RSPCA’s policy on rehoming guineapigs

[Sue_P]

Weird that it varies from centre to centre. The one in Halifax won’t allow their boars to go to homes with existing unneutered boars. Bradford’s RSPCA have a different policy though and lets you adopt boars with boars regardless of if they’re neutered or not.

BTW if anyone’s thinking of rescuing a rodent the ones at the RSPCA seem to have been there in kennels for a real long time. I made the assumption that they’d be a quick turn around and rodents that end up there get adopted pretty quick but I was wrong, so bare them in mind when you’re adopting new rodents.

 

[Bekki]

Their guidelines do vary branch to branch but hey ho nothing we can do about it apart from stick to each branches rules or go to a different rescue. Each branch will no doubt have their own slight differences due to experience and knowledge, a cat & dog only branch getting guinea pigs dumped on them will be different to a branch that deals with a lot of rodents and lagomorphs etc. Just the way it is it would appear.

Sadly the guinea pigs being in a rescue thing a long time is common to all rescues and even all species its just a sad fact that so many people want "cute babies" that anything that is not a baby gets overlooked generally especially with small rodents a lot of people wouldnt even think to look for a rescue. A lot of animals get overlooked due to size, colour, eye colour, temperament etc etc as well as age its all sad that these little bundles of joy have to wait for their forever home but it doesnt mean that they should go to just anyone who will take them the right home for that animal has to come along. Take one of the Syrians at Teesside Hamsters she has been there since September with severl home offers but until now the right home hasnt come up so that is over 3 months or ~ 1/8th of the animals life in a rescue.

 

[MargaretB]

I can't see why it would matter if you already had un-neutered boars unless you were looking to adopt females. Surely boars and boars would be kept in bonded pairs, so I don't see the problem. I suppose all we can do is respect their policies, even if they don't make much sense.

 

[Sue_P]

I think if I wanted a pet such as a hamster I’d probably avoid a rescue as by the time you actually get it it’ll probably be months from death anyway especially if you don’t know the age of the hamster when it came into the rescue. I might enquire about any baby hamsters they have but would probably avoid taking one where you don’t know it’s history or if you know for definite that it’s 1 ½ years old and probably only going to live ‘til 2. In that case getting a baby from a pet shop makes more logical sense, it’d be a bummer to just get to know it and love it and then have it die. But it’s a shame so many people buy baby rabbits and guineapigs from pet shops when they have much longer lifespans. I wish more people would take them from rescues or the RSPCA. I always enjoy giving people flack on facebook when I see they’re breeding or buying from pet shops, I love a good row about it. My bestest rows are when people say they’re giving up a pet, geesch, I hate fickle people who want shut of a pet just cos they can’t be bothered with it anymore.

I reckon’ I may have a problem soon if my Fudge snuffs it cos that’s gonna leave me with my new rodent Walking Wig and I’ll want to get him a buddy than to keep him on his own for the rest of his life. He’s not got Fudge’s laid back temperament so I don’t know if it’ll be possible to just go and get a new male rodent from Bradford’s RSPCA, they haven’t got that many and what if he doesn’t get on with them? It’s a shame Halifax’s RSPCA aren’t willing to give their boars to be with an unneutered boar, that’d give him more choice of friend. I’m thinking I may have to get Walking Wig neutered and get him a girlfriend when Fudge dies but I’m nervous of giving him an operation that could make him get sick and be in pain or even kill him when it ain’t a life saving op i.e. shouldn’t be a necessary op. If he died I’d never forgive myself for putting him through it.

I guess I’ll just have to hope he can be bonded with one of the RSPCA in Bradford’s boars although I’m pretty sure the kennel worker had mentioned that she’d tried bonding him with one of the others but it wasn’t working out.

 

[Sarah McGarry]

I think hamsters are worth rescuing though. Even if they are old isnt it better for them to even have a month in a loving home than nothing at all? I agree that giving up animals because they have lost intrest is a great problem and is a horrible thing to do! Then again at least if they are in a rescue they are being cared for properly how is your new piggy getting along sue? You will have to upload some pics of the cutie if you get time! x x

 

[Sue_P]

In an ideal world it’d be nice if a hamster with one month to live could be adopted, but I’m not nice enough to be willing to take one on myself. But in fairness I’m not sure if a hamster is the right pet for me as I really don’t cope with death well at all.

Death is constantly on my mind.

I’m always wondering when my current pets are gonna die and how and always thinking about the death of Bunny, Henry and now Rumball and if anything could have been done differently.

I had a friend once who was mad on hamsters and had many and she said it wouldn’t be a wise idea for me to get one due to my fragility over death.

I just wish people who ain’t prepared to look after an animal for life don’t take on animals in the first place. I hate the throw away attitude of idiots like that. They should be put against a wall and shot.

I’ll put my latest pics of Walking Wig up here http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?101620-My-new-rodent-Walking-Wig/page4 in a sec. Right now he’s settling in fine and getting less feral.

 

[pelicano]

I always go for rescues with my hamsters. Bruce was a year old, so getting on a bit, but not ancient. Boris was only a few weeks old, as he was handed in to rescue as a baby. It's very common to have baby hamsters in rescues, due to misguided breeding etc. My first hamster was a result of an unexpected litter, where someone I know bought a hamster from a pet shop that was pregnant. So, it's very possible to get young 'uns.

 

[MOC]

The hamster she's talking about is only around 1yr old and is coming to me, she has plenty of life in her as they can live up to 3yrs. I personally don't care how long any of my animals live as I don't keep them purely for my own pleasure, more so to give them an amazing life that they deserve! Whether this is for 6 months or 6 years is irrelevant. Going by your logic older piggies or bunnies also aren't worth rehoming, I don't understand that mentality myself although you're entitled to your views. If you'd buy a hamster from a pet shop you don't really have a right to criticise others who do so. I'd also like to point out not everyone rehomes animals due to simply not wanting them anymore. There are horror stories however a lot of rescue animals were actually well cared for in their previous homes. I myself couldn't rehome, unless I was living on the streets in which case it would be unfair on the animals themselves.

 

[Sue_P]

@ Pelicano - Geesch it’d be rubbish to get a pet from a pet shop and find later you’ve got lots of babies.

Mind you I’d probably palm the unwanted litter off at the pet shop and shout at them.

@ MOC - I’ve been trying to talk my mother into rehoming an old bunny in the future actually. She’s got two bunnies and one gets tummy problems from time-to-time, sometimes we think we’re going to lose her which would be devastating because her bunnies are so closely bonded. I always look to the future and think… what if? Well my mum is getting on a bit and she doesn’t want to keep the cycle of pets going so I said if one dies why doesn’t she get an old one as a companion and then eventually both will die of old age. So – old bunnies (or rodents) in rescues are adoptable in my eyes actually. In some circumstances getting an old bunny or rodent is the sensible option. I was just saying that if I wanted one hamster I’d be wanting one that is still relatively young or at the start of its life rather than near the end. Suppose it’s like buying a washing machine, given the choice do you get a brand new one or a second hand 10 year old one? I know which I’d prefer.

Although I’m not knocking anyone who does have the generosity to take on near death hamsters, it’s kind. Mind you with hamsters I don’t think they should be ending up in rescues anyway.

The unwanted litter excuse is a good excuse for them to end up in a rescue but what other excuses do people give for bringing them in? Geesch, it’s not like they take up too much room or need walking like a dog, they can’t be the hardest animals to take care of. & they’re not a real big commitment anyway or tie, I’m sure most people can palm off a hamster cage to a friend or relative when they go on holiday. They’re easy to take with you when you move house. I think people who get one should take care of it for the rest of its life, simple as that. I think it’s sad when dogs end up in rescues but at least there can be more legitimate excuses like a new baby has come along and it shows signs of aggression towards it, or the owner has had an accident and finds it difficult to exercise the dog, but what good excuse is there really for getting rid of a hamster midway through its life other than you’re bored of it now?

I’m glad I don’t run a rescue cos if I had to stand face-to-face with someone giving a pathetic excuse for dumping the pet I’d give them what for.

 

[Bekki]

I think if I wanted a pet such as a hamster I’d probably avoid a rescue as by the time you actually get it it’ll probably be months from death anyway especially if you don’t know the age of the hamster when it came into the rescue. .

Some hamsters make 5 years! Very few hamsters will be months away from death really.

Mind you with hamsters I don’t think they should be ending up in rescues anyway.The unwanted litter excuse is a good excuse for them to end up in a rescue but what other excuses do people give for bringing them in? Geesch, it’s not like they take up too much room or need walking like a dog, they can’t be the hardest animals to take care of. & they’re not a real big commitment anyway or tie, I’m sure most people can palm off a hamster cage to a friend or relative when they go on holiday. They’re easy to take with you when you move house. I think people who get one should take care of it for the rest of its life, simple as that. what good excuse is there really for getting rid of a hamster midway through its life other than you’re bored of it now? I’m glad I don’t run a rescue cos if I had to stand face-to-face with someone giving a pathetic excuse for dumping the pet I’d give them what for.

Its not often i can wholeheartedly agree with you Sue but for this last post I do agree. Though they are a bigger tie than people think a 3/4/5ft cage is a big space to most people, give them an hour a day out of the cage, spot clean daily, feed daily is too much for a lot of people sadly. I think they're a very easy pet really i would say that though I have 4 + 3 rescues here. Usually its "allergies", "moving house", "I'm pregnant", "landlord says no" or various other ways of saying "I bought it on a whim/bought it for a child and cant be bothered" really.

 

[vicky1804]

""landlord says no" or various other ways of saying "I bought it on a whim/bought it for a child and cant be bothered" really"

This isnt always the case and some people are in real situations they didnt foresee happening resulting in them re homing their much loved animals.

 

[Bekki]

Sorry but most of the time they are excuses. Obviously its not always the case, such as severe illness or leaving the country, or finding an animal in the street.

In my eyes an animal is a lifetime commitment that you should fight to keep no matter what. Most reasons are excuses on the basis that it could be changed/ done different to allow the pet to be kept.

 

[primrose]

I wholeheartedly agree with you! I can never understand why people feel the need to give up hamsters and gerbils!?! I, too, am sick of hearing excuses - and that goes for all animals. My pets are as much a part of my family as my little boy. There will be the odd person who has genuine reasons, but I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that those people have got to be VERY few and far between. I suppose the only consolation is that any animal is better off in rescue than simply being neglected because their 'owner' can't be bothered.
On the flip side of this, I would love to be a fosterer for the Dogs' Trust - they place dogs in foster homes whilst women leave abusive relationships, usually having to go to hostels where pets aren't allowed. They felt there was a need for this service as many people just won't leave their pets. Woman put their dogs into foster care until they've got themselves back on their feet, then they take them back. When we've moved and have more space, I'm definitely going to enquire about it...