Should I Get More Piggies?

mshappy89 · Jan 27, 2018

I lost my eldest girl a week ago. She was on her own as lost her cage previously. She enjoyed the last few years of her retirement..

I have 2 boys who are in the living room. Jasmine was kept in the spare room.. I have a spare catch etc. My heart says to adopt 2 girls but my head tells me life is simplier with only 2 piggies. One cage to clean and one lot of fleece to hoover

SweetClementine · Jan 27, 2018

First of all, I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm glad to hear she lived her life to the fullest with you.
I'm pretty new to guinea pigs, but my two cents is to go with what your heart is telling you. Sorry if that's not very helpful!

Katiedid · Jan 27, 2018

I’m sorry for your loss. Give yourself some time and have a think. I’m currently at 4 piggies, I know one will go in the coming months and I’m not sure if I will replace her. Like you say it’s hard work and some days the simplicity of just 2 of them again appeals (I’m fine when they are well but we have had 6 month of illness and that is when I’m pushed).

eileen · Jan 27, 2018

i would go with what you feel you can afford,vet bills soon mount up.time and cost are my indicators to the number of piggies i can manage! twenty is my limit to manage effectively !

Betsy · Jan 27, 2018

I have 5 and that is enough for me. I agree with @eileen and have what you can afford and give time to. I feel guilty as I haven't been able to give my piggies enough time over the last week since my bad fall around 10 days ago. I know as soon as I have recovered I can go back to spoiling them as normal and they will forgive me but it still doesn't make me feel any better.

Reddybex · Jan 27, 2018

I keep thinking about these two girls that are in the adoption centre. They have been there a little while and because they are older they may stay there for some time to come. I keep hoping they get adopted because if I'm not careful I will end up bringing them home! I have two boys and everything is simple with them at the moment. It would be more sensible to stay as is than make everything complicated. But I know what I'm like, life is not interesting unless it' complicated!
What I say is, do what will bring you joy and not stress x

PiggyOinkOink · Jan 27, 2018

If you can afford it and are prepared for 2 x the cleaning then go ahead. You also should consider that 4 piggies may bring with them double the health problems and also vet bills!

I gave 2 of my 6 piggies to a rescue when one of them got an abscess and then I spent £600 on trying to get him better...which ended in me giving him to TEAS as the abscess kept reoccurring so leaving me with 2...I REALLY did not want to give away the first 2 as one was a favourite and she was super sweet and lovely...definitely, when I only had 2 left, I noticed them to be much quieter and they seemed like they were bored all the time and definitely more inactive...there was nothing I could do except get 2 more piggies but I didn't as I was fearful of not being able to afford vet bills incase they got ill.

I try not to regret it and very much hope she and her niece are having a good life somewhere else as the other 4 (brothers/sisters) have all since passed.

I since decided not to have any more piggies because I feel I would need to get 4 to stop them all feeling bored, as well as feeling too sorry for them being stuck in a cage

flowerfairy · Jan 28, 2018

PiggyOinkOink. How sad. I have had to rehome pets in the past and it can be very painful to remember them. I still feel guilty about my childhood rabbit. I just pray that she had a lovely life after she left my care.