Rehoming Two Pigs

[Amyg42]

We are looking to give a home to 2 Guinea pigs. I have been keeping an eye on rehoming centres as would like to rehome rather than go to pets at home. I have found a lovely pair of 1-2 year old sows that need a home. They aren't used to being handled at all and are quite nervous.
Do you think it's possible with time and patience to make them more friendly. I have two children who I would like to enjoy having Guinea pigs and my husband thinks if we get younger ones and handle them from a young age they will be better for the kids? Any thoughts on this?

 

[Wiebke]

We are looking to give a home to 2 Guinea pigs. I have been keeping an eye on rehoming centres as would like to rehome rather than go to pets at home. I have found a lovely pair of 1-2 year old sows that need a home. They aren't used to being handled at all and are quite nervous.
Do you think it's possible with time and patience to make them more friendly. I have two children who I would like to enjoy having Guinea pigs and my husband thinks if we get younger ones and handle them from a young age they will be better for the kids? Any thoughts on this?

With patience and persistence you can bring skittish guinea pigs round, but it is not necessarily a very quick process, especially if you have younger children. We have got lots of tips on how you can settle in piggies. If in doubt, please speak with the rescue to find out whether you are the right home they are looking for with these piggies. They may also be able to tell you whether they have got others in the pipeline, which will be available for adoption in the near future.
There is currently a huge rescue action going in South England with over 300 piggies and over100 pregnant sows; some rescues in other parts of the country have also stepped. This means that if you are prepared to wait for some weeks and if necessary travel a little bit further, there will be lots of younger and rescue born piggies looking for homes.

Could you please add your county to your details, so we can help you better with local recommendations if possible? We have got a recommended rescues locator on the top bar.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/

 

[Cookies&Glitter]

Patience is definitely the key. Having worked at a petstore with just babies for several years I can tell you they aren't instantly friendly either, some times families have found it more difficult as they are smaller and more delicate and sometimes harder for young children to know how to handle. Also some pigs tend to naturally be a little nippier or more skiddish or even cuddlier and with an older pig you often know what you're getting instead of gambling with the real young ones. I can't think of any reason that as long as you're patient rehoming piggies wouldn't be an even more enjoyable experience for you all. Good luck!

 

[Amyg42]

With patience and persistence you can bring skittish guinea pigs round, but it is not necessarily a very quick process, especially if you have younger children. We have got lots of tips on how you can settle in piggies. If in doubt, please speak with the rescue to find out whether you are the right home they are looking for with these piggies. They may also be able to tell you whether they have got others in the pipeline, which will be available for adoption in the near future.
There is currently a huge rescue action going in South England with over 300 piggies and over100 pregnant sows; some rescues in other parts of the country have also stepped. This means that if you are prepared to wait for some weeks and if necessary travel a little bit further, there will be lots of younger and rescue born piggies looking for homes.

Could you please add your county to your details, so we can help you better with local recommendations if possible? We have got a recommended rescues locator on the top bar.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/

With patience and persistence you can bring skittish guinea pigs round, but it is not necessarily a very quick process, especially if you have younger children. We have got lots of tips on how you can settle in piggies. If in doubt, please speak with the rescue to find out whether you are the right home they are looking for with these piggies. They may also be able to tell you whether they have got others in the pipeline, which will be available for adoption in the near future.
There is currently a huge rescue action going in South England with over 300 piggies and over100 pregnant sows; some rescues in other parts of the country have also stepped. This means that if you are prepared to wait for some weeks and if necessary travel a little bit further, there will be lots of younger and rescue born piggies looking for homes.

Could you please add your county to your details, so we can help you better with local recommendations if possible? We have got a recommended rescues locator on the top bar.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...cation-and-creating-an-avatar-picture.107444/

Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately I couldn't be further away. I'm up in Aberdeenshire.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately I couldn't be further away. I'm up in Aberdeenshire.

OUCH! Yes, that is unfortunately a LONG way away! There is not a lot in rescue terms in Scotland, sadly.

However, with our tips you can hopefully bring the girls round more quickly.
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

 

[Vandamf]

300 piggies in rescue!

Omg!

 

[GPTV]

Hi there I'm not sure how old your children are but older piggies are often more robust than youngsters.
I have had mostly older guineas &they generally take less time to settle down than the younger ones.
I think my oldest adoptee was 5yrs old &even she was a bit speedy at first. I had her for 3years &she turned into a complete couch potato! As long as you are quiet, patient, mellow &confident with them you will have a much easier time of it

I love my golden oldies. Saying that though The last two I got were about 18 months old &I've had them around a year now. They are very laid back now when sitting on my lap- but still a bit hyper &dont like being caught or picked up

There is currently a huge rescue action going in South England with over 300 piggies and over100 pregnant sows; some rescues in other parts of the country have also stepped. This means that if you are prepared to wait for some weeks and if necessary travel a little bit further, there will be lots of younger and rescue born piggies looking for homes.

Oh where's the big rescue? I'm in the south if its anywhere near me I'll help if I can

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there I'm not sure how old your children are but older piggies are often more robust than youngsters.
I have had mostly older guineas &they generally take less time to settle down than the younger ones.
I think my oldest adoptee was 5yrs old &even she was a bit speedy at first. I had her for 3years &she turned into a complete couch potato! As long as you are quiet, patient, mellow &confident with them you will have a much easier time of it

I love my golden oldies. Saying that though The last two I got were about 18 months old &I've had them around a year now. They are very laid back now when sitting on my lap- but still a bit hyper &dont like being caught or picked up

[QUOTE="Wiebke, post: 1869887, member:
There is currently a huge rescue action going in South England with over 300 piggies and over100 pregnant sows; some rescues in other parts of the country have also stepped. This means that if you are prepared to wait for some weeks and if necessary travel a little bit further, there will be lots of younger and rescue born piggies looking for homes.

[/URL]

Oh where's the big rescue? I'm in the south if its anywhere near me I'll help if I can [/QUOTE]

It is just outside London, but Little Pip's Rehoming in Sidmouth and possibly Norman Gorman's on the Devon/Cornwall border have piggies from there. They are quite a way from you, I think. But if you consider rehoming more piggies from there, now and in the coming months is not a bad idea. Now to help make space and later to give piggies from a bad background a happy life.

Donations to the rescues are much needed right now a they are really strained.

 

[GPTV]

Oh where's the big rescue? I'm in the south if its anywhere near me I'll help if I can

It is in just ourside London, but Little Pip's Rehoming in Sidmouth and possibly Norman Gorman's on the Devon/Cornwall border have piggies. They are quite a way from you I think.[/QUOTE]

hmm that's a shame bit of a trek & I don't drive very far - definitely not around London not sure where Norman Gormans is i' ll have a look later. if its on the border its quite a distance from me

 

[Freela]

It's going to take time to make friends, but it can be done. Although it may take a bit longer to make friends with adults, on the bright side they are sturdier, not quite as quick, and not quite as 'sharp' in the nail department as babies (I have a permanent scar from when a spooked baby dashed up my chest and over my shoulder due to a weird noise!) How old are the kids? We got our first pair of pigs when our kids were 7, 5, and 2, and they did quite well with the kids (we had plenty of supervision and ground rules for safe handling, of course, but my youngest, who is now 9, absolutely LOVES the pigs and is very good with them!)

 

[Amyg42]

I have 2 girls who are 6 and 3. My oldest is so excited and has been so helpful in getting everything ready. She is a very easy going child and I think would be patient with the Guinea pigs settling in. Waiting for the rescue to call me back so I can find out more details about them.