How to Move Home with 9 Piggies! Please Help!

Julezfm39

Julezfm39

Junior Guinea Pig
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Woking, Surrey
Hi - I'm really looking for some advice please. I haven't been on the forum since March, after I had lost 3 of my beloved piggies in 3 months 😢😢. I've been looking for anew place to rent for me and my family of 2 children, 9 piggies and 2 rats since our current landlord decided to sell his house after 9 years. So it's been a really stressful couple of months but we've finally found a new apartment in our budget and we move this Thursday the12th May - we're only going to be moving about 10 minutes away so not a long journey at all.

I'm doing the move on my own and have got 2 men with a Luton van to move our stuff, but my biggest worry is moving my piggies (all 9 are boars, ranging in age from 8 months to 3 years) and how to move them. I can't afford a new C&C cage set-up and they will be living in the lounge with us as our new place is smaller. At the moment they take it in turns to have the run of the whole lounge and diner (they don't all mix well). The new lounge has laminate flooring so I am planning to let them run around as they do now (can piggy wee damage a wood floor? 🤔).

So please could you advise me as to how to move them? I only have one pet carrier at the moment. I have 2 x 10.5ft square cages and 3 of the Rectangular Midwest Homes (2 of these are attached to each other as they house 3 piggies who I've managed to bond following the loss of 2 other cage mates).

I am thinking that I WON'T dismantle the cages. I'll just empty the shavings etc and get new fleece bedding for the new flat as I get fed up with the mess caused by wood shavings! Should I just have the removal guys load up the cages and then transport my piggies in the carriers? If so I will need to buy more!

Moving our ratty girls will be less of an issue!

Thank you for your advice 🥰
xxxxx
 
Yes it will be much safer to move the piggies in pet carriers.
Whether you dismantle the cages depends how much space you are going to have for them to go in the van intact.
The benefit to not dismantling of course is that you can hopefully get them out of the pet carriers and into their cages quickly

It would be a good idea to keep some of the soiled wood shavings to put back into the cage when you get to your new home. That way, the cages will still smell like them and so they still recognise the cage as their own territory (they reestablish their relationship in any new territory, particularly for the trio given how unstable boar trios are)
 
Piggies&buns said:
Yes it will be much safer to move the piggies in pet carriers.
Whether you dismantle the cages depends how much space you are going to have for them to go in the van intact.
The benefit to not dismantling of course is that you can hopefully get them out of the pet carriers and into their cages quickly

It would be a good idea to keep some of the soiled wood shavings to put back into the cage when you get to your new home. That way, the cages will still smell like them and so they still recognise the cage as their own territory (they reestablish their relationship in any new territory, particularly for the trio given how unstable boar trios are)
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate your advice. I'll get some more pet carriers today. I really hope I can get the cages in without dismantling as we actually don't have a lot of big furniture to take with us!

You're absolutely right about the soiled shavings. I'll take some out of each cage and put them in the relevant carriers. I know what you mean - boar trios are temperamental. I've got two 3 year olds and a 2 year old and they don't fight, but do regularly do some rumble-strutting and one of them is especially dominant.

Thank you again 😍
 
To help with costs I think you can buy the cardboard carriers from pets at home (the ones you take them home in) as it’s only 10 mins away I’m sure they would be fine in those!
 
I was going to suggest getting some of the cardboard pet carriers .. cheaper than buying 'proper' ones.. its only a short trip for the move so they will be fine.. Good luck with the move - its a stressful time!
 
rp1993 said:
To help with costs I think you can buy the cardboard carriers from pets at home (the ones you take them home in) as it’s only 10 mins away I’m sure they would be fine in those!
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Thank you so much for your advice! Apologies for my late reply. Everything went fine and I moved them over safely!
 
artcasper said:
I was going to suggest getting some of the cardboard pet carriers .. cheaper than buying 'proper' ones.. its only a short trip for the move so they will be fine.. Good luck with the move - its a stressful time!
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Thank you so much! I managed to get the piggies over here when we moved last Thursday and they're settling in. It was very stressful though! The cardboard carriers did the job just fine!
 
rp1993 said:
Glad to here the move went well!
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Thank you! It did, and all the piggies are happy except my little Benjy who actually seemed off colour before we moved.. he wasn't eating as much as usual. His beloved cage-mate Nugget died suddenly in March. Benjy has been losing weight and become so withdrawn in the past couple of days so took him to the vet today and his molars are very overgrown. The vet has said they can file them down under general anaesthetic but he seems so weak. I'm syringe-feeding him but they can't operate until next Monday. I don't think he will even survive until then as he is barely eating. He must feel awful and I can't bear to think that he is suffering.
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m glad your move was successful and everybody is settling in
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Thank you... they are... except my beloved Benjy who isn't eating and started being very withdrawn before we moved. The vet said today that his molars are overgrown and he needs them filing down but they can't operate until next Monday! I feel as if he is starving as he can't even take anything in through a syringe. I am at a loss as to what to do 😔
 
Julezfm39 said:
Thank you... they are... except my beloved Benjy who isn't eating and started being very withdrawn before we moved. The vet said today that his molars are overgrown and he needs them filing down but they can't operate until next Monday! I feel as if he is starving as he can't even take anything in through a syringe. I am at a loss as to what to do 😔
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Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that.
All you can do is weigh him daily and keep going with the syringe feeding.
You say he can’t take anything - did the vet say whether his tongue is trapped
 
Piggies&buns said:
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that.
All you can do is weigh him daily and keep going with the syringe feeding.
You say he can’t take anything - did the vet say whether his tongue is trapped
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They didn't actually tell me whether it is... they said that there was a bit of old food stuck near the back of his throat which probably explains his very smelly breath, poor little fella. He can't seem to take in the liquid Critical Care food that I'm trying to syringe-feed him. it just dribbles out again. He must be so hungry and I'm just heartbroken. I've given him some metacalm for pain relief.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Are you weighing him daily?
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I will be doing from now on.. I could tell he was losing weight over a few days and today he weighs 1kg and is 3 and a half years old. He was always one of my biggest piggies but has definitely lost weight. He's never been to the vet once in his life!
 
Merab's Slave said:
Glad the move went well but sorry about Benjy
Holding you in my thoughts
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Thank you... I'm holding him now but feel as if he is fading. I don't think he will even survive another week whilst we wait for the dental surgery from my regular vet. He's taking little drops of the Critical Care diluted in a lot of water but I don't see how that can sustain him for another 6 days.
 
Fingers crossed that your vets can see him as a life or death emergency.
 
Wiebke said:
Fingers crossed that your vets can see him as a life or death emergency.
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I hope and pray that they can. I'll call as soon as they open tomorrow morning, thank you.
VickiA said:
Glad to hear your move went well, but sorry to hear about Benjy.
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Just an update.. my darling Benjy just passed away about 15 minutes ago. I knew he was fading fast and I have been holding and stroking him for most of the evening. After the kids went to bed I just kept talking to him and then he did the awful muscle spasms as he got ready to cross the rainbow bridge.

I know it's the grief talking but I honestly am thinking that I should rehome my 8 piggies. I have lost 4 since December. Caramel and Nugget passed unexpectedly in their sleep, Freddy had to be euthanised whilst under anaesthetic during an operation to remove a big (and as it turned out, inoperable) abscess in his jaw... and now we've lost Benjy. All of these 4 piggies were about 3 and a half years old, which isn't even old.

The piggies I have now vary in age. The youngest 2 are not yet a year old. I have 3 who are 2 years old and 3 who are the same age as Benjy. I feed them properly, give them lots of love and care... I just don't know how to cope with this constant grief.

I'm sorry to pour out my sadness... thank you for listening 😔😢😢
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m so sorry for your loss
Take some time before making any decisions.
We will help support you

Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
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Thank you... I just feel that had I not been so stressed and consumed with the move then I would have picked up on Benjy's condition sooner. I could have got him the dental treatment faster. That said, I've been reading on here that many piggies haven't recovered from the GA and dental work, often due to the vets not doing a good job of it. Benjy was the most gentle of all my piggies and it breaks my heart to think that he might have been suffering. I'm a single mum of 2 teens and I struggle with anxiety as I also look after my elderly mum too.

I just feel as if I have failed the piggies I have lost, even though I am probably being too harsh on myself. We also lost 2 hamsters in March which were not preventable deaths... so I have a big build-up of grief going on. I don't want to let any of my piggies go! I love them all so much!
 
Julezfm39 said:
I hope and pray that they can. I'll call as soon as they open tomorrow morning, thank you.

Just an update.. my darling Benjy just passed away about 15 minutes ago. I knew he was fading fast and I have been holding and stroking him for most of the evening. After the kids went to bed I just kept talking to him and then he did the awful muscle spasms as he got ready to cross the rainbow bridge.

I know it's the grief talking but I honestly am thinking that I should rehome my 8 piggies. I have lost 4 since December. Caramel and Nugget passed unexpectedly in their sleep, Freddy had to be euthanised whilst under anaesthetic during an operation to remove a big (and as it turned out, inoperable) abscess in his jaw... and now we've lost Benjy. All of these 4 piggies were about 3 and a half years old, which isn't even old.

The piggies I have now vary in age. The youngest 2 are not yet a year old. I have 3 who are 2 years old and 3 who are the same age as Benjy. I feed them properly, give them lots of love and care... I just don't know how to cope with this constant grief.

I'm sorry to pour out my sadness... thank you for listening 😔😢😢
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BIG HUGS

I am so sorry. You did all you could for Benjy. Please do not feel guilty or a total failure. Life happens and so do times when everything happens at once and usually at the worst time (weekends and holidays as well).
I've got a few t-shirts of those from when too many crises were happening at once or the timing re. instant vet access was out. It's just cosmic bad luck (my expression for bad things happening beyond your best efforts and control) but NOT your fault past any reasonable level of care. Life happens to all of us, and you won't come out covered in glory every time. :(
The important thing is always that you give your piggies a happy life, day after day. Guinea pigs don't have a concept for an average life span; they measure their lives in good days. As long as you give them those, you are giving them what they want out of life. Quality of life comes a long way before quantity.

Your reaction is very normal after a spate of deaths or several younger age deaths in a row. As human we are wired to reflect everything back on ourselves. I am always relieved when my rescue adoptees from bad backgrounds pass their 4th birthday but sadly not all of them do. Anything above is just an added bonus. Any of my rescue piggies actually reaching old age are a blessing; they are not the majority and not the rule. :(

Would it help you that I lost 7 piggies in just over 3 months last summer (3 in just a week) and that only three of them were actually older? Two of them were just 3 years and another two 4 years old. One the younger ones I lost overnight just hours before the vet appointment I could get with an operating vet for a make-or-break emergency op after the weekend as he started going downhill late on Saturday evening - just the usual worst possible timing. The other three year old had to be pts for a quickly deteriorating progressive untreatable condition. :(

It is not something you walk away from easily; not if you are a caring owner. Just give yourself time to digest it all and come to terms with traumatic aspects of the timing sadly being all out. Dental treatment may not have saved Benjy if he had underlying frailties, so please do not hang it all onto that. We can all only do the best we can at any given time and under the circumstances of the time. We are not supposed to do more.

Hang on in there as you go through the shock and the grieving process, and things will eventually work out for you. In the long run, you'll come out about evenly. What counts much more is the love you have to give in abundance and receive back from your piggies while they live and are with you. Be sad but please don't stop sharing the love you have to give just because you are in a bad spot. As long as your piggies all die from different causes at different times, you are ahead of the game. ;)
 
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