where did you buy your guinea pig?

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meggie6

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hey everyone
there are many ways to buy guinea pigs! I was curious where you bought yours? people say that piggies from pet shops are more stressed and more likely to die young..I am not sure if this is right, but something is in it..of course there is a possibility to buy them from individual growers and this is how I get mine..I bought them yestarday and they look amazing! what about you?
 
Hi please be aware that this is a pro rescue forum. We promote rescuing piggies rather than buying from neither pet shops or breeders. We see many cases of purchased guinea pigs being missexed or sold sick usually as a mix of either poorly trained staff or the simple fact that anyone can set up as a breeder without the need to prove appropriate care.

As a pro rescue forum we do ask that intentional breeding is not discussed and this is listed in the forum terms and condition which you have ticked to agree to when joining the forum.
 
Before I found this forum I had no idea there were guinea pig rescues. My first two were from a pet shop unfortunately. My next two were from a lady at my vet's office who didn't feel she was giving them the love and care they deserve. My next piggies aren't born yet. There's a pregnant momma in a rescue. I am hoping she has at least one female. I want to add one or two to my girls. I would go rescue if you can!
 
@meggie6 as a piggy slave and enthusiast you are very welcome here as a member as long as you do not break the rules and conditions you agreed to abide by when you opened your account. Terms of Service And Forum Rules
This is a pro rescue and anti intentional breeding forum. Discussion about breeders and intentional breeding of piggies is not permitted.
We look forward to seeing photos of your piggies once they are settled and to hearing more about them.
 
My trio was rehomed. Two little girls from an accidental pregnancy, and a 3-year-old boy who’s former owner didn’t want to get another guinea pig when his companion piggie passed away.

I live on an island with no guinea pig breeders (as far as I know) and no rescues. If I was to add a girl to my little herd at some point, there's a Facebook page where people can post about guinea pigs in need of rehoming (but no selling) on the mainland, so that's where I would go.
 
looking forward to seeing photos of your piggies!

Welcome
 
My trio came from the SSPCA when they were babies, and my other two boys are the result of a weak moment in Pets at Home rehoming section.
Welcome to the forum. You'll love it here. X
 
I knew nothing of piggies in rescues before I came here. I bought two girly piggies from a pet shop and one turned out to be pregnant and had 3 babies so that is how I ended up having 5. I would love 3 more girlies as I have the space but I neither have the funds, time nor do I want to upset the very unusual situation that I have in my bonded herd.
 
Tom came via a Gumtree ad where the children had lost interest in him and he just lived alone in the garage.

Mini came from @Wilbur&Otis as she was sadly having to rehome her boys due to moving abroad for work
 
My initial pair came from a rescue then I found a boar on gumtree and had him neutered. So a lovely fluffy trio.

Jingle and Mistletoe with boar, Cufflinks at the front with a tan coloured nose!

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I was then asked to take in an elderly bereved sow. In the meantime I had fallen for a couple of youngsters in a rescue and was asked to take in another bereved sow (rip)

Here are the two youngsters, Cherry b and Rosie

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Here is Primrose (rip) on the right with Mistletoe

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Here is the first elderly bereved sow, Tani x with some of the others

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I now have 6 sows and a neutered boar!
 
I started with 2 boars ‘rescued’ from Pets at Home adoption centre.
I hadn’t come across the forum then and had only gone in to buy some hamster stuff for my nephew’s Christmas present.
One of the boys died young - the vet thought a brain tumour - so as I didn’t want my boy to be left alone he was neutered and I was given 2 sows by a breeder who didn’t want them any more.
By the time Merab was left alone I had come across the forum and learned about rescues, however there wasn’t one near me so as Merab was desperate for companionship I went to a different pet shop who dealt with a much more reputable breeder. Keziah and Jemimah joined the family.
We sadly lost Keziah to a tumour in June and I hadn’t intended getting another guinea pig.
However...... I was checking Gumtree as we were selling some of the stuff from my father’s flat and came across a very young mother and daughter who needed to be rehomed as their owner was moving and couldn’t take them with her.
This is why I now have a herd of 4
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will settle in nicely and learn lot's of new stuff. That's what we're here for.
 
I bought mine from a pet shop as I didn’t know about rescue piggies. I am now actively looking for a rescue piggie to join my girls when I have finished building new quarters for them. Local rescue have just had a large influx of piggies due to a rescue and have 40 to chose from. I don’t think the wife would be happy if I came back with arm fulls of piggies!
 
Welcome! My lot are from various places, Bramble who is the oldest of my current 12 was from Pets at home, as we're Daisy and Delilah a year or 2 later. Both times I only went in for cat litter I think and came out with pigs.
Shelly, Leonard, Ivory and Ebony were given to me by friends.
Due to the forum rules I won't say where Cinammon and Treacle came from but I love golden agoutis so when I saw Cinnamon I had to have her and she was with Treacle who also needed a home so I took her as well.
Misty came from a little pet shop down the road from where I live, I had seen her a couple of weeks before but when I went back her friend had been sold and she was all alone looking very miserable, I knew my herd would most likely love her so home she came!
In the end she was a little left out though so I decided I needed a baby to add to the herd that could be her friend, I wasn't planning anything in particular but when getting hay from my usual place (Just for Pets) I saw Pumpkin and I'm a sucker for a curly haired pig so asked if I could reserve her, to my surprise they told me that they don't sell singles under any circumstance which was nice, so no pig could end up like Misty all by herself :) so I watched them for a bit and Pumpkin seemed to be friends with a lovely tri colour so I reserved them both.
 
Surely a discussion about the banned thread does no harm. People that are leaning that way, could have it explained to them, about the pros & cons of where to get there piggies.I find that if you totally ban something, then people are curious, why. I feel that we should have a discussion thread. This country welcomes free speech Kelly & we have to embrace that.
I can't remember which senior member said it didn't matter where our piggys came from, though obviously rescue is always best.
This is my point of view only.
It is a suggestion only.
 
Tiamolly123 said:
Surely a discussion about the banned thread does no harm. People that are leaning that way, could have it explained to them, about the pros & cons of where to get there piggies.I find that if you totally ban something, then people are curious, why. I feel that we should have a discussion thread. This country welcomes free speech Kelly & we have to embrace that.
I can't remember which senior member said it didn't matter where our piggys came from, though obviously rescue is always best.
This is my point of view only.
It is a suggestion only.
Click to expand...

I havent said there is an issue with where the piggies came from.
I have highlighted the forum rules which you and every other member has agreed to and also which I did not write.
Yes we do aim to educate and you will see many threads on here where it is explained why we do not promote intentional breeding.
 
Lady Kelly said:
I havent said there is an issue with where the piggies came from.
I have highlighted the forum rules which you and every other member has agreed to and also which I did not write.
Yes we do aim to educate and you will see many threads on here where it is explained why we do not promote intentional breeding.
Click to expand...

:agr:Completely. I’m not sure what banned thread you are referring to @Tiamolly123. None of the staff members has banned the discussion. We’ve simply pointed out the rules to which we ALL agree to adhere to when we use the forum.
 
This is a helpful thread.
Many of us here have bought piggies from pet shops, the free ads, breeders etc simply because we didn’t know better.
Sometimes there is no choice.
When I searched for a rescue before joining the forum there was nothing came up within a 20 mile radius.
When I joined the forum it turns out the nearest rescue to me is nearly 30 miles away.

It’s good to have a pro rescue forum and to learn the issues around intentional breeding.
I hope it makes us all better piggy slaves and more aware of where our furry darlings come from
 
Agreed. I admit I bought Mickey and Donald from pets at home completely unaware of the issues surrounding breeders and lack of knowledge of pets stores. If I were to get anymore I would certainly look at rescues, I just worry for the tiny babies that are sitting in pets shops across the country. I didn’t go to a pet shop because I’m ignorant or a bad personality, I just didn’t know! And I bet there are so many people out there the same as me. I do agree with the forum stance on intentional breeding But I can’t say for definite I wouldn’t buy another pet store guinea pig, I think they all deserve good loving homes and I know that I can provide that now.
 
My first 2 girls came from a local lady who had intentionally bred her piggies, but I was careful to check she wasnt a commercial breeder. I asked a really annoying amount of questions and went to her house and met all her pets! I wanted my first 2 piggies (first in 30 years anyway!) to be babies with no health problems or behavioural issues. Then when we saw little Theo being given away in the free ads all my misgivings about unloved second hand piggies disappeared because he was so cute and so lonely... then we accidentally adopted the 2 giant fat ladies from a loving but clueless previous owner...
its really hard not to feel sorry for piggies in pet shops and want to bring them home but them somebody will just breed more... I havent been in our local pets at home since my husband said he saw piggies there because I dont want to feel sorry for them and buy them! If I saw anymore being given away in the free ads though I might be tempted :)
 
Yes I have to try and avoid pets at home as it has he same effect on me. If I had more indoor space I would rescue a pair tomorrow, I am so in love with these piggies of mine I would love to have more but at the moment I don’t have the space. I don’t think I would intentionally seek out pigs at a pet shop but I just hate seeing them there in those glass cages. And the staff have the nerve to ask you what size cage they are going to be in and I said, bigger than the tank that you have 7 of them in now! Makes me so cross! I am trying to learn as much as I can about piggies as I would love to set up my own rescue/boarding when I retire.
 
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