I did it! I now have 14 piggies!

Merab's Slave said:
Sounds a bit more hopeful.
Hope the spay goes well.
I also hope the meeting with the ESA person goes well.
A lot of people don’t know anything about ESAs at all, whatever the species.
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Fingers crossed again. It'll probably be the most outlandish request he's gotten in a while...
 
Featheryfriend said:
Fingers crossed again. It'll probably be the most outlandish request he's gotten in a while...
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Hope he listens! I'm pretty sure a couple of people have said on here that when they were at their lowest, it was their piggies that kep them going, got them out of bed in the morning. (My mother in law was like that with her dog, after her husband passed away.)
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Hope he listens! I'm pretty sure a couple of people have said on here that when they were at their lowest, it was their piggies that kep them going, got them out of bed in the morning. (My mother in law was like that with her dog, after her husband passed away.)
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Animals are amazing company for those hard times. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
 
Ohmygosh, I was changing some pig fleece out when I realized I had to hurry up and take my dog to his vet appointment. In my haste I forgot to throw down a fresh pile of hay. I realized I'd forgotten as soon as we were at the vet's office and worried about them the whole time I was gone. 😬 Thankfully it wasn't for too long.

When I got back, all six of them were standing up against the grids in an angry little row. Waiting for that hay. I feel very chastised. 😳😳😳

I'm sorry pigs, won't happen again.

Good news, my dog's weird fatty lump is just that, a weird fatty lump. Quite harmless. Yay!
 
Just an idle observation, something I have noticed since adding my original foursome of 3 year old girls to herds is that their repetitive/anxious behaviors, mostly bar biting and coroplast chewing, have almost completely stopped. I tried many different things to distract them from those behaviors and entertain them, but nothing distracts and entertains like another guinea pig!
 
Okay doke, I have my appointment with the ESA specialist in about 30 minutes. Worth a shot, we'll see if there's anything he can do.

Clover is going to sit on my lap and be my emotional support during the appointment. He's very ready, his life goal is to get cuddles. Now that he's met his first life goal of having many girlfriends. 😂
 

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HUZZAH! The doctor was not phased (he cracked a grin actually) and is drawing me up a letter for 17 emotional support guinea pigs!

Now it's just a matter of if the apartment complex will accept it without a tussle. With luck they won't want to mess around with the Fair Housing Act.

Hopefully this is a great day for guinea pigs as well as their humans with disabilities. 💛 If anyone else is in the US and wants to get in touch with the service I used, shoot me a message.

Clover did a good job. At one point he did mistake the tender part of my hand for more cilantro, but that's understandable.
 
Aiyeeee I'm so stressed right now! This interim period is hard. The management is asking for additional information about the guinea pigs and why I need so many of them as opposed to just one or two. The doctor thankfully asked to coordinate with me first before disclosing any further information about me and/or the piggies. Everyone is just shooting emails at each other which drags things out.

To me it is clear why many guinea pigs > just a couple of guinea pigs in terms of filling my day and keeping me focused on positive things, but I guess my buddies at the office wouldn't know anything about the joys and trials of bounteous herds.

I'm just going to alternate between piggy care tasks and lurking around on here today, or my heart might pop.
 
At the very start of the section on photos of my piggies (I think), from a few years back, there's a photo of Wiebke covered in guinea pigs. It's adorable. If you found a photo like that on the internet, it might explain the love of a herd 😍
 
Featheryfriend said:
Aiyeeee I'm so stressed right now! This interim period is hard. The management is asking for additional information about the guinea pigs and why I need so many of them as opposed to just one or two. The doctor thankfully asked to coordinate with me first before disclosing any further information about me and/or the piggies. Everyone is just shooting emails at each other which drags things out.

To me it is clear why many guinea pigs > just a couple of guinea pigs in terms of filling my day and keeping me focused on positive things, but I guess my buddies at the office wouldn't know anything about the joys and trials of bounteous herds.

I'm just going to alternate between piggy care tasks and lurking around on here today, or my heart might pop.
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I'd say the number is pretty immaterial as they live in cages. It's not like you have 14 cats with all the mess and damage round the house that they could cause, or annoyance to your neighbours. You could say that having rescued half of them has given a positive boost to your mental health, knowing that you have done something really good.
 
Black piggies said:
At the very start of the section on photos of my piggies (I think), from a few years back, there's a photo of Wiebke covered in guinea pigs. It's adorable. If you found a photo like that on the internet, it might explain the love of a herd 😍
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Awweee, I can't find it but it sounds like the best. 😭 I doubt it would move their corporate legal advisors though. 😕 That's who will ultimately be deciding apparently.

Practically speaking, I'm finding 17 guinea pigs just does not give me any time to mope around due to the amount of work it generates. Heck, I'm trying to mope right now but I keep having to get up and switch the pig laundry.

I'm finding it just the perfect amount of work for me to manage without being overwhelmed or physically strained. Not being able to work outside the home gets very dull after a few years and they really make my days more meaningful than they have been in a long time.

I think around 20 is probably my upper limit, I can picture giving the same level of individualized attention to a couple more now that I'm getting a feel for it. Leaving wiggle room for future for special needs/hand feeding/aging of course.

Since I didn't personally oversee the separation of Sylvie and Clover, I do have a watch on her just in case she surprises me with a litter... I'm told it was all done properly but I don’t 100% trust what I didn't see with my own eyeballs. The people I mostly trust, but Clover, him I don't trust at all. Making babies is obviously his jam.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I'd say the number is pretty immaterial as they live in cages. It's not like you have 14 cats with all the mess and damage round the house that they could cause, or annoyance to your neighbours. You could say that having rescued half of them has given a positive boost to your mental health, knowing that you have done something really good.
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That's the word I'd use - it really is immaterial to them. My sister has 1 puppy and it has utterly destroyed her entire house. Literally, it's been chewing the walls. Meanwhile the pigs just quietly chill, doing no damage to anything and bothering nobody.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
I'd say the number is pretty immaterial as they live in cages. It's not like you have 14 cats with all the mess and damage round the house that they could cause, or annoyance to your neighbours. You could say that having rescued half of them has given a positive boost to your mental health, knowing that you have done something really good.
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Almost all of my animals throughout my life have been rescues, even my fish are mostly rescue fish. Someone was going to flush them and I was like DO NOT, I am coming for them! 😂

I tend to pick up the rejects... I like to joke that my dog is my dog because nobody else would keep such a naughty stubborn boy in a million years, so naturally the duty falls to me, lol.

I am happy all my pigs are rescued or adopted. It does make me feel really warm and fuzzy knowing they have another chance at life because of me.

The downside is that I almost never get a chance to plan or warn anyone about incoming animals. My girlfriend just comes home and I say surprise! Meet our newest baby! Also we need to go to the store as this creature requires food and accessories!
 
So, the doctor wrote a very nice extra letter basically stating why the quantity of them is important as an emotionally and psychologically supportive activity, that caring for them is basically my job since I cannot perform paid work, and that I should be allowed to have an unlimited number of guinea pigs 🤩🤩🤩 so long as their hygiene and welfare can be reasonably maintained.

It also makes it clear that I should be allowed bring in temporary foster guinea pigs as well as permanent adoptees, which was a nice touch. I don't think I even mentioned that to him but I was thinking that's what I'd do if I somehow ended up with any more. Like if a box of them got dumped on my doorstep.

Obviously this doctor approves of my rodent rescuing activities.

Just have to submit it now and hope for the best. Waiting for my girlfriend to come home and tell me where the cable for the printer went so I can hand deliver a paper copy. I'll email it too. Ahhhhhhhhhyiieeeee...
 
One olive branch I was thinking I could hold out to management was offering to submit to inspections of their hygiene and welfare, with reasonable notice so I can plan for my dog to be contained. The office ladies themselves are nice people, I haven't got a problem with them popping in occasionally to look at my guinea pigs if they want. Maybe they'll learn something.

I feel like they're picturing pigs running wild through the apartment and ruining their carpet. So it'd be healthy for them to see that they mostly just sit neatly in cages. Being cute, quiet, clean, etc.

The only time my original four girls ever got actually dirty would be when I was suddenly hospitalized for several days and everyone else was also busy taking care of me in rotating shifts. I gave them a deep clean as soon as I recovered and they were no worse for wear. Man I felt guilty though.

Outside an extreme circumstance like that, they'll always be reasonably hygienic, come by anytime to observe the hygiene, office ladies.

(I've instructed my family that should that ever happen again, they should go to the pet store and buy a ton of disposable paper bedding for until I get back, because yikes. You live and learn.)
 
I sent them this in addition to the doctor's addendum, hopefully it sounds suitably diplomatic? 🤔

"Additionally, I would like to state that I am happy to submit to inspections of the apartment to ensure that the welfare and hygiene of the guinea pigs is being maintained satisfactorily. At least a short notice would be appreciated so that I may arrange for my dog to be contained in a bedroom or sent elsewhere, as he gets over excited by visitors.

The guinea pigs' enclosures are cleaned 2-3 times a day and deep cleaned 1-2 times a week. In my opinion they pose no threat of damage to the unit itself, as they are always appropriately contained in cages or pens with waterproof layers, or being held on someone's lap with an absorbent pad. They do not stink, nor make loud noises. Their hay is dust-extracted and heat treated to make it suitable for indoor use. The guinea pigs themselves are very clean animals and are kept groomed and bathed as needed. They all receive appropriate veterinary care and will be promptly treated at any sign of disease or infection.

In summary, they as a group pose little risk to human health or the integrity of the apartment, especially compared to the average cat or dog."
 
Extra big piles of hay are fun, but I don't love the part afterwards where they've stomped the hay into a pancake and peed all over it. It's time to clean it out and I already know they're going to be offended that I'm throwing away their hard work. The quarantine piggies got their hay pancakes taken earlier and they were not pleased at all.

There's always another day, another pile of hay to stomp.
 

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All that detail sounds great to show that the guinea pigs are clean and well cared for and not running wild as you say.
Would it reassure them for you to say you do not plan on ever expanding the herd? And while all dogs are over excitable when someone comes to the door, I don't think I'd paint that image of perhaps a dog issue..? It would be reasonable just to ask for some notice. Good luck!
 
Black piggies said:
All that detail sounds great to show that the guinea pigs are clean and well cared for and not running wild as you say.
Would it reassure them for you to say you do not plan on ever expanding the herd? And while all dogs are over excitable when someone comes to the door, I don't think I'd paint that image of perhaps a dog issue..? It would be reasonable just to ask for some notice. Good luck!
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They're already aware of the excitable dog, so I'm merely reminding them of what they already know. They made it clear when we had an earlier maintenence issue where guys had to come in that they'd rather I just be honest about how the dog does with strangers entering so they can make a note in their file to accommodate this.
 
Frankly the dog does have issues... he's brain damaged from being beat with a bat and a skateboard as well as from his epileptic seizures, he used to be feral and spent almost a year living on his own in the woods up in the mountains, he didn't recieve any basic training until he was about five years old, and he was nearly put down for allegedly being aggressive (I'm told a shelter worker took him home under the table at one point.)

I have no idea how he functions as a normal family dog and a good citizen 99% of the time. And we've had no major incidents* the other 1% of the time by making it abundantly clear to everyone he comes in contact with that hey, brain damaged dog with issues coming throooouuuuugh. 😛

*He did warning nip a vet tech who was trying to put him in a kennel before his teeth cleaning one time. That was very embarrassing. The whole family was greatly ashamed. Now the tech just sits with him in an exam room instead before any procedures and everything's gravy.
 

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Featheryfriend said:
The only time my original four girls ever got actually dirty would be when I was suddenly hospitalized for several days and everyone else was also busy taking care of me in rotating shifts. I gave them a deep clean as soon as I recovered and they were no worse for wear. Man I felt guilty though.
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I have known piggies who lived outside and were thus 'out of sight, out of mind'. When I visited my lovely friend (kids and a full time job) I asked if I could go and see the girls who were bopping around on the grass in the run. She 'fessed to putting off the clean-out and had just been throwing in more shavings and hay each night until she had time to do it. Indeed in the bedroom area the floor was so high their heads were touching the ceiling! They still seemed cheerful though!
 
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