Guinea Pig Pellets

ruthie1982 said:
Yeah I’m just not really wanting to fork out the cost for another hutch etc
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I get that they can be expensive (a decent hutch which is properly predator proof and will withstand the weather is worth spending the money on) but it is probably the only way you’re going to be able to rescue a friend for her.

Even if you buy a new friend, if they fall out because the cage is too small, then things will get a lot more expensive anyway as you will still need to buy a new hutch (and then have to deal with all the problems hutches bring because you cannot get them properly situated for constant interaction for the piggies)
 
I do not like the way that cavy capers has written there post on there Facebook cage . Basically slating people to be rubbish owners and wasting there time saying that pet shops sell us rubbish cages . We can’t help what the pet shops sell us
 
ruthie1982 said:
I do not like the way that cavy capers has written there post on there Facebook cage . Basically slating people to be rubbish owners and wasting there time saying that pet shops sell us rubbish cages . We can’t help what the pet shops sell us
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Inadequate cages sold in pet shops is a long held bugbear of the forum - you are right owners cannot help what they sell. With that said, the correct information on appropriate cages is out there so it is possible for an owner to research and know that not all cages are suitable
 
I went to pets at home to get more hay today. I
Checked there adoption centre . They didn’t have any piggies just now . Will check again next time I’m in
 
ruthie1982 said:
Should u leave hutch covers up
During the day
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I'm not quite sure what you mean, but if this could lead to any predatory animal: neighbouring dogs and cats, foxes, any of the weasel family.... getting into the hutch, then definitely not.
 
I’m going to keep checking pets at homes adoption centre . Hopefully a friend for tango will come in soon
 
ruthie1982 said:
I’m going to keep checking pets at homes adoption centre . Hopefully a friend for tango will come in soon
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Hopefully you will find a friend for her soon.

If you do adopt from P@H adoption, then as long as you are prepared for the potential for it to fail. You should try to make sure the piggy you bring home is much younger than tango.
Trying to add a piggy who is the same age as her makes the risk of clashes higher.

How will you house them if it fails?
(I am not sure whether P@H will let you return the piggy if the bonding fails)

What concerns me is that you are taking all the risk when adopting from a shop rather than adopting from a rescue. You have already said you cant buy a new hutch but you will have to if you adopt from p@h and the bonding fails.
Therefore it is safer to buy a bigger hutch anyway which is approved by a rescue centre and then adopt through the rescue as you will receive much better support
 
I have the old hutch in the garage . What age would you recommend as a mate for tango .
 
I’ll keep looking on the sspca website to . Not sure what there hutch requirements are
 
ruthie1982 said:
I have the old hutch in the garage . What age would you recommend as a mate for tango .
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Ok, so that would be ok as an emergency situation to get the apartment if a bonding failed but they could not live like that for more than a couple of days. it is pretty impossible to keep single piggies in hutches - two hutches cannot be positioned properly and fully to allow total side by side living and constant interaction between mesh bars.
The will not be able to interact with each other 24/7 and both will still be lonely.
You always hope a bond will work out but you must have a proper plan for if it doesn’t particularly if you don’t have the support of a rescue centre.
I don’t want you to have to go through all this and then face further and potentially bigger issues down the line

Side by side living would likely end up having to be two indoor cages they then have to sit side by side, taking up more space than just getting a new 5ft hutch outside and getting the help of a rescue centre so you can be certain the piggies bond properly and can live together

The safest bet is a baby, under four months of age.
But if not a baby, a piggy no older than 2/3 years old (even that could be risky though)

ruthie1982 said:
I’ll keep looking on the sspca website to . Not sure what there hutch requirements are
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From a look at their site, it seems they also say a 5ft hutch, and a 6x4ft run

Did you measure your run to determine its exact size?
 
If I don’t find a friend for tango I’ll just keep her on her own as she seems happy enough so far .
 
ruthie1982 said:
If I don’t find a friend for tango I’ll just keep her on her own as she seems happy enough so far .
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Unfortunately that’s not really a viable option, it’s not really in her best interests - she’s only 4 so could spend up to another 4 years alone.
Most can cope for about 4 weeks on their own but after that they will be ready for a new friend, even if that does end up being side by side living (enabling constant interaction between bars without the need to form a hierarchy and share territory).

Beyond that four or so weeks, a single piggy absolutely will feel lonely but most will never show it - they hide it in order to survive and continue to appear to behave as normal and thus an owner assumes the piggy is ok when they actually are craving companionship.
In fact if a single piggy ever does show they are lonely then it means they have hidden for it as long as they possibly can and the depression has now got too deep

If you do decide to keep her alone, she would almost certainly have to be moved indoors permanently so she could at least see and hear your movements as much as possible.

There is a section in this guide about bereaved piggies

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

I know you are in a difficult situation at present and I know you are trying to work through this, I just want to make sure you have all the information you need to make informed decisions of all the circumstances that could arise
 
I am hoping to find her a friend and that the bond works out but it might take me a while
 
ruthie1982 said:
I am hoping to find her a friend and that the bond works out but it might take me a while
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Yes of course that is what everyone hopes for you!
I just want you to have a plan in case it doesn’t given older sows can have a tricker element to them

I have two boys who were bonded but their bond broke down a few years ago. They have lived side by side ever since and their two cages take up the whole of my shed floor
 
ruthie1982 said:
I do not like the way that cavy capers has written there post on there Facebook cage . Basically slating people to be rubbish owners and wasting there time saying that pet shops sell us rubbish cages . We can’t help what the pet shops sell us
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No, you can’t help what pet shops sell but you can educate yourself (and have received advice now) on the best cage requirements and can act accordingly. They are not trying to purposefully be difficult but are ensuring the best quality of life for guinea pigs (sadly something that the majority of pet shops neglect in favour of profit).
 
I do feel a bit guilty as I do try to give tango as much attention as I can . Is difficult when the weather is rubbish but I do try to go into the garden on my breaks from work and give her some attention
 
ruthie1982 said:
Yeah they did it’s a no from them unfortunately 😢
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Due to cage size?
If so then you are going to come up against that all the time, unless you get a bigger hutch (which would be in their best interests anyway, even if you were to have to buy a piggy rather than rescue)

Otherwise all you can do is wait and hope a piggy comes up from another source. But as I said, doing that means taking risks which wouldn’t occur if you rescue
 
I put tango out in her run for a couple of hours she didn’t seem to be doing much most hidding in her hide x
 
That’s to be expected. Being in the run is not her normal territory so it is going to be disorienting for her.
They fear being attacked from above so it is important to cover the roof of the run with a sheet so she feels enclosed and protected
 
That’s good

Also make sure she has several hides and tunnels in the run so she has plenty of opportunity to move from one to the other (make sure you do not use plastic hides at all, due to the warmth they trap - it will put her at risk). Include a couple of hay piles in the run
 
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