Hopefully New Piggy Owner Soon

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Subvato

Subvato

Junior Guinea Pig
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I have grown up with animals, and have moved to London a year ago away from my family and am so alone. I have bundles of free time outside of work and have looked after rabbits, dogs, dish previously. I have been researching guinea pigs and their care for 2 years and its time for me to start getting everything in motion.

Today I am scared though as just about to send text to landlord to ask if its ok to keep them, I don't have any paperwork stating no pets so doing it to be courteous, don't really want the hassle of moving again.

At least then can hopefully get a nice big C&C cage set up for them. I have a really large room I rent, and end of my bed is a floor area 2 metres by 1.5 metres in a square as well as a 1.2m by 50cm(could fit something in wider) area where cage/run can go. leave house 8:30am for work and return around 6pm each day Monday-Friday, so as long as they are ok for the day then be fine.

Just nervous and hope landlord says yes, I have been planning this for so long, needed to be settled in home, and make sure I can take on the responsibility and have learnt everything about them. Have read many topics here, and recently signed up, was just waiting to post!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. I hope your landlord agrees. I live in London too.
 
Fingers crossed for you.The great thing bout c&c is you can make them whatever size and shape you want.The only tip I can give you is find a piggy savvy vet before you get them
 
Hello and welcome. Here's hoping your landlord agrees. :D
 
I felt exactly the same when I asked if I could get a 2nd dog in rented place. I know completely different....but what I mean is the feeling you get. Hope they say yes. Piggie toes crossed
 
Hi and welcome! Hopefully your landlord should be fine. If you offer to maybe get the flooring professionally cleaned when you move out one day, then most landlords are fine. My husband runs a letting agency and most landlords are happy with this. Fingers crossed!
 
Thanks everyone. Landlord was ok with it. Was mainly apprehensive on cats and dogs destroying everything. Explained piggies will be caged or let out in my arms or run protected from furnishings and wiring etc.

Thought about best time get get them and will do during a week I have off in October. I was planning to visit family in October so get when I return. Less stress on piggies then. If I can find good piggy boarding I will put them up if I ever have to go away. If not will stay at home with them

Decided on sows. I have read a boar and sows is the happiest but don't want to put a pig through neutering where I can get 2 sows and won't need to have them spayed.

I found on Amazon the grids to build my cage. There are grids for 6 shelves but as won't need a bottom and will be a big cage will do the 2 grid by 4 grid set up. Will get something for floor time. As have 2mx1.5m of additional run space available.

I researched piggy vets and found one in Camden forget it's name but also trains vets too and are experienced with guineas. Have read they don't need injections like rabbits/dog vaccinations but when I get them will want to book for health rest and register them. I have £500 in a saving account I have allocated to pig medical care only. I will add to this each month. Is this enough? I don't want to waste money on insurance I'd rather just pay for what they need as they need it.

I thought about naming them Anna and Elsa as they will be my little Princesses! I've found sites to buy cosy's and everything. Have to not get too carried away but want them to have a great interactive home, I will have at least 4 hours a day I can play and interact with them after work in evening. More into night of necessary as after that would be catching up on TV (if they want to watch with me in my lap !) and an hour in morning. Weekends free all day of they want me!

I'm trying to figure out best way to pet them both equally and I figure can put one in each cosy and rest it only lap and if I watch tv that and towel trick. When I first get them I will leave them be for a few days except feeding and water changes so they can acclimatise.

I do hope one day get a bigger place with more rooms so I could expand my colony. But will see how I get on, just hope I can make them happy.

P.S I know sows don't get impaction like a boar but do they have a grease gland to maintain?

Thanks. Everyone seems so friendly and caring on this forum.
 
Sorry nobody replied to your post. I just saw it. My sow Sophie has an active grease gland but I have not had a sow who did before.

There is a meet up on 31 in hammersmith. You could come and talk piggy with us!
 
It sounds like you're really ready to be an owner - that vet fund is fabulous and more than most people have! You can get insurance should you wish to take that route - it is good if you want to be prepared :)
My estate agents didn't mind us having guinea pigs; in fact, it was written into our contract that we were permitted to keep them provided we paid for any damage that they might do to the house (which doesn't happen as they don't get far enough to damage anything!) That should be reasonable.
Have you spoken to a rescue about adopting? There are some great ones out there who can find the perfect wiggies for you :)
 
Aw I'm glad that your landlord allowed them, they really are the best pet (other than my yorkie but you can't have her).

My guinea pigs are left for 8 hours each day, sometimes more. I have 4 girls so they keep each other company but there is nothing best than the sound they make when I walk up the garden path to them. They sound so happy and delighted that I am coming but I think its just the veggies that they want!

As everyone else has said, make sure your vet is good for guinea pigs, I once had a vet ask me if they eat hay or not! Definitely never went back there again! Looks like youre financially set up for them as well so thats good.

Youve said about the snuggies but dont be disappointed if they dont use them. Mine have snuggies in the form of sleeping bags and ive only ever seen them sleep on it once, never in it. Mine love nothing more than a cardboard box!
 
You seem very organised! Well done for doing your research! I am getting my guinea pigs for Christmas and I can't wait to spoil them with lots of toys and treats! Good luck to you and your piggies! :)
 
I haven't contacted rescues yet. I have searched for them online not found one near me yet. I'm not concerned over breed now I've thought about it

I originally had planned to find pedigree breeder and get 2 from a litter, as that's how had gone about the dogs have grown up with at home and so on, but more I read about guinea pigs the less inclined to go that way than find 2 and 'save' them by giving them a good home

My c and c grids came. 22 of them, going to build it in corner so it will be like a 2 grid by 4 grid. I can extend if needed. Will keep some grids to make a spare for hospital in case one gets sick. Good thing with my work is flexible working so if I ever have a sick pig can work from home or take flexi days to care.

I like what I've read about bonding with them as a human. And that it takes time but eventually good work should pay off, so I'm ready to take it slow.

Guinea's are just so adorable and I can't wait to have my pair. It will be my own little family here. I'm glad if I ever have a query I know to ask here.

7 weeks I can get them as I will be back home. Ordering bits every a often from amazon and other sites for them. I just need to find where to get a supply of syringes and a critical care. There's a vet about 15 mins walk from home and their website has lots of guinea info. I will have to ring them to ask some guinea specific questions soon like how many have you treated, what are the conditions you deal with them the most and years of experience.

I'm so excited, but I need to make head ways into finding best place to get them. Tbh I have no problems typing. But I'm not the most outgoing person to those I don't know or in phone but will so what's best!
 
You are so considerate and organised. It I wonderful you are going to go a rescue. I adopted from Bobtails which is just over two hours away. It is a shame there is no rescue in London.
 
East London, Stratford near Olympic park, only thing I don't have is a lawn. I have a yard (paved) my cage will be indoors.

The piggies on that site are so gorgeous, seeing photos of piggies seems to just awaken my soft spot!
 
RSPCA normally have loads of nice piggies up for homes :)
 
Been looking at piggy places and ones looking to be adopted online. Was able to find a place that your can buy /adopt.

Well one place has a beautiful boar born on my birthday.

I'd love to give him a loving home but I have planned to get my piggies after I attend a family wedding in October. Is rare I go away but it's my brother so have to go lol.

Just I keep thinking about him, it's hard waiting when you want bad enough. I'm just so eager to start my family. I will never have a human family of my own, London is so lonely my piggies will be my children :)

Just writing my thoughts down, I can't think of anything else at the moment. I've even had dreams involving guineas lately!
 
I would wait and get 2 that are already bonded. That way you will have 2 that you know are happy to live together.
 
I'm waiting, hard as it may be, added some extras to my amazon basket today, including a tunnel. Thanks to this site coroplast guide I know now where I will be getting it.

Will be sticking with sows to begin with but if I came across bonded boars looking for life home I wouldn't be against that at all, I believe in fate and those that come live with me were destined.

I'm so excited I'm wishing time away. It's so hard to wait. I like to read posts here about everyone's experiences and queries and everyone has such beautiful piggies! It's also so sad reading other posts where lives have come to an end. My best friend a 15 year old Labrador died this year and the year before her sister, I hope my guineas will be blessed with good lives.

I'm saving all cardboard I get too and toilet roll tubes, anything I could stuff with hay. I'm probably over preparing, I have concerns like will they be ok, will they be happy, I will probably keep a diary maybe even online when they arrive, a routine then and can inude weekly weigh ins so have a record, bit like when I was born there's photo albums growing up!

I've already found people so welcoming here, will be great when I can share my experiences first hand with the community, and I know any worry I may get I'd get proper sound advice.
 
So glad your landlord agreed. You sound very prepared for guinea pigs to me. It won't be long now and you will be able to begin looking for your piggies. :yahoo: I would have replied before now but never saw this post again to reply.
 
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