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Old But New Guinea Pig Owner

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Linzi Flower

Linzi Flower

New Born Pup
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
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Location
Scotland, UK
HI lovelies!

I had guinea pigs when I was a child 2 beautiful short hair girlies called Nibbles and Bubbles. Unfortunately Bubbles died suddenly with no actual cause of death aged about 3 and Nibbles died not long after with a respiratory problem.

Now about 10/11 years later I have a sustainable income and can afford to house guineas without any cause of concern. I would like to have 2/3 girls again as I found them to be less hassle than boys as my mum had males that fought with each other to the point of one being given away. I am hoping to house an outdoor hutch inside a shed with a window that will open which will allow them to have space to roam during the day without any safety worries such as birds and my cats/neighbours feline friends.

My question is where do I get them?

We originally got them from a pet shop in Bathgate, Scotland which has since shut down and was thinking about going to my local Pets at Home but whilst I have been doing my research I have found this could be an issue due to the fact that they have high numbers of ringworm and mange.

Ive tried to find breeders but the best ones seem to be in England and I'm not sure how they would handle being transported for up to 6 hours as I feel this may cause them major stress and anxiety. And I know that people say SSPCA are the way to go but I would rather have babies as I'm not sure how I would handle them dying again.. I would just like some long quality time with them.

Please Please Please help me as I feel I am on a never-ending search for my girlies and would like to have them before Christmas so they can be home and settled before family arrive wanting to touch them.

Thanks
Linzi
 
Hi and welcome.

Your best bet would be a guinea pig rescue! There is a rescue locator at the top of the page that will bring up a list of recommended rescues near you.

I have 4 boys, 2 of which who are best friends, always have been and I think always will be. As for my other 2, well they live next to each other due to fighting!

Boys don't always fight like a lot of people think, you just have to find 2 with a similar personality. Another reason to go to a rescue! So you don't have to completely wipe boys off the list :-)

Best of luck and hope you stick around to tell us about them and of course some photos!
 
Galaxy&nibbles said:
Hi and welcome.

Your best bet would be a guinea pig rescue! There is a rescue locator at the top of the page that will bring up a list of recommended rescues near you.

I have 4 boys, 2 of which who are best friends, always have been and I think always will be. As for my other 2, well they live next to each other due to fighting!

Boys don't always fight like a lot of people think, you just have to find 2 with a similar personality. Another reason to go to a rescue! So you don't have to completely wipe boys off the list :-)

Best of luck and hope you stick around to tell us about them and of course some photos!
Click to expand...

Update after having a snoop on the rescue locator there is only one near me and even then its still 2 hours away and then the rest are back down south in England would they make the journey?
 
Lol, oh I see it's quite far.. I don't think the rescue would travel to you, I don't know however if others might help you out at all?

I'd say if you are going to have to buy from a shop, I would say go to petsathome. (Although I wouldn't as I go to a rescue now) a
they are good at paying for the vet bills if your piggies have problems within a certain time.

I would check the sexes of them if you can as its been known for them to falsely sex which you don't want!

Also be prepared if there was a fight, they may have to be seperated so you'd need the space to either accommodate them next to each other or 2 big cages and get them each a new friend.

If you can and would be willing to travel the 2 hours, if I were you I'd defently go for it as it would be completely worth it, not only for a good bond but also good health :-)
 
Hi and welcome! Well done for doing you research before you get some new piggies :)

Rescues are a great way to get piggies that are already happy and settled in a pair or group, buying from pet shops isn't a guarantee groups will work out, even with girls as bonds are all about personality just like with people! Pets at Home varies a lot by branch and some have a fairly appalling record for selling poorly, mis-sexed or pregnant pigs but some are brilliant. It's worth getting recommendations first. I know Scotland is really tricky for rescues as there aren't many about but it is worth the effort to travel as not only do you get some fantastic pigs in good health but you'll get lots of help, support and advice too for as long as you need them. Even some of the SSPCA branches have guinea pigs even though they are not dedicated guinea pig rescues so try them too. Rescuing is a great thing, for every pig that finds a new home, another one in need can be given a new start.

Travelling with piggies is fine as long as you have a good, safe box or carrier and they have access to food and water and somewhere to hide. I often use cucumber because they don't like to drink from a bottle whilst travelling. I've rehomed from over 2 hours away and travelled in cars and on trains with piggies with no issues. Sometimes volunteers can even organise 'piggy trains' to help get a guinea pig between a rescue and a new home.

Hope some of that helps!
 
MerryPip said:
Hi and welcome! Well done for doing you research before you get some new piggies :)

Rescues are a great way to get piggies that are already happy and settled in a pair or group, buying from pet shops isn't a guarantee groups will work out, even with girls as bonds are all about personality just like with people! Pets at Home varies a lot by branch and some have a fairly appalling record for selling poorly, mis-sexed or pregnant pigs but some are brilliant. It's worth getting recommendations first. I know Scotland is really tricky for rescues as there aren't many about but it is worth the effort to travel as not only do you get some fantastic pigs in good health but you'll get lots of help, support and advice too for as long as you need them. Even some of the SSPCA branches have guinea pigs even though they are not dedicated guinea pig rescues so try them too. Rescuing is a great thing, for every pig that finds a new home, another one in need can be given a new start.

Travelling with piggies is fine as long as you have a good, safe box or carrier and they have access to food and water and somewhere to hide. I often use cucumber because they don't like to drink from a bottle whilst travelling. I've rehomed from over 2 hours away and travelled in cars and on trains with piggies with no issues. Sometimes volunteers can even organise 'piggy trains' to help get a guinea pig between a rescue and a new home.

Hope some of that helps!
Click to expand...

I think this makes me confident about travelling with them as I wasn't sure if it would stress them to death
 
Linzi Flower said:
I think this makes me confident about travelling with them as I wasn't sure if it would stress them to death
Click to expand...
They can be scared. I have one that isn't too keen on travelling but I just keep talking to him and he manages. Not done a long trip with him yet. As long as they are secure and they can hide away, generally they are fine :) I know they liked the box being on the floor on the train, I think the vibrations were soothing.

Look forward to seeing who you come home with in the end :)
 
MerryPip said:
Hi and welcome! Well done for doing you research before you get some new piggies :)

Rescues are a great way to get piggies that are already happy and settled in a pair or group, buying from pet shops isn't a guarantee groups will work out, even with girls as bonds are all about personality just like with people! Pets at Home varies a lot by branch and some have a fairly appalling record for selling poorly, mis-sexed or pregnant pigs but some are brilliant. It's worth getting recommendations first. I know Scotland is really tricky for rescues as there aren't many about but it is worth the effort to travel as not only do you get some fantastic pigs in good health but you'll get lots of help, support and advice too for as long as you need them. Even some of the SSPCA branches have guinea pigs even though they are not dedicated guinea pig rescues so try them too. Rescuing is a great thing, for every pig that finds a new home, another one in need can be given a new start.

Travelling with piggies is fine as long as you have a good, safe box or carrier and they have access to food and water and somewhere to hide. I often use cucumber because they don't like to drink from a bottle whilst travelling. I've rehomed from over 2 hours away and travelled in cars and on trains with piggies with no issues. Sometimes volunteers can even organise 'piggy trains' to help get a guinea pig between a rescue and a new home.

Hope some of that helps!
Click to expand...

I think this makes me confident about travelling with them as I wasn't sure if it would stress them to death, I still have a bit more research to do before I get them and still need to find appropriate housing ( to ramp or not to ramp) but having this extra knowledge is brill thank you! :) x
 
Hi Linzi,

Welcome to the forum.Where ever you get your piggies from it sound as if they are going to have a great home.

You thinking of having them indoors? or out?

Lee
 
sport_billy said:
Hi Linzi,

Welcome to the forum.Where ever you get your piggies from it sound as if they are going to have a great home.

You thinking of having them indoors? or out?

Lee
Click to expand...

Hi there,

I'm thinking out is probably best as I have one very smart adventurous 1 year old cat called Mia, she gets into everything and can even open doors to let herself out.:oops: and then a more chunky laid back cat max who just doesn't care about anything other than food, and when I say that he never tried to eat my old guineas he just used to like snuggling with them which was weird but so cute!

So I was thinking a shed which would be lined with insulation so it stays warm in the colder months and putting the hutch in there so its warm enough for them, but also having a functional window to let air circulate. My last pair stayed in the garage but I think it was too cold for them. :(

But turns out finding a shed that is the right size to house a hutch and not blowing the bank is becoming more and more impossible... I'm now debating whether I should find an instruction manual on how to build a shed and doing it myself as that may be cheaper :lol!:
 
Hello!

I love my shed set up. It allows them to have a lot more room and keeps them more cosy on the colder nights.
I'm not sure what kind of set up you were thinking of having but I use fleece in mine and they have free range of the outer area of the hutch on the shed floor. :)


This is the only photo I can find of mine at the moment. I'll try and find some more later :)


DSC00916_zpstmas0veu.jpg
 
ayemee said:
Hello!

I love my shed set up. It allows them to have a lot more room and keeps them more cosy on the colder nights.
I'm not sure what kind of set up you were thinking of having but I use fleece in mine and they have free range of the outer area of the hutch on the shed floor. :)


This is the only photo I can find of mine at the moment. I'll try and find some more later :)
Click to expand...

where did you find your shed? this is the kind of thing I am looking for but without the fleece but I can't seem to find a shed anywhere that won't break the bank :no:

thanks Linzi xx
 
Hi Linza, if you are looking for a shed, try your local gum tree , you would be suprised at the bargans you can get :tu:
 
I actually had my shed (infact both of my sheds) donated.

These are the sheds:
WP_20150726_001.jpg
You'll have to excuse the state of the wooden shed in this piccy, it has since been restained black.

and I built the hutches into the end so they are part of the shed.
WP_20150715_004.jpg

The animals live in the wooden shed, and I use the metal shed for my gardening stuff and the shavings/hay/food for the animals. ;)
 
Linzi Flower said:
Update after having a snoop on the rescue locator there is only one near me and even then its still 2 hours away and then the rest are back down south in England would they make the journey?
Click to expand...
If it's any consolation, I travel back and forth to the cottage with my pigs all summer long- about two hours in the car. They have always done just fine with it. The ones who dislike the car rides will hide in the pigloo, but I had one who really didn't care and just walked around, ate, begged for food from my son who sits next to them, etc.
 
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