Think twice before going to Petshops! Disgusting!

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I heard a rumor that a local pet shop was putting down some guinea pigs that they couldn't sell because they bit one of the staff and wouldn't even let you hold them.

I immediately called the pet shop to ask if they were giving them away and the woman said I was welcome to take them for free but it's probably not even worth it because one of the pigs was so violent. So I jumped in my car with my partner and went down there. The woman took me to a back room where the pigs were in two separate cardboard boxes and told me that they haven't really ever been handled and that they have to be separated because they fight.

Fortunately I have a hutch that is able to be split into 3 different parts and another hutch and run that can be fixed up easily, so I took them straight away.

After I got home I finally got to analyze what kind of piggies I was dealing with since I couldn't even see them in the box with hay and they are both GORGEOUS pigs. One of the pigs is very timid but once you actually hold him he seems fine. The "vicious" pig that bites all their staff, snuggled up to my partner at home and then proceeded to basically inhale what I assume was his first vegetables that he has ever had out of my hand.

I'm hoping that eventually these little innocent guys after some tender loving care will get used to all the love we give them so we can either find them some nice homes to go to with older people or we will built something a little more suited to their needs.

Think twice and do your research on pet shops! Photos to come later but they are settling in and having some dinner at the moment!
 
Thank goodness for you going to get them. I think it is terrible that pet shops have such a careless attitude towards any live pets that they sell grrrr They just see them as another thing to sell and if its 'damaged goods' (in this case them thinking they'd never get homes) they'll just throw it out (or put them to sleep).
Would love to see some pics of the new arrivals once they've settled in :))
Well done for going to 'rescue' them!
 
It's going to be hard work after they are more settled and not in shock but I'm more than happy to do my best to give these little guys another chance.
 
These photos don't really do justice to how good they look since it's so dark but here they are!

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I've just noticed now that their nails are quite overgrown. My other piggies are quite young so this hasn't been an issue yet. I'm going to do some research online but if anyone has any tips please let me know xo.
 
That is totally disgusting! How could they ever think of putting a guinea pig down for being violent? What a load of rubbish. Well done for rescuing these poor little things.

If you look on you tube there are many videos of how to cut guinea pigs nails. You have to just snip a little off the end. They have a blood line called the quick which must not be cut or they will bleed.
 
They're gorgeous! You got names for them yet?

And about the nails...If you buy some nail clippers you can trim them, but you have to be careful not to cut the quick (I think that is what it is called).
If you hold them, with their back towards you, you can hold each paw and trim their nails. It may take a while at first, but you'll get the hang of it. There are videos on youtube if you're unsure.
 
jmacka93 said:
They're gorgeous! You got names for them yet?

And about the nails...If you buy some nail clippers you can trim them, but you have to be careful not to cut the quick (I think that is what it is called).
If you hold them, with their back towards you, you can hold each paw and trim their nails. It may take a while at first, but you'll get the hang of it. There are videos on youtube if you're unsure.
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I didn't know about Youtube! That is perfect! (I'm a very visual person) my partner wants to call the black piggie "Sid Vicious or Sid for short" (from the sex pistols) because he has the cutest Mohawk. Not sure about the other guy, yet to be decided but everyone on Facebook is commenting ideas!


These guys are our original spoilt rotten babies (Keenan and Kel)

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They're gorgeous. I've had my two, Penny & Luna, for 2.5 weeks now, and I already want some more! They're addictive! :)) lol
I have been told I am NOT allowed any more, so unfortunately 2 is my limit :(

I'd give you ideas, but I'm really not good at the naming thing. It was hard enough naming my two, and I still don't know how I came up with the name Penny, but Luna was named because she was running around the cage like a lunatic the first night home. I think it's the cutest thing to watch! :)

Sid is a great name. I think it suits him!
 
My roommate just gave the ok to turn the laundry into a sleeping at night place! So now I have to think of some ideas to make 3 separated places to sleep for them!
 
How about Sid and Vicious - vicious being a gentle but affectionate reminder of how you managed to give these boys a loving home! Maybe I should go to the petshop and ask them to put me down seeing as I'm poorly anyway rolleyes
 
Just a little sad update. Sadly my boyfriend went to Sid's hutch to give him his daily vegetables and the little guy had passed away. We aren't quite sure what happened but his moods changed daily (sometimes he would be fine then other days he was completely out on control, screaming etc) he had a pretty bad day yesterday. I comforted him until he settled down and then put him in his hutch for the night and yeah :( not sure what happened but we are pretty sad.

Pringles is doing ok but he still shakes when we hold him and just wants to be alone. He has a lot of Guinea pig "love" around the other boys so he needs to be fixed. I called my local Rspca and asked for some advice about re homing him. They told me that they were pretty full up for the next 2 weeks but they highly recommended me giving him to the shelter where they fix them and rehome and pair them up with other guinea pigs.

It's a real shame that things turned out this way, we have been trying our very best but they were just so neglected when we got them. Hopefully Pringles will find a new home soon <3
 
How awful. :( I am so sorry to hear that. With his mood swings being the way you described it sounds like he was unwell. I would try to bond Your other piggy with a boar before having him neutered as it is a really major operation. Many boars can be happily bonded with each other.
 
Another little update. Pringle has found a new home with a family (all the kids are older). I tried and tried to rehome him with another guinea but he just wasn't having it.

The girl said she really wants to get a desexed female from the shelter so HOPEFULLY that will work. She said the last thing she wanted was litters of piggies running around so I think that's good :) She also had two hutches and was really jealous of my CC cage so she wants to make one.

My boyfriend and I are still pretty upset about Sid's sudden death but they were just so neglected when we got the little guys and we gave them the best home we could.

We're getting our new girl very soon when she is old enough (week and a half away now) so we are pretty excited to add to the family :).
 
Got a text from Pringles new owner who says he is settled in and apparently taken a big liking to a cat! (Under very close supervision of course) and she's off to make a C&C cage today so I'm very happy :)
 
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