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My heart is breaking.

Mezzle2121

Mezzle2121

Junior Guinea Pig
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May 31, 2017
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Location
Manchester, England
Its with a heavy heart that I write this. This afternoon we are going to have one of our girls put to sleep. She has had a lot of health issues since we got her. She is really bad now and we don't know what else to do.

This post is regarding her cage mate. Originally there were 4 girls but over time things have happened and now the last one will be alone.

We have decided that we do not want to get anymore piggies. We don't know what to do. We know that piggies are better in pairs or herds. We dont want to give her up as we love her but we need to do what's best for her. If that means putting her with another family that will look after her then so be it.

How do we find the right people to give her to. We want someone who knows what they are doing and will look after her. What steps should we check before she is adopted ?
 
Hiya sorry not a pro hear and someone will be along soon to advice you but I just wanted to say I’m so sorry 😞 sending hugs x
 
I think that may lead us down the same path as we become attached to these little fur balls very easily. We wouldn't give up the Foster piggy lol.
 
I am very sorry that you are having to have your piggy pts :( As for the remaining one, would you consider surrendering her to one of our recommended rescues? They will either pair her up with another and rehome them together or adopt her out to a family who also have a lone pig or who are looking to add to a group. Here is our rescue locator Rescue Locator
 
I want to be able to see where she is going. I wanna know she will be in good hands and not be given to a family that may not be able to look after her properly. That's why I wanted to do it myself rather than going through a rescue.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
 
Mezzle2121 said:
Its with a heavy heart that I write this. This afternoon we are going to have one of our girls put to sleep. She has had a lot of health issues since we got her. She is really bad now and we don't know what else to do.

This post is regarding her cage mate. Originally there were 4 girls but over time things have happened and now the last one will be alone.

We have decided that we do not want to get anymore piggies. We don't know what to do. We know that piggies are better in pairs or herds. We dont want to give her up as we love her but we need to do what's best for her. If that means putting her with another family that will look after her then so be it.

How do we find the right people to give her to. We want someone who knows what they are doing and will look after her. What steps should we check before she is adopted ?
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HUGS

I am ever so sorry. Putting a beloved piggy to sleep the most loving but also most heart-breaking gift you can make them to spare them any unnecessary suffering when a recovery is no longer an option. I will be thinking of you!

A number of good welfare standard rescues are now offering owners of a bereaved guinea pig to foster an 'end of life' companion, which remains property of the rescue and will return to the rescue if they do not want to continue but love their remaining guinea pig and care about their welfare needs. I think that this would be the perfect answer for you.
Here is our list of carefully vetted recommended rescues where we can guarantee that you are in safe hands: Rescue Locator

Your companion is fully aware that their mate is very ill. If they are keeping a distance, then they have very likely already taken their leave from their companion. Piggies that are feeling very ill would normally remove themselves from the group premises to die a bit further away and not endanger the group.
As long as the bereaved companion is still eating and drinking, you can give them the time to do their our grieving; it is generally a short span since the urge of survival is stronger. But your piggy will in this case hold ideally for 1-4 weeks or if necessary even a little longer while you sort something out for them, like a rescue date to meet a new friend.

Here is more in-depth helpful but sensitive information on end of life issues, human grieving and practical advice on what you can do for a bereaved guinea pig immediately and in the medium term: Death, Dying, Terminal Illness, Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children
 
I’m so sorry you are having to say goodbye to one of your piggies, sending hugs, it’s such a sad time x
As for your little lone piggie I would definitely look on our recommended rescue list. You tend to find most people who go to rescues and adoption root are very commited in the long term care of their adoptees. The rescue will also find her a little friend there too, they never adopt out single unless it’s for a bereaved piggie. I have 4 piggies all from rescues x
 
Mezzle2121 said:
I want to be able to see where she is going. I wanna know she will be in good hands and not be given to a family that may not be able to look after her properly. That's why I wanted to do it myself rather than going through a rescue.

Thanks for the suggestion though.
Click to expand...
I will be thinking of you today - it is a hard decision but clearly the right one for your precious piggy.

As for rehoming it is far, far better to hand your remaining piggy over to a recommended rescue rather than do this privately.
The problem with doing it yourself is that you have no way of controlling the home they are going to, and are not entitled to any follow up information if the new owners chose not to give it to you. Simply visiting a home or looking at photos can be very misleading - people will often exaggerate what they have to offer or their experience. They are also highly unlikely to let you know if they change their mind and the piggy ends up being rehomed again.

The advantage of a rescue is that they will make sure your piggy is not rehomed as a single, they are experienced at doing full home checks and have people who know exactly what to look out for, plus they will insist on a signed contract stating the piggy is returned to them if at any stage they can't be kept.
A rescue can also offer follow up advice and support to new owners.

A rescue can also at least let you know some details about when your piggy is rehomed, and in some cases the new owner may be happy to send you some details about this.
But the harsh reality is that because getting a piggy from a rescue requires hard work, home checks and commitment people will take this more seriously than a simple 'free to good home' via an online advert.
 
So sorry that you are in such a difficult situation.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
Holding you in my heart.
 
I'm so sorry, I know this is difficult. Hugs.

If you cannot find anyone, she may be just fine on her own. Some pigs are ok on their own. Depends on the situation, pairs are definitely best as they are social animals - before anyone gets upset with me saying this - but it is possible. The boar that I have is a lone pig, and he does just fine (I do let him play with my females *supervised, of course*) but he lives on his own.
But then again, he has not lost a cagemate, so that is a different situation. I know your pig needs time to grieve & needs that support from another pig.

Is there anyone you know personally you could ask? This way you already know them? I know you want what is best for your piggy. Wishing you best of luck. :(
 
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