Feral fosters

Cue

Cue

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 12, 2022
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Location
Seattle, Washington; USA
We received our new foster piggies today, a trio of females from a 40 strong Guinea pig relinquishing at our local shelter. I have never, ever seen piggies this terrified; the baby I pulled out from under a blackberry bramble after two weeks out in the wild wasn’t this scared. I’ve been scratched by teeth twice within 5 hours of having them. One is probably under a year, but the largest and oldest is absolutely petrified and will squeal if other pigs get too close. They seem exhausted. They aren’t a bonded group, I don’t think they even really know each other based on their behavior.

Their new cage is nicely cluttered with packing paper, cardboard tubes, boxes, and a little cloth bag. They are in the same room as our perma-piggies.

I know I should just leave them alone and let them have quiet right now but I want to know if there’s anything else I can do to comfort them long term.
 
Oh bless them. They sound petrified. All I can suggest is a blanket over the end of the cage might help and a big pile of hay to hide from each other. I’m sure they will settle down a bit in a few days.
 
Probably someone from the rescues or who has experience with traumatised fosters from hoarding situations can advise better, @VickiA @Wiebke ?
All you can really do to begin with is start to gain their trust in a hands-off way, just providing food and keeping them clean in a predictable non threatening way, accompanied by a happy sing-song voice so they know who you are and what you are going to do, don't get flustered or upset yourself while in their room, resist the temptation to fuss them or break routine- just do what you have to do, then time and space are key while they learn normal pet piggy things.
Do you have other piggies around who can help them adjust, others in the room who arent so scared and can give off a calming vibe, help reassure them that hoomans are just the friendly food delivery/poop removal service they shouldn't freak out about?
 
Cue said:
Yes, my other pigs who are very chill around us are in the same room. I ended up getting up at 1 am to check on them, and they had eaten and were running around. They’re doing a bit better this morning too, less screaming.
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Hi and welcome
Have your new arrivals already been quarantined or not? If not, then please do not keep them in the same room with your own piggies for obvious reasons. It is standard practice for any rescue working to a decent level of welfare since sooner or later something will jump across, and you can only hope it is not one of the killing nasties.
Importance Of Quarantine
Please give your newbies time to settle in and get their bearings. If you can, peg a sheet over the cage to give them an added feeling of security and avoid any predatory behaviours.
You may find these links here helpful, which have lots of very practical tips :
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs? (including how to create a daily routine to help your newbies anticipate what is going to happen)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)

All the best.
 
I agree with the advice given above about quarantine and also about settling them in. I would avoid any attempt at handling unless absolutely necessary while they settle in. And even though they’ve come from a group before coming into the rescue there is no guarantee that they will get along together long term. First they will need to re establish dominance on arrival in new accommodation. Then any old grudges or grievances may come to the fore. With any luck they will settle back down again but it’s always worth looking out for any signs of bullying.
 
Thank you all again. I swear this forum is a lifesaver sometimes. I’ll see if I can nab some cardboard off one of our broken down boxes and use that to cover them up.

We handled them for a couple minutes today as we had to weigh them, and are getting a good feel for where they all are timidity-wise. The youngest is the most handleable, the oldest is pretty ok but also a literal tube of muscle, and the mid-aged is practically unhandleable. They were definitely not neglected physically though, they look and feel better than most pet store piggies I’ve seen. physically strong and with a good layer of fat, no runny noses, sneezing, or scratching, no bald spots or dandruff or swollen feet. they could be show pigs they look so good.

As for bonding they’ve settled down a bit and are only exhibiting totally normal behaviors for newly introduced pigs, so that’s nice. They’re definitely mostly nocturnal so far. If they don’t show any signs of becoming a bonded trio or pair, I think I might (eventually, absolutely not now or anytime soon) introduce the youngest to my youngest perma-pig because her cagemate she is super bonded to also happens to be pretty old and the baby is around her age with a similar personality. We are calling them Satsuma, Tangerine, and Sumo, because they are very orange and round.
 
Well these guys have chilled out A LOT. Definitely not as quiet at night as would be convenient but still, huge huge progress. They’re taking food out of our hands and not running away screeching like I just ate one of them in front of them whenever I get close to the cage. I’ve held both Sumo and Satsuma because they chilled out so much we worried they were sick (they weren’t, they’re fine) and Satsuma is actually really handleable! Neither of them are super loving it yet but I’m just trying to get them somewhat chill with people.

800732FB-FB80-4B14-9F3F-CCB46C1F8118.webp

They’re SO SOFT too.
 
Woo ok updates

Satsuma has acquired the gift of flight
A41164B9-BCEF-4A21-91EE-59F38AE51EAF.jpeg
We might keep her too, she is rather wonderful and a couple of quick introductions during floor run time with our current pigs has proven them to get on alright outside the cage.

Tangerine is probably pregnant. She’s been terrorizing Sumo and Satsuma, so she’s going to be swapped with another foster from the same batch who is apparently more social. Hopefully she’ll calm down some once she gives birth, but I think some quiet will do her well.

I also do want to know what is happening with Satsuma’s ears though. None of these pigs have the normal bald patch behind the ear, but Satsuma has really, really long fur there. Nowhere else. It doesn’t stick up like that normally either, I was just messing with it.
 
Cue said:
Woo ok updates

Satsuma has acquired the gift of flight
View attachment 219290
We might keep her too, she is rather wonderful and a couple of quick introductions during floor run time with our current pigs has proven them to get on alright outside the cage.

Tangerine is probably pregnant. She’s been terrorizing Sumo and Satsuma, so she’s going to be swapped with another foster from the same batch who is apparently more social. Hopefully she’ll calm down some once she gives birth, but I think some quiet will do her well.

I also do want to know what is happening with Satsuma’s ears though. None of these pigs have the normal bald patch behind the ear, but Satsuma has really, really long fur there. Nowhere else. It doesn’t stick up like that normally either, I was just messing with it.
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Longer hair behind the ears or at the bum usually indicates a long-haired ancestor somewhere further up the family tree.
You can find examples in our cross breeds gallery: Members-cross-breeds-gallery

It can occasionally happen that the area behind the ears is furred up but yours is rather unusual with the two factors coinciding.
 
Aw she has the most amazing ear tufts, never seem that 8n a piggie before. So glad they have settled so well 😊
 
Well… rough decision time.
Next week some rearranging is happening. Either Satsuma and Sumo are going back to the shelter or Tangerine is. We are debating pulling the trigger, adopting Satsuma, and throwing her in with our pigs; returning Sumo and letting Tangerine stay with us until she gives birth.

I’m not so sure about Satsuma. She’s super sweet and gets on with our pigs great, our pigs boost her confidence noticeably, and she’s just a very nice pig. I’m also not sure shes “the one.”
I am set on Tangerine staying with us. I think that how she’s reacted to the slight stress of having two other pigs around has made it pretty clear she needs peace. This is probably her first pregnancy and I want to have her in a one-on-one environment. I think she has potential to be a really, really nice pig who just happens to not be feeling good right now because pregnancy sucks.
Sumo should do fine wherever she goes, she’s pretty adaptable but I think she needs handling practice.
 
Update!

Sumo went back, these other two are doing much better.
We’re probably gonna keep Satsuma; the whole household has fallen in love with her, she does amazingly with our pigs, and we feel she’s so submissive there’s a pretty high chance she wouldn’t go to a home that would cater to her needs. We also trimmed her butt mats off.

Tangerine is about ready to pop, we think she’ll have her babies any day now, they’re starting to kick. She also acts like she’s starving all the time.
Both Tangerine and Satsuma are getting MUCH braver.
Aaaandd the lead piggie foster left, so my mother took over. So now we’re dealing with many cavies.
 
Thanks for the update, hope the birth of Tangerine’s goes well 🤞We will all want to see photos of them 😊
 
Well, Tangerine hasn’t had her babies yet, but the vet says she’s gonna have four of them sometime in the next month. She got an RI and was in bad shape last night, now she’s home with us after an overnight stay at the vet (I swear our vets are great.) We have a nebulizer for now, and will get oral antibiotics if that doesn’t get her better.

I honestly feel sorta bad. She’d been honking while she ate for a couple days, but I just assumed she was talking to herself like one of my other pigs does. Maybe we could’ve caught it before it got this bad, but it might’ve been blown off if it wasn’t. We don’t know where it came from either and I worry I brought something home working on my school ‘farm’ (no animals, just plants and stuff.)

It was amazing we got her there in time anyway. When she finally got there my mom had to poke her because she didn’t know if she was alive or dead. My poor mom was there until midnight.
UNFORTUNATELY this has opened up a hole can of worms with the way fosters work. The vets wouldn’t tell her anything and kept her there till midnight before she finally just left. Apparently fosters can’t have any information about their animals until the shelter vet has been called…. who slept though the phone ringing. Anyway my mother who is now the foster lead tore them a new one and managed to get a meeting with the shelter vet, shelter director, and deputy of animal care tomorrow to discuss options that would be better for everyone involved.
 
Had her babies last night, all dead but fully formed. We both think she had preeclampsia and the vets missed it since they didn’t do any labs. On the other hand, Tangerine is happy, hungry, and breathing completely normally.

In all honesty I’m sad but don’t care about the babies. The world didn’t need four more pigs and Tangerine is ok, that’s all I care about.
 
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m pleased Tangerine seems to be ok.
 
Cue said:
Had her babies last night, all dead but fully formed. We both think she had preeclampsia and the vets missed it since they didn’t do any labs. On the other hand, Tangerine is happy, hungry, and breathing completely normally.

In all honesty I’m sad but don’t care about the babies. The world didn’t need four more pigs and Tangerine is ok, that’s all I care about.
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HUGS

I am so sorry that the babies haven't made it. Death rates are much higher with rescued pregnant sows in a bad state.

But I am glad that Tangerine is well and will hopefully get fully well.
 
Thanks you’ll. They were kicking in the car ride to the vet so we think they may have suffocated if she wasn’t moving enough air. At least we know she got them all out.
 
Cue said:
Update: These girlies are officially up for adoption! They’re hopefully going to a new foster soon too. I’m so proud of how well they’ve done.
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brilliant news! What an amazing job you’ve done. 👍
 
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Finally, FINALLY these precious ladies have found a home. They’ve been adopted by a wonderful farm family with a bunch of other animals, lots of land, and a 14 year old who is taking their first piggies VERY seriously.

This is from the last night they were with us. I cried when they left, if my dad wasn’t so allergic to them I would’ve kept them. Both of them have done so well, I’m so proud of them.
IMG_1023.webp
 
It’s sad when they go. But it’s great they’ve found an amazing forever home.
 
Well done you did such a good job with them they'll be able to have such a great life now because of the work you put in.
 
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