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Upset

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PiggiePooh

PiggiePooh

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
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Location
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Hi all, havent been around for a while, my life is hectic these days. I hope you're all well x

The reason I have posted is that I have new neighbours and they popped in last night to ask if we would mind feeding their rabbit while they're away which we said we would do as we are here anyway. They basically said the food is under the hutch and that was it. I went into their garden today expecting to find the hutch in the outhouse or shed but its sitting in the middle of the garden being rained on with no kind of cover and when I looked inside there's a rabbit in there...and a guinea pig! Its quite a small hutch, there's no run, no hay to eat and no food bowl. I am so upset that they are kept like that. They are very friendly and seem happy but I just couldnt leave them there so got my husband to the hutch into our shed so they are warmer and gave them some veg. The neighbours have only left a tin of dry food for them so I dont even know if its rabbit food or guinea pig food but they both get whatever it is.
I dont know what to do. Its not really my business I suppose but I feel so bad for them 8...
 
Hello, nice to see you again!

What a difficult situation for you, are they pets they've bought for the children? Poor things being left out in the rain like that, let alone the fact that they're sharing a hutch. Do you know the neighbours well enough to tactfully have a word with them?

Sophie
x
 
I'd be upset to.

I'd print off relevant info about approriate food housing and companionship for both piggies and bunnies and tell them you are only leaving it as you care about the animals and them and now they would never want to risk their dear pets lives.
 
Good grief that's a tough one!

I echo what other posts say. I think you need to be very careful how you word whatever you say or do.

maybe people can post tactful ways of saying what you need to say on this thread - see if we can come up with a way of saying it that wont offend.

BTW - best case scenario what do you want to happen next to the bun and guinea?
 
I'd best not saying anything else about this then as tact is not my strong suit. Such a tough possition to find yourself in hun.
 
Oh no, thats an awful situation for you. Like you say though, now you know, it will be hard to just leave them to it and I think you obviously want to do the right thing by the piggy and the bunny.

I think when they come back you could say something, be honest but pleasant. Maybe they genuinely don't know that they are doing anything wrong, they could just need educating and you could be the one to do it.

Good Luck x
 
hmmm maybe say the piggie died and rehome it naughty i know but ..... or you could sort out their cage for them- winter proof it and say oh i thought id do that as it got so cold.
 
Oh gosh that is a difficult one! Well i have no idea how you go about this? How big is the hutch is it a double decker one? could it be spilt in two? Weather proofing does not need to be expensive you can use bubble wrap and carpet to help with insulation. Don't go mad on the veggies their tummies might not be used to it.... I am not know for tact, you want someone who runs a rescue they must have tact!
 
How about getting a bit of hay and some veggies in and when they come back say you couldn't find the hay and veggies for them and you didn't want to risk tooth probs or mite probs for the piggie because of a lack of vit c so you gave them some, did they put their hay and veggies somewhere else? oh and which feed is this for the bunny or the piggie as I couldn't seem to figure it out and piggies need different food to bunnies.

The only problem with rehoming the piggie and saying it died is they may go get another one.
 
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This is a difficult one I am not one for tact! A colleague at work was thinking about getting a pig & rabbit combo and I just came out with the facts. I was like you can't have them togther, she said that they had been together for years. So I came back with the usual but it only takes the rabbit to get over excited and do a big jump and kick out and kill the guinea by accident. She then didn't get them but I don't know if I could say it to someone who already had them.

Maybe say I know you won't realise and I'm sure you've been misadvised by the person / place you got them from... but it is not right to keep them together. Also just say to them guineas need to be between 17-24 degrees and that they will die of cold. Advise them that hutch huggers are available and heat pads and that they need lots of hay to keep them warm!
 
Thanks everyone. The hutch is small, just one level and I would say maybe 3ft long by 1ft wide, its really little. No way it could be split, its small enough already. I am so annoyed that I got rid of all my spare cages when my piggies left now as I could have suggested they have one. I am hoping they will get the hint that its too cold to leave the hutch outside like that when they return to find it in our shed ;) I think I will try to be as subtle as I can and just say something without sounding like I'm preaching.
What should I do about feeding them? Just carry on with their current dry food? I will give them veg but only a little as I dont think they get it usually. Should I give them some hay to eat? They dont have this either :(
 
We have tact by the shedload, but I think Sarah's idea is good. Thing is though, what would you do with the piggy if you took it. You couldn't keep it as they would see it, so could you get it to a rescue? Also could you keep up the lie? Some could, others may have it playing on their minds. What would play on my mind is the poor piggy, I'd whip that out to somewhere safe, then make the bun comfy. x
 
They NEED hay and the piggy needs vitamin C in some form - as you do not know what kind of pellets they're having and if you do not wish to give veg, I would give dissolved tablets in water (syringed).

I would try Modwyn's approach.
 
But if you take the guinea what happens to the bun? Not even a guinea to snuggle up to, no hutch hugger, heat pad, company or proper food.

I know that guineas and bunnies are a HUGE no no (esp after seeing orson being attacked) but the bunny on its own in these temperatures is going to die.
 
Modwyn said:
How about getting a bit of hay and some veggies in and when they come back say you couldn't find the hay and veggies for them and you didn't want to risk tooth probs or mite probs for the piggie because of a lack of vit c so you gave them some, did they put their hay and veggies somewhere else? oh and which feed is this for the bunny or the piggie as I couldn't seem to figure it out and piggies need different food to bunnies.

The only problem with rehoming the piggie and saying it died is they may go get another one.
Click to expand...

This is good.

Also you could follow this up with some print offs if the chat goes well when they come back.

Poor guys!
 
Hi, gosh this is a really difficult one - I feel for you. I had a similar situation when I looked after 2 x pigs for a friend and their hair was so matted, damp and knotted, it took me two attempts with cutting and bathing to get them back to normal. It was so upsetting I actually cried for the poor things. I approached it in a soft way when she came back from hols, but it was a bit different as I was able to be honest being a friend. I'd suggest a couple of options, not sure if they'll totally help but may be worth thinking about.

1. Could you house them yourself? If so, it may be an option to advise them you totally fell in love with them both whilst they were away and wondered if they'd consider you re-homing them (by the sounds of it there not too bothered about them, although I guess they did at least ask for them to be fed).

2. I know this would cost you money but for peace of mind....(of if you have any yourself) could you give them a book on looking after pigs and/or rabbits? In a very friendly way of course along the lines of "I'm not sure how long you've looked at pigs/rabbits, but Ive always found [this particular book whatever it is] to be an absolute bible. You may have your own of course but thought you'd like it?" Perhaps they might have the good sense to read it.

3. When they get back, tell them that the pig (or rabbit) suddenly got ill and so you took it to the vet (or a vet friend in case its registered somewhere!) as you were really worried. And then suggest that the vet said it was lacking in Vit C and other essential vits etc. Then give them some advice that the 'apparent vet' said?

A few options anyway. Let us know how you get on, will be keeping my fingers crossed for them

Ange
 
Thank you for the suggestions.

Unfortunately I am not in the position to home them (as lovely as they are xoxo), I recently rehomed all 10 of my piggies due to unexpected problems with my youngest daughters birth which has resulted in her being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy so I dont have the time to care for animals right now.

I am going to keep the hutch in our shed for the week and am going to winter proof it and basically tell the neighbours that I was worried about how cold it was for the animals. I will get some hay tomorrow and will just introduce a small amount of veg over this week. I think the only thing I can do is what has been suggested by Modwyn and hope that they take heed.

Thank you for all the replies x
 
Sorry to hear about your daughter. Same thing happened to my friend.

I think you are doing what you can and good for you weather proofing the hutch and sorting out the hay and stuff. Poor animals.
 
I think the tactful approach is best, its all well and good for the piggie/bun if you rehome it but then they'd probably do the same thing to another animal and you couldnt use the same excuse again.

Its tricky though, but something has to be said! it is really, really, REALLY not ideal for a piggie and a bun to be living together, let alone in a cage that tiny, as well as in these weather conditions! Poor things.

Hopefully they will listen to your advice and be thankful for it and if they are not willing to change, maybe threaten them with contacting rspca or animal welfare...
 
I think the tactful approach is best, its all well and good for the piggie/bun if you rehome it but then they'd probably do the same thing to another animal and you couldnt use the same excuse again.

Its tricky though, but something has to be said! it is really, really, REALLY not ideal for a piggie and a bun to be living together, let alone in a cage that tiny, as well as in these weather conditions! Poor things.

Hopefully they will listen to your advice and be thankful for it and if they are not willing to change, maybe threaten them with contacting rspca or animal welfare...
 
PiggiePooh said:
Thank you for the suggestions.

Unfortunately I am not in the position to home them (as lovely as they are xoxo), I recently rehomed all 10 of my piggies due to unexpected problems with my youngest daughters birth which has resulted in her being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy so I dont have the time to care for animals right now.

I am going to keep the hutch in our shed for the week and am going to winter proof it and basically tell the neighbours that I was worried about how cold it was for the animals. I will get some hay tomorrow and will just introduce a small amount of veg over this week. I think the only thing I can do is what has been suggested by Modwyn and hope that they take heed.

Thank you for all the replies x
Click to expand...

if you put them in your shed they will get used to the shed temps and when the owners come back they will be back outside just thinking this may cause them to be come ill ie diff temp all the times i would keep them outside what they are used to and just put in lots of hay for them so the temp diffrence when they come back wont be such a big shock to there systems...
also ask them if they would like to rehome them has you have a mate intrested in them as they have fell in love with them ..then take them to a rescue x
 
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clairelove said:
if you put them in your shed they will get used to the shed temps and when the owners come back they will be back outside just thinking this may cause them to be come ill ie diff temp all the times i would keep them outside what they are used to and just put in lots of hay for them so the temp diffrence when they come back wont be such a big shock to there systems...
also ask them if they would like to rehome them has you have a mate intrested in them as they have fell in love with them ..then take them to a rescue x
Click to expand...

Oh I never thought about the change in temp. I cant bear for them to be out in that rain though, there is no shelter in the garden at all so if the rain blows in the direction of the hutch then it will go inside it. I'm tempted to buy a hutch hugger for them
 
PiggiePooh said:
Oh I never thought about the change in temp. I cant bear for them to be out in that rain though, there is no shelter in the garden at all so if the rain blows in the direction of the hutch then it will go inside it. I'm tempted to buy a hutch hugger for them
Click to expand...

that could be a compromise.

I also think that you should mention the fact that you are a very experienced rodent keeper and that you acted in the interest of the animals. I do like Modwyn's idea to let them think you assumed they had all the right stuff but playing dumb and not finding them...

As for keeping them at yours, you could mention the weather and/or the fact that you've seen a fox roaming around and preferred having them sound and safe under lock and key. After all it would be far worse for them to come back to dead animals than relocated animals that have been well taken care of.
 
PS: nice to see you again. Hope all is well at home.
 
I also like the idea of saying you couldn't find the hay etc so you bought some and they may as well keep the rest as you have no use for it anymore.

If it was me, I would say something like "I hope I'm not coming across as rude but rabbits and pigs aren't supposed to be kept in the same cage as it can be dangerous for the piggy".

I would also be tempted to buy/build a hutch where you CAN separate them with mesh or something so they still know each other is there but the pig is safe, then pretend a friend has a hutch they can have/buy.

They are probably thinking it is ok because they are both placid creatures, but if they don't know, they won't be offended by you telling them. If they care for the animals, they will more than likely be thankful for your help. :)
 
can I just say - my sister got two new rabbits for their kids, she's not a great animal lover like me, but she wasn't feeding any hay to her rabbits and I did say to her, "oh where's the hay" and she said they dont need it, anyway i said of course they do! I said they need it and now she does feed it to them. I would personally say something to your neighbour, just like, "oh sorry but I couldn't find your hay, so I used mine" then if they say something like "hay? oh we dont give them that", then just say they need to have hay at all times. They might say thanks like they didn't know they were supposed to have it, just like my sister said! hope that makes sense!
 
Poor babies :( that's just sad. I'd be upset, too.

I wouldn't know what to say in such a situation. I'm the sort of person who barges in at the last minute and says what I think...Which can usually end badly.

I like the idea of a book. But they could also take that the wrong way. It's very difficult and there's no way you'd know if they even bothered reading it.
 
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