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Please Talk Some Sense Into Me!

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Sorry not really computer savvy! top guy is weasel and bottom is Samson. What do you think of his eye? just small iris? Will get him checked out but has anyone else got a pig whose eye looks like this?
Just going to give Geoff and Ronnie their lap time/ spring greens and will come back. xx
 
spock said:
Just have to say I am totally projecting my fears! The shop owners may care deeply about their animals! But what happens to them if no one buys them? It gets less likely the longer they are there.
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There are far too many piggies looking for homes. It is a tough choice to make on the top of hapless animals who cannot choose where they are born and end up. But as long as pet shops and backyard breeders keep churning out babies, there is no pressure on them to mend their ways and decrease the oversupply of mass bred babies. It is as simple as that! :(

Animal protection is coming VERY far down the list of governmental concerns, especially these days; there are no guidelines for shops re. where they source their animals from (usually by import from mass breeding farms in Europe) and to what minimal standard their care should be enforced, including adequate cage size and care advice.
The only country that has that level of protection is Switzerland, and it doesn't come quite cheap as means extra money spent on enforcement and regular controls.
 
spock said:
Sorry not really computer savvy! top guy is weasel and bottom is Samson. What do you think of his eye? just small iris? Will get him checked out but has anyone else got a pig whose eye looks like this?
Just going to give Geoff and Ronnie their lap time/ spring greens and will come back. xx
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The eye looks normal to me.
 
oh right! I never see the white of Ronnie and Geoff's eyes and Samson's is permanently on show! Not sure if its bilateral as I don't want to freak him out by staring into his eyes!

When I picked the new guys up I asked them to please not put any more guinea pigs in there and said about the cage not meeting RSPCA standards.
The lady looked at me and said that those were the only cages they had and they had not had any problems before ( had also mentioned boars needing space etc.)
To be fair, I think the two people that were there were only employees so there was no use in reading the riot act to them. She said that they were a branch and that my new two had been sent over from the other shop as they couldn't sell them.

I left with the feeling that, that cage will be refilled soon and I do feel really sullied by the experience and will not go back.
When I get some time I will try to find out a little more and read the links that people have kindly posted. I did take a picture as was suggested but had to do it quickly and when I looked it was all reflection from the glass.

Sorry that I haven't had time to reply to people individually, I really want to as the posts have been really interesting and I want to know more, but I'm a newbie with a preschooler and now 2 new pigs!:D
 
They're gorgeous! The white and ginger reminds me of Fudge! Can you maybe email the head office/owner with the important welfare issues you have raised? Might help
 
That's such a shame :( How much did they cost, if you don't mind me asking? I've heard about some shops selling older piggies cheaper because they're no longer "young and cute" which always worries me.

I think they should cost more in order for them to be raised correctly, I know there aren't many that do that though sadly.
 
Well I haven't actually read the guidelines yet, one of the other posters suggested that it wasn't and I've been too busy settling in the new boys/getting extra supplies to do any research on it. I'd say it was around a 2x2 c&c size or slightly smaller, made of glass/plastic with a metal panel with holes in for ventilation. I had to give the shop my name , address and telephone number so I don't want to bring a lot of trouble to my door, but would like to make an effort for the sake of other guinea pigs.
 
Yeah just read that, 120x60x45. Just started to look at a thread on here from 6 years ago and they were saying that its a recommendation only and that there was no actual law unlike in wales for rabbits. I dunno, don't want to go in all guns blazing if nothing is enforceable. Will look at the thread again tomorrow as its past my bedtime.:flag:
 
I reported a pet shop to the rspca because the guinea pigs were ill and they didn't do anything about it! So went back the week later and bought peach who was covered in ringworm and was very small. I took loads of pics of her to show the rspca when they got back in touch with me. well they never did so I don't even think they went out to be honest. I had to go back to the pet shop after a vet visit to diagnose the ringworm and let them know what was wrong with her! They said they would treat all the guinea pigs and quarantine the rabbits as they were in cages near each other. I felt like they didn't take me seriously so I felt like it was down to me to sort the shop out.
 
They are beautiful piggies by the way and I'm glad they have finally found their forever home with you I hope we see more pigtures of them :luv:
 
Am happy to email/talk to the owner of shop, but I doubt very much they will rip out their cage because of my complaint.
It may sound a stupid question but is it a given that those dimensions are length width and height respectively?
Measuring a 2X2 I get approx. 73cm by 73cm, so if the cage in the shop was 120cm high, it could very well comply with RSPCA guidelines.(Sorry not slept well for a few days and not really firing on all cylinders!)

I find it very worrying stayc1989, that the RSPCA wasn't interested in sick animals what hope in my case?

In the thread I mentioned earlier a poster said that they had reported a local pet shop more than once with no action taken, this is the thread : RSPCA Cage Recommendation.

Not trying to back out of doing anything, I just want to do something that will yield positive results for other animals all I feel all I would be doing is easing my conscience.

The main worry with the guys I've just bought was that they had been in the small cage for a long time and were too old and the wrong sex to be bought by your average family looking for a pet. The cage itself was clean, they had hay, water and science selective pellets and on the day they were flat out in the heat the staff had opened a side door, I assume to try and let some cool air in for the animals.
 
spock said:
Before I found this forum I was looking around pet shops and breeders for my first guinea pigs. After being glued to the threads here for months I now have my two wonderful boys from a rescue centre.

My problem is that I popped into my local pet shop to get some hay after running low and saw two boars that I looked at before I got mine, they're still there! Not sure how old they are but they're not babies.
I can't stop thinking about them, they're in a class cage I'd say smaller than a 2x2 c&c and have been there at least three months it looks like one of them has a white iris, and the other is light brown but not Agouti so maybe less likely to find a home (my boys are brown and no one wanted them).

I know that if I buy them, the pet shop will just get more but I'm worried..... the pet shop also caters for reptile owners ......
Advice needed! :help:
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If it were me, I'd go for it, yes there will always be more but I try and rescue as much as I can. Sometimes I think I have too many but when I stop and look at the I love them all and I,ll just carry on for them. I don't really go out or anything so I put it into my animals. X
 
Love the pics of your piggies Spock. Sometimes you have gotta do it, then don't eat for the month so you can pay the vet bills.
A lot of people are saying that the RSPCA are more interested in taking everyone to court than the welfare of the animals, these days & I agree.
They tie their money & officers up with court cases. I'm not saying anyone should get away with animal cruelty no no but there has to be a better way to deal with it. What's the point of telling people not to own animals for life. They move & you cannot keep a trace on them. Regarding taking a shop on I did last year. They had 2 x12 month old piggies in a small cage. So I got the top guy of the company told him the cages were to small & had insufficient ventilation. I was going to report them to the RSPCA. next minute there was a lady in there with a clip board. Shortly after the glass cabinets were being ripped out & they were redesigned. Yes one up for the little person. Always speak out for the ones who can't speak for themselves.
 
Tiamolly123 said:
Love the pics of your piggies Spock. Sometimes you have gotta do it, then don't eat for the month so you can pay the vet bills.
A lot of people are saying that the RSPCA are more interested in taking everyone to court than the welfare of the animals, these days & I agree.
They tie their money & officers up with court cases. I'm not saying anyone should get away with animal cruelty no no but there has to be a better way to deal with it. What's the point of telling people not to own animals for life. They move & you cannot keep a trace on them. Regarding taking a shop on I did last year. They had 2 x12 month old piggies in a small cage. So I got the top guy of the company told him the cages were to small & had insufficient ventilation. I was going to report them to the RSPCA. next minute there was a lady in there with a clip board. Shortly after the glass cabinets were being ripped out & they were redesigned. Yes one up for the little person. Always speak out for the ones who can't speak for themselves.
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Love that you did that! Thank goodness you did or those piggies wouldn't have survived well done for taking it further with them :)
 
Tiamolly123 said:
Love the pics of your piggies Spock. Sometimes you have gotta do it, then don't eat for the month so you can pay the vet bills.
A lot of people are saying that the RSPCA are more interested in taking everyone to court than the welfare of the animals, these days & I agree.
They tie their money & officers up with court cases. I'm not saying anyone should get away with animal cruelty no no but there has to be a better way to deal with it. What's the point of telling people not to own animals for life. They move & you cannot keep a trace on them. Regarding taking a shop on I did last year. They had 2 x12 month old piggies in a small cage. So I got the top guy of the company told him the cages were to small & had insufficient ventilation. I was going to report them to the RSPCA. next minute there was a lady in there with a clip board. Shortly after the glass cabinets were being ripped out & they were redesigned. Yes one up for the little person. Always speak out for the ones who can't speak for themselves.
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I also agree a ban on keeping animals is useless! I read about a little dog called chunky who was stolen from his garden and beaten, drugged and set on fire. The boys who did it got a 10 year ban on keeping animals but he wasn't even their pet so what's the point of enforcing that ban on them when it doesn't even affect them in the slightest. Doesn't stop then stealing someone else's beloved pet and doing it again! I hate some people and I hate the law! They should be locked away well to be honest I think they should bring back the death penalty but they won't because of "human rights" which absolutely stinks!
 
Thank you Tiamolly123 and stayc1989.
Tiamolly123 your story is really inspiring, its great to know that we can make a difference as most stories I've read just left me feeling like its all pointless.
I did find the contact details for the shop head office but hadn't contacted them yet but might do it today. Guess its worth a shot.
 
If your worried about doing it you could just say when you popped in afew weeks ago you noticed that the guinea pig pen was rather small and that you own guinea pigs and were a little concerned about how they were kept. And just say you don't wish to leave any contact details but wanted to voice your concerns. That might scare them into action :)
 
The way the pet shops keep these animals in little glass boxes is so depressing. They are like trapped. And have no quality of life.
 
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