AIBU to worry about next doors guinea pigs

[LittleGreenFr0g]

This may be more of a WWYD. The lady next door has gone away with her children. She told me that she was going away and that her DH would be at home as he has to work. She is the one that normally looks after the guinea pigs.

They have been out in their run in the same spot since she went away. They have shelter but I don't think they have had food or water since saturday when I saw him out in the garden. He was out all day saturday and all day yesterday although did come home late last night. Their food bowl is empty, and I suspect that their water bottle is empty too (although can't tell). There is hardly any grass left. She normally moves the run around the garden. His car is not there this morning, so he must have gone to work.

Now I am a bit of an animal lover and this is upsetting me (easily done). Would I be unreasonable to knock on his door when he gets home and tell him to feed and water the guinea pigs? We get on ok as neighbours.

I've had guinea pigs and you're quite right to be worried about them but I suspect that the neglect is due to him not being used to caring for them and not knowing what to do. To preserve neighbourly relations I would pop some food and water in now and then catch the DH later and say that you hope he doesn't mind but your dd wanted to give the guinea pigs some food and fill up their water bottle because they were empty. You could also say that as your dd loves guinea pigs you'd be happy to feed them til his wife returns. Even if he says no it should act as a reminder that they need feeding!

can you text the Mum, just to say I've noticed GP's haven't been moved/fed and it's been so hot here I'm a little concerned? And she can contact him to deal with it?

I wonder why our boys (frequent visitors rather than my own GPs, I hasten to remind) don't hardly drink anything. They have water bottles rather than bowls which I don't approve of, but they seem to be ok for it. Certainly don't rattle them or such like. That's why I started experimenting with leaving the GPs out for spells without water for longer and longer, until it extended most the day and they didn't seem at all bothered even when I put the water back. Maybe because of how much of their food is fresh (not dry?) Or because they are, even by GP standards, so incredibly dim...

(Experimented Because the bottles get manky if left in the daylight, get algae, and although I wash & sterilise them, regular owner is less bothered about green in the bottles, and it's a tricky job to clean them a lot).

I don't suppose they'll die of thirst if they're out overnight on wet grass, but they'll be pretty miserable during the warm days.

Our boar drinks all the time; his missus doesn't take nearly so much. They need to have water available, and will be more thirsty if there's not much fresh food available.

Suspect the neighbour's forgotten about them if he's not used to looking after them; it's not unusual for guinea pigs and rabbits to die because their owners forget about them or stop bothering.

Have you snuck over yet, LGFrog?

I'd sneak round with some GP food, ours love carrots, grass and dandelion leaves, spring greens, broccoli too, fill up their water bottle and stick a note through his letterbox to say you've done it and would be happy to check on them daily while his wife is away.

please go round there and feed them. I have a guineau pig and i can't bear to think of them being hungry and thirsty. could you have a word with the dad if you see him.

you could buy them some dried food as well if you were concerned as that will fill them up.

Ok, I looked over the fence after typing this, and realised that they had some water but no food or even grass to nibble on :( I was worried that my DD (7) would either not be able to get back over the fence and/or hurt herself. So satisfied that they had water I decided to leave it until he returned tonight. I was planning on going round.

We went out for our planned trip returning about 4pm, and SHE'S BACK...hurrah!! The run has been moved and they have clean water and food. Luckily it must have only been a long weekend away. I am so relieved as I would have not liked going round to speak to him but I would have done to stop them suffering.

Thanks all :)

Phew. Hope she noticed that they'd not been looked after and gave him what for.

LGF - I think you need a strategy for next time. Can you drop an offer to look after them into conversation at some point?

Do they leave the pigs out in the run all the time by the way, or have they gone in for the night?