How much is too many piggies?

TheGuineaPigExpert

TheGuineaPigExpert

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I won't say exactly how many I have, but most of the time when I do, I get a lot of hate replies, "WHAT?! THAT IS WAAAY TO MANY!" and once someone told me to give at least half of the amount I have to a shelter because I am "hoarding" them. I have a very big enclosure and lots of hay. What amount would you say is too many?
 
I wouldn't say any specific amount is too many, as long as they're being properly cared for. A few of our forum members have over a dozen, and I believe one has a few dozen. As long as they aren't neglected due to there being so many, I personally don't see any problem with any amount. Don't worry what other people say :nod:
 
hrsrdr said:
I wouldn't say any specific amount is too many, as long as they're being properly cared for. A few of our forum members have over a dozen, and I believe one has a few dozen. As long as they aren't neglected due to there being so many, I personally don't see any problem with any amount. Don't worry what other people say :nod:
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you made my day. thank you soooo much, you are the first person to say that (other than some of my siblings, they looove animals lol)
 
I agree also. Aslong as they are well cared for! I am interested to how many guinea pigs you have though? :)
 
You can have as many as you can provide ongoing veg care for. And as many as you can give the life and space they deserve.
 
You need to change your profile photo to that of your actual guinea pigs. I don’t think those are yours.
 
i have 16 at present...had 24 at the beginning of 2018. i would say the biggest outlaye is vet fees,and time.ensuring you have someone to look after however many pigs when you go on vacation,or illness .also ive been syringe feeding 3 hourly around the clock with two poorly piggies for a month and it is time consuming,i love my piggies ,I'm not getting any more guinea pigs at present to reduce my numbers.
 
I have goodly number of piggies myself (see my signature and count yourself) and get regularly asked whether I breed piggies. I usually answer that I am doing exactly the opposite - I adopt difficult to bond and stuck in rescue piggies that struggle to find new homes and do my best to find them congenial company.

Just get over those remarks. How many piggies you have is down to how much space, time and financial reserves for vet care you have to look after your piggies and to give them what they need; there is no set number. People who are making these remarks without having ever seen your piggies and their set-up do lack essential understanding and frankly very much basic tact!
A hoarder is somebody who has more piggies than they can look after comfortably and is somebody who is unable say no, withstand temptation and who continues to acquire piggies way past what they can cope with without compromising on welfare and care.

I work from home and am pretty much cage cleaning and washing on a near daily rotational basis (just in case you were wondering how exciting life with lots of piggies is!) but as I can choose my working hours, I do have the time to care for that number of piggies and to give them a happy piggy life. I haven't gone from zero to the number I have quickly; this has happened gradually over nearly a decade in which my life got turned upside down a couple of times and piggies became my comfort and refuge when I had to put my life on hold for another couple of years again - the pandemic is the third time in a decade). I have asked myself every time whether I have really got the space to take in more. Only a comparatively small number of my piggies over the years have actually been gratuitous adoptions (about one a year); quite a lot more piggies have arrived here sight unseen as emergencies or to help clear urgently needed rescue spaces for a large emergency intake or as companions for existing piggies (bereavement or fall-out). With the exception of the very occasional slip-up, I have been actually very good.

Sadly, I will have to downsize as recent family developments mean there are going to be more demands on my time and my free money (travel) from another side for likely quite a number of years. But I am planning to this naturally as my next big wodge of piggies is coming toward older age and will be making their way to the Rainbow Bridge over the coming years (a good half of my current piggies will be 5-8 years by the end of next year). I am only going to replace piggies where absolutely needed until I find a new balance I am happy and comfortable with again - taking into account the rising vet fees.

In the end, it is never about the numbers but the quality of care and love that we give others, whether they are humans or animals. Who and in which form we give our commitment is very much our personal choice and responsibility - and to what else happens in your life if you are a long term owner.
 
Wiebke said:
I have goodly number of piggies myself (see my signature and count yourself) and get regularly asked whether I breed piggies. I usually answer that I am doing exactly the opposite - I adopt difficult to bond and stuck in rescue piggies that struggle to find new homes and do my best to find them congenial company. I work from home and am pretty much cage cleaning and washing on a near daily (just in case you were wondering how exciting life with lots of piggies is!) but as I can choose my working hours, I do have the time to care for that number of piggies and to give them a happy piggy life. I haven't gone from zero to the number I have quickly; this has happened gradually over nearly a decade in which my life got turned upside down a couple of times and piggies became my comfort and refuge. I have asked myself every time whether I really got the space to take in more. Only a comparatively small number of my piggies over the years have actually been gratuitous adoptions (about one a year); quite a lot more piggies have arrived here sight unseen as emergencies or to help clear urgently needed rescue spaces for a large emergency intake or as companions for existing piggies (bereavement or fall-out).

Just get over those remarks. How many piggies you have is down to how much space, time and financial reserves for vet care you have to look after your piggies and to give them what they need; there is no set number. People who are making these remarks without having ever seen your piggies their set-up do lack essential understanding and frankly very much basic tact!
A hoarder is somebody who has more piggies than they can look after comfortably and is somebody who is unable say no, withstand temptation and who continues to acquire piggies way past what they can cope with without compromising on welfare and care.

Sadly, I will have to downsize as recent family developments mean there are going to be more demands on my time and my free money (travel) from another side for likely quite a number of years. But I am planning to this naturally as my next big wodge of piggies is coming toward older age and will be making their way to the Rainbow Bridge over the coming years, and only replace piggies where absolutely needed until I find a new balance I am happy and comfortable with again.

In the end, it is never about the numbers but the quality of care and love that we give others, whether they are humans or animals. Who and in which form we give our commitment is very much our personal choice and responsibility.
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yeah, I've had some people ask me if they can take a few, and my friends' first piggie was one of mine! I keep the genders separated, and feed them regularly. I bring them to the vet every so often for checkups, and I only take more when I have enough room. I spay and neuter all of them (not me, the vet), and I weigh them every other week. none of them fight, but when I was starting, one got really injured by a fight, so I introduce them when I get more. I just recently got marshmello! (piggie)
 
TheGuineaPigExpert said:
yeah, I've had some people ask me if they can take a few, and my friends' first piggie was one of mine! I keep the genders separated, and feed them regularly. I bring them to the vet every so often for checkups, and I only take more when I have enough room. I spay and neuter all of them (not me, the vet), and I weigh them every other week. none of them fight, but when I was starting, one got really injured by a fight, so I introduce them when I get more. I just recently got marshmello! (piggie)
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I have been always very careful in making very clear that I am not a rescue myself and will send people on to a good welfare standard rescue if needed. I also don't take on forum piggies in need of a new home; again we are working together with a network of rescues we know piggies will be in safe hands.
The very occasional private intake has only happened if there were very special circumstances or mostly because the piggies have fit into a free available space a (my major proviso); they have always come vouched for via people I know and trust.

Without this precaution, I would have long since ended up as a hoarder in need of rescuing from myself and this forum would have turned into an uncontrolled dumping ground for unwanted piggies. We had a phase when well-meaning but improvident members did make promises they could not fulfill and we had to really pull the brakes on here when too many people started to go after the soft-hearted and in some cases vulnerable people on this forum; or simply thought that what we all wanted was more free piggies to look after for each of us... sorry, nope!
We have also had the odd hoarder member on here over the years, which has usually meant a lot of hassle behind the scenes. You can usually spot the difference when you come up against one.
 
TheGuineaPigExpert said:
yeah, I've had some people ask me if they can take a few, and my friends' first piggie was one of mine! I keep the genders separated, and feed them regularly. I bring them to the vet every so often for checkups, and I only take more when I have enough room. I spay and neuter all of them (not me, the vet), and I weigh them every other week. none of them fight, but when I was starting, one got really injured by a fight, so I introduce them when I get more. I just recently got marshmello! (piggie)
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Did you give your friend a lone piggy? They’re not supposed to live alone so I hope (s)he got him/her a friend.
 
As others have said, if you have the space, the time commitment as well as a bottomless vet fund, then as long as you can look after your piggies well and give them a happy life then you can have as many as you feel you can cope with. My limit was 5. I am trying to get numbers down to 2 as that is all I feel I can cope with now. I have 3 at present. I recently lost my 2 beautiful boys within 4 days of each other and am still struggling to cope with getting over that bereavement but I am slowly getting there. I will never give any of my piggies away. As far as I am concerned as piggy is for life.
 
Just a note on hoarders. Unfortunately, hoarding is a disorder and as those go, people don't realise they have problem or refuse to accept help or reality check from others. As I work for a rescue we get animals from hoarders regularly and they're never vicious people. They start off by wanting to help and end up not being able to say NO and take on more than they can cope with. Which is why it's difficult to say if anyone is or isn't hoarder based on the limited info you've provided.

Personally and in current circumstances, I wouldn't want more than a dozen pigs (max I ever had was 6,including foster pigs) as I know I wouldn't be able to afford the vet care, which is so expensive. And in my opinion, you can't tell who's doing what in terms of poops or urine if you have huge numbers in one place. You'll not see signs like blood in urine as there are too many or who's eating what. I also don't feel like I would be able to invest time into knowing them all if I had large numbers and would struggle with finding someone I would trust to look after them if I am away or ill.
Those are examples and my personal opinions. Everyone's circumstances are different.
 
For me any more than 4 would be too many but that's because I will be going back to work in a few months, have a baby, a dog, a gecko and fish to look after too. It always seems to be that when one gets sick at least one other will and the vets bills can mount up. I'd hate to be in a position where I couldn't afford vet care.
 
I've always been tempted to get more. I started off just wanting 3, one extra Piggy to add to my current pair but then I realised it would be cruel not to take an already bonded pair as the forum had advised there may be an outsider situation.

Then, when I went to purchase the two sow sisters I noticed I was leaving a single boar behind who was the only male in all the litters and I was informed someone had already rang about him and just wanted to keep a single male by himself so I ended up taking him home too. He just looked terrified all alone in a cage. But now I've thought about it, it was a very last second decision to purchase the male and I've been incredibly lucky he was able to get neutered early and now happily lives with his herd.

It just shows you how easy it is to purchase guinea pigs, I meant to get 1 but came home with 3. So for that reason, I've said to myself no more. I realise how "easy" it would be for myself go purchase quite a few more as I have such a large living space but I wouldn't be taking account of having to clean them out more frequently plus the extra vet bills. I'll always be tempted to get one more though but I know for a fact my "one" would turn into "two". Plus there's no guarantee any new arrivals would get on with my existing herd and there's no guarantee I would suddenly think to myself that's enough now.

But if you can commit to the vet bills and cleaning 🧹🧼 then you can have as many as you please :)
 
As others have said if you have the space, time, money and commitment to care for them properly and a good vet to take them to when needed, then there isn't a fixed amount that is too many. I had piggies when growing up but after leaving home I didn't have any for many years, I worked long hours, socialised a lot, travelled, etc, so there wasn't room in my life to care for piggies too. I started keeping them again 20 years ago when my life became more settled. I have a lot but know my limits. They are my passion.
 
I started off with 2. Then it became 3, then 4. And then an oopsie 5. Then became 6.
Now down to 5.
It is hard work, especially with a part time job, a dog, 4 horses and 2 birds..and a boyfriend lol. But my animals come first, The g’pigs are the first to be fed in the morning. And I’d rather go hungry myself than not take an animal to the vet. (Don’t worry I don’t actually have to go hungry lol!.. but we are trying to save up for a house!).
Every animal in my care has to have a high standard of living conditions. No excuses. If I couldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t have them.

Why won’t you say how many piggies you have? Do you have a photo of where they live? :)
 
Hannah_xx said:
I started off with 2. Then it became 3, then 4. And then an oopsie 5. Then became 6.
Now down to 5.
It is hard work, especially with a part time job, a dog, 4 horses and 2 birds..and a boyfriend lol. But my animals come first, The g’pigs are the first to be fed in the morning. And I’d rather go hungry myself than not take an animal to the vet. (Don’t worry I don’t actually have to go hungry lol!.. but we are trying to save up for a house!).
Every animal in my care has to have a high standard of living conditions. No excuses. If I couldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t have them.

Why won’t you say how many piggies you have? Do you have a photo of where they live? :)
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I would also like to see photos of all these piggies and their cage set up, and I'm also very curious what expertise @TheGuineaPigExpert is bringing to our friendly forum... we'd all love to know what her qualifications and expertise are I'm sure, that she can share with us here, with a username like that! Maybe she's a specialist vet or something?
 
PigglePuggle said:
I would also like to see photos of all these piggies and their cage set up, and I'm also very curious what expertise @TheGuineaPigExpert is bringing to our friendly forum... we'd all love to know what her qualifications and expertise are I'm sure, that she can share with us here, with a username like that! Maybe she's a specialist vet or something?
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Agreed! I’m quite curious.
If she’s a guinea pig expert, Then there should be nothing to hide about how many pigs she has... As surely they are all living in amazing conditions..
:whistle:
 
Hannah_xx said:
I started off with 2. Then it became 3, then 4. And then an oopsie 5. Then became 6.
Now down to 5.
It is hard work, especially with a part time job, a dog, 4 horses and 2 birds..and a boyfriend lol. But my animals come first, The g’pigs are the first to be fed in the morning. And I’d rather go hungry myself than not take an animal to the vet. (Don’t worry I don’t actually have to go hungry lol!.. but we are trying to save up for a house!).
Every animal in my care has to have a high standard of living conditions. No excuses. If I couldn’t do that, then I wouldn’t have them.

Why won’t you say how many piggies you have? Do you have a photo of where they live? :)
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Couldn’t agree more! Horses, dog, husband, full time job and business to run! But my babies never want for anything 😊
 
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