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Question About Pet-store Guinea Pigs

Leah123

Leah123

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When you get guinea pigs from Petsmart or Petco, Will they be shy and unfriendly? I'm considering getting one from there because the rescues near me don't have any.
 
It depends on their personality and what not. Adopting is always best, though. Consider getting two though. Please do your research!
 
Gia said:
It depends on their personality and what not. Adopting is always best, though. Consider getting two though. Please do your research!
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I would get 2 for company, I was just curious how their personalities are when you get them from there
 
I got all of mine from a pet store less than a mile away. You are allowed to pick them up there, so they were used to being picked up. My pair was there for a few days before I got them and I have had them for a year, but my other boar was at the pet store for a month. I've had him for about 2 weeks, but he's much more friendly and easy going. It just depends on their personalities.
 
Gia said:
I got all of mine from a pet store less than a mile away. You are allowed to pick them up there, so they were used to being picked up. My pair was there for a few days before I got them and I have had them for a year, but my other boar was at the pet store for a month. I've had him for about 2 weeks, but he's much more friendly and easy going. It just depends on their personalities.
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How old are guinea pigs from pet stores?
 
It depends. My local pet store gets them from a local breeder when they are about 4 weeks old. Usually about 4 weeks to 6 months.
 
Most people are very surprised to find out that pigs have very different personalities. No matter where you get them from you're not guaranteed to get a cuddly pig or an inquisitive one.
 
Usually, guinea pigs are pretty young when you get them from a pet store. But I have gotten all of mine from pet stores ( i have had the same problem ) As long as you are nice and calm around them, even if they start out skittish they can most often be tamed, all of mine are sweet piggies ;)
 
chloe millar said:
Usually, guinea pigs are pretty young when you get them from a pet store. But I have gotten all of mine from pet stores ( i have had the same problem ) As long as you are nice and calm around them, even if they start out skittish they can most often be tamed, all of mine are sweet piggies ;)
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Oh ok! Were all of yours skittish?
 
Guinea pigs arr skittish by nature as they are pray animals and that will probably never change ..both mine are from pet store and one doesn't want anything to do with me but is friendly when I do hold him other comes to me and greets me but still runs if I try to touch him but both are friendly and loving but more so when food is involved...one will actually bite the side of his food bowl if it's empty to get my attention it's ceramic so I'll hear this ting ting sound
 
I would adopt, 4 of my 6 are adopted and they seem to have a nicer nature and are less skittish
 
Long ago I bought a piggie from a shop; he was young and very tame. But he had learnt bad habit at the shop and once at home he never learnt to eat healthy foods (he wanted only pellets and carrots... he fell ill two years later).
This time, after learning the lesson I didn't want to risk again and I went to a very far rescue by train to adopt two piggies whose habits were clear. I had a long speech at the phone with the lady of the rescue and she explained everything; then she gave me also the medical report and the test of the poo. About the distance, well, I had the possibility to visit Bologna, a lovely city and I came back home with my two healthy, young and perfect piggies...:D
 
I think you should wait and adopt even if it takes another month. Adoption pros I feel are you know they will be correctly sexed and won't have the fear of one turning out pregnant, you will have support if needed they get health checked and handled. Also majority of pigs in rescue are already bonded. So unlike getting two males from a petshop you won't have the worry of fighting. They do also get baby ones in rescue. No doubt after the summer holidays there will be some available from children having them, going back to school and not caring for them. Obviously that's not saying every parent would get rid of them.
 
Mine have all been from pet stores (the first two I didn't know there were any other options, the others I was only adopting one at a time to pair with an existing pig and the only rescue near me only adopts out bonded pairs.) They all turned out to be very nice pigs. One did develop an eye infection that needed vet treatment shortly after coming home (not uncommon in pet store animals.) Most pigs (no matter where they come from) are going to be nervous/skittish with a new person and new place and will need time to warm up. Guinea pigs definitely have different personalities no matter where they come from, so it can be hard to know what you're going to get. Mine have all been nice pigs, but have all been very different in terms of personality, how much they like to be held, how anxious/nervous or outgoing they were, etc. They are all unique in that sense.

If you do buy from a pet store, make sure that they are gender separated in the store. You still can't guarantee that they haven't been shipped with the opposite sex, but if you have boys and girls in the store together you can almost guarantee that all those girls are pregnant. Some stores are very responsible in keeping them separated by gender from an early age, others routinely cram them all in together. If you are looking at sows, make sure you are buying from a pen of all sows or you will end up with some surprise pigs down the line, in all likelihood!
 
My two came from the adoption section in Pets at Home, and were probably around four months old at the time. Both had clearly been handled before, but I suspect they were there because Blitzen was a biter. He's not generally okay with being handled, but he is much better now than he was. Comet's fine with handling so I suspect Blitzen's issues are personality based and not from being wrongly handled, but of course I can't be sure. That said it took a lot of work to get him this far and he still refuses to let me groom him 98% of the time, which is fun when he has such a beautiful full sheltie coat.

He'd likely have the same issues in a rescue, except I'd probably have found out he was a biter before I brought him home. I don't care, but it would be a dealbreaker for some, I think, and he'd risk being split from Comet because Comet's so much more comfortable with handling. They get along well with each other, it would have been a shame.

But if I'd been a first time owner, or a parent with kids, he wouldn't maybe have fared so well. He is a downright nuisance don't get me wrong, but a hilarious one and that's who he is. Shelter piggies are going to have some obvious personality traits before you bring them home, it can be less of a shock as to who you end up with.
 
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Thanks everyone! I think I'll get a pair from a rescue. I'm just not sure there are any near me :)
 
If you're in the UK you can also try the RSPCA or SSPCA which is better than a pet shop although probably not as knowledgeable as a dedicated guinea pig rescue. I got mine from the SSPCA from a herd of 7 baby boys which someone handed in. I did have to keep looking on the website for a wee while till they had baby biys. They hadn't been handled much but they got quite bold quite quickly, but in true piggy style, they run off when I try to pick them up.
 
Leah123 said:
Thanks everyone! I think I'll get a pair from a rescue. I'm just not sure there are any near me :)
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don't be afraid of the distance if a rescue is in a town with a railway station. Piggies can travel into a pet carriage, even together and they won't give you any stress. You might visit a lovely city, or a museum and come back home with your favourite piggies. I did the same and the lady of the rescue brought my piggies to the station by car before my train departure.
 
I'll be moving to Oklahoma in a month or so.
 
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