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guineabecs

guineabecs

Junior Guinea Pig
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Well. As some people may know let's at home have started selling ''funky'' coated guinea pigs now as the ''regular ones'' didn't sell well, and they ways had the same colours coming in. Is it just me that thinks this is ridiculous?! People with children who go in to buy a guinea pig with children will inevitably get board of a long coated piggy and it will then either be neglected or put up for rehoming....I had a client come in today with one that they had rescued from the adoption in pets at home, a very long haired pig, that had been given up by its owner. The clients also said there were 2 males in adoption together waiting to be rehomed, both long haired, and given up no doubt as people do not have the time or patience with children to be giving these long haired pigs the time and attention and grooming needed :( I just find it so sad :'( rant over x
 
Sadly pet shops don't think about these things, they just have in what's the most poppular and well sell the easiest, mostly at the detriment of the animals :(
 
Exactly. It is so sad, I've seen so many of them in there for adoption, and after the client said that it just made me so sad. I knew this would happen when I hears they were selling 'funky' coated pigs. I just don't understand why they didn't think this would come back and bite them on the bum!!
 
I've had a nosey in my local in the adoption section, always a single male either abandoned or have special needs... I'm glad in a way P@H are helping but they need to take those signs down that guinea pigs are suitable animals for small children or stop selling them altogether. It annoys me so much because would you really want a child to see two males fighting or if a female randomly starts humping her cage mates. Plus I've read leaflets about guinea pigs and they are informative but not informative enough ... I've seen the odd abi in my P@H but never long haired ones.
 
How sad. I've seen a ton of different breeds in pets at home. Smooth is the most common but I've seen aby and long haired. I saw an utterly beautiful long haired white guinea pig with curly hair and red eyes. I felt bad for him as he was there for a few months. His hair wasn't too long when I first saw him but definitely grew. I just hope whoever got him in the end were good with long haired piggies. I know from experience how hard it can be but I would not give Romano up for the world.
 
I went in my nearest PAH today & the little wooden house in the piggy enclosure collapsed on them ! They squealed & I got an assistant who was more concerned with having to rebuild their wood house than whether the pigs were injured! :( I then noticed 3 were long haired Swiss type piggies :( I pointed out that these would be hard work for new owners particularly children & was told they would make potential owners aware of this :( I don't think they will...
 
Oh bless them :(! That's it. While I'm sure all owners will insist that they will take care and groom them etc however when the novelty wears off, that is when the problems set in and neglect happens :( so sad!
 
Jess said:
I've had a nosey in my local in the adoption section, always a single male either abandoned or have special needs... I'm glad in a way P@H are helping but they need to take those signs down that guinea pigs are suitable animals for small children or stop selling them altogether. It annoys me so much because would you really want a child to see two males fighting or if a female randomly starts humping her cage mates. Plus I've read leaflets about guinea pigs and they are informative but not informative enough ... I've seen the odd abi in my P@H but never long haired ones.
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strangely enough, when I was a child I never witnessed any fights between my boars or any humping with my sows. The only fight 2 of mine had was a little scrap when they went in their run the first time, as soon as their pigloo was put in they were back to cuddling! perhaps I was just lucky! plus they were all bonded by a rescue!
 
I've never seen a funky or long haired piggie in our 2 pets at homes! We have wanted a funky guinea pig for a long time (not that I would buy one from pets at home) and never seen one!

I don't think pet shops really think about the longer term of the pets life.
 
Our local began selling the different breeds. We asked them if they had changed breeders and the response was 'yes, the guinea pigs were all starting to look the same so PaH changed supplier to get more appealing types'. Not word for word, but that is essentially what was said. Since this they have always had mostly long haired which worries me same as it worries the rest of you! I've seen all types in there - coronets, peruvians, rexs and so many more. I'm sure I've seen a texel (? - the long haired wiry coat type) as well. They give no advice with long haired piggies usually, but once there was a pretty coronet girl in the adoption centrte - we questioned about them as we had some interest in adopting at the time and they said she was brought out every day on the counter for brushing, and emphasised the need to brush her every day. Which is good :) But saying one thing and trusting people will do it is another thing I suppose.
 
Yes, I actually questioned someone who worked in pah and was actually told they were changing suppliers as they were getting the same boring colours in and they weren't selling as well! So wrong :( I mean even if they are telling people they need grooming...will people with young children do it...don't get me wrong some will do it brilliantly! But there will be a lot of poor pigs who will have interest lost in them and they will get matted and neglected. Poor pigs :(
 
I think its quite wrong. I had a texel (Evangeline, a rescue) and she was really quite hard to brush as she hated it and squealed loudly. I obviously persisted till she got better, but I cant imagine a child or a novice adult having the confidence to wrap a piggie in a tea towel for her daily grooming!

I have a lionhead rabbit too who needs lots of grooming, but she enjoys it!

I nearly came home with a mini lop from the PAH adoption centre on Saturday though :(
 
I might own a Funky guinea pig (from a breeder), but that does not stop me from wanting to own any other breeds of piggy, in fact i've owned smooth coats, peruvians, abbys and crested. All I can say is, at least these were not bred for experimenting on in a lab.
If parents did their homework before buying a guinea pig, they'd know not to buy long coats as they need daily brushing, and some children just don't have the patience to either do that or clean them out.
A Funky is no different than any other cross bred.
 
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A lot of people are muppets though, @BonBon2010 and wont have done their research. I love all kinds of piggies too but teddies have a special place in my heart.
 
@Derek's mammy may well agree - she bought Derek from p@h and I don't think she was informed of his breed, he has turned out to be long haired meaning there will be extra work for her to do.
 
I haven't encountered a problem with p@h, except the staff member telling us you should use those vitamin c supplements for their water, which annoyed me, and saying using fleece collects bacteria and is bad for the piggies; not when it is washed properly. When water supplements do more harm than good, we never did what she advised. I bought my two girls from p@h, which I know you are all hissing and booing at me right now, but no other piggies would've been right for me, so I definitely don't regret getting my girls- just the shop I got them from. I have been very close to walking away with another 10 little pigs though when I buy my timothy hay!
But I only want to have 2 girls in my bluebell hutch, and they are happy with their arrangements as they are, even if my eyes light up when I look at the guineas. Lol
 
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