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How best to help these piggies

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piggyme234

piggyme234

Adult Guinea Pig
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Some of you might know some of Lilly and Matildas story but now I am getting in a bit of a pickle as to what I should do next. A few weeks ago I bumped into someone in tesco that I hadn't seen for a while and she asked me to come and look at her guinea pigs. She had got two piggies for her grandaughter but the girl had left home and left the piggies behind. I went round and found out that Lilly was a boy and Matilda was pregnant. Matilda came home with me so I could help her if she had any problems, I also put Lilly the boar on the forum in the rehoming section because this lady didn't feel she could look after them. Matilda had three babies but one died leaving a girl, Sherbert, and a boy, Fudge.

Now it gets tricky, this girl has now decided that she doesn't want her grandma to give away Lilly who still hasn't been given a new name. She is going to take him to her flat in his 3x1 ft hutch. I want to try and get her grandma to talk her out of it cuz I don't think she will be able to look after him properly. I am also worried that she will want to take Fudge to be his friend and they will live together in a small hutch with no time spent on them cuz how much can she love them if she leaves them at her grandmas.

The other problem is what to do with Fudge when he needs to be taken away from his mum and sister? Should I try and bond him with his dad only for him to be taken away or split up cuz she doesn't want two. Should I try and keep him on his own but he will be so lonely until I can find him a home. I am worried about how Matilda will be when he his taken away because she is still looking for the baby that died and she gets very upset when I take Sherbert and Fudge out to weight them.

Sorry it's so long I am getting really stressed over all this I just want them all to have nice homes and if this girl keeps any of them I will worry that they will be unhappy. Please help :{
 
What a sad situation. It would seem that pairing the baby boar with his Dad is the best solution, they both deserve company of their own kind. If she is not a fit owner you can only try and make her and her grandma see sense... hopefully they will realise they can't give them the attention they deserve and the boys can find a home as a pair. Unfortunately as they are not 'your' pigs (although you've been kind enough to take them in) you have very little influence over the final decision, which is sad.

To be honest I doubt the mum will miss the baby boar by the time he needs to be separated (at 3 weeks or sooner if he's humpy / rumbly), she'll have had enough by then and want some peace! Where is the dad at the moment?

Sophie
x
 
Dad is still living with the grandma but he has free run of the garden for a few hours a day but when he goes to the girls flat he will not have a lawn. I am going to try and talk to the grandma and tell her just how much he will need and try to get her to convince her grandaughter to either get a bigger hutch and stuff or realise she can't look after him. Apparently she didn't want to get him a friend cuz she didn't think he would live for more than a year, he is only 1 and a half.
 
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Two things really:

1. The daddy pig needs a companion
2. A pair of pigs should have a 4' x 2' hutch, ideally - certainly not 3' x 1', boars need as much space as possible especially as a pair, they are more likely to not fall out if they have more space!
3. They both need a home where they will get enough care and attention. Grass isn't essential (some might argue otherwise) if the diet is varied and good, but somehow it doesn't sound like it will be.

I know YOU know all of these things, but I think they're the 3 main points to get across to the grandma - she probably has doubts herself. Can you offer to rehome them if they decide not to keep them?

Sophie
x
 
Already offered, daddy pig is on the forum in the rehoming section from before the girl wanted to keep him. I kept him on there just in case I can convince them to let him go. I think the grandma is a bit concerned about her being able to look after him so if I invite her round for a coffee we could have a chat about them.
 
Wishing you the best of luck for the sake of the piggies!
 
wish you all the best, but you can not move worlds, and do not beat yourself if you do not win this fight you may win the war in the end. I am so glad there are people like you out there who really do their very best for other peoples piggies not just your own.
 
Here here. You are doing your best but i can imagine how frustrating this is. I do hope you manage to convince the grandmother. I hope it works.
 
Well, I talked to this lady this morning and she is going to try and talk her grandaughter out of keeping him. YAY. 1 down 1 to go. Turns out she would have kept the hutch in the communal garden behind the flat and would not be allowed to take them inside, I don't think so grrrr
 
I hope that grandma can talk the girl out of it; good that the old lady hsa got some common sense! Well done for you; it costs so much time and energy to "move mountains"!
 
what an awful situation, it sounds to me that everything you re doing is the best for them, good for you fighting for them to make sure they get the care they deserve
 
Oh what a tough one, I think if I were you and didn't think she'll look after them properly, I would say you've found a home for them already! The only problem being that if she is dead set on having GP's she could just go out and buy another anyway.

Hope the granny can convince her it's not a good idea.
 
YAY The girl has said ok to me rehoming them :<>:<>:<>
 
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