Rescuing a Guinea pig from the RSPCA

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Lone-Star 57

Lone-Star 57

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(I don't know if I should have put this is the Rescuing section)

Hi I don't even know if I should have posted here but I am filled with crazy nerves at the moment. To the point I can't sleep I am driving myself crazy!

I am adopting a Guinea pig from the RSPCA at the end of the week he is reserved for me until I get the cage and bits I need but I am constantly going over in my head is this right, is the cage going to be big enough and are they just not going to let me have him. I only held him for a few minutes but it felt right then. I am sorry you guys are going to find me crazy.

I never got the chance to talk to the staff because my dad kept talking over me like I asked about the cage and his voice boomed over mine about how clean the place was. So after that happening a couple of times I shut up, and they must think I am a horrible person not asking anything about the piggie they are all in love with. (He's a favorite there another reason for me to feel bad)

But my run as well its quite small I mean we through it together in seconds last summer when we moved into the house. It's 5'8 in length and 2'2 wide. It was only for one Guinea pig at the time. I never used runs before because my guinea pigs were always so good, they'd sit beside me or follow me around the garden, never just rush off and be gone. So yeah runs are new to me. (I never like to leave them unsupervised I'd go mad creating scenarios that would probably never happen)
Any ways sorry for this rather erratic post.
 
Aww bless you. Don't be nervous. Am I right in thinking that you've had guinea pigs before? I'm sure the RSPCA will provide you with all the information you need when you go to collect him. If you still have any questions, then please post on here and we'll do our best to help.

It seems that you're quite worried about the size of the cage that you have. What size is it? Will it just be for one guinea pig?

I understand that you're feeling a little anxious about it all. We all want to do our best for our animals, but I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job. Do you have a name for him yet?

Are there any specific questions that we can help you with now, to put your mind at ease? :)

C. xx
 
Just as an afterthought - you may want to check out the various 'stickys' on guinea pig care in the reference section. You can also use the search function at the top of the page to search for all sorts of information which may also help with some of your concerns.
 
Yeah I have had guinea pigs before but had them in hutches indoors, but now I live in a Bungalow and so I've had to move to having indoor cages.
It's also my first time adopting from the RSPCA even though I look at the website everyday and tell other people who are wanting a pet if there is something they might like on the website to have a look.

Yeah the cage is a 120 cage and they had him in an indoor cage at the RSPCA but I feel like mine won't be good enough and yeah its for him by himself. And Zee will sit beside him in her cage for a month until his neutering process finishes.

Well he has a name and I had one for him to, but because the staff there love him so much and have known and called him by the name they gave him I feel that I shouldn't change it.

Thank you. I am a wreck at the moment. :) Sorry.
 
For two guinea pigs you need a something like a Ferplast 120 they usually measure in the region of 120cm x 60cm. We have our girlies in a 120cm cage and Megan our lone piggie lives in one opposite them. So your 120cm cage should be fine. There are no set guidelines on runs, the bigger you can make them the better, sometimes we just block areas off in our room and let them free range, making sure they can't get to wire's.

We had lots of nerves when waiting for our first home check too. The fact you are worrying about it and asking questions shows you are conscientious enough to care, so thats a good thing. They ask questions like what you'll feed him, which vet you use etc...

Good luck with your adoption. Keep us updated.
 
Also it also bothering me that my younger sister (17) is completely against me getting the guinea pig and I asked her why and she said "Your not thinking straight!"
I know that's not your problem but that's also playing on my mind.
I mean I am buying all of the stuff with my money and as I still live with my parents they are fine with it to, I just don't know what her problem is. Sorry this rather immature of me.
 
Thank you so much!
Oh I let my girl Zee run around the house to, in the kitchen and the living room depending on where is quietest at the time I get her out, but the run was for summer time.
The cage measurements are about those measurements so I hope he'd be fine in there on his own and maybe with Zee in time (If there's enough space of course)
They said they don't do a home check just that we have to bring the cage to them to show them which I think has made me more nervous.

Again thank you so much!
I will.
 
So you have a sow (Zee?) who you hope to pair up with your new addition when he is 6 weeks post-neuter? But in the meantime they will live in cages next to each other? Sorry, just trying to make sure I've understood that correctly!

As Sport_billy has said, 120cm cage is the minimum requirement for 2 guinea pigs. As you meet these requirements I can't see why the RSPCA will have a problem with the housing. It's great that he'll be indoors too - he'll be nice and warm, and it'll also help him to get used to you a bit quicker.

As you're not a new owner, you already know the basics. I really wouldn't worry. It sounds like he'll be coming into a lovely, welcoming new home.

As for his name, I don't think you should feel pressurised to keep the one he has. I'm sure the staff at RSPCA will understand. If you would like to call him something different, then you should go ahead and do so :)

C. xx
 
Jerrybelly said:
So you have a sow (Zee?) who you hope to pair up with your new addition when he is 6 weeks post-neuter? But in the meantime they will live in cages next to each other? Sorry, just trying to make sure I've understood that correctly!

As Sport_billy has said, 120cm cage is the minimum requirement for 2 guinea pigs. As you meet these requirements I can't see why the RSPCA will have a problem with the housing. It's great that he'll be indoors too - he'll be nice and warm, and it'll also help him to get used to you a bit quicker.

As you're not a new owner, you already know the basics. I really wouldn't worry. It sounds like he'll be coming into a lovely, welcoming new home.

As for his name, I don't think you should feel pressurised to keep the one he has. I'm sure the staff at RSPCA will understand. If you would like to call him something different, then you should go ahead and do so :)

C. xx
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Yes I have a sow who I think is about 5 years old, Zee(In my Avatar picture) And exacally that yes. Is that okay for them to sit beside each other in separate cages or will that stress them out? They told me he was neutered on the 26th of November so January would be when I can introduce them.

I rescued her from a neighbor who kept them in horrible dirty faeces heaped cages. Somehow he had let the two boars he owned kill each other probably protecting the two sows who were pregnant. By the time I actually knew they existed (they were kept in hutches inside a shed which was good for winter but it was summer) the babies were born Zee and her sister being one of them. The other sow had a male baby. And so I asked my mum if I could have the two sisters but she only let me have the one (Which killed me because I found out that within a week all of them died the two sows and Zee's sister. I felt so guilty and still do)

It is however my first time owning a male Guinea pig which makes me nervous.

Thank you for that nice comment. :)
 
As long as you meet their minimum requirements, you'll be fine. They'll probably do a follow up check after X amount of weeks/months to make sure everyone is happy (although I never had one of these) and then you'll never hear from them again!
 
The RSPCA minimum space requirement is 2x4 ft/120x60cm for two guinea pigs. An adoption is usually preceded by a homecheck to make sure that your cage/hutch is as said. Some branches also make an unscheduled control visit a few weeks after adoption to make sure that any pets are still living in the accommodation they were approved for.

Is your new boy neutered then, so he can live with a sow? You will need to wait 6 weeks after a neutering operation to make absolutely sure that no accidents can happen (unless this has happened at the rescue, of course). Until then they can live next to each other to get used to each other. that will make introductions easier later on.

Rescues don't mind you renaming their piggies. All my piggies have Welsh names, but the majority haven't started out with one. My own RSPCA piggies were Dotty and Lottie and are now Nerys and Nia.
 
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Wiebke said:
The RSPCA minimum space requirement is 2x4 ft/120x60cm for two guinea pigs. An adoption is usually preceded by a homecheck to make sure that your cage/hutch is as said. Some branches also make an unscheduled control visit a few weeks after adoption to make sure that any pets are still living in the accommodation they were approved for.

Is your new boy neutered then, so he can live with a sow? You will need to wait 6 weeks after a neutering operation to make absolutely sure that no accidents can happen (unless this has happened at the rescue, of course). Until then they can live next to each other to get used to each other. that will make introductions easier later on.

Rescues don't mind you renaming their piggies. All my piggies have Welsh names, but the majority haven't started out with one. My own RSPCA piggies were Dotty and Lottie and are now Nerys and Nia.
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Thanks Wiebke I am trying my best not to freak out to much now after all of you fellow forumers have helped and supported me.
All of what you have said is excally what I am doing :)
 
Bless you - you seem to be a lovely 'piggy mum' and this little boy will be lucky to end up with you. So don't worry! xx

Wish you well with it all and look forward to pigtures! xx
 
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Okay I am rather happy today after worring all night and week about my cage arriving. To be completely honest I am still nervous about the adoption and weither the cage is big enough, so I posted a picture of it, Zee was very interested in the object. I hope it's big enough, please!

I **** don't have all that many hidy holes for him though but I am popping to a local market before the RSPCA so I hope that on the pet stall they may have a house. They were all so over priced at the pet shops. (Wish I didn't leave my huge red piggie igloo behind when I moved now :( )
 
Hi. I think that the cage looks good and its great that you are taking advice from people here on the forum. As Sport-Billy said its only natural to feel nervous about taking on a piggie and shows that you care. I think that its only natural to be nervous - I was when I got my second pair of girlies (Mavis and Betty). After all taking on a piggies is a commitment, just like any other animal.

I think that you will be fine and the RSPCA should be very grateful and impressed that you are making an effort to get things right and taking advice first. So many piggies are bought on a whim and that is why so many of them end up in rescues!

Good luck xx
 
Lone-Star 57 said:
DSCF0044_zps9e4b5228.jpg


Okay I am rather happy today after worring all night and week about my cage arriving. To be completely honest I am still nervous about the adoption and weither the cage is big enough, so I posted a picture of it, Zee was very interested in the object. I hope it's big enough, please!

I **** don't have all that many hidy holes for him though but I am popping to a local market before the RSPCA so I hope that on the pet stall they may have a house. They were all so over priced at the pet shops. (Wish I didn't leave my huge red piggie igloo behind when I moved now :( )
Click to expand...

Looks lovely xx

Is it the Skyline Maxi cage? :)

Oh and there's nothing wrong with using an upturned cardboard box with a hole cut out for an entrance you know! Piggies aren't at all fussy lol. :))
 
I think Zee would like to get in there and christen it for your new piggy! Good luck with getting your new piggy
 
I can totally understand how you feel. I'm sure the home check will go smoothly .. * have the cage and obviously the knowledge etc. It can be so nerve-wracking though isn't it.. all i can say is take a deep breath and it will all be fine. Its always nice to get re-assurance though isn't it :)
None of my piggies have been from the RSPCA.. but have adopted a number of rabbits over the years and the RSPCA home check has always been nice and relaxed and smoothly.. afterwords i would always think... now that wasn't bad at all haha. Good luck and cant wait to see pics when he is home with you ;)
 
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