Feeling immense guilt over new adoption

[Thrymskvida]

Hello everyone.

Recently, one of my beloved sows passed away very suddenly. Her companions, who are both quite young (<6 months) were as distraught as I was. I checked everywhere for a sow needing a home in order to help with the bereavement, but none of the rescues in my province had any pigs.

I came across an ad on Gumtree for three bonded adult sows looking for a home. I felt I couldn't home three new pigs, so didn't contact their current guardian, but felt really guilty and worried about whether they'd find a good home.

Eventually, an ad turned up for some baby pigs, and I drove an hour to pick one up. I got the impression that their guardian was not a very responsible man, and perhaps didn't have a lot of knowledge about cavies. He talked me into getting two babies. They are very sweet, but also VERY young - only 3 weeks old.

The next day, a friend contacted me letting me know that a family who was moving overseas had two sows who needed to be rehomed. Immediately, I felt just awful. Here I was, with two tiny babies who really shouldn't be separated from their mother yet, when if I'd just waited one day I could have given two older pigs a desperately needed home. I couldn't even use the excuse that I only wanted one - after all, I'd gotten two babies!

I'm now totally wracked with guilt over not being able to give those three bonded pigs and the two sows from the emigrating family a home. I feel like I've gone to a backyard breeder or pet shop to pick out a couple of cute puppies who're guaranteed a home regardless, and left an older less "desirable" dog in the SPCA to wither away. I know I can't take on the five older pigs, and it's too late now, but I can't stop thinking about them.

I love my new piglets, but I feel like a terrible person for getting them.

 

[PigglePuggle]

Dont be too hard on yourself, as an animal lover it is completely natural to feel guilt about all the animals you wish you could rehome but can't, and worry about the fate of animals you've seen advertised and considered. Its not like you deliberately went shopping for new baby piggies with no idea how to look after them, you just wanted to complete your piggy family again after your bereavement.
Much better those babies came to you, especially as you have older sows already who can act as foster mums, than they went to someone else. We cant bring home every unwanted piggy from the free ads, however much we wish we could! Be kind to yourself and enjoy your new babies x

 

[Betsy]

Baby piggies are desperate for the guidance of older more experienced piggies. Baby boar piggies have to be separated from the females at 3 weeks old anyway as they can produce babies from then. If they were boys they would be separated by now. Don't feel bad. You have given 2 little girlies a loving home with some older piggies to show them how to do things, what is safe to eat, how to behave and the routine in their new home. You have given your other piggies some new friends too. So all in all you have put aside your feelings of bereavement for the sow you lost for the love of your remaining piggies and that is a wonderful thing to do. Be gentle with yourself as you grieve the loss of your piggy who is now having fun at The Rainbow Bridge.

 

[Sweet Potato]

There's the old you that tried to find a rescue, but ended up having to go to a breeder in order to complete their family and help their existing piggies. I don't think that I can blame that person for making those decisions. Don't blame the old you for decisions that only seem wrong based on new information you didn't know these other piggies would appear out of nowhere and the first piggies you saw just weren't right for your herd. You did the best you could with the information you had and that's all any of us can do.

 

[VickiA]

You are clearly a compassionate person. You made your decision based on the facts as they were known to you at the time you made your decision. None of us can predict the future. Please don’t beat yourself up. Just give the best home you can to the piggies you have. Otherwise you’ll end up tormenting yourself and not enjoying them.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new piggies.
Hindsight is wonderful but we have to make decisions based on what we know at the moment.
You sound as if you made a great decision and 2 little girls now have a wonderful home.
Please don’t feel guilty over something you could not possibly have known.

 

[Thrymskvida]

Thank you, everyone, for your lovely replies. They've made me feel a lot better. This is such a kind community, and there's so much helpful information.

The new girls are zooming about like mad, and have reminded me of the necessity of baby-proofing the enclosure...

I can't believe how tame they are already! I'm going to try my hardest to give them and my older girls the best life possible.

Here are all four of them - Miri is the eldest, and lurking in the background. The two babies (Emma and Lucy) are on either side of Delphine.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome
Gorgeous girlies, please don’t let this unjustified gilt spoil the excitement and fun for your new babies, it’s very hard, we would all like to rescue and give a good home to all these little souls but it’s impossible x

 

[piggieminder]

Welcome to the forum.
Congratulations on our new babies, they are gorgeous. Those two have landed on their little paws finding you. It sounds like that man would have let them go anywhere, who knows where they could have ended up. Don't feel guilty about the ones you couldn't home.

 

[VickiA]

In the end all that matters is not where they came from, but the life that you give them.
Lovely photos x

 

[Merab]

They are just

 

[Tara95]

Please don't feel guilty at the end of the day you've given 2 baby guinea pigs a better life regardless. Rescues are great because they have high standards; they often are fairly strict with aspects such as cage size and other factors and won't just sell to anyone often doing home visits before the owner can be approved. However with some breeders quite often they will sell to anyone without asking questions and therefore you have saved those guinea pigs from potential neglectful owners or an owner who may keep a single guinea pig by itself for example.