Its time I told you the truth...

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WDMMBT

WDMMBT

Junior Guinea Pig
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As the title suggests I need to tell you the truth. A truth that burns inside me and eats me up every time I walk into the playroom where my guinea-pigs are kept, a truth I have fought against to try and make better but to no avail.
I am 15 years old, I do not pay the bills for the animals and at the end of the day my mother owns them. At the end of the day I am helpless to do something when the rest of the family do not agree with me.

I have two boars living together, Whizz and Dusty. They live in an 80cm cage. 80cm! I HATE IT! HATE IT! HATE IT! But to make matters worse, the rabbit uses the cage for his food. He hops into their already cramped space and shares their hay! But they are in such a small cage and it kills me everytime I walk into that room, I am campaigning so hard for a bigger cage, I am saving up as much as I can but they aren't the only ones...

Mop, Muffin and Billy live in a 120cm cage. This, I believe, is even two small for two boars, never mind three adult guinea-pigs. Another thing that eats me up, kills me everytime I see how big their cage should be.

No-one can deny that we love the guinea-pigs, we feed them, love them, give them hugs, runs about the floor and health checks. But also no-one can deny that their cages are not big enough for them. Truth be told Whizz and Dusty do have access to the WHOLE room so their sleeping space isn't really an issue, they can run around the play room if they want to.

I never wanted the rabbit to live with them, I begged my sister to get two rabbits instead of one. I guess I should be glad that we got one, we were told he was a girl but turned out to be a boy. If we had have gotten two I have no doubt that we would now have more rabbits that we had bargained for as he was in a pen with female rabbits.

The rabbit doesn't mean any harm at all to the guinea-pigs, he would never hurt them and cleans them lovingly. He is careful around them and seeks their company.

I just thought that you needed to know the truth. After so long of being on here I decided that I would change your opinion of me.

I'd make you hate me for the smallness of the cages, just like I hate myself.

So there you go, I'll let you decide.
 
WDMMBT said:
As the title suggests I need to tell you the truth. A truth that burns inside me and eats me up every time I walk into the playroom where my guinea-pigs are kept, a truth I have fought against to try and make better but to no avail.
I am 15 years old, I do not pay the bills for the animals and at the end of the day my mother owns them. At the end of the day I am helpless to do something when the rest of the family do not agree with me.

I have two boars living together, Whizz and Dusty. They live in an 80cm cage. 80cm! I HATE IT! HATE IT! HATE IT! But to make matters worse, the rabbit uses the cage for his food. He hops into their already cramped space and shares their hay! But they are in such a small cage and it kills me everytime I walk into that room, I am campaigning so hard for a bigger cage, I am saving up as much as I can but they aren't the only ones...

Mop, Muffin and Billy live in a 120cm cage. This, I believe, is even two small for two boars, never mind three adult guinea-pigs. Another thing that eats me up, kills me everytime I see how big their cage should be.

No-one can deny that we love the guinea-pigs, we feed them, love them, give them hugs, runs about the floor and health checks. But also no-one can deny that their cages are not big enough for them. Truth be told Whizz and Dusty do have access to the WHOLE room so their sleeping space isn't really an issue, they can run around the play room if they want to.

I never wanted the rabbit to live with them, I begged my sister to get two rabbits instead of one. I guess I should be glad that we got one, we were told he was a girl but turned out to be a boy. If we had have gotten two I have no doubt that we would now have more rabbits that we had bargained for as he was in a pen with female rabbits.

The rabbit doesn't mean any harm at all to the guinea-pigs, he would never hurt them and cleans them lovingly. He is careful around them and seeks their company.

I just thought that you needed to know the truth. After so long of being on here I decided that I would change your opinion of me.

I'd make you hate me for the smallness of the cages, just like I hate myself.

So there you go, I'll let you decide.
Click to expand...

Oh bless you sweetie, its not easy and being only 15 there is only so much you could do. Have you shown your parents information on minimum cage sizes as outlined by the RSPCA? Failing that how about trying to come to an arrangement with your parents that whatever you manage to pay towards a cage they match, or maybe you could do extra chores around the house for money towards the cages? Or could your parents give you a loan for the cages so you get them straight away but you work to pay them back?

Just a few ideas but don't be too hard on yourself, there is only so much you can do. I would try and monitor the rabbit as much as possible and try and stop him from going in the piggies cage unsupervised for a start
 
There is no room for hating in our lives, so no I don't hate you. You shouldn't hate yourself either.
Your situation is very difficult, you are a minor and haven't got control yet of your life and finances. But if you are saving up for bigger cages then you are doing what you can which is what is important. I can only think of one more thing that you could do, and this may be more difficult as it involves changing other peoples' minds (i.e. your parents). This could be tricky and you will have to exercise extreme tactfulness! It may take time as you cannot go in guns blazing saying 'They have to have more room' - that will just put their backs up. You could start with small suggestions like 'wouldn't it be nice if they could have a bit more space?' - sort of planting the seed of an idea.
You might want to get some info about living spaces (and sharing with rabbits) printed out - maybe there is a rescue near you who produce this kind of thing? - and leave it lying about where they can pick it up and read it.
I wish you luck. You obviously care very much for you pigs and the rabbit, which is a Good Thing.
 
My dad doesn't react much with the guinea-pigs and the rabbit, as far as he's concerned they don't even exist. Well, obviously they do but he doesn't bother them and they don't bother him. I confronted my mum recently about how big their cages should be and she told me to stop being stupid. I just want to do what is best for them and 80cm isn't anywhere near big enough for Whizz and Dusty.

As long as the cages are big enough I think the rabbit is the least of my worries. He hardly goes into their cage and when he does I know he wouldn't hurt them. We can't trust him with Billy or his ladies as they attack him.

I guess there's a mutual relationship between him and my boys. They don't hurt him so he doesn't hurt them. He really is very careful but when he gets into that cage the pigs can barely move! He's a big lad!
 
But, whatever you think, I want no hard feelings towards my mum. I love her very much and we get along really well. This is the only sore spot in our relationship, after being conned by Pets at Home (of course it would be them) and told that these cages are big enough for out pets you can imagine her anger to find out that they are not.

I'm working on convincing her to get C&C cages as they can be built into the space that we have while still providing the guinea-pigs with the space that they need.
 
As you already know the opinions on rabbits and piggies living together - the danger of accidental kicks, potential bacterial infections that are fatal to piggies I won't labour those points.

A 140/150/C&C cage would solve the housing situation. The trio in that, the pair in your 120cm and the bun feeding station remaining in the 80cm. Hopefully we can help in someway. Would you have the space for the larger cage?

Suzy x
 
Yes but it would probably mean removing one set of furniture. But actually, if I think about it, we can but the little cupboard in the dining room and that would leave us with the space for the a bigger cage. I didn't think of that!

Thankyou Suzy! I'm sure I would have enough to buy just one other cage if the 120cm is big enough for Whizz and Dusty? I know two boars are supposed to have a bit more room that two sows but Whizz and Dusty are the softest little piggies you ever could find and aren't very big!
 
My thoughts will go against the grain a little bit right here but right now the cheapest and easiest solution (to convince your parents with) is another 120cm cage for your boars, have your trio and duo in 120cms and your rabbit having the 80cm and at least they are all safe from kicks etc at that point. The 120cm is adequate for 2 and too small for 3 yes, but at least its safe and its cheap for you and doesnt take up too much space and should help convince your parents right now the skyline maxi xxl works out at £27 from zooplus including delivery compared to over £100 for the 140/150 cm cages. It would make the situation safe until you could sort something more ideal and then when you upgrade teh rabbit could have the 120cm as a base which is a nice size for the base. If your trio are happy in a 120cm for I wouldnt worry about upgrading them asap the rabbits and pigs situation is more urgent IMHO>

Another solution would be a puppy pen for your pigs those can be as little as £30 for a 6x2ft one and you could pop the 80cm base in there, this would keep the rabbit out of the way also. The puppy pen is easy to fold up if your parents demand they need to use the room temporarily or something. Just a few ideas for you that are cheap and easy :-) the ideal way to go would be bigger cages for everyone, a second rabbit friend, a hoooge hutch etc etc but with a limited income and parents to convince that is not remotely easy to manage!
 
How about (space saving - bonus) and having a double tier C&C cage, one level for the boys and one for the girls? They are very cheap to buy and make, much cheaper than buying bigger (still too small) shop bought cages. Then once the C&C 's are made and the piggies are settled, you can sell the cages you have to make some of the money back that you spent on the C&C cages, they sell very easily, i have sold a fair few in my time, you just need to make it clear to any buyer what it would be suitable for.

Failing that, could you not get yourself a weekend job, hairdressers maybe, waitress, paper round, local dog walking, or a few more chores around the house to earn some extra cash. I started working in a hairdressers when i was 14, i was there until i left school, ok looking back i did not get much money, but it bought me the girly things i wanted and gave me some independence to spend it on what i wanted.

I do hope you can talk your mum round. I know you think you can trust the rabbit, but he could easily accidently kick and injure one of your piggies, and they shouldna't eat the same food - other than hay as they have different dietry requirements.

Good luck xx
 
WDMMBT said:
My dad doesn't react much with the guinea-pigs and the rabbit, as far as he's concerned they don't even exist. Well, obviously they do but he doesn't bother them and they don't bother him. I confronted my mum recently about how big their cages should be and she told me to stop being stupid. I just want to do what is best for them and 80cm isn't anywhere near big enough for Whizz and Dusty.

As long as the cages are big enough I think the rabbit is the least of my worries. He hardly goes into their cage and when he does I know he wouldn't hurt them. We can't trust him with Billy or his ladies as they attack him.

I guess there's a mutual relationship between him and my boys. They don't hurt him so he doesn't hurt them. He really is very careful but when he gets into that cage the pigs can barely move! He's a big lad!
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to say but I think that's a bit ignorant. As others have said you are well aware of how we feel about rabbits around pigs and the injuries rabbits can cause. You may trust him but this means nothing. I'm sorry to say but if your mum won't come around I fail to see how she loves them as much as you say, I understand pah do their best to con the public however now you know what you do surely she'll take it on board? I'm not as young as you however I live with my parents and they bend over backwards for my animals, they've even sacrificed their storage room for my rabbits. If you mum really is great and loves your animals I'm sure showing her the effects rabbits can have on pigs, and the guidelines for cage sizing will convince her to let you utilise the space with a c&c cage. Just to add no one hates you, I don't know you so I obviously don't hate you. If you feel so awful about your situation you need to change it, granted that's hard in your situation however when we buy/adopt animals we are taking a life into our hands and to do anything but your best for them is letting them down. I'm sure you love them very much, this is why I implor you to change the situation! Especially the rabbit, it only takes one kick and you could go into the room and find a piggie dead or severely injured! Have you got the money for the vet bills when you're struggling to buy new cages? Prevention is the best cure.
 
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I agree with what others have said, but you could have a look on eBay for cages? Personally, I think a C&C cage is probably the best option because it is so flexible and you can change the shape to fit in with the furniture. It's also good if you need to expand the cage as well and you also have the option to make a second, double storey cage to save on space. The only thing I would mention is sometimes it is quite hard to transport C&C cages so you may want to hold onto the other pet store cages in case you need to let a friend look after them whilst you're away on holiday or something.

My 120cm cage came from eBay and it is great space for the girls (Florrie & Inca - Puzzle and Bingo have a 4x2 C&C). The piggies also get regular floor-time and lap-time so they're not cooped up in the cages all day anyway. The 120cm cage itself was a great bargain and much cheaper than any online store I'd come across. It was also only used for a week, and after a bit of a scrub and clean, it was looking as good as new.

I can only really echo what Suzy said about the rabbit, but I won't go into that as I think we're all aware of the risks. As for making money to come up with a solution to the housing problems, you could do all sorts of small jobs to earn money. You could cut grass, clean cars, sell handmade items, do everyday household chores, sell unwanted items (eBay/car boot) and other things too.

Hopefully with the help of people on the forum, you can come up with a suitable solution.
 
I was too late to edit, so I'll pop another idea here for you -

If you kept the trio's cage and housed Whizz and Dusty in the 120cm cage, then either bought another cage for the trio or build a C&C, you could then use the 80cm cage as a 'hub' for the rabbit to get water and food, but have the rabbit's main house in a pen, blocking off any dangerous areas in the playroom, without the pigs out at the same time. Or you could almost make an extension to the 80cm cage and get some C&C grids to join onto the cage to make the pen. Depending on the size and age of the rabbit, you'd have to make the pen higher to avoid it hopping out and injuring itself.

I hope I've helped a little bit.
 
It's very obvious you love your piggies and my opinion of you hasn't changed. It's just unfortunate your parents can't understand that big corporations such as P@H would sell whatever they possibly could to get money without really considering the pets they supply. As a result your parents believe the staff there because, well, they should know best, right? :(

Maybe you could show your parents this thread, or maybe save some of the replies that you think would work rather than them having to see that you posted it. That way they can see from real people who have guinea pigs and are very experienced, and what they have to say.

I'm another one who would echo the idea of a two tiered C&C cage. The base obviously has to be within the requirements, if not a little bit bigger if you have boars, but then you can build another tier on top and house the two sets of piggies separately. This is what we do with our four boys and it saves on space for us AND them - they have a big cage to be in, and then enough floor space to run around in the evenings.

As for the rabbit debate, even if your bunny (or your sisters) is very placid, it can only take one moment of madness for something serious to happen - if the bunny is sick and a piggie tries to play, it could end in a death of your piggie. Not to mention the difference in food, piggies shouldn't have access to rabbit food as it's different and can be harmful.

I hope some of this has helped. There have been some really good replies and advice on here and I hope it will help you think of a solution. x
 
Sorry don't know how to message you privately, I'm pants on the net! Where about in Yorkshire do you stay ? I can donate 12 grids, corroplast and cable ties but don't know how I'd get them to you, you can get me at

[email protected]

Sorry if me putting my addy out there goes against any forum rules, cheers
 
Hello

I am quite abit older than you but I still live with my parents. I was lucky enough that they converted the garage into a room so I could house all my animals. I keep all my guinea pigs in 2x 3 tier 120cm cages. I don't have anything to add about the housing as you have been given some excellent advice already!

I just wanted to add a little something. When I bought my very first guinea pig (years and years and years ago!) he was in a pen with a little lady rabbit. So we bought the both of them and kept them in a lovely outdoor hutch together. They lived together for a little while. She dug a hole in the ground one day and the guinea pig escaped! Luckily I saw him looking at me through the window and I went and scooped him up! But there was an accident, she was such a lovely rabbit but one day she did kick him. She kicked him and then pushed him out of her house into the run (single story so it didnt fall down a ramp or anything). We found him quickly and rushed him to the vets. The vet said to go and buy a new one as it would be cheaper than the treatment! But of course we went ahead with the treatment. He was very weak so we had to feed him critical care every few hours for a few days to gain his strength. When he was stronger the vet was going to pin and plate his leg with a needle as thats all he had small enough! But in the end this wasnt a possibility and so my guinea pig lived his live (a nice long life) as a special needs guinea pig with a poorly leg. But obviously this was a very expensive treatment as it did mean numerous vet visits a new place for the pig to live indoors with us. It was alot of expense all in one go.

I was only little when this happened and we kept the rabbit and guinea pig together as we were told this was okay (and back then it was quite a common thing to see in all pet shops) but now I know better and I know all the risks I would never in a million years keep a rabbit with guinea pigs. I keep the rabbit in the same room as the piggies but he has no access to them what so ever and vice versa. My rabbit is the kindest most gentlest thing and is pretty old now, but I still would never ever take the risk of him even having a few minutes with the piggies.

I also know of some other stories of absolutely awful injuries to guinea pigs from rabbits.

I just wanted to share my experience with you, as I never imagined this would have happened, but it did and I had to learn the hard way. And I dont want this to happen to anyone else :(

I hope you get your situation sorted x
 
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