I did it! I now have 14 piggies!

[Julesie]

I'm in Chandler, which is basically a suburb of the greater Phoenix area. Tuscon is a neat place, haven't been down there in a few years now but I almost moved there at one point.

Oh nice! I haven’t been to chandler but we went to Phoenix
Tucson seemed pretty nice and quite quiet where I visited.

 

[Featheryfriend]

Well, things are looking murky. My nurse practitioner was sympathetic but only prescribes cats and dogs. And Xanax.

Going to have to find someplace else to live, it seems. Business hours are over now but tomorrow I'm going to start calling places and asking about their small animal policy.

In the meantime, I guess I'm probably going to have to pack up the pigs and head over to my friend's place pretty soon. Thank goodness for her.

Shame, I really liked this place.

 

[h.h.lovecraft]

Well, things are looking murky. My nurse practitioner was sympathetic but only prescribes cats and dogs. And Xanax.

Going to have to find someplace else to live, it seems. Business hours are over now but tomorrow I'm going to start calling places and asking about their small animal policy.

In the meantime, I guess I'm probably going to have to pack up the pigs and head over to my friend's place pretty soon. Thank goodness for her.

Shame, I really liked this place.

I'm very sorry to hear they are making you move because of the piggies. I find that totally ridiculous, like you said it's completely different from multiple dogs or cats roaming around the house. Like do these people not understand how guinea pigs are kept? As long as you keep them clean in a proper enclosure there should be literally no issue or damage to the living space. Here in Germany I believe you don't even actually have to inform your landlord of any small caged pets, only larger animals. I really love the current house I'm renting as well, but if my landlord suddenly asked me to get rid of my two guinea pigs, I'd do the same as you.

It's really amazing what you are doing for those piggies and I've enjoyed reading your updates. Good luck on your new home search! I'm sure you'll find a place just as lovely for you and your piggies!

 

[Featheryfriend]

I'm very sorry to hear they are making you move because of the piggies. I find that totally ridiculous, like you said it's completely different from multiple dogs or cats roaming around the house. Like do these people not understand how guinea pigs are kept? As long as you keep them clean in a proper enclosure there should be literally no issue or damage to the living space. Here in Germany I believe you don't even actually have to inform your landlord of any small caged pets, only larger animals. I really love the current house I'm renting as well, but if my landlord suddenly asked me to get rid of my two guinea pigs, I'd do the same as you.

It's really amazing what you are doing for those piggies and I've enjoyed reading your updates. Good luck on your new home search! I'm sure you'll find a place just as lovely for you and your piggies!

I know right? Two cats would be allowed, and they would pose far more of a hazard to the integrity of the apartment than any number of properly enclosed guinea pigs.

Thank you, I'm going to need that luck, the rental market is tough around here right now!

 

[Black piggies]

Sorry to hear you're going to have to move. So annoying and unfair. Is it too late to offer an extra deposit to cover any pet damage, (which we know won't happen)? So your friend is probably about to have the joys of a piggy herd. Bit jealous Good luck with it all.

 

[Merab's Slave]

Sorry to hear that you will have to move.
Hope the perfect place comes up quickly for you.

 

[Featheryfriend]

Just got back from the vet with Sassafras. I was correct, she does indeed have some large ovarian cysts, and a slightly elevated temperature. It's going to be a complicated spay so they estimate $800 for it but they take Care Credit so I'm going to apply for that to spread the cost out a little. She was so well-behaved for the vet though, such a cuddle bug. They think she should do well with the spay as she is otherwise strong.

I suspect the mother (Pepper) may also need a spay sometime in the near future, as the vet pointed out thinning hair as a sign of the cysts, and Pepper's coat is looking a bit thin in places as well. I wasn't sure if that was normal for a texel but now I know it's not. So she's next on the docket for a vet visit.

So, perhaps all is not lost yet on the housing situation.

My partner has come up with one more avenue to pursue (an online service that connects you specifically with mental health professionals that prescribe ESAs, including legal exotic animals) so I have made a virtual appointment with them. It's apparently hard sell that guinea pigs are a valid ESA species to people who are not familiar with them and think they are just large hamsters (not that hamsters couldn't be valid too if one was very attached to them, why not) so hopefully this fellow has some familiarity with prescribing them. I'm rehearsing on everything I do with them in a given day that helps provide me with comfort and structure.

And on a totally unrelated note, my mother has offered to take me shopping for some curtains that let in light but block prying eyes, how nice of her.

 

[caseybishop]

wow! that’s my dream to have that many! i have 3 at the moment

 

[Merab's Slave]

Just got back from the vet with Sassafras. I was correct, she does indeed have some large ovarian cysts, and a slightly elevated temperature. It's going to be a complicated spay so they estimate $800 for it but they take Care Credit so I'm going to apply for that to spread the cost out a little. She was so well-behaved for the vet though, such a cuddle bug. They think she should do well with the spay as she is otherwise strong.

I suspect the mother (Pepper) may also need a spay sometime in the near future, as the vet pointed out thinning hair as a sign of the cysts, and Pepper's coat is looking a bit thin in places as well. I wasn't sure if that was normal for a texel but now I know it's not. So she's next on the docket for a vet visit.

So, perhaps all is not lost yet on the housing situation.

My partner has come up with one more avenue to pursue (an online service that connects you specifically with mental health professionals that prescribe ESAs, including legal exotic animals) so I have made a virtual appointment with them. It's apparently hard sell that guinea pigs are a valid ESA species to people who are not familiar with them and think they are just large hamsters (not that hamsters couldn't be valid too if one was very attached to them, why not) so hopefully this fellow has some familiarity with prescribing them. I'm rehearsing on everything I do with them in a given day that helps provide me with comfort and structure.

And on a totally unrelated note, my mother has offered to take me shopping for some curtains that let in light but block prying eyes, how nice of her.

Sounds a bit more hopeful.
Hope the spay goes well.
I also hope the meeting with the ESA person goes well.
A lot of people don’t know anything about ESAs at all, whatever the species.

 

[Featheryfriend]

wow! that’s my dream to have that many! i have 3 at the moment

There is certainly a neverending supply of pigs that need homes if you've got the time and inclination! And money.... I'll have to run this show for a month or two and see what my average weekly costs are coming to for hay, veggies, vet visits, housing materials, other assorted pig accessories, etc.... it's good that I don't have human children or many other outstanding expenses competing for my wallet.

This does feel like some kind of childhood dream come true. How many people get to have a small pig ranch?

 

[Featheryfriend]

Sounds a bit more hopeful.
Hope the spay goes well.
I also hope the meeting with the ESA person goes well.
A lot of people don’t know anything about ESAs at all, whatever the species.

Fingers crossed again. It'll probably be the most outlandish request he's gotten in a while...

 

[Featheryfriend]

Ginger is very agile! Didn't even step on another pig to get up there.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

Fingers crossed again. It'll probably be the most outlandish request he's gotten in a while...

Hope he listens! I'm pretty sure a couple of people have said on here that when they were at their lowest, it was their piggies that kep them going, got them out of bed in the morning. (My mother in law was like that with her dog, after her husband passed away.)

 

[Featheryfriend]

Hope he listens! I'm pretty sure a couple of people have said on here that when they were at their lowest, it was their piggies that kep them going, got them out of bed in the morning. (My mother in law was like that with her dog, after her husband passed away.)

Animals are amazing company for those hard times. ❤

 

[Featheryfriend]

Ohmygosh, I was changing some pig fleece out when I realized I had to hurry up and take my dog to his vet appointment. In my haste I forgot to throw down a fresh pile of hay. I realized I'd forgotten as soon as we were at the vet's office and worried about them the whole time I was gone. Thankfully it wasn't for too long.

When I got back, all six of them were standing up against the grids in an angry little row. Waiting for that hay. I feel very chastised.

I'm sorry pigs, won't happen again.

Good news, my dog's weird fatty lump is just that, a weird fatty lump. Quite harmless. Yay!

 

[Featheryfriend]

So Juniper has lately developed this habit of just letting her buns and back feeties hang out of whatever hidey she's in. Very lax survival instincts.

(I vacuumed the cage after the piggies finished this nap. )

 

[Featheryfriend]

Just an idle observation, something I have noticed since adding my original foursome of 3 year old girls to herds is that their repetitive/anxious behaviors, mostly bar biting and coroplast chewing, have almost completely stopped. I tried many different things to distract them from those behaviors and entertain them, but nothing distracts and entertains like another guinea pig!

 

[Featheryfriend]

Okay doke, I have my appointment with the ESA specialist in about 30 minutes. Worth a shot, we'll see if there's anything he can do.

Clover is going to sit on my lap and be my emotional support during the appointment. He's very ready, his life goal is to get cuddles. Now that he's met his first life goal of having many girlfriends.

 

[Free Ranger]

Go Clover!

 

[Featheryfriend]

HUZZAH! The doctor was not phased (he cracked a grin actually) and is drawing me up a letter for 17 emotional support guinea pigs!

Now it's just a matter of if the apartment complex will accept it without a tussle. With luck they won't want to mess around with the Fair Housing Act.

Hopefully this is a great day for guinea pigs as well as their humans with disabilities. If anyone else is in the US and wants to get in touch with the service I used, shoot me a message.

Clover did a good job. At one point he did mistake the tender part of my hand for more cilantro, but that's understandable.