Need your help- Guinea Pig Costumes

[Barmy4boars]

Ellie and I Just found this on ebay

Knitted Princess Cape

Please could those of you with ebay accounts contact the seller and issue your disapproval. It is so cruel to force an animal to wear clothes. It might look cute to us but they have no way to show they don't like it... most piggys don't even bite. Piggys are not toys or dolls to dress and play with they are living creatures. Please help!

 

[kaoskat]

Ok, first off, I'm not attempting to cause an arguement here, just voicing my thoughts on the issue. I don't feel it is cruel to dress piggies up. It is only cruel if the dress up outfits harm the piggies. It is annoying to the piggy if the costumes are awkward and uncomfortable, but cruel means to hurt something or cause suffering and bothering your piggy really isnt him suffering or being harmed. It's also pretty inconsiderate of someone to continuely dress piggies who don't like it. In my experience, piggies do let you know when they are not happy with you or what you are doing. It's important to pay attetion to your pets in any situation and keep them comfortable and happy and be able to tell when they are. I have 13 piggies and they all have very different views of costumes and clothes. InuYasha hates them. If you try to dress him up, even if it's to keep him warm, he pouts and glares the whole time. Kyomi is the same way. Most though don't mind at all as long as the costume is a comfortable fit and doesn't get in their way at all. They go on about their lives as they always do and pose happily for their pictures. Kurama absolutely LOVES dress up. When he sees me get the costume box he starts wheeking and popcorning like crazy. He runs over begging to get his clothes. Most of them are in fact his because they make him so happy. His favorite by far is is pig-o-lantern costume. Once his costumes are on and it comes time to take them off, he fights me to keep them on. I try to pull them over his head and he pushes back into them. I try to unbutton them and he wiggles so I can't. Once I get it off, if I lay it in front of him he stands on it and starts nosing it trying to get it back on. The only costume he didn't like was his reindeer costume and that's because it was covered in bells and jingled alot. He doesn't wear that one. Kimono also likes dressing up (though not as much as Kurama, but not many pigs can touch his level) and when she gets new costumes she prances like a princess. She's not the fondest of hats though. Costumes in my house started when a friend made a sweater for Kurama's father when he was sick and had chills. Solomon loved it. Like Kurama dress up became one of his favorite things. I learned how and decided to make sweaters for the others because it seemed like they might be usuful for keeping the warm in winter. I got mixed reaction from the pack. Those who don't like costumes don't wear them, those who don't care do on occassion when I need a new model for a new idea. Kurama (and his dad before him) get to wear costumes when they go on outings. A dressed up piggy attracts attention and gives me the chance to teach others how piggies are cared for. They see a cute piggy pig-o-lantern and they aren't "rats" anymore, they are cute and people ask questions about them and how to care for them. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is, costumes are not bad as long as they are made with piggy comfort in mind (which these ones appear to be) and the piggy the costume is intended for doesn't dislike playing dress up. Perhaps it should be suggested to this person that she add something like "Not all piggies like being dressed up. Please don't forcce your pet to wear clothes if they do not like them." or something of the sort. However it's very possible her piggies are like Rama and love clothes and she thought it would be nice for other piggies and their owners too. In any case, I'm sure the person had no intention of doing anything bad for the piggies.

Here is Rama in some of his favorites:

 

[Joeychan]

In my opinion I think it is cruel for any animal to wear costumes, I mean they don't wear them in the wild do they?

If you want something to dress up buy a doll.

 

[michellemuffin]

maybe it depends on how your guinea pig are raised, mine are all natural as possible ie in long runs and not fussed over too much ( well as much as i can get away with) in other words I dont bring them indoors too much etc they know they live in their sheds which are comfy and fit for kings and queens, and I know that for me to try to put clothes on them would freak them out, so I would'nt do it, BUT if your pig is home based then it is picked up and fussed over a lot more then out door pigs and maybe wont mind a bit of pampering, and dressing up, it fits in with them being treated differently to other pigs,
but so as to stop any arguing or silly disagreements, please note we all raise our pigs differently not to all our own tastes so as long as the pig is not stressed etc then each to their own, I personally would not dress them up but equally would not do a lot of things some of you might do,
equally have you seen some of the daft clothes to put on pampard pooches now a days
just remember every one has different choices and opinions just because its not your choice does'nt always make it wrong, and because i would not ever dress my pigs up does'nt mean (if the pigs like it) I can disaprove of others doing it,
hope thats made it clear, arguments are not needed because we all have our own choices and opinions

 

[starshine]

Mine would never tolerate a costume! Far too much attitude here for that!

Kat is clearly very lucky to have pigs that like dressing up and it seems that she has a responsible attitude towards it by not making pigs who don't like it dress up and not re using outfits that weren't well received.

I would never even try and dress mine - I just know they wouldn't like it.

I have contacted the seller and advised her to add some kind of note about not all piggies like dressing up and ensuring they are closely monitored at all times. I just dread some irresponsible owner buying these things then forcing their poor little piggie into them.

 

[michellemuffin]

just noted she is selling a straw hat mine would think it was a new type of way of dishing up hay for dinner lol how on earth do you keep a hat on a pig especially hay
a note of it not being advisable to force your piggys to tolerate dressing up is a good idea to be added to the sellers notes,

 

[Barmy4boars]

I hear what you are saying, and appreciate that all pigs are different but still think you can get beautiful pigtures without the need to dress piggys up. I always get compliments about mine and I never even use the flash! And I always look at them and recognise their little characters. For me the whole experiance is designed around piggy comfort- at the end of the day if they enjoy themself and don't feel uncomfortable with it then it shows in the photos.

Usually I use a nice pastel coloured background and food props (which pigs get to eat afterwards), or other things on a nice sunny day. Position a chair in a spot that gets plenty of light. I've usually planned a pic before I do it so its less messing around for the little furries. I get them to pose not by positioning them or using costumes, but by rubbing their chins, waving parsley, celery etc above their heads or calling their name depending on the pig.

Here are some of the results

On occassion I rather fancied a piccy with a hat etc but I chose to use photo editing software to artificially add it. This one was made using a pigture of my late piggy Prince eating from a food dish, with the little crest on his head and a picture of a crown I got from the net. I copied the crown into paint, carefully cut it out and stuck it on the picture. I really think it looks great- just what I wanted and no dressing up involved.

 

[michellemuffin]

have always loved your pics Susie and was wondering how you got to get one on a straw hat until i read further you smart thing afraid my computer knowledge is not as clever as you lol, only just learnt how to post photos, maybe in a few years time i might just about have a bit more knowledge but I prefer my pics to be as natural as possible, and am itching to catch artie sitting on his back legs ( like a begging dog) and nibbling at his tummy he cracks me up doing that, now that is a perfect pic with no props what ever, but as i said before each to their own choice as long as no piggys are stressed.
you'll have to put more pics on the photo gallery Susie not everyone has seen them and they are adorable,

 

[Barmy4boars]

The straw hat one up there is a real pic Michelle- Its Sara's Rose. She doesn't have it on her head she is just perched on the edge of it she climbed right over and flattened it a second after that pic lol