Hello all,
I guess I am popping on here for some comfort and a chat with some like minded piggy lovers that can help me today. This afternoon I surrendered my 2 boys to a local shelter and I am feeling really heart broken and I am looking for some comfort & reassurance that I made the right decision, because now I'm not sure. I had my eldest boy for 4 years and I was extremely fond of him. His partner was just over a year old and was a new companion to my eldest boy when his brother sadly passed.
One of my big goals for the new year was to move away to the city and to get a job there. It is something that I have wanted for a long time, being at my family home for 5/6 years now. Whilst at home, I had the boys in my room for their time with me; I loved having them so accessible and close to me but I found the inevitable odour hard to maintain and ventilate and this became a challenge for me despite daily spot cleaning and change overs of bedding etc. They were in a big C & C fleece lined pen. As you'll all understand, having piggies is a big commitment and requires a lot of maintenance. Things could get messy with the hay/poop disposal etc. This has been fine and worked for me as being in the family home reduced some of those pressures for me and I felt comfortable with it. I also had suitable space to be able to bath them/trim them when required and keep them in top shape (they were long haired boys).
My dream scenario would have been to have my own flat/home in the city and to give them their own seperate indoor space or another room in the house that was well ventilated and allowed them even more space to roam but sadly this isn't a realistic scenario for me. Finding a shared property that would be accepting of pigs indoors and big enough to accommodate the boys in a seperate space other than my room has been a real challenge for me and I found the added pressures of their maintenance building on me in someone else's property - particularly with the busier my career was/is becoming.
I had come to accept the reality of surrendering them to be the best option for them and my life circumstances, however I put it off for a while due to the thought of giving them up being quite unbearable. I would cry at the thought. However, I was also acutely aware of the time frame for my upcoming job (commuting not optional due to distance) coupled with the availability of suitable rooms in the city (they get taken very quickly) and the availability of shelters due to their ever increasing demands. I wouldn't be able to provide my pigs with adequate care if I missed the spot at the shelter because I wouldn't be around for their continuous upkeep unless I was able to commute back on a weekend. A spot became available at a local charity and with my job now accepted, I felt I had to face the inevitable.
I'm just a bit of a mess right now. I feel a big loss and I just want to go and get them back and change my mind.
Thank you, friends. Xx
I guess I am popping on here for some comfort and a chat with some like minded piggy lovers that can help me today. This afternoon I surrendered my 2 boys to a local shelter and I am feeling really heart broken and I am looking for some comfort & reassurance that I made the right decision, because now I'm not sure. I had my eldest boy for 4 years and I was extremely fond of him. His partner was just over a year old and was a new companion to my eldest boy when his brother sadly passed.
One of my big goals for the new year was to move away to the city and to get a job there. It is something that I have wanted for a long time, being at my family home for 5/6 years now. Whilst at home, I had the boys in my room for their time with me; I loved having them so accessible and close to me but I found the inevitable odour hard to maintain and ventilate and this became a challenge for me despite daily spot cleaning and change overs of bedding etc. They were in a big C & C fleece lined pen. As you'll all understand, having piggies is a big commitment and requires a lot of maintenance. Things could get messy with the hay/poop disposal etc. This has been fine and worked for me as being in the family home reduced some of those pressures for me and I felt comfortable with it. I also had suitable space to be able to bath them/trim them when required and keep them in top shape (they were long haired boys).
My dream scenario would have been to have my own flat/home in the city and to give them their own seperate indoor space or another room in the house that was well ventilated and allowed them even more space to roam but sadly this isn't a realistic scenario for me. Finding a shared property that would be accepting of pigs indoors and big enough to accommodate the boys in a seperate space other than my room has been a real challenge for me and I found the added pressures of their maintenance building on me in someone else's property - particularly with the busier my career was/is becoming.
I had come to accept the reality of surrendering them to be the best option for them and my life circumstances, however I put it off for a while due to the thought of giving them up being quite unbearable. I would cry at the thought. However, I was also acutely aware of the time frame for my upcoming job (commuting not optional due to distance) coupled with the availability of suitable rooms in the city (they get taken very quickly) and the availability of shelters due to their ever increasing demands. I wouldn't be able to provide my pigs with adequate care if I missed the spot at the shelter because I wouldn't be around for their continuous upkeep unless I was able to commute back on a weekend. A spot became available at a local charity and with my job now accepted, I felt I had to face the inevitable.
I'm just a bit of a mess right now. I feel a big loss and I just want to go and get them back and change my mind.
Thank you, friends. Xx
I'm still feeling terrible but I guess it's just time xx