Looking For A Rescue That Rehomes Indoors?

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Hi, I've had to make the difficult decision to surrender my five pigs to rescue, due to a combination of financial and health issues, and I want to ensure that the home they go to provides equal or better care to me.

My girls have their own bedroom with large c&c cages, and live on a bladder diet because Ginger has chronic stones. I want to know that their new owner will do the same for them or I may not be able to bring myself to surrender them at all.

I'm looking for a reputable rescue to surrender them to, someone who will insist on an indoor home for my girls with a lot of love. I'm in Southern England, and my nearest is Raystede, and I'm going to talk to them in about half an hour to discuss their policies. Is there anywhere else people know about that I could try?

It breaks my heart to do it, but knowing that if someone gets sick I can't get them treated by our vet is too much for me to bear and I know they deserve better.

For anyone wondering, I got them when I was 14, and neither me nor my parents had any idea how financially straining they were. I know that the right thing to do is to give them to someone who can actually provide healthcare.
 
Yes, it doesn't show me anywhere I haven't already ruled out, sadly. They all seem to advocate outdoor living.
 
GuineaWiggles said:
Hi, I've had to make the difficult decision to surrender my five pigs to rescue, due to a combination of financial and health issues, and I want to ensure that the home they go to provides equal or better care to me.

My girls have their own bedroom with large c&c cages, and live on a bladder diet because Ginger has chronic stones. I want to know that their new owner will do the same for them or I may not be able to bring myself to surrender them at all.

I'm looking for a reputable rescue to surrender them to, someone who will insist on an indoor home for my girls with a lot of love. I'm in Southern England, and my nearest is Raystede, and I'm going to talk to them in about half an hour to discuss their policies. Is there anywhere else people know about that I could try?

It breaks my heart to do it, but knowing that if someone gets sick I can't get them treated by our vet is too much for me to bear and I know they deserve better.

For anyone wondering, I got them when I was 14, and neither me nor my parents had any idea how financially straining they were. I know that the right thing to do is to give them to someone who can actually provide healthcare.
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None of the rescues we recommend will rehome long term indoors piggies into outdoors situations. Have you spoken to them?
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
 
I haven't spoken to anyone but Raystede yet, but their websites say things like won't rehome outdoors in the winter, and don't seem to have any problems with outdoor piggies in the summer and it worries me a little. I have researched Palace Piggies before but I'm a little cautious of small independent rescues because they don't have the big reputation. I'll have a closer look and get in touch with them though.
 
GuineaWiggles said:
I haven't spoken to anyone but Raystede yet, but their websites say things like won't rehome outdoors in the winter, and don't seem to have any problems with outdoor piggies in the summer and it worries me a little. I have researched Palace Piggies before but I'm a little cautious of small independent rescues because they don't have the big reputation. I'll have a closer look and get in touch with them though.
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Sounds like you're fairly close to me if you're considering Raystede, my Cissy and Bella came from them. Bearing in mind it was almost 2 years ago so it may have changed, but at the time my mum had wanted them to be housed outdoors and the team at Raystede didn't refuse. It was winter (they were 6 months old and it was November) so they said keep them in til summer aaaaand they never went outside anyway :))

Don't get me wrong, they were fab and made sure I had pictures of all my set ups and actually had a nice big donated run I could buy from them :) They were lovely.

Maybe throw me a PM? There's a lady who runs an independent rescue that I know and although she will house outdoors she respects the previous owners wishes. I almost took 2 long haired indoor girls who were only to be bed on fleece but she managed to find them a home who would accommodate all of that as well while I was on holiday which was good :)
 
So I spoke to the lady Cavy Kung-Fu recommended, and she broke some bad news to me.

If I rehome my group, who are very close, they would be pretty much guaranteed to be split up and rehomed separately. That, for me, is even harder to face than losing them myself.

Is there any way they could stay together, whether there's a rescue who'll keep them as a group or some way I can offer them on the forum as a group?
 
I think that would be hard to be honest, you see many rescues are private ones and to keep them all together indoors would take quite a bit of room, rescues tend to use hutches rather than c&c, not always but in the main they do. Ideally you are looking for someone to take them all on probably from the forum.

Perhaps if you post some pictures, it might pull on the heart strings of someone?
I'm completely full with 9, really sorry.
 
Do you think I should make a new thread somewhere on the forum or just post their pictures here?
 
GuineaWiggles said:
So I spoke to the lady Cavy Kung-Fu recommended, and she broke some bad news to me.

If I rehome my group, who are very close, they would be pretty much guaranteed to be split up and rehomed separately. That, for me, is even harder to face than losing them myself.

Is there any way they could stay together, whether there's a rescue who'll keep them as a group or some way I can offer them on the forum as a group?
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Oh I'm sorry to hear that :( I know she's rehomed small groups but 5 might be a challenge for her as she's a small rescue.

I totally understand, I wouldn't want my lot split either. Man I really wish I had the space to help you :( I'm sure you can post the pics here x
 
It took me a while to figure out which pictures to put up, and I thought it might be a good idea to give a little information for each pig as well.


Popcorn - Just turned 2, I got her from Pets at Home with Butterscotch in October 2015. She's the group leader, and is the most perfect at her job. There are no squabbles, no dominance displays - everyone lives in peace. She's best friends with Butterscotch, though I like to joke that she's having an affair with Noodles because they always seem to be secretly cuddled up together. Her favorite food by far is cucumber!

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Butterscotch - Just turned 2, I got her from a pet shop almost two years ago with Popcorn. She's a huge drama queen and it's taken this long to convince her that nail clippings don't need to be screamed at! She loves hiding inside your top and eating orange pepper. She tends to end up looking like a vampire with a messy chin!

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Noodles - About to turn 2. I got her from a breeder early last year along with Ginger. She is a pedigree Merino. She has the most gentle personality imaginable. She's at the bottom of the hierarchy because she's too soft to do anything. She loves cuddles, and has no issue with the hair maintenance needed to keep her looking nice. Her favorite thing is being stroked on the top of the nose.

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Ginger - 2 and a half. A pedigree texel from a breeder. She has chronic bladder issues so she has a careful diet that so far has prevented any more flare-ups. She was the second-in-command until her health issues caused her to be separated. She is very affectionate, and loves coming up for chin rubs.

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Pepper - The baby of the group. She's 1 and a half and when I bought her from the pet shop the other four raised her together. She gets away with everything because they all dote on her. She is mischievous, and sometimes gets a bit crazy when stroked, bouncing all over the place.

DSCN0977.webp


These pictures were taken almost a year ago, so they look a little different now: Popcorn and Butterscotch have grown into their faces and look like proper adults now, Noodles and Ginger look a little more frizzy, particularly Ginger due to her health issues, and Pepper has grown into all her fur and looks like a little grown-up.



I have started to think that I may need to keep them if I can't find a home for all of them together, so I'm currently looking into getting a job that can fit around my college timetable so I can start saving for vet care. It may not work, so far I haven't found a single prospect.
 
If I were you I would reconsider your opinion on outdoor living. All rescues on the rescue locator fulfil stringent guidance on guinea pig care and their rehoming policies. This means that these are the creme de la creme of rescues. Outdoor living in the summer as long as the new owners have been given enough information is not harmful at all and your girls would be able to adapt. You may find some of these rescues will advertise your girls all together first to see if anyone can take all 5 before considering splitting them. I saw this in the past week or two on facebook, a rescue advertised 5 ladies and they have now gone to a new home where they will be kept together.

Unfortunately if you insist on indoor only homes with the only reason being "its all they've ever known" you are not likely to find a good rescue to use
 
Lady Kelly said:
Unfortunately if you insist on indoor only homes with the only reason being "its all they've ever known" you are not likely to find a good rescue to use
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It's not just that it's all they've ever known, indoor piggies get more attention, live longer, and are at less risk from predators and don't have to deal with bad weather. When I was younger, my family pigs died after a storm, and I assume it was either the wind or the rain, even though their hutch was protected.

I just worry so much about outdoor living, I've heard horror stories about it and they'd have better chances overall being indoors.
 
Oh my goodness they are all gorgeous, that's not helping me remind myself I cannot handle 10 piggies!

I really do hope you find the perfect home for your beauties, I'm totally with you on your indoor only policy. I know it would be harder to find homes but I wouldn't dream of my piggies being outside for even a night.

Personal circumstances are hard, especially to adjust around the lives of our furbabies. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the perfect solution for you and your darlings x
 
They are all stunning piggies,I'm sorry you are needing to rehome them.:agr: with @Lady Kelly that some rescues allow piggies to be housed outside in a shed in spring and summer,and inside in autumn and winter.some piggie owners have heated sheds,maybe this could be a compromise.I'm sorry i cannot take anymore as i have 20 piggies and some i foster and eight cages is my limit !i hope you find a solution.:hug:
 
GuineaWiggles said:
It's not just that it's all they've ever known, indoor piggies get more attention, live longer, and are at less risk from predators and don't have to deal with bad weather. When I was younger, my family pigs died after a storm, and I assume it was either the wind or the rain, even though their hutch was protected.

I just worry so much about outdoor living, I've heard horror stories about it and they'd have better chances overall being indoors.
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Sorry if it came across as condescending that certainly wasn't my intention. It was more to point out that if you want the strictest of rules to find the best possible home that these rescues that will allow outdoor living might be your best option.
 
It's okay, I have actually been considering a heated shed situation as a compromise, as long as I can be sure that they still get attention like they do indoors.

I know from experience that outdoor pets get less attention, my old piggies just got the bare minimum because they were at the bottom of the garden, it's an "out of sight, out of mind" scenario. The whole reason I got these girls was to try and make up for the old pigs in a way, and I'd feel guilty if I didn't ensure they got better than the others did.
 
I can understand that out of sight out of mind, and also that the weather can put some people off. That was one of my concerns when my transferred outdoors, however, in the years they have been outdoors, I haven't lost one pig due to weather. They are incredibly insulated, have heat pads, electric pads, internal battery lights so I can feed them in the dark...mind you I've just had new outdoor security lighting too.

I've careful when cleaning them out and don't leave any spray poops or hay to ensure animals aren't attracted to the garden, even though I'm rural.

I keep cages in the waiting in case the winter weather takes an absolute worse case scenario and I can move them indoors.

However if they have always been housed indoors from a young age then that can be more problematic I would think, but saying that...I've managed to acclimatise piggies outdoors.

Really hope you can find a solution.
 
I am going to post my pictures on Picture Posting if you want to check it out. I have 2 sows Trixie and Victoria (vici).
 
I've been delaying posting this update for a while now as I've been struggling to deal with it, but my piggies have gone to rescue.

I got a call from Raystede a little over a week ago saying they could take them. They put my mind at ease by promising indoor homes and for the group to stay together. They even said they'd find Ginger a boyfriend! This time last week I surrendered them, and they seemed a little confused but not unhappy in their new temporary homes. The staff took their names, medical histories, and even just their general personalities and group hierarchy! It's been hard to come to terms with having them gone, but I'm trying to remember all the positives. It's definitely been difficult, and I was on the verge of refusing to give them up, but it was the right thing to do.

I was told they'd be on the website for adoption after a week or two, and I'm going to be checking every day as I've been promised that I can be told what kind of owner they go to once they are rehomed. Raystede have been lovely, and took my requests and the piggies' background into account. I'm surprised they're not on the rescue locator and I'll definitely be suggesting them to be added.
 
GuineaWiggles said:
I've been delaying posting this update for a while now as I've been struggling to deal with it, but my piggies have gone to rescue.

I got a call from Raystede a little over a week ago saying they could take them. They put my mind at ease by promising indoor homes and for the group to stay together. They even said they'd find Ginger a boyfriend! This time last week I surrendered them, and they seemed a little confused but not unhappy in their new temporary homes. The staff took their names, medical histories, and even just their general personalities and group hierarchy! It's been hard to come to terms with having them gone, but I'm trying to remember all the positives. It's definitely been difficult, and I was on the verge of refusing to give them up, but it was the right thing to do.

I was told they'd be on the website for adoption after a week or two, and I'm going to be checking every day as I've been promised that I can be told what kind of owner they go to once they are rehomed. Raystede have been lovely, and took my requests and the piggies' background into account. I'm surprised they're not on the rescue locator and I'll definitely be suggesting them to be added.
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I'm glad they've been helpful during this hard time, they're lovely over there. Just remember that you did it for their best interests and I don't care what people say, they never forget you and the kindness and love you give them :)

Hope you're doing okay!
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
I'm glad they've been helpful during this hard time, they're lovely over there. Just remember that you did it for their best interests and I don't care what people say, they never forget you and the kindness and love you give them :)

Hope you're doing okay!
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I think I am okay, the hardest part for me is wondering how they feel about it all. Poppy, Butty and Pepper had been with me their whole lives and now I'm not there for them.
 
GuineaWiggles said:
I think I am okay, the hardest part for me is wondering how they feel about it all. Poppy, Butty and Pepper had been with me their whole lives and now I'm not there for them.
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They might be a tad confused but I'm sure they're doing okay and will adapt eventually. I'd imagine they will miss you like you miss them but they'll be well looked after :)

My lot on the other hand would probably go off with anybody if they had lettuce :))
 
Hi,

I am relatively new to the forum as I don't have any piggies yet and came here to research their care. But I have found this thread and just wanted to say that I went to Raystede today and met Pepper, Butterscotch, Noodles & Popcorn. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to put them up for rehoming. They looked happy and well looked after and I have put an application in to adopt them. So hoping I am successful. If I am I will certainly post pictures and keep you updated on them.
 
Pemblebee said:
Hi,

I am relatively new to the forum as I don't have any piggies yet and came here to research their care. But I have found this thread and just wanted to say that I went to Raystede today and met Pepper, Butterscotch, Noodles & Popcorn. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to put them up for rehoming. They looked happy and well looked after and I have put an application in to adopt them. So hoping I am successful. If I am I will certainly post pictures and keep you updated on them.
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:yahoo:
 
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