How secure are your guinea pigs?

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summerleaze

summerleaze

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Please note this thread is not designed in anyway to create panic or fear but to remind us all to be vigilant and cautious.



I recieved some news yesterday that a lady had had her hutch and her two guinea pigs stolen from her back garden. She is very distraught and has reported the matter to the police.

Whilst speculation in these matters is not helpful the general feeling is that they were stolen to order and are likely to be a Christmas present for someone next week.

In these times of difficulty everything, including animals, becomes of some monetary value so this is just a gentle reminder for us all to consider how secure our guinea pigs and hutches are.

My two local pet shops are selling guinea pigs for over £30 each at the moment so clearly it may pay someone to help themselves. Perhaps we could use this opportunity to exchange safety tips too.

From a rescues point of view I have people visiting often to view cats and guinea pigs. I have to remain cautious without histeria but I have recently reviewed my own security measures, many of them just common sense really.




Anyway, my thoughts today are with the guinea pigs that were stolen.:(
 
That's sad. Our Garden isn't that overlooked and also has no back gate, all the gardens run off one another and we have trelis up to stop the cats so it feels safe here. However, nothing is 100% safe so I have a padlock on the shed not that it would stop those who really wanted the animals. Our shed is also alarmed.
 
OMG, thats awful! The lady must be gutted, what a horrible thing to happen, especially at this time of year:(. My piggies are inside, so I don't have this worry, but I really hope that this sad story doesn't happen to anyone else.
 
that is absolutely appauling - but these things do happen and they are becoming more common unfortunately in some areas.

Lukily mine are inside so are secure - i remember this summeri t being mentioned on the forum about guinea pigs in runs and how easy it can be for people to take them.

Just double check everything, make sure your sheds have locks on them and you can do what you can to keep them safe.
 
ah thats blo*** horrible - luckily ours are in doors and to get to them anyone would have to pass our three dogs.poor lady xx
 
i have seen himmi guinea pigs advertised this week for £50 a pair my guinea pigs live in an outhouse so they are safe but how awfull for someone to do such a thing grrrr
 
just horrible for the owner and the piggies. i mean, for a piggy to be stolen and then sold off to someone who'll probably get bored of them, who'll probably give them away for snake food. mine are indoors too, partly because i think it's best for everyone so we get used to each other, partly to protect them from the weather and partly from the security aspect. no-one's ever putting their hands on my pigs! not ever, ever, ever!!
 
thank you for starting such an important thread. My GPs are indoors at the moment, and i live in quite a safe area, but at my last house i had a security light, and a lock on my gate. i know that thieves would probably find a way to get into gardens, and or hutches, but any small measures such as chaining the hutch to something may delay them, allowing more time for the owner to possible hear or see them. poor woman who had her GPs stolen, i'd be distraught if it was me. x
 
My piggies are inside too and the room they're in has not got a windo to outside, just onto the conservatory and you just can't see them through two sets of window panes.:)

I cannot start to imagine the anguish this lady must be going through. I have recurrent nightmares when I lose my pigs and it's not nice. I would be absolutely devastated!8...
 
That is just horrid! how can someone steal someones pet :)>>>

Mine are indoors but I can see what you mean, our back garden is open plan. it would be SO easy to steal a hutch and pet. Tho Id hope that no-one around that would do such a thing you can never tell who is lurking
 
i dont understand how people can just go and take someone elses pets i mean if you stole someones child theyd be pretty upset and its no different really. Luckily my piggies are inside so i dont have to worry unless of course someone broke into the house (which does cross my mind) but hopefully i'd hear someone breaking in!
 
Our two sheds are locked most of the outdoor hutches have padlocks to the doors and with the minimum hutch size at 5ft they are all bloomin heavy. The ducks create like heck if anyone goes in the garden (from their secure house) so i would soon know if any one was skulking about.

I feel so sorry for this poor owner who has had their guineas taken it is a terrible thing to happen.

My thoughts are with them and I hope they get their guineas back x
 
Ozzy&Marley said:
i dont understand how people can just go and take someone elses pets i mean if you stole someones child theyd be pretty upset and its no different really.
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that's the thing, the police probably dont think like that, but my piggies are my kids. i dont care what anyone says. my mum reckons that i wont want the piggies when i have human kids, but my piggies will ALWAYS be my priority, nothing will ever top them. my kids will obviously be as big a priority, but not more than my lovely piggies. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
well i dont ever plan on having children, the thought of having them really makes me feel uncomfortable! I much prefer having animals, they are just as rewarding, easier to look after, cheaper and more fun!
 
Ozzy&Marley said:
well i dont ever plan on having children, the thought of having them really makes me feel uncomfortable! I much prefer having animals, they are just as rewarding, easier to look after, cheaper and more fun!
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animals are ace! i cant wait to move up to a house and get more!
 
yep i definately need more space i need a house with a huge room that i can fill with lovely animals! at the moment they are all spread out i'd like them all to live close together in a big animal room!
 
Yip, definitely agree, I don't plan on having any kids (though never, say never) so my animals are my babies.

I can't even imagine what that poor owner must be going through - distraught wouldn't even come close.

My guinea pigs are indoors but even then I worry that someone will break into the house - let my cats out (indoor cats) and take my guinea pigs. There is nothing that anyone could take that couldn't be replaced - other than my babies, they mean the absolute world to me.
 
That is so sad, poor woman. Perhaps she could put a decent sized ad in her local paper, with pics if she has any. If someone gets 2 guineas and a used hutch for Christmas matching the discription, it will be pretty obvious!

Mine are indoors too :)
 
Hi, When guinea pigs are as expensive as they are in pet shops you can see why this is happening, but if they were as cheap as chips then people would buy them without a second thought of their welfare. On another sad note, some sick people would think to take them for their pet boa constrictors to have as lunch, and for them to get some sort of sad kick out of as I found out on Utube, much to my disgust. grrrr
 
Thanks Summerleaze for a good posting!

I am afraid that anything will get nicked that will make a thief a bob or two, with total disregard for the upset to the owner and the pets.
 
I know of the same problem happening twice in the same week just down the road from me here in Norwich. Two rabbits were taken from seperate gardens. One with the hutch, one without. I assumed straight away that they were being used as Christmas presents.
 
Poor lady and poor guineas. Mine are in the garage or indoors so should be all safe. I only worry during the summer months when we have all the damn holidaymakers here!
 
I was so worried seeing a similar thread last night that I went out and locked the piggies shed. It's just terrible and such a shame. Take care of your piggies everyone.
 
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