Welcome to my latest Tribe addition!
Bingo from Gertie's Lonely Guinea Pig Rescue in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has been renamed Brathlys, 'Scarlet Pimpernel' as I am continuing my wildflower theme for my aby sows.
She has been badly betrayed by her previous owners when she was discovered by a neighbour still roaming the next door late winter garden with a few more companions some time after their owners had moved out AND taken the hutch (but NOT the guinea pigs) with them! The sows were all underweight and very scared as a result.
Brathlys has sadly been the most affected by her traumatic experiences; she doesn't like being handled (although she is thankfully no longer screaming her head off) and is also rather fear-aggressive with other guinea pigs.
As a result she has not received a single enquiry since her arrival in rescue nearly half a year ago nor has she been able to bond with another piggy at the rescue even though she has made some big strides thanks to the good care she has received in rescue.
It's all been a bit short notice since a transport opportunity from the rescue in the UK Northeast to the West Midlands was available that has made the long distance adoption possible.
I guess I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to adopting stuck-in-rescue piggies, whether that is a single or a pair! Brathlys is a young adult and has still got her whole life in front of her; she will be hopefully eventually ready to find a friend. In the meantime she has plenty of piggy company to keep her stimulated and help her to relax and overcome her fears!
Guinea pig rescues rely heavily on adoption to free up space for new intakes, often in need of medical services and knowledgable support and midwifery care. A piggy in a good rescue may be 'safe', but it comes at the cost of others not being able to find that safety for themselves because rescues these days are usually all pretty much full all the time because of a continuous rising tide in no longer wanted pets that are being treated like outgrown children's toys.
If you are an experienced owner and/or have extra space, please consider giving a home to those rescue piggies that are overlooked because of their white or black coat, long hair, older age, unsightly issues or because of their skittishness and behavioural hang-ups. They are often amazing personalities and exactly because they challenge you, they will give you so much.
While I cherish my gentle companions, I have learned a whole lot from my more tricky adoptees! In the degree that I have been able to give them the life that is suiting them best, they have helped me to develop a much deeper understanding of the complex social interaction and have enriched my own life in the process no end, even if it has come at the price of quite a few sleepless nights!
You simply don't learn from doing everything right from the start; you just skim over the surface. You learn from working out the why and how by making mistakes, feeling your way, pushing the limits and thinking about your experiences and observations.
Piggies are no longer just the cuddly pets for me that they were in my childhood; they are small people in fur coats that are every bit as complex as any human being; just with a different social wiring!
I miss each of my piggies badly for the unique bond that we have shared and for the joy that they have brought into my life; but the best legacy I can give them is to keep using what they have taught me and to hand on the love and happiness they have given me.
Please send Brathlys your good wishes for her own happy ever after!
Here she is recovering from her several hours' journey. She is settling in well, by the way.
Bingo from Gertie's Lonely Guinea Pig Rescue in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has been renamed Brathlys, 'Scarlet Pimpernel' as I am continuing my wildflower theme for my aby sows.
She has been badly betrayed by her previous owners when she was discovered by a neighbour still roaming the next door late winter garden with a few more companions some time after their owners had moved out AND taken the hutch (but NOT the guinea pigs) with them! The sows were all underweight and very scared as a result.
Brathlys has sadly been the most affected by her traumatic experiences; she doesn't like being handled (although she is thankfully no longer screaming her head off) and is also rather fear-aggressive with other guinea pigs.
As a result she has not received a single enquiry since her arrival in rescue nearly half a year ago nor has she been able to bond with another piggy at the rescue even though she has made some big strides thanks to the good care she has received in rescue.
It's all been a bit short notice since a transport opportunity from the rescue in the UK Northeast to the West Midlands was available that has made the long distance adoption possible.
I guess I am a glutton for punishment when it comes to adopting stuck-in-rescue piggies, whether that is a single or a pair! Brathlys is a young adult and has still got her whole life in front of her; she will be hopefully eventually ready to find a friend. In the meantime she has plenty of piggy company to keep her stimulated and help her to relax and overcome her fears!
Guinea pig rescues rely heavily on adoption to free up space for new intakes, often in need of medical services and knowledgable support and midwifery care. A piggy in a good rescue may be 'safe', but it comes at the cost of others not being able to find that safety for themselves because rescues these days are usually all pretty much full all the time because of a continuous rising tide in no longer wanted pets that are being treated like outgrown children's toys.
If you are an experienced owner and/or have extra space, please consider giving a home to those rescue piggies that are overlooked because of their white or black coat, long hair, older age, unsightly issues or because of their skittishness and behavioural hang-ups. They are often amazing personalities and exactly because they challenge you, they will give you so much.
While I cherish my gentle companions, I have learned a whole lot from my more tricky adoptees! In the degree that I have been able to give them the life that is suiting them best, they have helped me to develop a much deeper understanding of the complex social interaction and have enriched my own life in the process no end, even if it has come at the price of quite a few sleepless nights!
You simply don't learn from doing everything right from the start; you just skim over the surface. You learn from working out the why and how by making mistakes, feeling your way, pushing the limits and thinking about your experiences and observations.
Piggies are no longer just the cuddly pets for me that they were in my childhood; they are small people in fur coats that are every bit as complex as any human being; just with a different social wiring!
I miss each of my piggies badly for the unique bond that we have shared and for the joy that they have brought into my life; but the best legacy I can give them is to keep using what they have taught me and to hand on the love and happiness they have given me.
Please send Brathlys your good wishes for her own happy ever after!
Here she is recovering from her several hours' journey. She is settling in well, by the way.
, how can people just leave their pets behind to fend for themselves unbelievable the should be stopped from ever owning a pet again. I would adopt them all if I had the room before we had the girls I never knew what complex little characters they can be and how much joy you get just from watching them potter about in their own little ways.
This is why I prefer animals to people.
