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Louise's Zoo

Adult Guinea Pig
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Feel free to give me honest, frank opinions here. I will not be upset or offended.

As you may or may not know, I now have 5 sows in 2 groups. I recently rehomed the male baby from Eva's litter and originally rehomed one female who has since come back to me and is staying put.

At first I panicked and really didn't think I could cope with so many pigs after just starting with 3. I have to admit that moving rooms and building them a big C&C cage has helped massively. I feel they have lots of space, it's now very easy to clean and tend to as it's pretty much one big cage with a divider.

Now, here is the thing.. someone i don't know very well, has offered me a lone female guinea pig... I know very little about her (the pig) and I'm off to see her later, no strings, just looking.

Am I mad to consider another sow that needs a home? I would like to bond her with Eileen and Edna (obviously this would be after quarantine).

The main thing holding me back is that Eden is still on pregnancy watch... I've still no idea if she is pregnant.

Honest advice, what would you do?
 
As I replied in the thread www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/at-it-again-and-struggling.151422/#post-2040551 you have to consider:-

  1. Do you have enough time for another piggie?
  2. Can you cope if she doesn't bond with your other 5 piggies?
  3. Can you afford another piggie (vets bills etc)?
It's easy to fall in love another piggie but you have to be practical and boring. If the answer to these 3 questions is yes you really need to have a very hard think about whether it would be a good idea to adopt a rescue piggie especially as Eden could very well be pregnant and in the end you could well be over run with piggies and soon be out of your depth. Maybe it would be better if you suggest to this person that they surrender the sow to a rescue where she will be rehomed.

I hope I have helped in some way to you making a decision. In the end it is yours to make I can only advise you.
 
hehehe!:drool:
Of course, you have room enough. That is not an issue. You have two groups of pigs therefore another piggie won't make any difference.
But I want you to consider this: having 3-4 little children in a large house and with the right attitude is something which fills the house of joy. Then these children grow up and they need MONEY, not for the Smartphone, not for the fashion... But they have the right of going to holiday, to study, to go to UK to attend an english class, to go to the gym (because for their mental and physical health); they might need also a private doctor, a private dentist, a private school...
That was what I have considered before having two children and not three as I would have liked.
About the piggies: you don't need to spend 5000€ for two language classes in UK, they won't ask you for 300€ for an anatomy book; but they WILL need the vet for sure. They might die for a stroke, for a pneumonia, therefore no great expenses. But they might fall ill for a bladder stone, for a dental disease, for something which costs a lot. And reaching the adult/old age all together the bills will arrive all together.
This is my opinion...
Without considering that Eden might give birth to other 2-3 babies, who knows?:roll:
If you think your money is enough for future unexpected events, or if you are able to rehome piggies in case of big troubles, you can adopt another piggie and then another one and then... etc.
 
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It is difficult.
I guess the first step is to go and see the sow in question.
Clearly you have the space, and with 2 groups you also have a good chance that she will bond with at least one of those groups.
I am assuming you have the time, and adding one more to the mix is hardly going to take much extra work on a day to day basis.
There is always the question of money for vets bills and otehr unexpected costs, but as long as you have an emergency fund then you should be covered for any unforeseen issues (for a while at least).

I guess from my perspective I would think about what happens if Eden is pregnant.
If she is, and she has babies will you want to keep them (or some of them)?
And if you would plan to keep some/all of the babies, would this put you over your limit, assuming that in another few weeks you might be adding 2 - 3 more piggies to the group, which will potentially take you up to 9 guinea pigs?
If you feel confident you would rehome the babies elsewhere then it really doesn't matter, and I am sure with your connections on this Forum that would be possible.
But just to play devils advocate, if you turn down this new piggy now and Eden is pregnant then will you regret passing up the chance to offer another piggy a good home.
It's tricky, but I think after meeting this new girl you will know what the right thing to do is.
 
Great replies, thank you :)

So, I have been to see the little sow and somewhere wires got crossed and it isn't 1 pig, it's 2!

Quick back story, family bought 2 sows from P@H a week ago for their 2 children. Both children claim that the guinea pigs keep biting them. I don't know these children, no idea if they are good with animals or not. Both children are now terrified of the guinea pigs and wont have anything to do with them. I didn't see the kids, they were at school. The parents don't want them if the kids aren't going to help take care of them.

I'm not sure how true any of this is. Firstly the cage is tiny. My hamsters cage is bigger. I think it must be an 80cm cage. The piggies were very nervous and did not want to be handled. The kids mum seemed terrified of them and wouldn't put her hand in the cage to get them out, so I did. They are beautiful. they look healthy, quite small. I don't know what age P@H sell their guinea pigs but these look around the same size as Eva's babies so I think 8 weeks? The mum had no idea... They did no bite me once. They didn't like being handled but they did not bite at all.

I'll be honest, I wanted them both. I have been good and come away without them but I have asked them to give me 48 hours to think about it. If it was just the 1, I would have almost certainly taken her but 2 is another story.. I do have the space, I could build the C&C bigger, no problem, just need to buy more grids. Time isn't a problem. Money isn't too bad, I'm not rich and i don't have much spare money but I can get to some if needed for any vet bills.

To reply to @Swissgreys if Eden is pregnant the plan was to give the babies to a rescue but if I take on these 2 new pigs and Eden does have babies, it seems very unfair to then give them up. I'm just adding to the many unwanted babies but, having said that, I can't/wont be keeping any males so any boys would be going.


Argh... what to do? I wish I knew if Eden is pregnant or not :(
 
P@H sell their pigs around 8 weeks. I know this as Velvet and Betsy were 8 weeks old when I got them. If Eden is pregnant how far gone is she? When I got Velvet, I had had her for 10 days and it was obvious she was pregnant by then and 25 days after that she gave birth to Christian, Dennis and Meg. So when I got her she must have been about half way through because it certainly wasn't obvious then.
 
Wow so Velvet got pregnant very early then as well. The minimum Eden could be is 4 weeks pregnant this weekend, the most is 5 weeks.
 
Very difficult decision for you! Perhaps you could take them on in order to get them out of the situation they are in but on a temporary/fostering basis. May be worth talking to a local rescue beforehand - If there wasn't an immediate hurry, perhaps the rescue could find a suitable home, but rehome directly from you (so the rescue don't have any cost or space issue etc.) You could then be sure that they would end up in a good home without the long term commitment :)
 
Wow so Velvet got pregnant very early then as well. The minimum Eden could be is 4 weeks pregnant this weekend, the most is 5 weeks.

Yep it can happen. If Eden is pregnant it should be obvious very soon going on my experience with Velvet. I had only had boars in the past and that was some years ago now. I wanted 2 sows but, as you know, I ended up with 3 sows and 2 boars. You never know what life is going to chuck at you - you just have to cope. My friend's daughter wanted the boys but I know she wouldn't have looked after them properly so I kept them and P@H paid for them to be neutered.

What @threepigs has said is a very good compromise on the situation at the moment.
 
@threepigs The lady who put me in contact with the family is very good, I got my Panda (rabbit) through her 8 years ago. She isn't a rescue but often helps with finding good homes for animals that are being given up in our local community and that's why she thought of me with these guinea pigs as she knows I've just started keeping them after losing Panda. She helped me find a good home for Eva's male baby.

If I don't take them I'm sure they will go to another good home or often she will take them on and foster them while looking for a home like you suggested I could do. She has male skinny pigs, if they were female I bet she'd have taken them both!

@Betsy I've just checked Eden again and I dunno, I'm still thinking she is pregnant. She just feels different to Ellie. When I brought Eva home she did not look pregnant at all and I didn't notice the bumps until a week later and I think she must have been around 5 weeks by then so maybe I will know for sure with Eden in the next 2 weeks.

I suppose I really should pass on these 2 girls and wait and see. If Eden isn't pregnant and I know for sure in a few weeks time, maybe then i could look at rescuing a loan sow or neutered boar to go with Eileen and Edna.
 
@Betsy I've just checked Eden again and I dunno, I'm still thinking she is pregnant. She just feels different to Ellie. When I brought Eva home she did not look pregnant at all and I didn't notice the bumps until a week later and I think she must have been around 5 weeks by then so maybe I will know for sure with Eden in the next 2 weeks.
You will know quite soon lets hope she's not.
I suppose I really should pass on these 2 girls and wait and see. If Eden isn't pregnant and I know for sure in a few weeks time, maybe then i could look at rescuing a loan sow or neutered boar to go with Eileen and Edna.
I know its hard to pass on the girls especially as the whole family is scared of them and they are in such a small cage. If I were you I'd get in touch with the lady and tell her the unfortunately you can't take them on at the moment.
 
Good to hear that there is already someone looking out for them so, if you decide not to take them, I am sure they will find another home. It is so difficult - I know I have been tempted 'rescue' a number of rabbits and piggies that have been posted on Facebook etc. but, I also know that I am probably at my limit at the moment and it wouldn't be fair to take on any more!:)
 
horrific story... piggies used as toys for two spoiled children... no comment. Honestly I would let this bad family with their troubles now, maybe they would learn the lesson... (I don't think so)
Why don't you ask for an ultrasound so that you can know if Eden is pregnant? here the best vets do ultrasounds at a very early stage... I don't the cost, but there are specialised clinics with very good devices.
Another consideration: even when we have no economical troubles, it does not mean that we want to spend all our family money for the vets and the pets... Our life is not made only of pets and a piggie lives for long. Consider also your future projects, your future life (the next 6-7 years), if you have a fiance, etc. (sorry I don't know anything of you and I am supposing everything coming into my mind!).
 
it frustrates me that the adults bought their children pets but then aren't willing to take responsibility when the child inevitably loses interest. As the RSPCA always make clear, a child can help look after a pet but it's the adult who owns it and is therefore responsible. Never get your children pets that you wouldn't be happy to care for yourself.

In regard to your current situation @Eileen's Mum it sounds like whilst you could take these two ladies, it would be unfair if your Eden is pregnant and I imagine you would feel guilty. Perhaps you could pass up on them sooner than the 48 hours so your friend can find them a suitable home faster? It certainly sounds like where they are right now is not appropriate.
 
Oh @Eileen's Mum, you're doing the same thing I am. There's a pair of beautiful 18mth old boars on Gumtree just now, very close to me. They look like silkies (is that the breed?). The lady is having to get rid of them because her cat is making things difficult. I'm in love, but worrying that if my three do eventually fall out, it would mean at least 3 cages. Doable - but practical? I just keep looking at them. It's a hard call isn't it?
 
Maybe you could persuade them to give the piggies up to a rescue. They clearly cannot cope, have been very irresponsible, and it would be sad if these babies ended up on Preloved or Gumtree or something, going to who knows where.
 
Sorry, forgot to update this last night. I got in touch with the lady yesterday evening and declined. Good news is that she knows Emma (I think that was her name) from Furry Friends rescue and quite often she gets them involved so I think if a good home is not found by the weekend, they will be off there. There is another place as well that takes rescue rabbits and piggies but I can't remember the name. Just wish I had used them for Eden... I did contact FF at the time but never heard back from them :(

So, I will hold off getting any more guinea pigs until i know for sure what is happening with Eden who I think may well be up the duff :doh:
 
Well done @Eileen's Mum for making that choice, I know it must have been hard. It's how I ended up with 9 pigs, starting only with 2 and I'm at my absolute limit now.

Poor Eden; at least when the time comes, if you don't feel you are in a place for more piggies the rescue can help rehome them, or even us members here.

For anyone thinking about adding to their herd, don't just think of relatively small expenses (i.e. more food, hay, or bedding), but also if you could cope with a larger number of vet visits! We are at the point with ours now where we're visiting the vet at least once a month/every six weeks and it's quite pricey (we've spent at least £1000 in the last year, but that's including 4 neuters and one very touch-and-go period with Tubs which cost around £400).
 
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