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How Do People Manage Pets When Living Alone?

Beans&Toast

Beans&Toast

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
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Location
Falkirk,Scotland
I'm interested to know how people who live on their own manage to look after their pigs/other pets.

What about work?
What if you have to go away?
What if you're ill/had to go to hospital?
How long are your piggies on their own?
Who would look after them if needed?

I'm asking because I rely on my Mum (we live together) to look after Beans when I'm at work during the day, to give her her medicine and top up hay etc. Then about once a month I go away down south for 2 days with work meaning my mum also has to clean the cage which is a lot more work.

The reason this is an issue is that my mum's disabled and struggles to get about sometimes. She manages to do it and is happy to but her health is getting worse and there's the possibility that she will be having an operation in the near future.

It's been a month since losing Toast and I've been thinking about getting more piggies to keep Beans company as I hate seeing her alone. The worry is I don't have anyone else who could watch Beans (and any other piggies) if my mum were to be in hospital or I had to go away for a few days.

How does everyone manage it?
 
hello,

When I'm at work (8.15 to 4.45 or 5.30) the piggies are on their own. I can go back lunchtime if needed. when I go away my sister loks after them. i do visit my friend in Kent for the day sometimes and the piggies are left from 08.00am to 9/10pm and they are ok i just make sure everything is full before i go.

i only have one piggy on medication and thats once a day so is done before she has dinner.

do you have neighbours/ work collegues/friends that could help out? if you were closer i'd help out.
 
I work full time at present and it's just me and my partner at home (who also works full time and often works away). The pigs take care if themselves during the day and I can do flexi time at work if I need appointments etc. My mum lives a 10 min walk away and when we go on holiday she nips up once a day to spot clean and feed etc. If any were on meds I would board them instead (although Eileen from this forum was very kind to take daisy for me last time). I have willow on eye drops 3 times a day at the min so I tend to be leaving work as quick as I can, medicating as soon as I get in and then another one before I go to bed
 
There's no one who's near me that I'd trust to look after them, or that would be able to unfortunately. I'm also not aware of any boarding places in Scotland that is within a reasonable travel distance. Theres only one recommended on here but it's a long drive. I wonder if my vets would know of anyone?
 
I'm in the same boat as you, I live with my mum who's disabled so she helps where she can but couldn't clean them out or do meds etc.

I'm friendly with a rescue lady who has helped me when I've been on holiday, cleaning out and nail cuts and that kind of thing. Have you got a rescue near you who you can build a relationship with? :)
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
I'm in the same boat as you, I live with my mum who's disabled so she helps where she can but couldn't clean them out or do meds etc.

I'm friendly with a rescue lady who has helped me when I've been on holiday, cleaning out and nail cuts and that kind of thing. Have you got a rescue near you who you can build a relationship with? :)
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How close is the rescue to you? The nearest rescue to me (that I'm aware of) is about a 90 minute drive to get to it..

I don't really go away for long periods of time, just 2 or 3 days at the most once a month or so. My mum's been managing for now but her health is getting worse and it's a struggle for her. I'm going to ask my vets when I'm there if they know of anyone, he sees lots of guinea pigs so I'm hoping he knows of somewhere.
 
Do you have a local Facebook group? We have a number of local buying/selling/noticeboard groups and people are always asking or offering pet care services etc. Or, is there a local college that has animal care students who may be interested in helping out perhaps? When we are away we use a pet sitter to come in a feed/check etc. :)
 
I hire a really nice local pet sitter who I found by ringing round the local pet shops when I was in bed with a bad back and anxiety recently.
 
Beans&Toast said:
How close is the rescue to you? The nearest rescue to me (that I'm aware of) is about a 90 minute drive to get to it..

I don't really go away for long periods of time, just 2 or 3 days at the most once a month or so. My mum's been managing for now but her health is getting worse and it's a struggle for her. I'm going to ask my vets when I'm there if they know of anyone, he sees lots of guinea pigs so I'm hoping he knows of somewhere.
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I live alone, but I'm fortunate in that my son lives nearby, and one of my neighbours loves looking after the piggies, as I do go away with work occasionally. They're on their own when I'm working though, and that's fine. I spend half an hour or so hand feeding and spot cleaning them before I get ready for work, and then again when I come home at night. That's on top of any cuddles and floor time, so they get loads of attention, but there have been times when I've had a lot on, and they've not had quite so much - I just make a point of spending extra time to make it up to them.

I also have family a 10 minute drive away, so there's always someone who can see to them. I'm going away for a fortnight in November, and I'll have a rota then. I'll move the piggies cage downstairs to the living room while I'm away to make it easier for my trusty helpers.
I know my local pet shop (a family affair, who don't sell animals) run a boarding service for small furries, and they have a good reputation, but I've never had to use them yet. You might have something similar.
 
i live alone,but my neighbours has piggies so she usually looks after my piggies if i go away.i manage the day to day care around any work or visiting friends with sceduling most of veg and water refills in the morning.usually top up hay in the evening.once a week a have a big clean out day .
 
There are a lot of pet sitters about nowadays. It's just trying to find one you would trust.

I'm lucky that my mother in law will help out if the piggies need any medication when I'm at work. That said she doesn't really like them the same as I do but she will give medication if it's required. Also my lovely Husband feeds them and cleans the fleece if I'm away at work. (He's not keen on handling them though)
 
Beans&Toast said:
How close is the rescue to you? The nearest rescue to me (that I'm aware of) is about a 90 minute drive to get to it..

I don't really go away for long periods of time, just 2 or 3 days at the most once a month or so. My mum's been managing for now but her health is getting worse and it's a struggle for her. I'm going to ask my vets when I'm there if they know of anyone, he sees lots of guinea pigs so I'm hoping he knows of somewhere.
Click to expand...

Ah the rescue is like 10 minutes from my house haha maybe 90 mins is a bit far!

Glad you've found a pet sitter! It's nice to have connections with other animal lovers just in case! :)
 
I live on my own and sometimes it can be hard.
I have different shift patterns, due to being a support worker, and when I do a sleepover, my pigs can be left for 24 hours on their own. My friends and family all work, so I can't really ask anyone to pop in. I just make sure the piggies have lots of everything and it seems to work, thankfully!
If I go away in my hols, which is not very often, I get my dad to pop in and sort them out.
I seem to be doing okay, so far, but yes, it can sometimes be hard. I think my family don't realise just how much looking after my boys really need :)
 
carrie anne said:
I live on my own and sometimes it can be hard.
I have different shift patterns, due to being a support worker, and when I do a sleepover, my pigs can be left for 24 hours on their own. My friends and family all work, so I can't really ask anyone to pop in. I just make sure the piggies have lots of everything and it seems to work, thankfully!
If I go away in my hols, which is not very often, I get my dad to pop in and sort them out.
I seem to be doing okay, so far, but yes, it can sometimes be hard. I think my family don't realise just how much looking after my boys really need :)
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Do your pigs ever need to be given medication? Yeah a lot of people think of guinea pigs as some little thing you can just leave in a cage and forget about, but like you say they can be a lot of work to look after!
 
I have my boyfriend but when I go away I give him the phone number of a friend.

If I were on my own I'd reach out to friend or people on the forum to help. I definitely wouldn't mind helping someone out with their pigs.

There's also boarding facilities or pet sitters that I would use if I had noone familiar to ask.
 
I live alone and work 8.30-5 (leave the house at 7.45 so I can get parked and get in at 5.30) and I don't have any problems with caring for the pigs really. I just let them out for floortime as soon as I get in and do veg before I go and when I get back. If I go away, it's usually to my parents and I take the pigs with me. I'm sure my parents would watch them if I ever went away on holiday - which I can't afford at the moment anyway! As their cages are so big, I don't feel bad about leaving them all day as there is plenty of room for them to run about and they get floortime from when I get in until I go to bed. Plus Mama has to work to keep them in the lifestyle they are accustomed to haha ;) I don't have any experience with a pig needing medication or syringe fed but I would imagine it would be more difficult and stressful.
 
Beans&Toast said:
Do your pigs ever need to be given medication? Yeah a lot of people think of guinea pigs as some little thing you can just leave in a cage and forget about, but like you say they can be a lot of work to look after!
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No, not at the moment, but Mr Rochester did have a UTI this year, and I had to give his meds via a syringe. It was hard for me, but if anyone else had to do it, I think Rochy would have bitten them! It's a trust thing with pigs, Mr Darcy is okay with people, but Rochy doesn't like anyone who isn't me :(
Yep, there is floor time, cleaning, prepping food, checks, also, Mr Darcy occasionally suffers from impaction, imagine someone not used to piggies doing that?!
 
This is my problem exactly. I unfortunately lost both my boys earlier this year but was off sick for the worst of the syringe feeding and medication. My partner is home a lot but doesn't want to do the syringe feeds. I would dearly love more one day but cant just go sick if I get up one morning and they're not eating. There are no rescues near me as far as I know so no one I could leave them with during the day. I wish I could afford to work part time.
 
I thought I would add to this post. I live alone with 15 pigs (!) - and have done for about 5 years - and have thought a lot about / planned for these issues:

I work full-time (often 16-hour days), but have arranged to work some days each week at home - this gives me time for vet appointments. If I ever have a pig needing round-the-clock care, I've thought about how I can bring them into the office where I work (and I have an excellent hospital / travel crate just in case). I also accrue leave for major emergencies (e.g. an unexpectedly very sick pig) that would mean I'd have to take time off work for an immediate vet appointment. If I couldn't have this flexibility, I could only work casually / part-time - and I keep my expenses down just in case this ever has to happen.

I run the house like a military operation to ensure everybody is clean, fed / watered and exercised, etc., around the days I have to travel into work. I live a 90-minute commute from work, so I've also done a lot of planning to ensure the pigs are comfortable when I'm away - for example: installing security screening so I can keep the doors / windows open on hot summer days (we're in Aus). My next project is to install security cameras so I can check on the little ones 'live' when I'm away. When I do go into work, I make sure they have at 24 hours of food and water (e.g. stuffed full hay pouches, extra-large water bottles), just in case something happens to me and I can't arrange immediate care for them.

I don't go away overnight. If there was an emergency (e.g. I was in hospital), I could ask my parents for help short-term, but I'd probably end up hiring a professional pet-sitter or boarding the pigs at the local guinea pig rescue / exotics vet. I have a savings account, a cupboard of clean bedding, spare hay, spare cages, stockpiled medications and a detailed instruction book with contact numbers in case this ever happens.

I find that being frank with people helps - for example: the vet I see knows my circumstances, and she immediately offered to board the pigs if ever needed. I also keep an eye out for people in my local community who could help - for example: vet nurses, dog groomers, petshop staff, wildlife carers, etc. Obviously, though, I'd never ask unless it was a major emergency and I had literally no other option.

I'm totally risk averse - and I've never needed to use any of the strategies I've listed! But it feels good to have thought it out It's stressful living alone with pigs - so much so that I'm no longer filling empty cages as my pigs pass away, and am planning for my group to become a third of the size it is. But pigs are so fantastic I wouldn't have it any other way :)
 
Unfortunately I wouldn't be allowed to take any pigs in to work with me and we have to book our holidays almost a year in advance. In fact we've already had to book our holidays for next year!
 
My exotics vets boards guineas - more expensive than boarding elsewhere, but they'll do weight checks, food and drink consumption/poo production checks (with charts!) and meds/bum clear outs (elderly boar :roll:) if needed.

I live alone and mostly work from home, but if I'm away they go to the vets as I know they can provide everything they need. If I'm on night feeds I sometimes board them for a night for respite care for me too. I'd rather do all the feeds etc myself but it's so exhausting.

If I go away to my parents they often come too and my neighbours will check in on them too if I'm going to be away for a long day.

Finding the exotics vets did boarding was great; I know they'll be ok there. Do you have a cavy savvy vet near you for when they need extra tlc?
 
piggie smitten said:
This is my problem exactly. I unfortunately lost both my boys earlier this year but was off sick for the worst of the syringe feeding and medication. My partner is home a lot but doesn't want to do the syringe feeds. I would dearly love more one day but cant just go sick if I get up one morning and they're not eating. There are no rescues near me as far as I know so no one I could leave them with during the day. I wish I could afford to work part time.
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I had the same, I had to phone in sick sometimes to work to syringe feed if Toast was ill. I couldn't afford it but literally had to other option sometimes, It's so difficult if you don't have anyone who can/Is able to help you x
 
piglette said:
I thought I would add to this post. I live alone with 15 pigs (!) - and have done for about 5 years - and have thought a lot about / planned for these issues:

I work full-time (often 16-hour days), but have arranged to work some days each week at home - this gives me time for vet appointments. If I ever have a pig needing round-the-clock care, I've thought about how I can bring them into the office where I work (and I have an excellent hospital / travel crate just in case). I also accrue leave for major emergencies (e.g. an unexpectedly very sick pig) that would mean I'd have to take time off work for an immediate vet appointment. If I couldn't have this flexibility, I could only work casually / part-time - and I keep my expenses down just in case this ever has to happen.

I run the house like a military operation to ensure everybody is clean, fed / watered and exercised, etc., around the days I have to travel into work. I live a 90-minute commute from work, so I've also done a lot of planning to ensure the pigs are comfortable when I'm away - for example: installing security screening so I can keep the doors / windows open on hot summer days (we're in Aus). My next project is to install security cameras so I can check on the little ones 'live' when I'm away. When I do go into work, I make sure they have at 24 hours of food and water (e.g. stuffed full hay pouches, extra-large water bottles), just in case something happens to me and I can't arrange immediate care for them.

I don't go away overnight. If there was an emergency (e.g. I was in hospital), I could ask my parents for help short-term, but I'd probably end up hiring a professional pet-sitter or boarding the pigs at the local guinea pig rescue / exotics vet. I have a savings account, a cupboard of clean bedding, spare hay, spare cages, stockpiled medications and a detailed instruction book with contact numbers in case this ever happens.

I find that being frank with people helps - for example: the vet I see knows my circumstances, and she immediately offered to board the pigs if ever needed. I also keep an eye out for people in my local community who could help - for example: vet nurses, dog groomers, petshop staff, wildlife carers, etc. Obviously, though, I'd never ask unless it was a major emergency and I had literally no other option.

I'm totally risk averse - and I've never needed to use any of the strategies I've listed! But it feels good to have thought it out It's stressful living alone with pigs - so much so that I'm no longer filling empty cages as my pigs pass away, and am planning for my group to become a third of the size it is. But pigs are so fantastic I wouldn't have it any other way :)
Click to expand...
Wow! You definitely have things under control :P I'd love it if I could take my pigs into work, but I'd never get any work done (not would I be able to :P) x
 
Posyrose said:
My exotics vets boards guineas - more expensive than boarding elsewhere, but they'll do weight checks, food and drink consumption/poo production checks (with charts!) and meds/bum clear outs (elderly boar :roll:) if needed.

I live alone and mostly work from home, but if I'm away they go to the vets as I know they can provide everything they need. If I'm on night feeds I sometimes board them for a night for respite care for me too. I'd rather do all the feeds etc myself but it's so exhausting.

If I go away to my parents they often come too and my neighbours will check in on them too if I'm going to be away for a long day.

Finding the exotics vets did boarding was great; I know they'll be ok there. Do you have a cavy savvy vet near you for when they need extra tlc?
Click to expand...
I have heard of some nurses taking on piggies to look after. Yeah I'm lucky that my vet is very experienced with pigs and also is only 2 minutes from my house. He gave me the number of a woman he knows who is obsessed with guinea pigs, has loads herself and takes in rescues/boarding. Handy to know she's not too far away
 
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