• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

Where did you get your Guinea Pigs from?

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rach-louise

Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Warwickshire
Just wondered where all of you got your Guinea Pigs from? Rescue, breeder or Pet Shop?

I was all set to get rescue pigs..have been looking for some in our area but none have really caught my eye. Wondered if people had any thoughts on whether it's best to get babies or older pigs?

Also are pet shops really that bad? I will **** get shot down in flames for asking:x haha..but i went on a hutch hunt today and they had the most adorable baby pigs, 8 weeks old at P@H. Two for £28. I got out quick before i made any daft decisions!

Asked the guy for a tape measure and was there for ages measuring up hutches and the GP started hutch was only 3x1.5ft! Which was a tad small so think we are going to go with the Rabbit starter hutch which was 4x2ft. Any advice on how big the run should be though? They had a very small triangle run which was £45 but seemed too small to me and you loose a lot of space as it's so low at the sides-so will be going with a square one.
 
As a rescue obviously I'm not going to recommend a petshop - they are the source of most of the piggies that end up here.

The main benefit of homing from a rescue is that you will be sure to be matched to a pair of piggies that meet your family's needs - not all piggy personalities are suitable for all types of families. You will also have the back up of the rescue for help with health issues or guidance with things such as nail clipping or bathing.

This is in addtion to the knowledge that the pigs that you take on have been saved from a life that is often a rotten one.

I could go on and on but I think you get the idea!

suzy x
 
My first 2 guinea pigs came from a pet shop. My friend got 2 at the same time. All are girls. We were very lucky as only one turned out to be pregnant (it happens a lot and I only realised when I found the forum) and she had 2 girls. So now we have 3 girls each. The pet shop we got them from now has a sign that says 'we cannot guarantee that female guinea pigs are not pregnant'. :{
I would only get rescue guinea pigs now. :)

The minimum recommended size hutch is 4ft x 2 ft and I would advise you to get as big a hutch as you can afford and have space for. A lot of people buy a hutch/ cage then realise they would prefer a bigger one once they get their pigs (I did and upgraded after 2 months). Remember that if you keep them outside they will not have access to the run in poor weather, so it makes sense to have as much space as possible in the hutch for them to be happy (boar pairs especially need space to remain friends).

:)
 
I got my first two piggies from a local garden centre - one was a tiny bag of bones; far too small and undernourished to be sold, frankly - and the most food obsessed piggy I have ever come across! She also came later down with congenital cataracts in both eyes.

The other had two babies just a few weeks after. Although she was kept separated into genders at her shop, that was not the case during transport - the sad fact is that what happened to me was no exception and pregnancy in virtual babies and infectious diseases are still all too common. You need only have a look at our pregnancy section!

Have you only looked at pics on the computer or seen and handled rescue piggies? Some may not come across as much on a website, but they will grab you when you see them in person. Often, quite unassuming piggies have great personalities.

Some rescues on the forum will rehome further afield, provided you pass a home check by a local rescue and a transport can be arranged.

My current piggies have come from HopperHaven in Redditch (who are sadly scaling down), 2 from RSPCA Walsall, 4 from Sokel/Becklen in Gretna, 2 from Becklen in Penrith and my last one is from SecondChance Rescue in Stoke - these are all rescues active on this forum.

Rescue people have the advantage that they know the piggies they are rehoming and care for them.
 
Last edited:
My first three piggies (all girls) were from Pets at Home. We're lucky in that our local store is one of the good ones and non of our girls were pregnant. Pippa and Willow were bought Feb 2009 and Pixel was added form the same shop last December.

Our latest (a neutered boy) came to us from Rescue (Becklen) just over two weeks ago and is aged about 6 or 7 months.

Of all of my pigs, Boris has settled the quickest and is the most tame and relaxed. He is still only very young yet, but is very confident already!

I, personally, would now always go to a rescue. If they don't have any pigs which seem to connect with you at the moment, why not pop a thread in 'Rescues Wanted' section. This is how Boris found his way to me. I was looking (very tentatively) for an aby piggie specifically and Helen posted to say she had this little guy looking for a home.

That said, I think that where the pigs come from isn't always the most important thing, but that they are going to a loving and caring forever home where their every need will be met :)


As for the hutch, I would agree to buy the largest you can afford. We bought a double 4' x 1.5' hutch which proved to be too narrow to allow them to properly stretch their legs and we upgraded a few months ago..
 
Last edited:
Noone will flame you down for asking about pet shops :)! Lots of people on here have gotten their pigs from shops but all too many have ended up with more pigs than they bought... Even if you go to a good shop that sexes them correctly a sow could already be pregnant from the transport from the rodent farm.

I got three older pigs (from a rescue). It felt safest as I knew they were out of the woods for some congenital teeth issues etc. It's also a way to get a tamer pig.

My recommendation would be a rescue because rescues give the pigs life long support and will always accept piggies back if for some reason you cannot keep them. The second best would be a reputable breeder who is not overbreeding her sows, gives the pigs good living quarters, food and care and you feel comfortable buying from.
 
All of my piggies bar two are from Becklen/Sokel. They have always helped me selected piggies that are perfect for myself and my family. We have had babies and older piggies and I would say if you are new to piggies then go to a rescue as they will take time to find the right pair for you.
 
rach-louise said:
Just wondered where all of you got your Guinea Pigs from? Rescue, breeder or Pet Shop?

I was all set to get rescue pigs..have been looking for some in our area but none have really caught my eye. Wondered if people had any thoughts on whether it's best to get babies or older pigs?

Also are pet shops really that bad? I will **** get shot down in flames for asking:x haha..but i went on a hutch hunt today and they had the most adorable baby pigs, 8 weeks old at P@H. Two for £28. I got out quick before i made any daft decisions!

Asked the guy for a tape measure and was there for ages measuring up hutches and the GP started hutch was only 3x1.5ft! Which was a tad small so think we are going to go with the Rabbit starter hutch which was 4x2ft. Any advice on how big the run should be though? They had a very small triangle run which was £45 but seemed too small to me and you loose a lot of space as it's so low at the sides-so will be going with a square one.
Click to expand...

Oh dear-why do i have stars in the middle of my post! I wasn't swearing there?/ Oops don't know what happered there.
RE hutch i really like the one they have on offer at the moment-£100 instead of £150. It's 2 storey 4x2. Think i may go with this even though it is double the price. As someone said they will have plenty of room in the winter if they arent out on the grass as much.
Thank you for all replies.
 
Sylvester - Bought from family friend.
Sunny - Given to me by a breeder.
Sooty & Sebastian - Pet shop.
Cheyenne - Given to me by my next door neighbour due to their kids losing interest.
Ivy - Given to me by a breeder.

I would strongly advise that you do not buy a guinea pig from a pet shop, they are ridiculously expensive. You can rescue a piggy, so you are giving them a second chance and they usually only cost a small donation fee. Plus, you will probably get more reliable information from a rescue than a pet shop ;)
 
I got Lola and Sukie from pet shops, but I wouldn't really recommend it as one of them had mange and the other was pregnant! And they were nervous and still aren't very friendly really, though I love them anyway. :)

Sukie gave birth to Cenci, so he's lovely and friendly.

I got Moxie from a family whose two "female" pigs had babies, and the kids had handled the babies loads so he was really friendly and still is. :)

And I got Meeko from the ISPCA nad he's so so lovely, even though he had a hard life.
 
My two came to me via an animal rescue forum. Their owner was looking to rehome them as they were moving away. Originally I'd planned to just foster them, but fell in love. x)

I know others that have had problems with pet shop piggies; and having heard about how they are bred, raised, travelled to the shops etc, personally I wouldn't buy from a pet shop.
 
I wouldn't advise that you get them from a pet shop, especially not pets at home. I got two from there and they both got chest infections in the first week. Millie died and Charlotte was left alone, sick and very needy. When she was better she was so over excited to be with my other pigs that she annoyed them so much they wouldn't accept her.

My current 6 are
Rosie - Was rescued by my sister from a friend who didn't want her
Poppy and Daisy - Came from a rescue to be friends with Rosie
Charlotte - P@H
Lexi and Kizzy - Unwanted from a free ad to be friends with Charlotte
 
I have only had guinea pigs from the pet shop once and that was many years ago. I bought 2 and got more than I bargained for. Out of the six I have 2 were from breeders as you don't find their breeds in rescue (and I really did try!) and the other 4 were free to a good home on preloved because their owners had bred them and were bored with them. So bored they couldn't even be bothered to name them. So I have mum and her 2 daughters, I also took dad, had him neutered and he lives in with them too.
 
rach-louise said:
Oh dear-why do i have stars in the middle of my post! I wasn't swearing there?/ Oops don't know what happered there.
RE hutch i really like the one they have on offer at the moment-£100 instead of £150. It's 2 storey 4x2. Think i may go with this even though it is double the price. As someone said they will have plenty of room in the winter if they arent out on the grass as much.
Thank you for all replies.
Click to expand...

I have a sow in at the moment with a broken leg and arthritis as a result of a double storey hutch.

I would say be VERY careful with them and modify it to make it safe.

A bigger wider hutch would be much better than 2 storey
 
or a 4-5 foot cage with a pen in front of it. You can use a picnic blanket, the kind with waterproof backing, to protect the floor . Most cages have more headroom than piggies need so there's usually room for a loft, search the forum a bit, it's not hard to put in a loft in a cage!
 
Lisajazz said:
I have a sow in at the moment with a broken leg and arthritis as a result of a double storey hutch.

I would say be VERY careful with them and modify it to make it safe.

A bigger wider hutch would be much better than 2 storey
Click to expand...

HAWT my local rescue, don't rehome piggies to double hutches. They've had some injured because of them. You might want to ask the rescue you're considering getting your piggies from as to which hutches they prefer you to have before you go and invest in one.

I have my foster pair in a big 5x2, but the ramp has sides to it. The piggies tend stay downstairs and only go upstairs when it's veggie time. Think it's closer to my hands upstairs.rolleyes
 
skrikopanik said:
or a 4-5 foot cage with a pen in front of it. You can use a picnic blanket, the kind with waterproof backing, to protect the floor . Most cages have more headroom than piggies need so there's usually room for a loft, search the forum a bit, it's not hard to put in a loft in a cage!
Click to expand...

A picnic blanket, of course, genious!
 
Mine have all been bit of a mix from where i've gotten mine.
Willow - Person who's petshop pig had babies.
Marley - Rescue
Tyson - Rescue
Hannon - Rescued from a girl at school who no longer wanted him and just literally threw hm out the car at me.
Pickwick & Pirate - Very good petshop which very rarely had animals in and wouldn't sell until they'd been with them for 2 weeks to make sure they were healthy and gave me a right grilling before they would sell them to me.
Heath & Heston - Pet shop that was the pits but i had to take them, both had fungal infections and Heath ad an allergic dermatitis on his belly.
Harvey - Breeder.

On an unrelated note, we use those platic backed picnic blankets for when the pigs are out on the patio and to cover the hutches up during the summer nights, plastic side facing out. Bet who ever came up with them were not expecting them to be such a pet owners dream.
 
9 of my 16 were from pet shops and they are still healthy years later.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top