there are people online said you should buy from rescue if you want a healthy guinea pig . But the store may have more option of Guinea pig and you can have younger guinea pigs. Can anyone tell me more about what's good and bad to get guinea pigs from shelter and pet store ?
What's Good And Bad To Get Guinea Pigs From Shelter And Pet Store
- Thread starter Weilin
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piggyfan
Hello. Welcome to the forum.
By adopting from a rescue you can be sure the guinea pigs will be correctly sexed, not pregnant, healthy, will have had a vet check and will already be bonded. There are many guinea pigs in rescue in urgent need of a loving home. They do have piggies of all ages but for a first time piggy owner babies are not ideal as they are skittish and difficult to handle. The rescue will know a guinea pigs personality and be able to match it with a suitable owner. It is personality that counts with finding the right piggy, not looks. Rescues do a wonderful job of rescuing unwanted, often abused piggies. By adopting a pair there will be a space for the rescue to adopt another pair so you will be saving more then two guinea pigs.
This is a pro rescue forum and we don't recommend going to pet shops. The piggies are mix sexed, pregnant, sick, not bonded. They use rodent mills and buying encourages more back to back breeding of the poor sows.
By adopting from a rescue you can be sure the guinea pigs will be correctly sexed, not pregnant, healthy, will have had a vet check and will already be bonded. There are many guinea pigs in rescue in urgent need of a loving home. They do have piggies of all ages but for a first time piggy owner babies are not ideal as they are skittish and difficult to handle. The rescue will know a guinea pigs personality and be able to match it with a suitable owner. It is personality that counts with finding the right piggy, not looks. Rescues do a wonderful job of rescuing unwanted, often abused piggies. By adopting a pair there will be a space for the rescue to adopt another pair so you will be saving more then two guinea pigs.
This is a pro rescue forum and we don't recommend going to pet shops. The piggies are mix sexed, pregnant, sick, not bonded. They use rodent mills and buying encourages more back to back breeding of the poor sows.
Hi and welcome! Good that you are doing your research and are asking first!
The rescues we recommend have all:
- a mandatory quarantine and any necessary health care in rescue. Only perfectly healthy piggies will be listed for adoption..
- any incoming sows undergo a mandatory 10 weeks pregnancy watch.
- any recue born babies are correctly sexed, separated at the appropriate age (3 weeks for boars as the earliest documented sibling pregnancy is 24 days). Have a look through our pregnancy section to see that unplanned shop and breeder or shelter pregnancies are anything but rare and can end in tragedy and/or major headaches for people who do not have the space and capacities to deal with one or more large litters.
Rescue born babies are only being rehomed when they have reached a good weight that prevents them from falling ill and dying as easily as stressed out shop piggies that are sadly often coming down with highly infective ringworm (fungal), mites or respiratory infection. You can find a pretty steady stream of cases in our Health and Illness section.
Young piggy babies may be very cute, but they are also a lot more fragile. You have babies only for a few weeks, but adults that live to 4-7 years on average.
- any rescue guinea pigs have been carefully bonded for character compatibility, so that you do not have to worry about fights and fall-outs like when your cute little shop bought baby boars hit the teenage hormones together between 4-14 months old. You also have the rescue to fall back on if problems happen along the way for whole life of the rescue piggies.
There is no license or control of minimal standards, so anybody can call themselves rescue or breeder, and the conditions and results are all too often correspondingly dire - and quite often not obvious for the unwary buyer who can't spot the subtle warning signs.
Please be also aware that pets@home import their piggies from rodent farms on the Continent. During the several days lasting shipment, the guinea pigs are not gender separated, even if they are so in the shop. I was caught out once that way, and to my knowledge, the practice hasn't changed since.
How well boars get on often only becomes obvious once they develop their adult identities. the key is that they are character compatible; finding the right pairing to create a stable bond that often profits from an age difference takes time and experience - something that any places that are only interested in the money but not the welfare and future happiness of their animals can't and won't provide. Our forum is littered with shop or breeder bought boars struggling when they hit the big hormones and have to be separated. Have a look for yourself!
You also have to be aware that shop or breeder guinea pigs have usually not had much in the way of human contact. They are prey animals and not born as cuddly pets.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-sows-or-mixed-pairs-babies-or-adults.108944/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/
The rescues we recommend have all:
- a mandatory quarantine and any necessary health care in rescue. Only perfectly healthy piggies will be listed for adoption..
- any incoming sows undergo a mandatory 10 weeks pregnancy watch.
- any recue born babies are correctly sexed, separated at the appropriate age (3 weeks for boars as the earliest documented sibling pregnancy is 24 days). Have a look through our pregnancy section to see that unplanned shop and breeder or shelter pregnancies are anything but rare and can end in tragedy and/or major headaches for people who do not have the space and capacities to deal with one or more large litters.
Rescue born babies are only being rehomed when they have reached a good weight that prevents them from falling ill and dying as easily as stressed out shop piggies that are sadly often coming down with highly infective ringworm (fungal), mites or respiratory infection. You can find a pretty steady stream of cases in our Health and Illness section.
Young piggy babies may be very cute, but they are also a lot more fragile. You have babies only for a few weeks, but adults that live to 4-7 years on average.
- any rescue guinea pigs have been carefully bonded for character compatibility, so that you do not have to worry about fights and fall-outs like when your cute little shop bought baby boars hit the teenage hormones together between 4-14 months old. You also have the rescue to fall back on if problems happen along the way for whole life of the rescue piggies.
There is no license or control of minimal standards, so anybody can call themselves rescue or breeder, and the conditions and results are all too often correspondingly dire - and quite often not obvious for the unwary buyer who can't spot the subtle warning signs.
Please be also aware that pets@home import their piggies from rodent farms on the Continent. During the several days lasting shipment, the guinea pigs are not gender separated, even if they are so in the shop. I was caught out once that way, and to my knowledge, the practice hasn't changed since.
How well boars get on often only becomes obvious once they develop their adult identities. the key is that they are character compatible; finding the right pairing to create a stable bond that often profits from an age difference takes time and experience - something that any places that are only interested in the money but not the welfare and future happiness of their animals can't and won't provide. Our forum is littered with shop or breeder bought boars struggling when they hit the big hormones and have to be separated. Have a look for yourself!
You also have to be aware that shop or breeder guinea pigs have usually not had much in the way of human contact. They are prey animals and not born as cuddly pets.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-sows-or-mixed-pairs-babies-or-adults.108944/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/
maxdawn
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi and welcome.
I have had both rescue and pet shop piggy's. My first 2 boy were from a rescue. They were lovely boys. Both very friendly and cuddly ,easy to handle boys. When 1 of the boys died I got a baby from a pet shop. For the first 3 weeks I had to take the baby to the vet once a week for 3 weeks. Costing £150. The baby was VERY hard to handle and catch. As I was not used to handling baby's. If you are new to piggy's I would say go for a older piggy. The little ones do look very cute but like all baby they are hard work. And you have to think about can I cut nail and give medicine to a very very wrigley and jumping screening baby.
I have had both rescue and pet shop piggy's. My first 2 boy were from a rescue. They were lovely boys. Both very friendly and cuddly ,easy to handle boys. When 1 of the boys died I got a baby from a pet shop. For the first 3 weeks I had to take the baby to the vet once a week for 3 weeks. Costing £150. The baby was VERY hard to handle and catch. As I was not used to handling baby's. If you are new to piggy's I would say go for a older piggy. The little ones do look very cute but like all baby they are hard work. And you have to think about can I cut nail and give medicine to a very very wrigley and jumping screening baby.
MerryPip
Adult Guinea Pig
Hello! Welcome to the forum! Good on you for doing your research before you bring a new pet home. The section of the forum for new and potential piggy owners will help you work out what's best for you and feel free to ask loads of questions, we were all first time owners once....
I've had pet shop piggy sin the past and now have rescue piggies. Like the others have said, a rescue piggy will come with a clean bill of health, correctly sexed and not pregnant. None of these things can be guaranteed with a purchase from most pet stores. If you choose rescue you will also be giving a piggy a well deserved new start in life and giving the rescue the space and change to help another animal in need. Unfortunately the animals in pet stores often come from less than ideal breeders where females can be treated just as breeding machines and little thought is given to the health or well being of the youngsters. They can often have travelled long distances to the store in less than ideal conditions too which is why things like respiratory infections are common. Mis-sexing is fairly common and leads to accidental pregnancies.
You should consider getting more than one piggy as they do best with company of their own kind and if you choose rescue your piggies will have a compatible, stable bond as friends and you will also have any support you need in the future from the rescue should you need it. Picking two piggies from a cage in a pet store is a risky business, particularly with baby boys as they are not necessarily compatible and may well fall out when they reach their hormonal teenage years. WE, as humans, would not expect to pick our husband/wife from a randowm room full of people then expect to live in perfect harmony in a bedsit forever more and we should not expect our piggies to effectively do the same thing just because they are the two 'we think look cute together'. This is what so often happens and then people wonder why they don't get on with each other.
It's a personal choice but now I would almost always choose rescue but it can be hard to walk past beautiful piggies in pet shops and even harder to walk away from those not kept in ideal conditions. Rescues around the country are full to bursting and having to turn away needy animals daily. They do some phenomenal work with the worst of neglect and cruelty cases as well as unwanted pets but they can't continue to take in piggies if none are rehomed to their forever home. Give a piggy a new start, it's a great feeling
I've had pet shop piggy sin the past and now have rescue piggies. Like the others have said, a rescue piggy will come with a clean bill of health, correctly sexed and not pregnant. None of these things can be guaranteed with a purchase from most pet stores. If you choose rescue you will also be giving a piggy a well deserved new start in life and giving the rescue the space and change to help another animal in need. Unfortunately the animals in pet stores often come from less than ideal breeders where females can be treated just as breeding machines and little thought is given to the health or well being of the youngsters. They can often have travelled long distances to the store in less than ideal conditions too which is why things like respiratory infections are common. Mis-sexing is fairly common and leads to accidental pregnancies.
You should consider getting more than one piggy as they do best with company of their own kind and if you choose rescue your piggies will have a compatible, stable bond as friends and you will also have any support you need in the future from the rescue should you need it. Picking two piggies from a cage in a pet store is a risky business, particularly with baby boys as they are not necessarily compatible and may well fall out when they reach their hormonal teenage years. WE, as humans, would not expect to pick our husband/wife from a randowm room full of people then expect to live in perfect harmony in a bedsit forever more and we should not expect our piggies to effectively do the same thing just because they are the two 'we think look cute together'. This is what so often happens and then people wonder why they don't get on with each other.
It's a personal choice but now I would almost always choose rescue but it can be hard to walk past beautiful piggies in pet shops and even harder to walk away from those not kept in ideal conditions. Rescues around the country are full to bursting and having to turn away needy animals daily. They do some phenomenal work with the worst of neglect and cruelty cases as well as unwanted pets but they can't continue to take in piggies if none are rehomed to their forever home. Give a piggy a new start, it's a great feeling
AliceKay
Junior Guinea Pig
Hey would of course suggest a rescue also, but point out that from my own experience not all rescues are the same. I got my two from a rescue and they were at first incorrectly sexed and then I was told it was ok to continue housing them together until they were three months old, when I said I wasnt housing them together anymore and was waiting 6 weeks post neutering they did another surprise home check and got a bit cross at me! Please use a rescue listed on this website - I really wish I had
As I am new to guinea pigs I have found looking after babies a challenge, I have tamed hamsters and rabbits before, but this doesn't compare. If you want cuddly pets straight away get an older piggie
would of course suggest a rescue also, but point out that from my own experience not all rescues are the same. I got my two from a rescue and they were at first incorrectly sexed and then I was told it was ok to continue housing them together until they were three months old, when I said I wasnt housing them together anymore and was waiting 6 weeks post neutering they did another surprise home check and got a bit cross at me! Please use a rescue listed on this website - I really wish I had As I am new to guinea pigs I have found looking after babies a challenge, I have tamed hamsters and rabbits before, but this doesn't compare. If you want cuddly pets straight away get an older piggie
MerryPip
Adult Guinea Pig
Hey
Very true. If you choose to rescue please pick a reputable one. Unfortunately rescues aren't regulate so anyone can set up and call themselves a 'Rescue' and there are some not so good ones around. Check out the rescue locator at the top of the page for some good, recommended suggestions. There are a number of good rescues in and around London, particularly if you are willing to travel a little way. It's worth only going to a pet shop or rescue that you have had good recommendations of from experienced people you trust.....
If you aren't sure then feel free to ask as there may well be members on here who have used most rescues and can give you honest feedback about their experiences
1GuineaPig1
Teenage Guinea Pig
Welcome to the forum!
I'd recommend recue centers because many times Pet Stores have unwanted illnesses and/or pregnancies. I got both of mine from breeders.
Sorry I can't give you much detail, but it looks like everyone else have you covered!
I'd recommend recue centers because many times Pet Stores have unwanted illnesses and/or pregnancies. I got both of mine from breeders.
Sorry I can't give you much detail, but it looks like everyone else have you covered!
Thank you for everybody's reply. Does anybody know any reliable rescue centre around SW19? also, I am not sure if I can afford a pair of guinea pig. I don't have a job. I stay home. my husband support both of our living cost. after spending money on food, rent, bills and other utility exclude going to restaurant, buying clothes, shoes, home electronic items, we can have around 80 to 100 pounds left each month . I wonder if we can afford guinea pigs. and we don't have garden, we live in a one bed flat with living room available for the guinea pigs. I wonder if that will be problem with the rescue centre.
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piggyfan
Don't sorry about not having a garden as I live in a flat without one too. To get everything you need for guinea pigs will cost a few hundred so may that be a problem? Also, as your husband works I doubt you will be entitled to cheaper vet fees through charities such as the RSPCA hospital. Your nearest rescue is Bobtails. I adopted from there. It was a two hour journey. I'm not far from you in sw3.
what's included within those few hundred? Is it monthly cost? or just for cage and bedding and toy? if that I maybe able to buy one thing a month , and wait a few months before I am ready to get the guinea pigs.
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piggyfan
The cage, bedding, food, hay, cage accessories. Bedding can be expensive and with washable beddings your electricity bills will rise. I'm not sure if that will be a problem. You could slowly save for everything. I use vet bed as a bedding and have two sets which last about two years but my energy bills have risen. Do you see what I mean?
Please be aware that guinea pigs are social animals and should not be kept on their own. It doesn't cost so much more to have two, but the real cost in keeping guinea pigs is vet bills. Rescue guinea pigs don't cost so much more than shop piggies; and certainly not as much as a rescue has to pay for them while they are there to make sure that they are healthy and socialised enough to go to a home!
If you struggle to pay for two guinea pigs, you are going to struggle with any illness - which pretty much any guinea pig will have at some point. And it happens usually at the worst time possible! Guinea pigs live 4-7 years of age on average if they are basically healthy, but they can easily run up several hundred pounds in vet bills in an emergency. You will have to either get insurance or save up every week so you won't be caught out.
As much as you'd like a pet, please think hard about which ones you can afford and whether the home you can provide is fair on them! If that is an option, please save up until you can afford the basics and have a little nest egg for any emergency before you start.
If you struggle to pay for two guinea pigs, you are going to struggle with any illness - which pretty much any guinea pig will have at some point. And it happens usually at the worst time possible! Guinea pigs live 4-7 years of age on average if they are basically healthy, but they can easily run up several hundred pounds in vet bills in an emergency. You will have to either get insurance or save up every week so you won't be caught out.
As much as you'd like a pet, please think hard about which ones you can afford and whether the home you can provide is fair on them! If that is an option, please save up until you can afford the basics and have a little nest egg for any emergency before you start.
If the utility bills make a several pounds raise should be ok. for washable bedding material, maybe I can buy from asia which can be less expensive. It will be easier to afford those one time purchase items( or something that I don't have to buy monthly or more frequent.) about the monthly cost for the piggies like food, hay, toy, are those less expensive to buy at London or order online from somewhere else?
P
piggyfan
We'll I buy all my things online as I don't support pet shops. I feed three types of hay for variety which is expensive but not essential. I spend £15 a week on vegetables. You cannot buy bedding from Asia. I use vet bed but you can use fleece from places like primark and supermarkets. I spend about £30 on hay a month.
If you can, you can buy veg at a market or shortly before supermarkets close. Many toys you can make cheaply yourself. Hay you can order online, which is cheaper than buying from pet shops; the same goes for pellets.
You can use cheap cotton towels or beach towels for underlay, but I would recmmend to pay that little bit more for good quality microfleece. In a pinch, acrylyc bed spreads from places like primark will do (I use them for some cages myself), as it keeps driest and lasts for years, even when washed at high temperatures. If you can hand or machine sew, you can make the soft furnishings yourself; we can provide links to patterns.
You can use cheap cotton towels or beach towels for underlay, but I would recmmend to pay that little bit more for good quality microfleece. In a pinch, acrylyc bed spreads from places like primark will do (I use them for some cages myself), as it keeps driest and lasts for years, even when washed at high temperatures. If you can hand or machine sew, you can make the soft furnishings yourself; we can provide links to patterns.
Please be aware that guinea pigs are social animals and should not be kept on their own. It doesn't cost so much more to have two, but the real cost in keeping guinea pigs is vet bills. Rescue guinea pigs don't cost so much more than shop piggies; and certainly not as much as a rescue has to pay for them while they are there to make sure that they are healthy and socialised enough to go to a home!
If you struggle to pay for two guinea pigs, you are going to struggle with any illness - which pretty much any guinea pig will have at some point. And it happens usually at the worst time possible! Guinea pigs live 4-7 years of age on average if they are basically healthy, but they can easily run up several hundred pounds in vet bills in an emergency. You will have to either get insurance or save up every week so you won't be caught out.
As much as you'd like a pet, please think hard about which ones you can afford and whether the home you can provide is fair on them! If that is an option, please save up until you can afford the basics and have a little nest egg for any emergency before you start.
I understand. when I read online about the vet bill, I get a pause on when should I have the guinea pigs. but let alone the vet bill, I wonder how much for the monthly cost for taking care of them. what people said online are base on living cost in the US or somewhere else. I am glad I find this website, maybe people will mention how much it cost to have guinea pigs at uk, especially at london. what I have now is plenty of free time to take care of them and some space. but that's all.
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piggyfan
I forgot to say pellets! Mine cost £30 for six weeks. One thing I learned is not to feed cheap pellets as it increases the calcium.
so , it seems like you spend around a hundred pound each month for the piggies.
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piggyfan
Yes that seems right.
for microfleece, does it matter for how thick it should be ? when the shops comes with a lot option for one thing, I got confuse which should I get. and it will be nice if you can give me suggestion with patterns. about vegetable, do you buy the mix vegetable in one pack from store? someone told me she bought mix vegetable in one pack at store for her pigs. those are mostly 1 pound a pack. if two pigs can have vegetable like that and have only around one pack in one day or two days will be good. but I am have no clue
maxdawn
Junior Guinea Pig
Hope this helps. You will have to hunt around to find ways to save money. Heres what I do. 1 big bag of food £20 lasts 2month. Black bin bag of hay from farm £3 lasts 3 week. If you use hay from pet shop it will cost £7 and only lasts a week. Bedding, fleece I found too expensive as boil washing bedding every 2 days double my weekly electric. Fitch bedding £17 lasts over 2 month. Vet I haven't got a clue. My vet bills so far from £45 to £150
You have to be a bit careful with packs, as not everything in there is good for guinea pigs. I am not so good with advising you how to best buy for two guinea pigs, as I have 24! So I am more interested in multipacks...
The fleeces from primark are about £6-7, and you only need two. I have bought my microfleece online (for about just under £6 at 1.5 m width, so you can get away with paying £12 for 2 metres and have enough for a 2x4 C&C cage. There are places like ebay or abakhan or fabric online etc., which sell polar or micro anti pill fleece; as far as I know it comes only in one thickness and there may be cheaper deals if you are not fussed about colours or patterns.
that seems doesn't cost very much. do you buy food and hay online or go somewhere to buy them? and how many pigs are those for?
Pellets and hay are best bought online. You can research local markets or food shops to compare prices if that is an option.
PiggySmitten
Adult Guinea Pig
If you choose Burgess excel (with mint) nuggets, you can get a 10kg bag for a very good price from VetUK online. At the moment it's £18.72 but the price varies and I have bought it in the recent past for less than that. An adult guinea pig only needs 30-50g nuggets per day (I feed 40g per day per piggie).
So for 2 piggies it should last you about 100 days.
This particular flavour and brand are not the absolute best nugget option available in the UK but are a decent good choice (the brand does other flavours which are not so good healthy for the pigs). I have heard that the Asda own brand nuggets are very similar to these (beware most supermarket own brands are not necessarily as good healthy) but I have no idea how the price compares or what size their bags are.
I buy 9kg bag of hay from hayforpets online. Costs around £16 inc delivery. It should last you about 2 months for two piggies.
I also use Fitch as a bedding in one of our cages and in one hutch. I use fleece in our c&c set up. I like both Fitch and fleece options, I think the pros and cons on expense have already been listed.
I can recommend c&c set ups. You can get a much bigger cage for less than it would cost you for a cage from a shop and you can change around how you have it.
So for 2 piggies it should last you about 100 days.
This particular flavour and brand are not the absolute best nugget option available in the UK but are a decent good choice (the brand does other flavours which are not so good healthy for the pigs). I have heard that the Asda own brand nuggets are very similar to these (beware most supermarket own brands are not necessarily as good healthy) but I have no idea how the price compares or what size their bags are.
I buy 9kg bag of hay from hayforpets online. Costs around £16 inc delivery. It should last you about 2 months for two piggies.
I also use Fitch as a bedding in one of our cages and in one hutch. I use fleece in our c&c set up. I like both Fitch and fleece options, I think the pros and cons on expense have already been listed.
I can recommend c&c set ups. You can get a much bigger cage for less than it would cost you for a cage from a shop and you can change around how you have it.
TamTam
Junior Guinea Pig
I did not get my pigs from a rescue or a pet store rather through a friend of a friend who couldn't commit her time to them.
I willingly took them on and took them to the vet for a check up.
Discovering mites and fungal infections was a bit of a blow emotionally and financially but I keep telling myself both conditions can be life threatening to pigs if untreated, so I am very pleased that I got them out of there and got them the care and attention they needed. These beautiful pigs that I now look after would have ended up in a rescue, dumped somewhere or worse
However, I do acknowledge that 100% a rescue is the way to go, without a doubt!
I will be sure to do that in future and fully recommend it to everyone. xxxxxx
I willingly took them on and took them to the vet for a check up.
Discovering mites and fungal infections was a bit of a blow emotionally and financially but I keep telling myself both conditions can be life threatening to pigs if untreated, so I am very pleased that I got them out of there and got them the care and attention they needed. These beautiful pigs that I now look after would have ended up in a rescue, dumped somewhere or worse
However, I do acknowledge that 100% a rescue is the way to go, without a doubt!
I will be sure to do that in future and fully recommend it to everyone. xxxxxx
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