I just feel like..

[squeakywheeky]

I'm spending hours online researching all things guinea pig. i am becoming addicted to guinea pigs and finding out how to do the best for the two lovely little fellas I have.

I feel like I want to do more. I have a large area next to my house that is currently barked over for my little girl to play on, her playhouse, sand pit etc is there. It would be no big deal to her if I was to move these to a different area of the garden and I feel like using that space to put a shed.. I bet you can guess what is coming next.

I just feel like I can do more. I love these little things and want to give good homes to those that need them. Think of it as a 'calling' as you like. I feel strongly that I should do more and I can do more but i'm worried that if I go ahead with extending my guinea pig family, come winter I wont be able to house them all inside and it would be too cold for them to be without a heat supply, THAT and lack of money is why I really need to think this through before I do anything on impulse plus I have only kept piggies for 2 months and I guess I have so much still to learn.

Is it crude to think of looking after guinea pigs as a hobby. I don't know - I enjoy spending time with them, heck I even enjoy cleaning 98) them out or is it the satisfaction of preparing a nice new clean home with a neatly topped up bowl of veggies prepared lovingly by me!

I suppose i'm after your thoughts and opinions and those of you that run your own rescues from home or have more than a couple of piggies - how do you cope, can you bond with them all, how do you get over the death of one of your animals. Like I said I have so much to think about and plan. Lets just say i'm not going to go out tomorrow to buy a new shed.

Any of your thoughts would be great.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Think it through very carefully. I have got 23 piggies and I love them all dearly. However the cost of keeping this many is phenomenal. Vets bills, food, hay, bedding it all adds up. Also the amount of time needed for cleaning out etc. I have just spend the best part of today cleaning out 12 cages! I wouldn't be without a single one of them but if you are thinking of expanding your piggy family I would say give it lots of thought first.

 

[Beaney]

Guinea pigs are very addictive. Very few people manage to stick to their 'original pair'.

I think if you have the time, the space and the money then keeping piggys is a wonderful thing to do. I guess you could say it was a hobby. My only advice would be to take it slowly. I know someone who took on too many and then got into massive problems when several became ill at the same time! Vet bills are very unpredictable and more than one sick piggy at a time could mean hundreds of pounds..... :o

I have 4 piggys. They are very spoilt, they have large accommodation and a lot of attention from me. I could 'fit in' more but I don't want to compromise the space that they have at the moment. I also like only having a small number because I am a fairly busy person so I think the standard of care that I could provide would begin to drop if I had more than say 5 or 6. I think 6 would be my absolute maximum at any one time. Everyones limits are different - you just need to be aware of yours. I have a lot of respect for people who keep large numbers well (and rescues especially) but as much as I would love to help more animals, I know that I can't.

Getting over a death - it is like any death, it gets easier over time but you never forget. Some piggys get under your skin more than others - it depends on their personalities - I still feel gutted when I think about my little Meeka who passed away last September

I also enjoy cleaning out - mainly because they all popcorn around like nutters when their pens are all nice and clean!

Go with your instincts and you'll be fine - good luck!

 

[boureki]

It's really hard to know when to stop I think - we have just taken on a forth after we swore we would stop at three, (he was a bit of a special case). Technically we could probably fit in another pair if needed, but would really have to draw the line at 6! The problem is, when you see and hear of so many deserving rehoming/rescue piggies, it's very hard to know the limit that you can go to without your others losing out on space and proper time. And we don't even have any kids, we are kept busy spoiling our boys evenings and weekends ;D goodness knows how people with families find the time!

Also Furryfriends is right, if you have more than one ill at the same time, it can be very pricey!

 

[Billies Mum]

Great advice here and its so nice that you are thinking about giving a loving home to more piggers, also that you are being realistic about space and money constraints.

The main things to consider have been said:

Money for upkeep
Vets bills
Time to clean out
Winter months

Also - what will you do when you want to go on holiday?

 

[squeakywheeky]

Thank you all for your help, advice and thoughts. I knew when I posted the original post that I needed my feet pulling to the ground. For me at the moment it just would not work. I work full-time, have a toddler, money is tight and spare time is even tighter.

I hadn't even thought about what I would do if I wanted to go on holiday - my mam is more than willing to look after 2 in her home when we away - anymore and she would say no plus I live quite a drive away from family.

I know I want to do it but the time isn't right for me just now. I think it will be something I do in the furture but not now. This may seem selfish but I think I need to conentrate my efforts on my family and little girl and fulling enjoy the 2 piggies I have. It's a pleasure to have them andd I think anymore would become a chore.

I admire all of you who opt for more and I will in the future but not now.
Thanks again

 

[Caviesgalore (EPGPR)]

Very sound advice from everyone and well done squeakywheeky for asking the question and thinking it through carefully.