Looking for advice please.

Status
Not open for further replies.
disneytinker

disneytinker

Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Kent
Today I went and got the cage for the piggies we plan to buy on Wednesday and ok its bigger than I thought.

I was going to put the cage in my daughters room as they will be her pets but I'm worried they might keep her awake at night and also being only being 5years old temptation might get the better of her and I have a feeling she may get them out when Mummy is asleep lol.

We live in a very small flat, so I was thinking of putting the cage in the front room but the cage is simply too huge for where I wanted to put it which leaves either my bedroom or our hallway. Would if be wrong to have them in the hallway? Also it can get a little bit chilly in there (need to bleed the radiators I think) so would putting a fleece over the top of the cage keep them warm enough.

For the time being they will be on the floor if they go in the hallway or my bedroom untill I can afford the stand for the cage in 2 weeks time. I just don't want to upset them, I want them to be happy.

Advice appreciated.

Also pets at home only have boars at the moment which is ok as my Daughter has decided she wants 2 boys, but the lady said that as they get older they will fight and I will have to seperate them. Advice please for those who have 2 boars living together, will after time will I have to get them in different cages?

Sorry for the long post.
 
A fleece blanket will help keep them warm i use it for my cage as my kitchen can get cold at night. two boar's should be ok together as long as they have enough room. if your cage is big have you thought about making a c and c cage as they can be stacked like mine
piggies012.jpg
so you can give them more room up rather than on the floor they are easy and cheap to make/buy
 
I have looked into a C&C cage but due to money constraints I can't make one untill just after Christmas, so the cage we just got will have to do for now.

Your C&C cage looks fantastic!
 
I know i have to cut down on spening money on the pig's lol i got three kid's to get pressie's for and two of them just had there birthday's! I put a fleece blanket over mine up to the small yellow bit as thats the kitchen it does keep them warm also depending on what flooring you have in your hall you could put one under too I'm sure they will be very happy anyway as long as they have veggie's lol
 
I think the hall is a good place for Piggles as you'll see them lots and will have a chat every time you walk past. Have you thought about adopting a two Rescue Piggles? There's usually a good choice, especially if you would like boys! Is a wonderful feeling to give a loving new home to Piggles who has not had a fortunate start in life.
 
hot fox said:
I think the hall is a good place for Piggles as you'll see them lots and will have a chat every time you walk past. Have you thought about adopting a two Rescue Piggles? There's usually a good choice, especially if you would like boys! Is a wonderful feeling to give a loving new home to Piggles who has not had a fortunate start in life.
Click to expand...

I have had a look but cant seem to find anywhere in my area that has rescue piggies.

I will have another look through google and see what I can find :)
 
disneytinker said:
I have had a look but cant seem to find anywhere in my area that has rescue piggies.

I will have another look through google and see what I can find :)
Click to expand...


Whereabouts in Kent are you?

Crawley guinea pig rescue has some lovely pairs of boys and girls at the moment. Palace piggie rescue (in Crawley) also has some great piggies and I believe they have babies at the moment if you wanted younger ones.

http://crawleyguineapigrescue.org/default.aspx
http://palacepiggierescue.org/default.aspx

What size is the cage you have? The bigger the better for boys to avoid fallouts.
 
Last edited:
I really wish Pets@Home would get their facts straight. Baby boars growing up together have a really good chance of getting on well with nothing more than a bit of rumbling as their hormones kick in. It drives me mad that they try and impose a single life on the boars from about 12 weeks of age! Rant over.
 
nutmeg said:
I really wish Pets@Home would get their facts straight. Baby boars growing up together have a really good chance of getting on well with nothing more than a bit of rumbling as their hormones kick in. It drives me mad that they try and impose a single life on the boars from about 12 weeks of age! Rant over.
Click to expand...

That sounds good then, we would of got pairs anyway despite what they said.

flips said:
Whereabouts in Kent are you?

Crawley guinea pig rescue has some lovely pairs of boys and girls at the moment. Palace piggie rescue (in Crawley) also has some great piggies and I believe they have babies at the moment if you wanted younger ones.

http://crawleyguineapigrescue.org/default.aspx
http://palacepiggierescue.org/default.aspx

What size is the cage you have? The bigger the better for boys to avoid fallouts.
Click to expand...

I'm in Chatham and I got the 120 Ferplast cage in pink lol.
 
flips said:
Nothing wrong with pink! The 120 cm cage is a good size and the minimum recommended for pigs so great that you chose this one.
Chatham might be close enough for the Crawley rescues (1 hour) so is worth sending them an email. Although the rspca medway is closest to you and may have some suitable piggies. :)

http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp#Kent
Click to expand...

Sadly I cannot drive so would be impossible for me to get there.

The rspca medway is just down the road from my Mums so I'm going to shoot them a email or give them a call tomorrow.

I have to get the piggies by Wednesday as they are a present for my Daughter so if I have no luck there then P@H it will be.
 
Alot of people get pigs from pets at home and find they are either ill or pregnant. I'm sure your daughter would understand if you explained the difference from waiting and not waiting. Even although she's 5, I'm sure just the promise of guinea pigs will be enough till you get them.

Please also remember guinea pigs are timid animals and spend alot of time hiding. They take along time to come round and no offence to your daughter but at that age she is likely to get bored. I do hope you have thought of this and that you know you will be the main carer. As a child of that age cannot be expected to clean, feed and check for illnesses. Obviously she can help under your supervision. I say this because so often animals are giving up with the excuse "child has got bored".

Good luck in your search, I do hope you choose rescue.
 
flintstones said:
Alot of people get pigs from pets at home and find they are either ill or pregnant. I'm sure your daughter would understand if you explained the difference from waiting and not waiting. Even although she's 5, I'm sure just the promise of guinea pigs will be enough till you get them.

Please also remember guinea pigs are timid animals and spend alot of time hiding. They take along time to come round and no offence to your daughter but at that age she is likely to get bored. I do hope you have thought of this and that you know you will be the main carer. As a child of that age cannot be expected to clean, feed and check for illnesses. Obviously she can help under your supervision. I say this because so often animals are giving up with the excuse "child has got bored".

Good luck in your search, I do hope you choose rescue.
Click to expand...

Our P@H are only stocking boars at the moment and they all looked happy and heathly when I went in there yesterday to get the cage. I have got animals from there before and not ever had any problems with illnesses etc.

I also know that my Daughter may get bored and I'm under no illusion that I will be there main carer, which suits me fine as I looked after piggies when I was younger. I also don't intend to give up the piggies if she gets bored as looking after them is something me and her can do together and if she decides she is bored of them then I get them all to myself :))
 
Bailey said:
Also not being able to drive doesn't always matter, sometimes rescues can organise a guinea pig "train" where one or more people can transport the piggies to you :)
Click to expand...

Never heard of that before. I would get the train but I would probably get lost as I'm a useless navigator lol.
 
Bailey said:
To be honest I would still check myself, even if they say they are only stocking boars.

Are there any piggies in need of a home on preloved, freeads etc... that you could help?:)

This will explain better than I can about a guinea pig train
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53833&highlight=guinea+pig+train
Click to expand...

I looked on freeads, gum tree and preloved last night and couldn't find any except breeders, one lady who breeds them was from Chatham but her website kept crashing so I couldn't get to see what piggies she had available and a other lady has some but hers wont be ready till mid November sometime.

I will look at that GP train link, oh and the sexing one was very interesting. lol
 
disneytinker said:
Our P@H are only stocking boars at the moment and they all looked happy and heathly when I went in there yesterday to get the cage. I have got animals from there before and not ever had any problems with illnesses etc.

I also know that my Daughter may get bored and I'm under no illusion that I will be there main carer, which suits me fine as I looked after piggies when I was younger. I also don't intend to give up the piggies if she gets bored as looking after them is something me and her can do together and if she decides she is bored of them then I get them all to myself :))
Click to expand...

Thats good, glad to hear that as I have 2 rescues here, who were given up due to the children getting bored and it's so sad that the animal has to surffer due to the parents not seeing the bigger picture. Clearly you have thought about this before jumping in and making your decision I wish everyone did this. :).

In relation too pets at home, ok so they may look healthy doesn't mean they are. There are so many people get there pigs from petshops and find they are unwell. With rescues the pigs stay in quarantine to check they are healthy before going to there new home. They can match the pig to your personality with what will suit you and your daughter. Not too mention these pets at home pigs are bred on demand to make profit, and for me I just can't support such a chain. I understand this is merely my opinion and not everyone agrees but i do think Rescues are the better option.

Although, all pigs deserve a home if you buy from pets at home they will merely just replace it with another pig and for each pig they replace more pigs are given to rescue, it doesn't help the bigger picture. In an ideal world pets shops wouldn't be allowed to sell animals.
 
Tbh I would rather go to a breeder than P@H but that's because of the problems I had with my bunny I got from there 8... she only lived for 10 months8...

At least if you went to a breeder you could check the health of the parents etc, I think looking at the parents and the living conditions you'd soon guage how good they were. If they didn't let you check, you just walk away and don't get them from there.

(Sorry if this breaks any forum rules)
 
Last edited:
disneytinker said:
I looked on freeads, gum tree and preloved last night and couldn't find any except breeders, one lady who breeds them was from Chatham but her website kept crashing so I couldn't get to see what piggies she had available and a other lady has some but hers wont be ready till mid November sometime.

I will look at that GP train link, oh and the sexing one was very interesting. lol
Click to expand...

My girls were transported by a GP train, basically people that are going towards you transport the pigs. I got my girls from England too Glasgow. It really is amazing people are so helpful!
 
I have had two pairs of boys and neither have got on, quite a few rescues bond them as one older and one baby but when the baby gets older that is usually when the problems start.
Yes you do get some who will get on, but there seems to more cases of not on here.
If you get boys just be prepared that they 'may' have to have seperate cages later on.
 
I have been following this thread with interest.

I have always had boars and they have been a mixed bag. Some got on, but others didn't. Although the minimum requirements are generally accepted to be 4' x 2' for two pigs, I still find this space to be quite enclosed, especially for boars, even those who get on.

I recently had a pair of boars, both of whom grew to weigh 3lb so they were big pigs. They didn't have much space at all in their cage (same size as the Ferplast 120) and in the end, they needed to have a 6' x 4' enclosure that filled the spare room floor just so they didn't fall out and even then it was sometimes touch and go.

I am also slightly worried with the fact that you say money is quite tight. What if one of the pigs you get (pet shop or rescue - there are no health guarantees with either - they are still delicate animals at the end of the day susceptable to all sorts of conditions) develops a problem? Infection? Dental? Stones? The list is endless and so are the vet bills. I had a pig who developed dental issues, he lost weight, had arthritis, then developed an ear infection and abscess. He cost me hundreds of pounds in the end just to keep him going for as long as he needed to. Would you be willing to continue paying for this kind of treatment over months and months should it be necessary? Also, do you have a guinea pig savvy vet near you as you say you cannot drive.

All I am trying to say is that guinea pigs aren't just cute little fur balls - they are very complex animals indeed!:)
 
MintyAndGarry said:
I have been following this thread with interest.

I have always had boars and they have been a mixed bag. Some got on, but others didn't. Although the minimum requirements are generally accepted to be 4' x 2' for two pigs, I still find this space to be quite enclosed, especially for boars, even those who get on.

I recently had a pair of boars, both of whom grew to weigh 3lb so they were big pigs. They didn't have much space at all in their cage (same size as the Ferplast 120) and in the end, they needed to have a 6' x 4' enclosure that filled the spare room floor just so they didn't fall out and even then it was sometimes touch and go.

I am also slightly worried with the fact that you say money is quite tight. What if one of the pigs you get (pet shop or rescue - there are no health guarantees with either - they are still delicate animals at the end of the day susceptable to all sorts of conditions) develops a problem? Infection? Dental? Stones? The list is endless and so are the vet bills. I had a pig who developed dental issues, he lost weight, had arthritis, then developed an ear infection and abscess. He cost me hundreds of pounds in the end just to keep him going for as long as he needed to. Would you be willing to continue paying for this kind of treatment over months and months should it be necessary? Also, do you have a guinea pig savvy vet near you as you say you cannot drive.

All I am trying to say is that guinea pigs aren't just cute little fur balls - they are very complex animals indeed!:)
Click to expand...


If my piggies get ill then my parents will happily drive me to a vet, and yes money is tight but I have savings so if one of my piggies need treatment then I have the funds for it. I didn't realise you had to be mega rich to own piggies. I didn't expect the 3rd degree either.

Also its not 100% we are getting boars, that is all they had at P@H when I went to look yesterday.

I'm going to call my local rspca tomorrow and see if they have any that need homing and if we can go see them during the week with my Dad collecting on Saturday.

Also my friend was asking me would one guinea pig suffer from being alone for a week or 2 before she purchased another? She is considering taking on her friends piggie.
 
It is not the third degree, just some of the things that new piggy owners should be aware of. I am not 'mega rich', but have recently had to find more than £700 for vet bills to treat one of my piggies, to make his short life as comfortable as possible, had to find space for a large enclosure for two pigs...their lives and challenges can be an endless cycle.

I do apologise for trying to give you advice, despite you asking for it. All I am trying to do is make sure you are going into this with your eyes open, but I will leave you to it. In future, I will keep my experiences and knowledge to myself.
 
Just seen this thread. My mum lives near the RSPCA Medway branch and I would happily pick up some rescue pigs for you anywhere in kent. I went to East sussex to get some on Sunday and the lady is totally overflowing with rescues as a friend of her passed away and she has taken on all her guineas too. she has girls and boys all different ages would you like me to look into it for you? Also I have a great piggie vet just by Maidstone hospital he is not expensive and fantastic with all small furries.
 
MintyAndGarry said:
It is not the third degree, just some of the things that new piggy owners should be aware of. I am not 'mega rich', but have recently had to find more than £700 for vet bills to treat one of my piggies, to make his short life as comfortable as possible, had to find space for a large enclosure for two pigs...their lives and challenges can be an endless cycle.

I do apologise for trying to give you advice, despite you asking for it. All I am trying to do is make sure you are going into this with your eyes open, but I will leave you to it. In future, I will keep my experiences and knowledge to myself.
Click to expand...

Please don't keep you knowledge and experience to youself....thats why I come on this forum :)

DisneyTinker I don't think anything said was meant to come across as the third degree or to cause offence. Any animal is costly even guinea pigs....you never know what ill health they may encounter and vet bills are costly, I too forked out over £200 recently trying help my piggie but he didn't make it :(

To be honest I wish I had joined this forum before I got my piggies then maybe I wouldn't have lost the one I did. Also when I was younger we got rabbits and I really wish then that we had got more info because those rabbits didn't have the life they deserved due to our inexperience and lack of info, although we read books people experiences are invaluable.

As for your question about boars I have two which I introduced. Sam was 1 and Dillon 3 months on introduction they have had the odd tiff and do still rumble at each other now and then. As others have been saying more space the better and I deffo agree. My pair get along but they are never shut in a cage together they have a whole room to play in (much to the OHs disgust LOL) I realise not everyone can do this but the more space the better and if you can get a C&C cage after xmas that would be great for them.

Have you contacted the RSPCA yet? An already bonded pair from a rescue would be good.

I have worked in P@H and I would personally not reccommend getting piggies from there, but it is you decision :)

Please do not take offence to what people are saying as I say I wish I had got info earlier than I did and my pets would have had better lives. People just want to share there experiences so others do not end up in the same situation.

Good luck getting the pigs and I hope your daughter loves them :)
 
Cgilchrist said:
Just seen this thread. My mum lives near the RSPCA Medway branch and I would happily pick up some rescue pigs for you anywhere in kent. I went to East sussex to get some on Sunday and the lady is totally overflowing with rescues as a friend of her passed away and she has taken on all her guineas too. she has girls and boys all different ages would you like me to look into it for you? Also I have a great piggie vet just by Maidstone hospital he is not expensive and fantastic with all small furries.
Click to expand...

To the OP - this would a really good option to follow - you would then get the support of the local rescue, a piggy friendly person, who by the sounds of thing will transport the pigs to you, and knowlegde of a piggy-savvy vet.
sound great.
good luck with whatever you decide, and hope to hear how you get on.
becca
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top