photo of their travel home (yes it's a big double storey cage but we call it 'travel'..!) and they said no, but a 30+ kilo dog is fine, madness!
 
Try not to worry about your piggies while you are away. And just think about how lovely it will be to return home and see them after your holiday.
 
We use a pet sitter and leave extensive instructions (including a description AND photo of things like fresh veg portions, etc).
She is very reliable and sends us regular updates and pics via WhatsApp.

And whilst I did feel guilty initially about leaving them, I also accept that it is a simple fact of life that if we want to travel (which we do) then it is necessary that they are left.
We have made the best arrangements possible and not skimped on pet care, so I feel we are also entitled to enjoy our time away.

We have left them for up to 3 weeks so far, and the only real difference when we get home is they are a little quieter for the first couple of days.
I guess they get used to no one being around (although they have each other of course) and so don't constantly wheek every time the back door or the fridge opens!
Having said that it usually takes less than 2 days for them to work out we are back and start shrieking constantly for treats!
 
Hi everyone!

Well, we're back. We had a lovely time!

Sadly, the boys didn't (or so it seems). My long haired boy is now completely short haired (Higgins usually trims his back end but only when laying on him, at the moment all of his hair has been chewed), they have both lost a lot of weight (apparently they didn't eat much grass - they're not outdoor pigs and so aren't used to grass, not sure what portions of veg/hay/pellets they were getting). They were both super quiet when I got them home, very timid and lethargic. Gibson has perked up and is more his normal self, but Higgins is still a little off. They are both eating and pooping, but Higgins isn't drinking, only from a syringe. Gibson also came back with a black crusty nipple (clearing now he's on his vet bed). They both had a smell about them, like stale urine. I'm not totally convinced they were kept indoors as requested (the cage was on the floor and completely empty when I arrived).

So, does anyone know of anywhere that does indoor boarding (and will give plenty of company) in Oxfordshire? Home visits wouldn't work as the boys are used to someone being around all the time (my partner works from home), and I think that was half the problem this time; they were just out in a run all the time (outside, I never saw them in the indoor cage).

Thank you for any and all advice!
 
I’m sorry you and your boys seem to have had a bad experience! ☹️ Hopefully someone will know a good boarding.

Fingers crossed they’re back to their usual cheerful selves soon
 
Thanks @Siikibam

The lady who took them was really friendly and her outdoor setup was good, I just don't think she was used to indoor pigs, a question I asked before booking of course.

On the plus side Higgins is far happier to have cuddles at the moment!
 
Did she have an indoor setup at all?
 
She had a summer house at the back of the garden, the cage was brand new (I think she said they'd bought it the day before). It was just on the floor of the outhouse which wasn't set-up for piggies, it was more of a storage room.

She had a good run of multiple outdoor hutches, and I think that's where they stayed (the smell on them was outdoorsy, if that makes sense!)..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top