March is Adopt a Guinea Pig Month
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
March 1, 2008 12:57am CST
Many people don't realize, that like puppies and kittens, pet store guinea pigs (and other pets) also come from pet mills.
Instead of supporting the pet mill industry, if you're considering getting a pair of guinea pigs, check your local shelter and rescue groups first. You can find adoptable guinea pigs near you using www.petfinder.com
If you currently have a guinea pig, consider getting them a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals and should always be kept in pairs or groups. Caring for two isn't much harder than caring for one.
Keep in mind that any pet is a responsibility, and guinea pigs should not be taken on lightly. Make sure that you'll have the time for them for the next 5-8 years. Before adopting, consider your financial situation. Think about how much per week it will cost you to care for the guinea pigs. Consider medical emergencies that may arise, guinea pigs need to go to the vet too. Think about who you are getting the guinea pigs for. If they're really for your child, will you take care of them when your child gets bored? What about when they go to college? Will you weigh the piggies and make sure that you're checking for signs of illness and not depending on a child to do that?
If you're ready for guinea pigs, being a cavy slave is a rewarding experience.
3 responses
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
1 Mar 08
I wouldn't adopt a guinea pig, for one thing my cats would think they are great interactive toys, until they break....
I do have a guinea pig story.
I was attending a privete school that was across a busy street from a shopping center. Amount other kinds of stores in this center was a pet store, but that may just be incidental.
One day the biology teacher was coming to work and she saw something by the gate to driveway. She pulled in and got out and found a guinea pig. She was able to catch him without too much trouble. She later got a friend for him and then a math teacher (one of the absolute worse teachers I ever had) who raised chinchillas) took them home at the end of the school year. We had no baby guineas during that time. I thought it was interesting, but... never made me want one.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
3 Mar 08
That's good that at least you know you wouldn't want one. Some people don't figure that out until they bought one on impulse.
For others reading this who want guinea pigs and have cats, there are some solutions to try when building your cage if you check out www.guineapigcages.com you can see a few of them. I usually go with the lid route myself when building cages for people with cats.
1 person likes this
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
4 Mar 08
Aww. Some are noisier than others. That's a good thing about adopting though, you can ask the foster parents about noise levels.
Most of mine have been fairly quite except during feeding time. But right now I'm fostering a blind baby who shrieks all the time (the brother of the cutie in my avatar). But I don't mind, I think it's cute. But it's something I would definitely tell adopters about since it is significantly over dramatic wheeking beyond the normal guinea pig sound level.
1 person likes this
@DJules (55)
• United States
3 Mar 08
We shared our home with three guinea pigs until they passed away. I loved the sweet noises they would make in the morning, waiting to be fed and get cuddled and played with. We truly enjoyed our cavy companions!
