I did it! I now have 14 piggies!

teddymouse said:
Hi, l have 28 piggies 3 neutered boars, 25 girls. 26 is the big herd,that live in "the hutch" ,a 14 foot x 12 foot summerhouse,and are free range over about a 1/3 acre of lawns, plus forage, fresh hay 24/7, vegs in winter, My vets budget is £400 a month, which can get eaten up very quickly. You really have to think very hard about taking on multiple piggies. Piggies l take in are here though no fault of theirs, l give them forever homes and do not rehome them ever, males are neutered, l do not breed them, but have had babies born here, missexed ,careless owners, had 7 females hand to me by my vet,all were expecting, 22 babies in all. Most were females, 3 boys, which were neutered when 6 months old,£80 + extras each. And need extra care till healed, the list gos on.
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28? That's just amazing! 😲 So much responsibility. How do you do it all?

I'm thankful at least I should not be having piggy multiplication complications, none of the sows I'm taking have been around boars so (hopefully) we're safe from exponential pig explosions. My one little man is now officially past the 6 weeks safe mark as well, I got ahold of his neuter date and double confirmed it.

We are definitely discussing how we are going to budget for vet care for everyone. I would never let an animal suffer just because the vet fees were not convenient. We've got good credit and support from family as well if a really hefty vet bill pops up.
 
Alrighty-o, here they are! These are some rather glamorous piggies. The third one is very shy and hasn't come out of the sock yet, but she's also quite pretty. And they now officially no longer have to rely on ice packs and wet towels to stave off heat exhaustion! 😱 Their human was very sad to have to leave them but pleased for them to join an extensive piggy community and live in nice big c&c cages.
 

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Featheryfriend said:
28? That's just amazing! 😲 So much responsibility. How do you do it all?

I'm thankful at least I should not be having piggy multiplication complications, none of the sows I'm taking have been around boars so (hopefully) we're safe from exponential pig explosions. My one little man is now officially past the 6 weeks safe mark as well, I got ahold of his neuter date and double confirmed it.

We are definitely discussing how we are going to budget for vet care for everyone. I would never let an animal suffer just because the vet fees were not convenient. We've got good credit and support from family as well if a really hefty vet bill pops up.
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I found out that Nationwide offers exotic pet health insurance, their office hours are over but I'm going to call tomorrow and get a quote. Will have to compare it to putting the money into savings.
 
Wow - I just caught up! It's going to be a busy time for the next few years at least, but sounds like they'll be living their best lives😊
Featheryfriend said:
My family and friends keep asking "what's wrong with her face?"
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Maybe she's a teenager? My Dad used to say that about my sister quite a lot!
Featheryfriend said:
Your house actually gets cold and you have to warm it up?
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Ha! I just can't imagine Arizona! I bet nobody ever gets goosebumps!
Featheryfriend said:
I haven't thought of a name for Miss Skinny Pig yet. Any ideas?
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Only Aloe Vera (maybe Vera for short) as it's a smooth, shiny succulent (and supposed to be good for the skin!)

You'll be able to write a piggy soap opera!
 
Siikibam said:
Make sure you read the small print and all the conditions of the insurance.
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I got a quote and it sounds like the coverage is good for any illness or injury, just no preexisting conditions or breeding-related concerns. $250 deductible per pig, $10,000 of coverage per pig, $14 per month per pig. Might be worth it at least for the more mature pigs. I could perhaps combine it with a cost-savings plan? What do y'all think?
 
Featheryfriend said:
I got a quote and it sounds like the coverage is good for any illness or injury, just no preexisting conditions or breeding-related concerns. $250 deductible per pig, $10,000 of coverage per pig, $14 per month per pig. Might be worth it at least for the more mature pigs. I could perhaps combine it with a cost-savings plan? What do y'all think?
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It really just depends on your opinion and financial situation. I know vet fees are more expensive in the US so it might be more viable to have the insurance
Here in the UK with only one insurer of guinea pigs, excesses and fine print, it isn’t always worth having insurance and instead a lot of us choose a vet fund savings account instead
 
Piggies&buns said:
It really just depends on your opinion and financial situation. I know vet fees are more expensive in the US so it might be more viable to have the insurance
Here in the UK with only one insurer of guinea pigs, excesses and fine print, it isn’t always worth having insurance and instead a lot of us choose a vet fund savings account instead
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Perhaps I'll try it out for just my five pigs that are age 3+ and see if I get my money's worth out of it over the next year. There appears to be only one guinea pig insurer here as well. I left a message at my exotic vet as well to see if they even take Nationwide. (Just got a call back, they do!)

They've all emerged again! They sure are shy babies. I've named them Apple (the half white/half chocolate one in the back) Ginger (the orange one of course!) and Peach (the coffee with cream one.) Apple is 10 months, Peach is 11 months, and Ginger is *allegedly* 10 months, but their previous human thinks the pet store was lying about her age and that she is actually more like 7 months. That's why she bought her from a pet store even though she knew it wasn't the best practice... she was like, you're all alone, shivering, and I think maybe 3 weeks old, let's get you in with some other guinea pigs ASAP.
 

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Free Ranger said:
Wow - I just caught up! It's going to be a busy time for the next few years at least, but sounds like they'll be living their best lives😊

Maybe she's a teenager? My Dad used to say that about my sister quite a lot!

Ha! I just can't imagine Arizona! I bet nobody ever gets goosebumps!

Only Aloe Vera (maybe Vera for short) as it's a smooth, shiny succulent (and supposed to be good for the skin!)

You'll be able to write a piggy soap opera!
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To be fair, we do put the a/c on heat for a couple months of the year, but just to raise the temperature by a few degrees, haha. And it can get somewhat cold at night outside, especially in the desert beyond the city "heat island," but generally the warmth your house retains from the sun keeps the indoor temp up even at night.

Piggy soap opera, lol! It has been suggested I start a YouTube channel to document their drama. 😂
 
Just started a bonding with the three little ones, they were so timid and needed some big piggie guidance, so far so good! Sage had to show somebody who's boss already but nobody is challenging her supremacy so I have a good feeling about this one.
 

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Featheryfriend said:
Just started a bonding with the three little ones, they were so timid and needed some big piggie guidance, so far so good! Sage had to show somebody who's boss already but nobody is challenging her supremacy so I have a good feeling about this one.
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Fingers crossed for them! Keep us posted

Its advised to not have any hideys or toys in a bonding pen - just a pile of hay
 
Piggies&buns said:
Fingers crossed for them! Keep us posted

Its advised to not have any hideys or toys in a bonding pen - just a pile of hay
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They're all two-ended but if they cause any trouble I will remove them. The long tunnel I was already thinking of removing so I'll go ahead and do that. It was just in there because I used it to move a piggie.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Fingers crossed for them! Keep us posted

Its advised to not have any hideys or toys in a bonding pen - just a pile of hay
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Yep okay, normally I've had success with the cut open paper bags but this time they're out. Everybody wanted the same one. 🙄

Interesting thing going on here, Sage is starting to get a little angry (mild teeth chattering, chasing) but she's taking it out on her old buddy Parsley instead of the newcomers! Any thoughts as to why?
 
Featheryfriend said:
Yep okay, normally I've had success with the cut open paper bags but this time they're out. Everybody wanted the same one. 🙄

Interesting thing going on here, Sage is starting to get a little angry (mild teeth chattering, chasing) but she's taking it out on her old buddy Parsley instead of the newcomers! Any thoughts as to why?
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How old are they? Is Sage the dominant between her and Parsley?
Older sows can be reluctant to have newbies join them. Of course, some dominance is to be expected but it can be the case that the original two start on each other resulting in a failure (newbies having to be removed to save the bond between the originals)
 
Piggies&buns said:
How old are they? Is Sage the dominant between her and Parsley?
Older sows can be reluctant to have newbies join them. Of course, some dominance is to be expected but it can be the case that the original two start on each other resulting in a failure (newbies having to be removed to save the bond between the originals)
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Good to know. They are both 3 and Sage is the dominant and well as a sort of helper for Parsley, who is deaf. Overall I'd say it's still going well as nobody is countering Sage's power moves. Looks like it's gonna be a long day though.
 
Sage has started directing her ire more appropriately at the newbies instead of Parsley. The youngsters are much faster than Sage's big waddling behind so we're having some extended looney tunes chase sequences with her spinning in a circle in the middle. 😂

I'm hearing some submission squeals from the top newbie right now while Sage sniffs her so I think that's progress!
 

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Ugh, I have a meeting with my apartment complex management in 20 minutes, we are having some confusion about animal policy between different representatives. (I was told I was fine, now I'm getting told I'm not.) My fish may or may not be getting counted as a unit of animals, might have to give the wet pets to my niece. They suggested I rehome the guinea pigs rather than the fish and I laughed at them over the phone. Wish me luck. The lease I signed (and re-read before bringing in more pigs) makes zero mention of small caged animals, so I'd like to see them try anything. I'm paying $1700 a month to live here, if I want to have a pen full of rodents I'll darn well do as I please. Ugh ugh ugh. Stress I don't need. They can threaten to evict me if they like but my babies aren't going anywhere. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
 
Black piggies said:
Aw cute Parsley, do you know why she's deaf?
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Nope, her ears are clear with no sign of infection or scarring so maybe she was just born that way. At first we thought she was slow, then we realized you can make various loud noises right in her face and get no reaction. To get her to come out for food I wave it in front of her face or tap underneath her pigloo so she can feel the vibrations.
 
Featheryfriend said:
Ugh, I have a meeting with my apartment complex management in 20 minutes, we are having some confusion about animal policy between different representatives. (I was told I was fine, now I'm getting told I'm not.) My fish may or may not be getting counted as a unit of animals, might have to give the wet pets to my niece. They suggested I rehome the guinea pigs rather than the fish and I laughed at them over the phone. Wish me luck. The lease I signed (and re-read before bringing in more pigs) makes zero mention of small caged animals, so I'd like to see them try anything. I'm paying $1700 a month to live here, if I want to have a pen full of rodents I'll darn well do as I please. Ugh ugh ugh. Stress I don't need. They can threaten to evict me if they like but my babies aren't going anywhere. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
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Well, looks like we're going on a legal journey. They've pointed to a clause in the lease that basically says they have final say and discretion over anything and can do what they want blah blah blah. (This is upper management, leasing office originally thought I was fine.) They're saying no more than 1 guinea, har har har. So the recent additions are immaterial, even my original four would have been a breach according to their ruling.

My current plan of action is to get in to see my nurse practitioner and ask to have them prescribed as an emotional support herd. There is apparently no legal limit of the number of ESAs one can have and I have numerous mental and physical health conditions including PTSD (sorry not trying to be TMI for the guinea pig forum.) These little guys do so much for me and I'm not going to go anywhere without them.

This is all very stupid. 🙄 I hate apartments man. They're clean and maintained and pose no threat of damage to the unit, they're caged or penned at all times, it shouldn't really be any of their business. It's not at all like having 17 cats or dogs in an apartment.

I guess landlords can rule as they please though. If I have to move I will.
 
That sounds very stressful, and while you're doing bonding too. Good luck with your plan.
I paid our landlord a huge deposit to have guinea pigs and then the management company said no pets allowed. I said they'd have to go for a legal eviction process, that nothing and nobody is making me give up my pigs, and they said they might just do that, and then I heard no more and it's a year later.
 
Black piggies said:
That sounds very stressful, and while you're doing bonding too. Good luck with your plan.
I paid our landlord a huge deposit to have guinea pigs and then the management company said no pets allowed. I said they'd have to go for a legal eviction process, that nothing and nobody is making me give up my pigs, and they said they might just do that, and then I heard no more and it's a year later.
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Yeah terrible timing, thankfully my girlfriend was able to supervise the bonding pen while I had this meeting.

Maybe I can wear these guys down too. We shall see.
 
I got an appointment with my nurse practitioner for tomorrow. She's a wonderful lady so hopefully this is something she feels is within her power. I don't imagine she's ever prescribed 17 emotional support guinea pigs before but there's a first time for everything. I'm probably going to end up in the urgent care here for a shot of Valium, I am absolutely beside myself. 😬
 
It's terrible timing for you and you obviously care so much about your piggies and want to do right by them. First step seeing if the nurse can help🤞
 
Black piggies said:
It's terrible timing for you and you obviously care so much about your piggies and want to do right by them. First step seeing if the nurse can help🤞
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Right. No need to panic yet until I've exhausted all my options.

My best friend has also offered to let me and the guineas couch surf at her place, should they actually start eviction proceedings or anything. We'd at least have an interim place to be while we found a friendlier place to rent.
 
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