How many people have brought guinea pigs?!

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Jem121

Jem121

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How many members on here have brought guinea pigs from petshops, Pets at home, breeders etc.
Found this forum and realised there was such thing as guinea pig rescues, and now feel slightly guilty about it?
I know i do..
 
Don't feel guilty.... Most people will have started off with piggies not from rescues at some point in their life.
Our first piggies were from a colleague's mom who used to show as a hobby and have a small herd. If we hadn't got them from her we would have gone to a pet shop as we never knew rescues existed until we joined the forum.
Our 3 girls now are all rescue piggies from Walsall RSPCA,
 
I've bought my guinea pigs.

I got Gilbert and Ludwig from Jollies. I didn't know about rescues then and after searching in a few shops I returned to where they were and bought them. They had been unwanted because of their red eyes and how they were getting older.

I will never feel guilty about buying them as they are my pride and joy but I'd definitely rescue from a rescue in the future. I hate to think of what my boys had to go through in the past before I got them.
 
When I first wanted piggies I tried RSPCA but they turned me down as I do not have a garden. I then got mine from Gumtree. I had no idea of other rescues but do not feel bad as I got them with good intentions and had no idea about all the unwanted piggies out there. Sophie was not well looked after so I feel I did rescue her in a way.
 
I bought mine from a petshop as well. Wish I hadn't though. They didn't give me very much information on the personality of my little piggy and while I love her to death I wish I had picked one from a rescue center. I wanted a super friendly one and the pet store owners barely knew the birthday of the one I got. /: Next time!
 
Don't worry about it. My first two: Rosie and Georgie were from a pet shop 6 years ago and Rosie is still going strong. I didn't know about rescues at the time, but we got Rosie a new friend from'the potteries' rescue in May, and then 10 days later we came back with 2 more girls from the rescue. I would always rescue in future, but I love both my pet shop girls and my rescue girls the same!
 
klee said:
Don't worry about it. My first two: Rosie and Georgie were from a pet shop 6 years ago and Rosie is still going strong. I didn't know about rescues at the time, but we got Rosie a new friend from'the potteries' rescue in May, and then 10 days later we came back with 2 more girls from the rescue. I would always rescue in future, but I love both my pet shop girls and my rescue girls the same!
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*dreams of Rosie* drool x) :))
 
sport_billy said:
*dreams of Rosie* drool x) :))
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Sorry, slightly off topic! Sport_billy she keeps falling asleep at the front of the hutch. I'm determined to get you a pigture. Its so sweet, scares me to death everytime but she wakes up everytime I get close enough. I have one but its through the wire so not very clear :(
 
My Poggy was from Pets at Home (didn't realise their breeding conditions etc at the time :( )

Our Tiny was from an independent pet shop (they breed their own pigs, have them in fantastic conditions, can tell you anything you'd need to know about them and are very supportive after you've got your pet). While now I wouldn't buy from a pet shop, they're very responsible.

While we didn't know about rescues at the time, we wouldn't change any of our piggles for the world.

Our Dumpling and Crumble were rescue pigs of sorts. They came from a lady who had had to take on the animals from a pet shop that closed down (or they'd be pts / given up as no one wanted them) and they were born to one of the pregnant sows she took on.

Tiffypig was from the RSPCA and was a rescue pig in the official sense :) she's so utterly gorgeous and we love her to bits :) yay!
 
I bought my last guinea pig from a pet shop (he was sadly stolen last March) but since coming on this forum now know all about rescue piggies and will be getting my rescue pair on Wednesday this week :) I wouldn't buy from a pet shop now as i would like to give piggies like these their forever home.
 
I dont regret any of my guinea pigs, i love them All to death.
I bought Delboy and Rodney.
My mum rescued Bubble&Squeak. The owner before hand was not looking after them they had no food,water and their cage was filthy.
Neville was given to me because he's owner was allergic him.
And i bought Norman from Pets At Home.

I wouldnt mind going to a rescue and getting another pair of boys, But i dont want to have to many and not have enough time to get my lot out of an evening and give them the handling and cuddles they need..
 
I have not bought any of my pigs ;-) all adoptions

2 from a proper rescue- NEGPR
3 from a person i went to college with
 
My first group of three were a private rehome - I think I gave them a tenner for 3 males (then spent a fortune treating their mites and lice grrrr)

The three since the 3 boys have been rescues, one from the RSPCA, then 2 different rescues I found on here :)
 
I bought Daisy-doo from a Hobby Breeder, in my local area. This was before I knew about rescues, but all piggies that were bred by this family were well loved and looked after, they still ask for updates on Daisy now! :))

I wanted to get Daisy a friend and found this forum, I was determined to get a rescue piggie. I got a bigger cage as suggested by the members ont his forum, I upgraded from a 00cm to a 150cm :)) then whilst buying some supplies ready for another pig, I came accross Minnow. She was so very tiny when I got her and riddled with mites and bite wounds, I bought her there and then. Here she is when I first got her:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=72532

My Guinea pig family was complete, until one day when I was stocking up (in the same pet shop as last time! mallethead ) I came across Oliver tiny, struggling to breathe and covered in bote wounds after being bullied by his cage mates. I bought him with the intentions of getting him better and rehoming him. hat was a few months back now and currently we are bookign him in to be neutered to live with the girls.



I don't regret any of my piggies, but in the future i will try to rescue instead of buying. In my eyes I rescued Minnow and Oliver.
 
All our gorgeous Piggys were from petshops-although Bonnie and Lottie were from a lady who had bred them but she wasn't breeding anymore and had rescue animals. She had recently opened a groomers/pet supplies and unfortunately they were kept in a dark windowless room so I like to think that we are going them a much better life :)

I will never regret having them they are very much loved but I'm sure any future Piggys will be resue Piggys :)
 
Don't feel guilty about the pets you already have - just try go rescue in the future whenever that is possible.

The majority of us didn't begin with rehoming from rescues. I certainly didn't; I started with a classic pet shop pregnancy and only afterwards started looking for rescues because I didn't want to repeat that experience. However, my pregnant pet shop mummy still holds a very special place in my heart, she was such character and I am blessed to have had her in my life.
 
I didn't "buy" my 2, they were given to me by a friend who's piggie had babies.
Frank was the last of the litter and I felt sorry for him and Fang was the only boy of his litter so I had him aswell.

Like others have said that was before I found this forum and found out more about rescues.

I would have another from my friend if it was the above circumstances but I would prefer to go to a rescue from now on.
 
It actually makes me sad that people on here feel they have to defend where they got their guinea pigs from and feel guilty for having pet shop piggies... please don't...

I have 5; two from a local pet shop that I'd had piggies from before. One P@H adoption centre who'd come back because she was both pregnant and highly agressive to the girls she'd been bought with. Two 'too-old-to-sell' piggies from the same branch. I don't feel in the least bit guilty and knowing me there's a small, but real, chance I'd end up with more pet shop piggies in the future...

I also have fifteen rescue piggies... So I think it's safe to say I'm a supporter of rescuing piggies now.
 
I got my two from PAH, I don't feel guilty about it because I love them so much but in future I will use rescues as I believe that's a much better way of doing things. Also, not sure if it's related but a week after I brought them home, they both developed what I think is a fungal infection.

I simply did not realise how many guineas are in rescues at the moment - some are at full capacity!
 
My two girls were from the dreaded P@H, I found this forum when researching about piggies and learnt about rescues then. I wouldn't change them for the world as I love them dearly but I'd never set foot in a pet shop again. I've since rescued a piggy and always promote rescues and tell everyone not to buy from pet shops that sell animals! Don't feel guilty, you can do a lot now to promote rescue!
 
People should never feel.guilty!
The thing is, if you don't know, then you don't know!
I would say nearly all of us have found this forum one way or another for one reason or another, and learnt about rescues, life is nothing, but a learning curve in all aspects :)
 
I got one from my friends mum which died a year later due to genetic problems as his sister died a year later too :(

My first 3 I got from a pet shop all from "just for pets" formally known as "Wilsons pets centre" and they all have lived up to 8 years old and my old REx pig lived till he was 9 and he was from a garden centre.

the 2 I hvae pigg napped (mojo & smudgy) (are actually my friends I'm looking after them while she is at UNI) they are from pets at home.

SO unfortunatly all of mine are from pet shops except for one as the woman did not realise said guinea pig was a boy instead of a girl.

I did not realise there where guinea pig rescues before I joined the forum. the RSPCA did have guinea pigs but they where gone within like a week of being on the site.
 
vickie016 said:
I bought my last guinea pig from a pet shop (he was sadly stolen last March) but since coming on this forum now know all about rescue piggies and will be getting my rescue pair on Wednesday this week :) I wouldn't buy from a pet shop now as i would like to give piggies like these their forever home.
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I currently have 3 pigs 1 girl and 2 boys I'm considering getting more but don't want anyone feeling left out I want to get two ore girls what do * think?
 
i dont feel guilty about where i got my babies from!

I think i feel sorry as apposed to guilty for all the piggies in rescues.
I wouldnt change my boys for the world. I love them all.
 
Being in the great state of texas, we've not got the rescues "least so far as i know anyways" ..so my piggys have come from a breeder (not a very good one I'm afraid) and two different pet shops.

The first two (from not so good breeder) was an impulse buy. She did know how to sex them and was a "little" knowledgble about them...but I am a "find out all I need to know" type of owner. So I set about researching ..and ended up here (thank god).
then pet shop trips led me to get gus, as he had been there for months. people were put off by his size, as the little small baby ones get fussed over, (and then later abandoned when the "cute" wears offf)...and the large ones are "left". he stole my heart..and home he came.
Then we were in getting supplies (when you have alot of pets..you end up there on a weekly basis it seems)...and were "offered " this "thing" as the pet store guy refered to "patch". I was so angry at his conditions (although he was owner surrendered to it wasnt the guys fault) and then on top of it he says "glad to be getting rid of the thing...we dont have to keep him now"....i had to let my husband finish gathering the "stuff" that came with him (most of which was incorrect...food, alphalpa hay..but they had apparently fed him nothing BUT alphalpa hay..and man was he fat)...

oh well..thats just a long way of saying. I rescued two from a lousy breeder and two from lousy pet shops.
:(|)
truthfully, probably a good thing there arent rescues near me...as I'd likely convert the entire house into gpig heaven and bring them all home.
 
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