Worried About My Piggys While Away

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amber horner

amber horner

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Hi all we are going away for a week in august and I'm worried about how my two piggys will be i have two friends who want to look after them one friend will only be able to come in the mornings and evenings to give them their veggies and change their water so they will be alone most of the day and all night and then my other friend will have them at her place but she has all her animals outside in her out sheds and my piggys are indoor piggys who have grass time during the day but come in at night now will my piggys be ok being alone all that time for a week (mon-fri) or will they be better at my other friends house in the out shed where her children will be around to get them out for grass time etc any advice would be great thank you x
 
Well I'm not sure but just wanted to empathise! I am in a similar situation except we're away a fortnight. For the past 4 years my neithbour and friend has done a perfectly fine job of looking after my pigs - putting them in the run each day and away in the hutch at night.

But - recently stan died and since stan became ill, Benson has not been living in his outdoor hutch. He is back in my kitchen with baby mike. Mike is so tiny and skittish that i don't trust my friend to catch him without traumatising him. I'm also worried she might leave them in the run too long and mike might get heatstroke.


So - I'm going to ask her to keep them in for the whole time
AND i am going to get all the veg pre prepared after she offered me some rhubarb leaves for them!

I'm pretty worried actually. I'm still thinking about putting them to animal boarding but i know she would be offended and she is coming to do the cat too. And i am reasoning that she has done the piggy care perfectly well for the past few years
tis a worry though!
 
It is normal to worry about your pets when you are away.
I am always panicking as soon as we book a trip anywhere!

If I was in your situation I would probably choose the friend who can visit your piggies at home.
This means that although they will be alone a lot of the time, they will be in familiar surroundings.
If you are only away for a week then it would probably be more stressful to move somewhere completely different for such a short time.
Maybe they can have a radio on in the background during the day for some general noise?

I think my top tip would be to pay your friend for her time.
Chances are she will say she doesn't want or expect money, and she probably doesn't, but caring for someone's pets is a big responsibility, and I think it is nice if you acknowledge the favour she is doing for you.
I have cared for various friends pets over the years, and it is very easy to feel taken for granted when you are constantly asked, and don't really know how to say no.
 
awww i feel your pain I'm so worried about my piggys i was going to have all their veggies prepared on plates in the fridge ready for them for my friend who would be coming to my house will get them out so she can clean them out and will handle them as shes had piggys in the past i just dont want them to feel lonely as I'm at home all day with them,i just thought they wouldnt get lonely at my other friends house as her children will be there and they are used to having children around as i have kids too, the friend who will come to my house has cats so I'm looking after her 7 cats while shes away so we do each other a favour by looking after each others pets x
 
Personally, I would leave them in their normal surroundings; they will be a lot less stressed than being in different surroundings and with children.

They will be fine with just two home visits a day, or even one. Since my dependable neighbour has moved away, I get a pet sitting service in to look after mine once a day and board my frail/medication piggies with an experienced guinea pig boarder. That is working well for me, considering I have 24 piggies!

If you are very worried, you could consider installing a webcam with a life feed. We did that once. ;)
 
thank you for your reply I'm thinking your right i should leave them in their familiar surroundings my friend will be fine with them i just hate the thought of them being lonely i think i will adapt their indoor run so she can put them in there from her morning visit till she comes back in the early eveing so they still get floor time have to say I'm going to miss my piggys as this will be the first time we have left them x
 
amber horner said:
thank you for your reply I'm thinking your right i should leave them in their familiar surroundings my friend will be fine with them i just hate the thought of them being lonely i think i will adapt their indoor run so she can put them in there from her morning visit till she comes back in the early eveing so they still get floor time have to say I'm going to miss my piggys as this will be the first time we have left them x
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Could you adapt your run so your piggies can get in and out of the cage at their choice all the time? You have got plenty of time to fiddle round and come up with a solution... ;)
 
Ah yes I didn't think of that I shall give it a go can be my husbands weekend project from now until we go away x
 
I always worry about the pigs when I go away too. Normally I will move the whole cage habitat to my mom's house. I trust her and I know she is good with the pigs. However, I do stress when she isn't available. The last time my mom went on vacation with me, I had a friend come to the house each morning and feed them and give them a cuddle. She offered to take them to her house, but as she has a large dog and a cat who can catch birds/mice outside I was a little concerned about safety. They seemed to do okay, though I did worry about them, particularly Sundae, who is on the elderly side!
 
We will be leaving our piggies for the first time in July.
I have arranged for a pet sitter to come in twice a day and feed, water, clean the hutch, etc.
I am also hoping I an convince her to send me a small daily update, but now @Wiebke has me thinking maybe we need a live feed webcam too :hmm:
Although then the kids would probably spend the whole holiday watching the guinea pigs.
Me: Girls, look we are going past Trafalagar Square. Aren't the lions statues impressive.
Girls: Aww, look Ruby's popcorning and Eddie is eating a carrot. :roll:
 
Swissgreys said:
We will be leaving our piggies for the first time in July.
I have arranged for a pet sitter to come in twice a day and feed, water, clean the hutch, etc.
I am also hoping I an convince her to send me a small daily update, but now @Wiebke has me thinking maybe we need a live feed webcam too :hmm:
Although then the kids would probably spend the whole holiday watching the guinea pigs.
Me: Girls, look we are going past Trafalagar Square. Aren't the lions statues impressive.
Girls: Aww, look Ruby's popcorning and Eddie is eating a carrot. :roll:
Click to expand...


@Swissgreys why bother with the expensive webcam - just get Eddi to FaceTime you to let you know he and the girls are ok :lol!:
:lol!:
 
Hahahaha that's exactly how my kids would be with a live feed they will spend the whole time watching Dave rumble strutting around as he does and Derek just lazing around my husbands project for this weekend is to adapt their cage and run for them he doesn't know this yet mind you lol x
 
I really feel your pain, I'm leaving my piggies for the first time in October for 17 days! That feels like a lifetime for me as I've only ever left them for a day or two at most probably, I pre-made all their meals for those days (my friend didn't know what was safe or not, eek!) and I worried the whole time haha. I've also got to sort out something at home and my friends are, um, not exactly piggy minded! I'm thinking of picking a friend to train, with chocolatey treats when they do good :))
 
id go with the person who will see them morning and evening, they will be fine. I only get to see mine from when I wake up at 7am till I leave at 8:30 then I get home at 5:30pm and spend the evening and night with them as they are in my bedroom. just give them lots of toys to keep them busy ! :)
 
We are going away on Sunday for 5 days and my mum is coming down to stay to mind the dogs and pigs. First time I've left the pigs and I'm worried. My mum is 71 and the cage is a stacked 2x9 c&c. I think she is going to have trouble getting up and down when cleaning :(. I was going to change over to Fitch to make it easier for her but she said she would try the fleece. She came round today so I could show her the ropes and she did seem to struggle getting up off the floor :(. It's too late now to get Fitch (I'm in Northern Ireland so would need it delivered). I'm pretty worried she's going to find it really difficult and not want to do it again :(. Wish I just had of ordered the Fitch lol. Going away is stressful! X
 
I am so relieved too know I'm not the only one panicking about piggies while we're away! We are going away in October to Cornwall as far as I can see I have got 3 options:-
1) take them with us, but a 6 hour drive does concern me then there's the different smells in the house plus all of the stuff they need we would need another car.
2) bribe my sister to come in but I know she would only do 1 visit a day as she lives further away than she used too, and because my boys are all on fleece I don't think she would do the changes! Only thing I could think for that was too make LOADS of pee pads too put in the well used areas and hope she spot cleans. Also my fresh veg only seems too last 3 days before it starts going limp so I would need her too go shopping! But love the idea of the camera!
3) I stay at home and let the rest of the family go this has seriously crossed my mind!
Oh what too do!
 
Anarchybmc said:
I am so relieved too know I'm not the only one panicking about piggies while we're away! We are going away in October to Cornwall as far as I can see I have got 3 options:-
1) take them with us, but a 6 hour drive does concern me then there's the different smells in the house plus all of the stuff they need we would need another car.
2) bribe my sister to come in but I know she would only do 1 visit a day as she lives further away than she used too, and because my boys are all on fleece I don't think she would do the changes! Only thing I could think for that was too make LOADS of pee pads too put in the well used areas and hope she spot cleans. Also my fresh veg only seems too last 3 days before it starts going limp so I would need her too go shopping! But love the idea of the camera!
3) I stay at home and let the rest of the family go this has seriously crossed my mind!
Oh what too do!
Click to expand...
Could you not use Fitch or similar while your away so she won't need to do much spot cleaning? Really wish I had of gotten some now! Lol x
 
Laura mason said:
We are going away on Sunday for 5 days and my mum is coming down to stay to mind the dogs and pigs. First time I've left the pigs and I'm worried. My mum is 71 and the cage is a stacked 2x9 c&c. I think she is going to have trouble getting up and down when cleaning :(. I was going to change over to Fitch to make it easier for her but she said she would try the fleece. She came round today so I could show her the ropes and she did seem to struggle getting up off the floor :(. It's too late now to get Fitch (I'm in Northern Ireland so would need it delivered). I'm pretty worried she's going to find it really difficult and not want to do it again :(. Wish I just had of ordered the Fitch lol. Going away is stressful! X
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What about disposable puppy pads?
Or lots of spare fleece pee pads that she can sling in a basket for you to wash when you get back?
Have you thought about getting a foot stool (the kind that a kid would use to stand on to reach the sink) so she can lower herself onto that for cleaning the lower levels (much easier to get onto and back up again than the actual floor).
 
Swissgreys said:
What about disposable puppy pads?
Or lots of spare fleece pee pads that she can sling in a basket for you to wash when you get back?
Have you thought about getting a foot stool (the kind that a kid would use to stand on to reach the sink) so she can lower herself onto that for cleaning the lower levels (much easier to get onto and back up again than the actual floor).
Click to expand...
I'm currently stitching lots of pee pads lol. I use fleece liners so they are pretty easy, it's just the bending and reaching into the corner of the cage as its L shaped. I have a wee stool so I'll say to her about leaning on that....good idea :). Thank you x
 
Laura mason said:
Could you not use Fitch or similar while your away so she won't need to do much spot cleaning? Really wish I had of gotten some now! Lol x
Click to expand...

I was looking at using back 2 nature for their kitchen area when the palace is finished but even that needs changing every 2-3 days but just been looking at Fitch and people are saying it can last a week without a full clean out so I may get some of that and get her too spot clean. I haven't even asked her yet :D hopefully bribery will work a nice bottle of something :nod:
 
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