Don’t Know if I Should Rehome

[kieradebacker]

Hi, I have had my guinea pigs a little short of a year. I love them so much but I don’t know if I am the best owner for them. I am very busy and a teenager and I have school, sports, a job, and a jewelry buisness. I onlt end up cuddling with them about once a week and there cage is a mess. I used to use fleece and cleaned it twice a day but now i use bedding and havent changed it in three weeks. They are always hiding and i don’t know if they are happy. my house isn’t that big and my cage could be bigger. I also have mental health problems and it is really hard for me to take care of them. i have been thinking about this for a while but I am taking it more seriously now. it breaks my heart that i am considering this this much. i wanted a guinea pig for over 8 years and now that i finally have them they might not be living there best lives. i want what is best for them and I don’t know if I am. please give advice

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s good you are considering what is best for them.

While not cuddling them isn’t a problem - most piggies don’t like being cuddled anyway and as long as they have each other, then socially speaking that is all they need - not cleaning them out properly or youre struggling to take care of them, it is a welfare issue and sadly it sounds as if you might not be in a position to give them the care they need.

Guinea pigs are not easy pets, they take a lot of work to look after properly with lots of time spent each day/week carrying out daily spot cleaning on their cage, full cage cleans once or twice a week, as well as their weekly health checks, nail clipping, weighing them every week to ensure their weight remains stable (any weight issues can mean illness) Etc.

Only you can make the decision as to whether you can cope with them but if you don’t feel you can dedicate the time they need, then surrendering them to a rescue centre so they can be rehomed is an act of love. It shows you are thinking about their needs and making it a priority.

Good luck with your decision, we will support you if you would like to discuss things further

 

[Free Ranger]

Hi there, we are just waking up here in the UK so sorry if there has been a delay in responding to you!
It's not the cuddling or even spending time with them. You have done better than a lot of people as it sounds like you have more than one and they really need company of their own kind like that... but if the cleaning out is getting too much for you then you are doing the right thing to consider all your options. They can get urine-scalded feet from standing in wet bedding too long and it also attracts flies which can bring maggots and disease. And their nails can overgrow - sometimes digging into the foot-pad: old George in my picture has nails which curl all over the place needing careful management.

One thing I would say is that if you pass them on then please look into rescues in your area for one with a good reputation so they can be properly checked over and a suitable new home can be found by those knowledgeable people. It is better for the piggies to do this rather than to pass them to a friend who might fancy having piggies without being aware of all the aspects of owning them... especially the vet bills. When you get pigs from a rescue in the UK you sign a contract to return them in case things don't work out rather than just passing them over to friends or family. As you have found out, they can be quite a lot of work! If you can manage a small donation to the rescue as a 'goodbye' gift towards their care I'm sure they would be grateful and it might help you feel better about things - but if you can't don't worry about it.

I'm so sorry to hear you are having some mental health issues, which can strike at any time but teens are particularly vulnerable. Something like depression can make even the smallest job too much to tackle and being responsible for pets is not a small job, it can feel impossible when you are struggling to look after yourself properly throughout the day You can also feel much worse about how you are managing things and be very critical of yourself. Be kind to yourself today - in time these things will improve but it can sometimes take a while and by surrendering your piggies while you get better you will make sure they get the care they need. I know you will miss them but you have done your best. A lot of people on here have pigs from rescue centres, including myself, and we are grateful that their previous owners gave them, and us, a chance to meet Take care x

 

[Bradshaw Piggies]

And don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s no judgement all all, sometimes life just gets in the way! At least you’re being sensible and putting their welfare first.
Take care of yourself too x

 

[Merab]

You sound like a very sensible and caring owner to be considering the piggie’s needs and your own circumstances.
It’s not an easy decision to make but sounding out options here will, I hope, help you.

You’ve already had great advice.
If you give up your piggies now look on it as a gift of love to them, but it will feel like grief to you.
Also, remember that one day you may be in a position to give other ( rescued) piggies a home and they will be very lucky.