Where did people get there pigs from

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lbsleight

lbsleight

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hey all I'm new on this forum and just wanted to know where you all got your pigs from and were you happy about getting them from them.
laura :)
 
8 of mine came from different pet shops and the rest are the babies of those I purchased from the pet shops. At the time of purchase I wasn't wise to pet shop going ons, but I have no regrets.
 
:) Hey. I got my 2 girls Penny and Nancy from my best friend, she took in a pair of pregnant sows from someone who no longer wanted them, and i said if she has any sow babies id take them, and she only had these 2 so we took them in so she didnt need to find homes for them. Penny is the black and white one, Nancy is the brown and white one.

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Boris our boar, who has just today been castrated, was a breeders boar, and she decided she had bred him too much to her girls already and it would lead to more inbred babies if she bred him any more, so he was no longer wanted. We bought him for £10, and he was worth every penny :) he was very very shy but he is quickly coming out of his shell.

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I am happy with where i got my piggies from, i would love to take in more who need a new forever home but need to stay realistic and i know i can give these 3 a fantastic life, any more and i wouldnt be able to put as much time/money/effort into making these guys lives as great :)
 
My first two piggies were from a garden centre and promptly doubled in number within weeks of getting them.

Since then, I have gone strictly reputable rescue with my following 15 piggies and would not consider going anywhere else; my piggies have all kinds of different backgrounds. No untimely surprises and lots of support, though!
 
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my first 2 were from rescue, they fell out so i got 2 from a petstore to bond one with each..unfortunately they were both poorly and by the time they got better I didnt want to seperate them!

I then got 4 from freecycle! @) (had bought petstore then moved and didnt want to take them)

then 3 from a breeder who takes in rescues that have been left at the vets! (she doesnt breed from these ones) but quite often gets pregnant ones given, as people do not want to pay money for vets or extra mouths to feed.. often because of pet shops mis-sexing.

My latest 2 are from gumtree ftgh

I would also go rescue, but also dont see anything wrong with gumtree/adtrader/preloved etc.. after all, these will most likely have ended up in rescue anyway!

I would never buy petstore again.. my experience hasnt been good, and 3 petstore piggies died before they were 2, I'm guessing through in breeding as they had problems.

for all this is a pro-rescue forum, and i think rescue is best, I wouldnt ever have a go at anyone buying piggies x
 
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I got my two babies from a private breeder (£5 each), and Gilly was from a girl who didnt want him anymore (free, including hutch).
I'm perfectly happy with where I got the babies from but I feel I was lied to about Gilly, I believe the girl knew he had mange and that's why she let him go *angry face*
 
I got Ralph and Louie from Pets at Home, sadly Louie passed away only months later and then I got Arnold from a pet shop in town.

At the time I wasn't really a member of any decent piggy forums and getting such abuse as "you're a bad person and your guinea pigs suck because they came from a shop!" didn't really make me want to listen to anyone.
And yes, people told me that my pigs should die because they came from a pet shop...

But since coming here and meeting all these lovely people, I've learned that rescuing is the way to go. I'm not very fond of my local rescue but I'll certainly be taking a look at free ads piggies and ones in my local area that these lovely people have up for adoption - when the time comes :0 and I need a buddy for a lonely little boy.

The only things I really have to complain about is...
Poor Arnold. He's just a sick piggy. He goes to the vets so often...They know exactly who's coming when I say my name!
He's got a bad eye, he has issues with his back legs, he's had cystitis 3 times in the last 2 years. He's my poorly little boy but I love him so, so much. He's lucky he found someone who's able to deal with him because we all know that there are so many people who'd just leave him be and not bother taking him to the vets.
 
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Our first two were from a little village pet shop in Teweksbury where we have a caravan and were pottering around the shops - two little 6 week old Aby brothers x)
Decided to add two more a couple of months later and purely by chance, discovered rescues so adopted two more little brothers, half Coronets. Spent a fortune on a new C & C set up etc. and that was it (so I thought...;)) Heard about a little girl at the rescue so we revamped the whole set up from 24 ft to 36 ft by adding another level so we could adopt her x) Felt she would benefit from a little friend - the rescue had a pregnant piggy so we reserved a female pup when she was only 4 days old and has been with us for 3 weeks now (she's 9 weeks old today xx>>>)
Our piggy gang has gone from 2 to 6 in six months :{ - we love them all sooo much and wish I had room for more but they're indoors and have claimed half of our lounge as it is :(|)
 
Our first 2 girls 'Pitch and Putt' where from a friends mom who kept Piggies, Pitch has unfortunately crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this year.
Our next 2 'Cookie and Treacle' are rescue piggies and we got them from Walsall RSPCA 5 weeks ago. Walsall RSPCA are fantastic and their foster mom did amazing work with our 2 little girls.
 
I have 7 so far:
Tigger and Munchie came from a local pet shop that I've used a few times now, always have nice healthy pigs. I think my piggles were not suitable for showing (lovely coats but they're Abby's and their rosettes aren't in the right place).
Malteaster: P@H Adoption Center
Butterscotch and Munchie: As above
Willow and Izzy: Milhaven Rescue (who I will be rescuing from for as long as they're around now I think!)

Mixed bag for my bunch! :)
 
My first three piggies came from Lymm Guinea Pig Rescue. That was five years ago and they were about 15 months so they have all now passed on.

The next piggy was free to a good home. She is Sweetie and completely adorable.

Next I adopted a neutered boar from Freshfields rescue. Knowing that the two older girls were not going to live forever in Dec 2009 I decided to get another free to a good home sow. Unfortunately, the piggy was wrongly sexed and as I already had a neutered boar and wasn't able to create two herds I had to surrender this piggy to a rescue. I swapped him for two young sows: Dora and Luna.

My final piggy came from Small Paws rescue in Manchester.

I would be wary about getting another piggy free to a good home because of the problem with sexing. I would get my future piggies from a reputable rescue, but I have no immediate plans to increase my herd of four.
 
My daughter's 1st two piggies were from Rotherham P@H (Daisy & Willow) then my mum convinced me to buy a little boar from a local pets shop (he was being bullied by 2 bigger boars) so then I went to a local city farm 'Graves Park' to get him a friend.
Then my brother bought my daughter a Texel for her birthday (from a breeder) called Peppa and my b/f's mum bought her a Coronet called Lottie from the same bloke.
Then I went to a local garden centre and saw an ill looking guinea pig being attacked by a giant continental rabbit in a small enclosure and ended up coming away with her (she's called Shy) and finally little Betty is from a local rescue centre.
 
I got most of mine from pet shops, and I'm happy I have them, but I wouldn't do it again, I really wouldn't.

See I had a lonely guinea pig for months, and couldn't find any for sale in the free ads or anywhere. And there are no guinea pig rescues around here or in most of Ireland really. So I just ended up going to pet shops.

One I got was a girl, in a cage with a boy and they couldn't tell me if she was a boy or girl, so I checked myself. She also had mites. The other one, from another shop, was pregnant even though she was just a baby herself.

The pregnant one had one baby and I kept him.

But then I got two more from a little pet shop that's not that bad really, but I still shouldn't have supported them. Those two girls are fine. But I'm not going to buy anymore in pet shops, I was just being lazy there.

In future I'm just going to wait til I find a good breeder or ones that need rehoming. I'd just have to wait is all, instead of impulse buying from pet shops . . .

My new boy is from a breeder :)


I think when I learn to drive, I'd definitely drive hours just to get to a rescue if I wanted another pig. I know a girl who rescues but she's way up the country and I don't drive so it wouldn't be possible yet, and I'm sure in Dublin there are sometimes ones for rehoming with the DSPCA or whatever, but it's really far away again.
 
3 of my girls are from a breeder and I have one rescue pig who needed a home as she was on her own..
Would prefer to rescue though, it just worked out the breeder had the rexes I had been looking for.:)
 
I got two of my piggies from a good breeder, two I adopted from this forum and one I adopted from the free ads.

In future I would rescue as I didn't realise before I joined the foum how many piggies need homesx
 
Woody was being kept with a rabbit that was bullying him and stealing all the food; we had not had a guinea pig for five years after the rather traumatic death of Susie-pig, and we just thought the time was right. And he was a tiny little thing, very nervous and shaken up by the weaselly wabbit. But he came out of his shell and put weight on, and we then got him a friend.

The friend, Buzz, was from P@H, who to be fair, were excellent with the level of care and attention. (Before I knew about the forum too, I wouldn't use them again knowing what I now know). Woody, being quite quiet and shy, we thought, needed a shy pig so he wouldn't be bullied again.

Except that Buzz turned out to be quite the flamer! What a bold pig; squeaks for second breakfasts... a scamp. But he's been perfect for Woody, they now have a very funny "buddy cop" relationship that alternates between best friends and dominating for the daftest scrap of hay etc. But they're fine together.

My OH's pigs, Branston and Pickle, came from a very reputable breeder who was the sole supplier for a pet shop within a garden centre. Again, knowing now what I know after being on the forum, I wouldn't go this route again, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

They are cousins, and get on like a house on fire. Very robust, sleek little animals. Apart from the occasional mount and a bit of posturing, they get on brilliantly.

But as I say, after doing proper research, if I ever buy a piggie again, it will most likely be from a reputable rescue.
 
We got our boys from a pet shop and my girls (sisters) came to me from the Head Nurse at my vets :)
Both boys had issues with illnesses :(
And unfortunately one of my girls is a diabetic and has cataracts so is blind :(
 
My first three, Big Dave, Little Dave and Cardboard Box I picked up locally - 3 for £10 - when I moved into my flat 2 years ago seemed cheaper than a lawn mower :)) I then spent a small fortune ridding them of their lice... "hey sonya, they seem to have dandruff....and its MOVING!" :^-

As for little Jeff (who I still don't know if I'm keeping!) was an RSPCA rescue after they were gonna euth him due to teeth issues.

I'm at 4, and I'm not getting any more! (yet...)
 
J.J is from P@H :x a few months after buying him we found out he had a fungal infection and we nearly lost him due to stupid vets!

Patch, Frisky, and Chocolate were rescues (lady was going to let them out into a field bc she didn't want them anymore :x ) sadly the 3 boys have since passed away :(

Rose and Martha i rescued from someone on this forum

Olga, Ruby and Lucy i got from my rodentologist, i made a donation for each one to cottontails rabbit rescue :)


IF (and thats a very big if) i get anymore piggies, they would definately be from a rescue
 
rosie and Pixie were from pah
David and terry were from cavy haven, later found out they were used for breeding. I dont think david was used because he has a birth defect in his eyelid.
Emily was rescued from my mums christian freinds daughter who copies everything i do and got herself a pig then the novelty wore off and she ended up with me!
Bilbo was from a girl in work whos sister dumped him on her and she was "scared" of him so he never got picked up etc
 
I wanted a rex and an abby specifically and sourced a good breeder, my plan was to have two pure breeds and two rescues but the abby had got herself preggers and I was offered her only daughter which I thought was a good idea but it left one rescued piggy space which I am fingers crossed going to fill sometime soon.

Although I feel guilty for not having rescues in the three girls, my previous 5 girls were all rescue piggies and after my research on the different breeds I felt the rex was a lovely breed to have, and have always had a soft spot for abbys. Sorry guys that my current lot are not rescue, but hopefully I will have one in the next week or so.
 
Amber was from someone at work - his GPs had babies so I had one. Coco was from a local woman who had put up an ad in the feed shop. Stitch is my niece's I'm looking after him as they've moved to Oz.
 
Pepperdog said:
I wanted a rex and an abby specifically and sourced a good breeder, my plan was to have two pure breeds and two rescues but the abby had got herself preggers and I was offered her only daughter which I thought was a good idea but it left one rescued piggy space which I am fingers crossed going to fill sometime soon.

Although I feel guilty for not having rescues in the three girls, my previous 5 girls were all rescue piggies and after my research on the different breeds I felt the rex was a lovely breed to have, and have always had a soft spot for abbys. Sorry guys that my current lot are not rescue, but hopefully I will have one in the next week or so.
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i love rexes! there always lovely arn't they!
 
zarapiggie said:
i love rexes! there always lovely arn't they!
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never had one before as they were a new breed to me, how much things have changed in a short time since last having them. But like I researched the breed of dog that suited me, I did the same with piggies and they suit me to the ground which was why I wanted to have one (or more if there were any in rescue). I think they are great :)
 
Nugget and Ophelia were unwanted so we took them on - never had piggies before, so completely overwhelmed by their personalities they basically took over mine and my daughters lives.. We changed their living accomadation so there was a spare cage thats when we came accross Sherbet and Lily, pet shop girls -pews and unwanted. Next came Midge and then followed by Panda. We then got Maisie and Paprika. Finally Rosie came along another unwanted pet-shop pew.
 
Fred was from PAH Adoption.
Wilma, Pebbles, Patrick, Milo and Esme are all from rescue. I don't even step foot in PAH now I know better!

Rescue all the way! xx>>>
 
My first 2 were from a local petshop. My parents bought both girls as soon as they arrived! :) I don't regret having those beautiful guinea pigs in my life, I would do anything to have them back. They lived for almost 6 years, bless them and passed away on the same night. 8...

My next pig was from a friend after her pregnant pet shop piggy gave birth to 5 babies, Petal was one of them. x)

Then I adopted her best friend Lily from Milhaven rescue. :(|)
 
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