Critter
Moderator
Hiya, as some of you know, Snowball died on Saturday, leaving her husboar Freddie on his own.
Freddie cannot join my other sows, Sunrise and Penny, as Sunrise and Freddie end up fighting. Properly fighting, mainly because Sunrise will not tolerate him. Sunrise and Penny are a perfect personality match for each other and there is no way that I would split the pair up.
So. Freddie is on his own and it is affecting him. He wheeks for attention and wants me close (but he isn't particularly cuddly - just wants me near), but I'm not really what he wants. He is restless and he doesn't know what to do with himself.
Today I put him on the grass and instead of popcorning about and showing off, and basically then having a parade up and down and then a happy stroll-and-munch, he is just hiding under one of the tunnels, sniffing the air, not quite brave enough to come out. He has lost confidence since Snowball passed away.
I wanted to go to a rescue, but my local one in Swadlincote have recently rehomed all of their sows, which of course is good news for the sows. She has one lone neutered boar though if anyone is interested?
I have checked on Notts Nibblers pages and they do not have any guinea pigs at all right now. The Potteries don't seem to at the moment but they are not contactable until next week anyhow.
HonneyBunnies in Leicester only have one single sow and I don't really want to travel all that way on the off-chance that the two of them hit it off - I would rather him have some kind of choice.
I know there is Avalon, and I have not ruled them out, but let's just say we had a break down of communication, and I am not confident that they will attempt to set up a proper dating session for Freddie.
RSPC Walsall don't have any suitable on their website.
I don't want to be impatient, but I do feel that for Freddie's sake, the sooner he has a new partner the better.
Does anyone know of any other rescues in the Derby area and not too far from Derby? Some of these rescues I have mentioned are a bit far to be honest, but I have looked at them anyway.
Does anyone local to me have a lone sow that they would like to have a go with pairing up with Freddie? If so are you willing to set up a trial date?
Freddie is gentle. I don't think he will put up with a sow wanting to be head over him as he wouldn't back down to Sunrise, and yet once bonded it was clear that Snowball called the shots, and he was very respectful of her. He made a sweet husboar.
I never thought I would say this but I might, just might even be willing to let him go if someone has a lone sow/sows that he gets on with well and they have a large enough enclosure for him with plenty of enrichment. Freddie needs things to do and lots of space. He loves being able to rummage in hay, enjoys variety in hidies and tunnels, likes to be able to push things around and loves floor time. He's an active piggy who likes his enrichment and space, so I apologise in advance but I would only be willing to let him go if his needs for a large and interesting enclosure are fully met. He needs a large C&C type cage or equivalent.
I don't want to let him go, but I just want his needs to be met, and if I can't find a sow for him to live with me then I will consider letting him go to live with a sow, if that makes sense.
The other option is a local breeder, I do know some good ones, and perhaps some of them would be willing to set up a date for him to choose.
If anyone can help with finding a local rescue or has a sow that needs a new home, please let me know. Must be local to the Derby area - sorry.
Freddie cannot join my other sows, Sunrise and Penny, as Sunrise and Freddie end up fighting. Properly fighting, mainly because Sunrise will not tolerate him. Sunrise and Penny are a perfect personality match for each other and there is no way that I would split the pair up.
So. Freddie is on his own and it is affecting him. He wheeks for attention and wants me close (but he isn't particularly cuddly - just wants me near), but I'm not really what he wants. He is restless and he doesn't know what to do with himself.
Today I put him on the grass and instead of popcorning about and showing off, and basically then having a parade up and down and then a happy stroll-and-munch, he is just hiding under one of the tunnels, sniffing the air, not quite brave enough to come out. He has lost confidence since Snowball passed away.
I wanted to go to a rescue, but my local one in Swadlincote have recently rehomed all of their sows, which of course is good news for the sows. She has one lone neutered boar though if anyone is interested?
I have checked on Notts Nibblers pages and they do not have any guinea pigs at all right now. The Potteries don't seem to at the moment but they are not contactable until next week anyhow.
HonneyBunnies in Leicester only have one single sow and I don't really want to travel all that way on the off-chance that the two of them hit it off - I would rather him have some kind of choice.
I know there is Avalon, and I have not ruled them out, but let's just say we had a break down of communication, and I am not confident that they will attempt to set up a proper dating session for Freddie.
RSPC Walsall don't have any suitable on their website.
I don't want to be impatient, but I do feel that for Freddie's sake, the sooner he has a new partner the better.
Does anyone know of any other rescues in the Derby area and not too far from Derby? Some of these rescues I have mentioned are a bit far to be honest, but I have looked at them anyway.
Does anyone local to me have a lone sow that they would like to have a go with pairing up with Freddie? If so are you willing to set up a trial date?
Freddie is gentle. I don't think he will put up with a sow wanting to be head over him as he wouldn't back down to Sunrise, and yet once bonded it was clear that Snowball called the shots, and he was very respectful of her. He made a sweet husboar.
I never thought I would say this but I might, just might even be willing to let him go if someone has a lone sow/sows that he gets on with well and they have a large enough enclosure for him with plenty of enrichment. Freddie needs things to do and lots of space. He loves being able to rummage in hay, enjoys variety in hidies and tunnels, likes to be able to push things around and loves floor time. He's an active piggy who likes his enrichment and space, so I apologise in advance but I would only be willing to let him go if his needs for a large and interesting enclosure are fully met. He needs a large C&C type cage or equivalent.
I don't want to let him go, but I just want his needs to be met, and if I can't find a sow for him to live with me then I will consider letting him go to live with a sow, if that makes sense.
The other option is a local breeder, I do know some good ones, and perhaps some of them would be willing to set up a date for him to choose.
If anyone can help with finding a local rescue or has a sow that needs a new home, please let me know. Must be local to the Derby area - sorry.