guinea pigs on animal 24/7

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Pepperdog

Pepperdog

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Its quite likely a repeat but a lady with a passion for guinea pigs appeared on the programme, this thread is by no way aimed at anyone on here at all but a good example of how numbers can overwhelm some people despite looking after them very well - however the space available in each pen is not ideal (IMHO)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n0nyj/Animal_247_Series_4_Episode_17/
she is about 18 mins into the programme

the lady clearly cares for her pigs but she cannot say no so ends up having to rehome some of her guinea pigs which adds to an exsisting problem for rescues. She has a good heart but not much common sense when it comes to knowing when she has reached her maximum numbers, until its beyond the cut off point.

Much as I would love to have more, for me personally 4 is the maximum I can realistically have - I work full time, I have a dog that although isnt demanding, she is getting elderly and will be more time consuming as she starts to falter. I also have lots of hobbies that take up time and effort to do - like making things for guinea pigs or dogs (or to sell to raise funds for the rescues). I dont have children, I dont go abroad for holidays and I have someone ready to look after the guys when we go away for a few days so 4 is my magic number - I wish I could help more, but I think fundraising is as much help I can give with my limitations.
 
Pepperdog said:
Its quite likely a repeat but a lady with a passion for guinea pigs appeared on the programme, this thread is by no way aimed at anyone on here at all but a good example of how numbers can overwhelm some people despite looking after them very well - however the space available in each pen is not ideal (IMHO)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n0nyj/Animal_247_Series_4_Episode_17/
she is about 18 mins into the programme

the lady clearly cares for her pigs but she cannot say no so ends up having to rehome some of her guinea pigs which adds to an exsisting problem for rescues. She has a good heart but not much common sense when it comes to knowing when she has reached her maximum numbers, until its beyond the cut off point.

Much as I would love to have more, for me personally 4 is the maximum I can realistically have - I work full time, I have a dog that although isnt demanding, she is getting elderly and will be more time consuming as she starts to falter. I also have lots of hobbies that take up time and effort to do - like making things for guinea pigs or dogs (or to sell to raise funds for the rescues). I dont have children, I dont go abroad for holidays and I have someone ready to look after the guys when we go away for a few days so 4 is my magic number - I wish I could help more, but I think fundraising is as much help I can give with my limitations.
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same here love, 2 dogs 2 pigs my absolute max x)x)x)x)
 
Yes I saw that - The most pigs I've ever had was 7 boars but some were my mum and sisters too. The most pigs I could have max would be six but four is what I prefer.

Now that I don't have my parents help I could only have 1 horse max so that would be 3 though my other two mares are with my parents as I share them with my mum and sister and I would have two dogs and two cats.
 
She had over 100 at one point!

We have 2 piggies, a hamster and 3 fish :)

We will of had our piggies 2 weeks on Monday and already I want more.
 
mshappy89 said:
She had over 100 at one point!

We have 2 piggies, a hamster and 3 fish :)

We will of had our piggies 2 weeks on Monday and already I want more.
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they are addictive :))

I know 100 :o and I am sure they were all well cared for, but that is just too many - they let her keep 15 max so I think that is her magic number
 
I have room for two more if I built a two floor c&c with one floor holding my two boars and would quite like 2 more girls, but my grandma isn't for the idea at all. Tbh, I would love two cuddly piggies, as my two boys just do not enjoy being handled at all what so ever. Perhaps when I get my c&c cage I might just accidentally adopt two more from a rescue of course, as my grandma said no to any at all..and look. I have two. But 4 would be my absolute maximum, as I have 2 dogs one of which is getting quite old, so she has the potential to start taking up quite a lot of time through vet visits...but we will see.
 
another spin on things not pigs this time. The goat farm I was herdsman on had 450 milking goats with 200 youngstock growing up to replace the milkers as and when. Milking took 4 hours each morning, 3 1/2 in the afternoon, and hour to feed them, bedding up all 8 milkers pens once a week, cleaning out quartley. Youngstock more often as they moved through the age pens.

We had a full time job trimming their feet - this was the biggest issue with welfare on such large numbers, vaccinations were done in one day for the milkers, and the youngsters done another day. But the feet just grow and grow, once you had done all in one pen, move to the next it was like the painting of that bridge (I cant remember which one), it was constant and once you had done them all, you had to start all over again.

But that was my job, my whole responsibility was the care and welfare of the goats from start to finish and I was always busy, but if there wasnt 4 staff members (boss, boss' wife, assistant herdsman and myself) it would have been overwhelming. None of the animals suffered because we couldnt devote the time needed and they were well cared for - very much so :)

My point is, having seen how much of a job it is to look after more than my number of pets, I know how many I can truely devote time and money to and I wont go over that. I may when pepper dies get two dogs, but with the guinea pigs now I wonder if that will be just too much for me, bringing a dog on and training them like I do takes a lot of time and effort on my part - not to mention the cost :o so I am seriously considering if I will be a one dog and 4 piggie household for life.
 
Wow... I'm going to watch that later but 100 piggies?!

I have 8 at the moment! I'm giving myself a limit of 12 until I get a full time job when I graduate. I can cope with 12. I won't be getting any more until then! I know that I can't give my pigs the same attention as someone with, say, two who live indoors, but my pigs get the best I can give them, and they're all happy and healthy! I think it helps that mine live in a herd (apart from my asbo-pig), so they never go lonely!

12 is a manageable number for me, I don't find it a problem, but 100 is just insane!
 
They were well looked after, but it was a shame to see 5 being kept in a small plastic box! The problem with her was she was a horder, to her it seems theyre not family but just posessions, and just keeps collecting them, lets hope its stopped!
 
I have quite a number, but I have gone up slowly over the course of two years and have always made sure that I have the space, time and money for another one before I rehomed further. I am pretty much on my limit now.

It is sad when people don't know their limit and can't draw the line when the pets' needs can't be met anymore.
 
firstly I'm not sad (honest lol) but this programe caught my attention through the co-op shop window this morning :red, I saw a guinea pig on tv and made my mum stand & stop still until I'd seen enough.
You do seem to kind of collect guinea pigs, I started with 2 in June last year and now I have 9 (yes new addition today).
The 2 in the house do see more of me and my family but the ones outside in the shed do not suffer in any way shape or form, I may add 1 more by the end of the year and then that's it, anymore and I don't think it wouldn't be fair on them or my family.

I think with people like that lady in their eyes they think they are helping by giving the piggies a chance of a better life.
Some people would rather help others and try and solve other peoples/animals problems than look at their own.
I think we've all been guilty of that at some point (just maybe not to that extreme).
 
Your right, I've seen these animal addiction adverts and people with over 40 dogs in one home, the women is over weight and cries when she talks about her animals, I feel sorry for her which is wrong but she obviously needs some decent family or friends in her life. xx

6 is pushing it with my lot. I have 6, I will not be going past 4 after these ones go from now on until I have a large house/garden and a good job.
 
we have 11 but arent taking in/buying anymore. 11 is our limit :) i cant imagine having 100 :{
 
We have six and planned to adopt two more as we have the space but decided to keep things as they are. They live in our lounge with us (or rather, we live with them :(|))
We are keeping the space available though as we have two sets of boars, 9.5 and 7.5 months so can rest knowing if either set ever fell out, could find them a wifey each. So far so good though :x
 
I think the best bit of this program was the story two after when the RSPCA lady actually told the lady how it was and that if she didnt sort herself out she would be losing her dog, i have no time for people who have animals because they think its their right not because they can afford to have them...
 
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