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Starting to worry now

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Alicia

Alicia

Adult Guinea Pig
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About my homecheck! My mum only rung the RSPCA this morning and we're going to look at guinea-pigs on Sunday but I don't know when the homecheck will be or how to make sure everything is perfect for it. I'd really feel horrible if I found the perfect guinea-pig but then we didn't pass the homecheck.
I was just wondering if you could possibly give me suggestions on what I can improve?

This is where the two guinea-pigs will live (it's quite crowded at the moment because I've added extra things to keep Amber warm and amused whilst she's alone - Also I will of course make sure it is thoroughly cleaned out and tidy, I just wanted opinions really)
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They also have a big pink bed that is big enough for 2 guinea-pigs, a tunnel and a little food ball.
Every morning they get a mix of some: cucumber, baby corn, pepper (sometimes) lettuce and carrot

They also have a 6ft run that attatches to their hutch that I can just open the hutch door in the morning and they can go in during the day when I'm at school. They have tarpaulin covering the hutch and part of the run to keep them shaded/dry in bad weather.

They have to share the 2 6ft runs with 3 boars so they aren't in it every day whilst I'm at school but when I get home I swap them over so the boars go back in their hutches and the girls can go out for about 4 hours. I also have a run that I can pull apart and make bigger/smaller if I want:
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They get fed a Johnsons mix and that is fed once a day, and water is changed once a day but more if needed. They get weighed once a week, nails are checked once a week but normally only clipped when they need clipping and they are weighed once a week. They also get hay put in their hutch every night but they don't normally finish it all so I only top it up once a day. They normally get a bath about once every 4 months because they are all shorthaired guinea-pigs (I'm planning on looking for a short hair guinea-pig but I have found a lot of information on the internet about longhaired breeds so I'm pretty sure I could care for one if I decided to get a longhaired guinea-pig)
Sorry to be a bit panicky but I'd really appreciate any comments and opinions on what I could change and please feel free to ask any questions. My mum buys the food and woodshavings and I do most of the care because my Mum doesn't know very much about guinea-pigs so I've got to get the hutches and guinea-pigs etc. ready for the homecheck and I've never got one from a rescue before so I don't really know what to expect, what the homechecker will do and what I need to do.
Thank you :)
 
All looks pretty good to me! Home check people like attached runs and the topping up of hay, weighing, feeding etc all sounds good to me. If youre stuck for fresh veggies for them, theres a long list of ideas in the food section that can help you give variety to your pigs!

The only thing that you could possibly be questioned about, is the sawdust. Sawdust can cause respiratory problems in piggies, so it is better to use hay as bedding as well as for food. You can also use straw, but you should make sure it is the chopped variety to reduce the risk of injuries

Other than that though, it looks like you should be fine!
 
Well done you for getting the process started! How exciting!

If I were you I'd firstly check what the hutch & run requirements are, because space is a big deal and these requirements do vary from rescue to rescue. (If your RSPCA branch hasn't already said, then perhaps they have a website you can check on?)

The only other thing is, I'm not sure, but I don't know if they'd approve of the C&C run being used outside, even supervised. If you have another run for outside then perhaps use the grid one for indoor floortime?

The main thing I'd say is don't worry too much (easier said than done, I know!) Everyone has the piggies' best interests at heart (both your current one and any future one) so it's not a test to trick you or catch you out. They'll be really pleased when they speak to you and realise that you love piggies as much as they do! I'm sure you've picked up tons from this forum, so they'll recognise your commitment. They will be understandably quite strict but they're there to give advice, so use them to pick their brains! If they do point out a few things which could be changed, then I'm sure they'll help you to make things work....they'd be very silly not to work with you, as you clearly love piggies! x :)
 
Your hutch needs to be a minimum of 2x4 ft; I found that the RSPCA people were most particular about measuring the cage I had ordered on their own recommendations when I rehomed from them. If in doubt about bedding, ask the RSPCA people what they would recommend!

I also got a unannounced check-up visit a month after rehoming in order to see whether everything was OK.
 
I think it depends on the branch. I adopted two piggies from a branch of the RSPCA and they did not home check, but we took our cage with us for them to see. It was clearly on the small side for three piggies to live in altogether, but despite this they gave the go ahead. I replaced the cage myself when I realised.

well done for rescuing, too!
 
The recommended hutch size is 4x2 ft minimum for 2 pigs, tbh yours looks smaller than that. If the hutch is smaller then you might pass the homecheck because of the run being attached but I would start saving for a new hutch.

Might be good to show the homechecker that your current animals are looked after correctly and you AND your mum know what you are doing. Your mum doesn't need to be totally piggy savvy but they will be checking that she is not just expecting you to take 100% responsibility as she is the adult and is legally responsible to make sure they are fed, take them to the vet etc.

Try not to worry, if you show them you care and want to do the best for your pets it should be fine.
 
Ok thank you, when I visited the RSPCA they were using woodshavings in the guinea-pigs hutches as well and I checked their care sheet and they were saying that using woodshavings is fine. I did use vetbed but found it got wet easily and especially in the winter that wasn't good, so at the moment I'm sticking with the woodshavings until I find something better, but thank you for telling me. I only use the C&C run when I'm sitting and watching them but I won't use it if they didn't want me to, I think the attatched runs should be OK but my Dad's quite good at DIY so he could probably make me another run if we needed to. Is the hutch too small do you think for 2 guinea-pigs? If not I can ask my Dad to try and build onto it to make it wider or longer
 
I've just checked the care sheet on the website of the rescue, (RSPCA Stubbington Ark/ and I think I've got everything they say on there. I was just wondering what a gnawing block is and where I can get it? They recommend that I should get one, but I thought with hay the guinea-pigs wouldn't need a gnawing block? Or should I get one?
 
piggyme234 said:
The recommended hutch size is 4x2 ft minimum for 2 pigs, tbh yours looks smaller than that. If the hutch is smaller then you might pass the homecheck because of the run being attached but I would start saving for a new hutch.

Might be good to show the homechecker that your current animals are looked after correctly and you AND your mum know what you are doing. Your mum doesn't need to be totally piggy savvy but they will be checking that she is not just expecting you to take 100% responsibility as she is the adult and is legally responsible to make sure they are fed, take them to the vet etc.

Try not to worry, if you show them you care and want to do the best for your pets it should be fine.
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Ok thank you. I really hope the boys can be clean for once :)) I clean them out then the next day they've tipped everything up, peed all over their newspaper and crushed it up in a corner :)) I can try and clean them out a few hours before the homechecker arrives but they might still make their hutch messy
 
Alicia said:
Ok thank you. I really hope the boys can be clean for once :)) I clean them out then the next day they've tipped everything up, peed all over their newspaper and crushed it up in a corner :)) I can try and clean them out a few hours before the homechecker arrives but they might still make their hutch messy
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LOL mucky little monsters :))

Is the gnawing block they suggested wood or minerals. They shouldn't have a mineral block as it has too much salt but wood to chew on is ok but not essential. Perhaps they would like a toy like this http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/catalog/super-pet-roll-n-chew-wooden-toy-large.html or some fruit tree sticks.
 
I don't know which one they mean it just says gnaw block to wear down teeth so I think its the wooden one. I've already got one of those Roll n Chew wooden toys so they can have that.
 
Sounds like you've pretty much got it all under control. I wouldn't worry too much about making big changes before they come to see you. If there's something they want you to change in order to pass, they will tell you I'm sure.
I think a piggy would be very lucky to find a home with you. Good luck. x
 
Well done you for doing your research before the home check :) One other thing they may ask you is because they are outdoor guinea pigs, they may ask what you do to keep them warm during the winter.

Good luck. I am sure you will be fine x
 
Good luck - really hope it all goes well for you - looks like youve done your homework and the lucky piggies will be a huge lot better off than a lot of petshop ones where there are no homechecks. Let us know how you get on,
x
 
Wiebke said:
Your hutch needs to be a minimum of 2x4 ft; I found that the RSPCA people were most particular about measuring the cage I had ordered on their own recommendations when I rehomed from them. If in doubt about bedding, ask the RSPCA people what they would recommend!

I also got a unannounced check-up visit a month after rehoming in order to see whether everything was OK.
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Blimey, unannounced? That's so rude - as a home visitor myself I find that very inappropriate. I would feel so awkward when I knocked on the door! :red
 
Thank you everyone I can't wait to give a guinea-pig a home. I just hope the new guinea-pig is happy here. I can't wait to go and look on Sunday! My guinea-pigs go into a shed in the winter, normally from about October-April they've only just moved back outside about 2 weeks ago. Sorry for so many questions, I've never rescued a guinea-pig before and I don't know much about it, but anyone who's rescued a guinea-pig, how long was it between you choosing the guinea-pig to getting your homecheck? And how long after your homecheck did you get the guinea-pig? I only ask so I know how much time I have to make sure everything's clean, though I'll do most of that before I go on Sunday just to make sure so that if they come to do the homecheck in the week I won't have much time to clean then.
 
I had an unannounced check up too (it was the same branch) before I started fostering for them. I suppose it is the best way to check the animals are being looked after.

As soon as our home visits are done(and passed) the piggies can usually be picked up, straight away.

Good luck with your home visit I'm sure everything will be fine.
 
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When I adopted Poppy and Daisy I took Rosie to the foster home to pick her new friends and left her there for about a week to get used to the new girls while I was home checked. The lady came within a few days but I had to wait a while longer till my mum could go and get them in the car. With all rescues it varies though depending on how busy they are.
 
Gnawing blocks are really just any piece of wood, and I have never met a pig yet that didn't just prefer to eat hutch. Wood shavings are fine, just buy the best quality, dust extracted. Avoid saw'dust'. Also, I think it was Claire mentioned about over-wintering. I always ask about that, and take a look at where they will be spending September - May ish. Best of luck. xx
 
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