Pets at Home

We've had a few from PaH and I've found the ones near us to be fine - staff very honest too. Casper and Harvey were older rescue boars in the Adoption Centre; a few years later an on-spec phone round for a lone female brought little Snowflake home. Sometimes their Adoption Centre piggies are the last of the previous intake who need to be moved on before a fresh batch of younger piggies come in and I think this was Snowflake... she had to be treated for something and so couldn't go out on the floor with the rest but she came home with me and luckily she and Casper were a proper true love match 💕

I've seen more health issues in my older pigs, obviously... I've only had one that died before 3 (pts with cancer) and she was a 'breeder' pig. My neighbour always replaces her piggies with 'new' ones and she has had very little trouble. I guess with a big store like PaH the intake has got to be pretty healthy because if lots of customers returned to complain they would change the source of their piggies. I'm usually more of a retirement home!
 
Wolverine0492 said:
Thank you.
I know yesterday I was determined to get a pair now not so much, and that is just down to the realisation that if they need to go to the vets with something wrong with them, I may not be able to afford the bill. Which is a shame but the reality. :/
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Wolverine0492 said:
Maybe, but it would be quite some time i would imagine :/
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Its so important to be realistic about it, not only for their sake but for yours too. Its horribly stressful when pets are ill anyway but for them to be ill when you dont know if you can afford the fees is doubly stressful.
 
PigglePuggle said:
Good that you are being realistic, shows that once you can afford you will be an amazing piggy owner :)
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Thank you. If they didnt need the vet I would be fine haha. Eyed up a suitable indoor cage for the 2 of them, think is was 140cm x something. And have already got a pen for summer that is about 12 ft x about 8 ft and then just put an old sheet over to for a roof and keep sun off them.
 
Wolverine0492 said:
Thank you.
I know yesterday I was determined to get a pair now not so much, and that is just down to the realisation that if they need to go to the vets with something wrong with them, I may not be able to afford the bill. Which is a shame but the reality. :/
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Don’t give up home as a day may well come when you can afford piggies and give them a wonderful home.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Its so important to be realistic about it, not only for their sake but for yours too. Its horribly stressful when pets are ill anyway but for them to be ill when you dont know if you can afford the fees is doubly stressful.
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Yeah it is, in the past we have had 10 rabbits and 2 guinea pigs, bar 2 rabbits. The rest died naturally at home and didnt need the vet at all (bar check ups) but I know vet bills can be pricey, my brother has got a cat, he got in a fight and got bitten, my brother took him to the vets as was limping, nothing wrong with the cat at all cost either just under or over £100.
 
You hear a lot of horror stories about Pets At Home, and through lack of knowledge of rescues etc. at the time we bought our two boys from them. But the two stores we have near us are very good, very helpful.
 
Truffle and Coco said:
You hear a lot of horror stories about Pets At Home, and through lack of knowledge of rescues etc. at the time we bought our two boys from them. But the two stores we have near us are very good, very helpful.
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I do wonder how many people buy guinea pigs from pets at home and have no problems? As one tends to only hear the bad stories.
 
If pets at home has the adoption corner. I had a gerbil from there before when none was available for rehoming via rescue.

Glad you're doing research. It's very expensive to keep piggies as pets. In fact, they're the most expensive pets from my multi pet household!
 
Hath said:
If pets at hone is the only option you can always wait until they get two piggies surrendered in their rescue corner?
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That is true. Would just have to ask them to give me a call if they do as dont often go there.
I think at the moment I will probably not get them as even though i could afford them, cage etc give them food water love etc, but if something came up out of the blue and they need to go to the vets then I probably couldnt afford the bill.
 
Wolverine0492 said:
I do wonder how many people buy guinea pigs from pets at home and have no problems? As one tends to only hear the bad stories.
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I think for me it's less about the stories of what happens with our piggies once we bring them home but rather a worry that I am supporting breeding mills where parents may be kept in small cages and dirty conditions and bred relentlessly to the detriment of their own health and poorly babies may be euthanized without being offered better vet care because it's not financially viable. Not saying all breeders are like this just that there is no way for us to check that our precious piggies parents and siblings are being cared for as well as we would like.
 
Wolverine0492 said:
I do wonder how many people buy guinea pigs from pets at home and have no problems? As one tends to only hear the bad stories.
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I know that they used to have a terrible reputation and I do think that they have tried to do something about it. I think as someone already mentioned it does depend on the store, I think they are more targeted at first time owers of pets, rather than the more knowledgeable Guinea Pig owner.

I do think they are concerned about the welfare of the animals they sell, as they were only prepared to sell two Guinea Pigs to us, which we knew about in advance, but was still reassuring, and they were pretty strict in relation to who they sell too. We bought from them and have two happy healthy pigs.

Also, my son has fish, and again they are very strict in relation to selling them also.
 
Yep, fostered piggies from horrendous breeding places and I can't believe pet stores aren't checking where they come from. But then, breeders are good at hiding what's going on behind scenes...
 
They don't have to worry too much about people not buying from them, so they don't have to go that extra mile to ensure all is set.. . There will always be people who don't care, never seen how breeders operate or buy on impulse because they see these cuties and think that tiny cage is good enough...
 
Hath said:
Yep, fostered piggies from horrendous breeding places and I can't believe pet stores aren't checking where they come from. But then, breeders are good at hiding what's going on behind scenes...
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I sometimes wonder if some people higher up the organisation do know but are to focused on profit while staff on the shop floor are just trying to do their best with what they've got
 
Hath said:
If pets at home has the adoption corner. I had a gerbil from there before when none was available for rehoming via rescue.

Glad you're doing research. It's very expensive to keep piggies as pets. In fact, they're the most expensive pets from my multi pet household!
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I think with the research I have done, and even though i would like a pair I think I will not be getting them as I could afford to buy them and get a cage, feed them give them water take care of them etc, if something is wrong with them I couldnt afford to pay the bill probably.

was originally thinking about getting a hamster but my housemate has a cat and wouldnt be fair.
 
Wolverine0492 said:
I think with the research I have done, and even though i would like a pair I think I will not be getting them as I could afford to buy them and get a cage, feed them give them water take care of them etc, if something is wrong with them I couldnt afford to pay the bill probably.

was originally thinking about getting a hamster but my housemate has a cat and wouldnt be fair.
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To be fair extra considerations have to be made if you're going to keep Guinea pigs in a house with cats aswell
 
Thank you all for your messages. With the research I have done and from what you have all said, I have decided not to adopt a pair of guinea pigs. Even though I can look after them, if something was wrong or needed long running vet treatment I could not afford it. Something I did not think of when I first started researching. Thank you all for your input.
 
Got mine from PAH, but a recent experience has made me feel like a sucker for believing them.
I read up on employee experiences and they say they are in cramped conditions out back and no-one really cares about them. I feel bad for my girls first 2 months of life.
 
Chaz said:
Got mine from PAH, but a recent experience has made me feel like a sucker for believing them.
I read up on employee experiences and they say they are in cramped conditions out back and no-one really cares about them. I feel bad for my girls first 2 months of life.
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At least you are giving them a good life now.
 
DM03030121 said:
Thank you all for your messages. With the research I have done and from what you have all said, I have decided not to adopt a pair of guinea pigs. Even though I can look after them, if something was wrong or needed long running vet treatment I could not afford it. Something I did not think of when I first started researching. Thank you all for your input.
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I must commend you for doing your research first and not impulse buying like so many people, they are not the easiest of pets x
 
I am surprised no one has brought up “fostering”. You get all the joy of caring for them with none of the vet bill worries as the rescue they are fostered through will cover those expenses. Of course the downside is they are not “yours” and you might have to had them over to their new permanent home at any time which emotionally can be tough. But you can see it as helping other piggies until you can afford your own.

It maybe wouldn’t work in this case with no rescues close by, but throwing out there for others who might be reading.
 
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