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Original poster

I am getting guinea pigs!!

47 replies

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 04/09/2009 13:37

I took some newspapers down for them this morning and asked about rescuing a pet at the pet rescue place. They let me go in and see the animals

Really that DH has to work today so no time to go but I am determined we are going tomorrow to talk about things.

I have to choose which ones we would like and then in the next 7-10 days we will have a home visit to check we are suitable.

I could go and buy things from the pet shop but I like the idea of helping a charity rather than giving money to a business.

I went to Tesco and got them some kitten food too as they were asking for donations. And I have volunteered to help them once DS2 is in full time school.

OP posts:
morocco · 04/09/2009 22:51

lovely - they are great fun

weegiemum · 04/09/2009 22:54

Great - GPs are fabulous pets.

However, they require fabulous posh (probably double barrelled) names! I hope you relaise this.

We have Benjamin-Balthazar and Zachariah-Smith (Benny and Zack).

Names are very important!

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 05/09/2009 09:48

I have half named them but I think they already come with names. What is the done thing, to rename or not? I would hate for them to be traumatised.

We are going soon.

Might get 3...

OP posts:
MaryBS · 05/09/2009 09:49

Have you seen G-force?

weegiemum · 05/09/2009 12:01

I think you can rename. I don't think it would be that traumatic. Ours were Smoke and Fluff when we got them!

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 05/09/2009 13:06

We are back.

Most were reserved so we were offered a boy called Bert and a girl called Nissan. The girl has been renamed Truffle .

We are picking up the hutch and run tomorrow and I have bought some bedding for them.

We get a home visit in the next 7-10 days and then if we are approved the rescue place will ring us, and if are refused we will get a letter.

What do we need to get to bring them home in?

Never seen G-Force....?????

OP posts:
MaryBS · 05/09/2009 13:33

Its a must for any guinea pig owner, its on at the cinema atm, not sure how much longer for though:

uk.movies.yahoo.com/g/G-Force/index-5349585.html

Its about a crack team of specially trained guinea pigs which save the world.

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 05/09/2009 13:39

Sounds fun.

Truffle squeaked when I held her

OP posts:
morocco · 05/09/2009 23:35

awwww. hope you get your new piggies asap.

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 06/09/2009 11:51

DH has gone to get their hutch and run and I found myself in the pet shop buying them a really cosy bed, a play tube, water bottle and feeding bowl.

Just have to wait now for the home visit and the decision.

OP posts:
Pyrocanthus · 06/09/2009 21:12

Intrigued by the thought process by which a female guinea pig was named Nissan.

Pyrocanthus · 06/09/2009 21:44

But good luck, by the way.

NotPregnantJustFat · 06/09/2009 21:53

We got 2 guinea pigs a couple of weeks ago and they are gorgeous. They do tend to nip a bit though, but am hoping that it's only because they are still babies.

Have been looking forward to DD going back to school tomorrow so I can get some serious guinea pig cuddling done on my own.

The kids think that they're theirs but they're not they're mine

Have you checked with the rehoming place about minimum size of hutch etc? I only say this as I was looking on the net at some rehoming sites and they had rules re minimum hutch and run sizes, type of wire, how the wire was secured, having proper locks etc.

millenniumfalcon · 06/09/2009 21:55

i'd never heard the noise they make before, but my 6 year old was right, they really do sound like an alien spaceship landing

ilovesprouts · 06/09/2009 21:57

i have 2 gps i love em even wen they make that noise

maize · 06/09/2009 21:58

Exciting, we have a boy piggie called Bertie he is VERY fat and snuffly and gorgeous.

They are lovely

Pyrocanthus · 06/09/2009 22:10

NotPregnant: our little girl pigs nipped at first when they were nervous of us. Given the size of their teeth, I think they were incredibly restrained. Our feistier female still expects to be handled with a lot of respect (quite rightly), but very rarely nips now.

morocco · 06/09/2009 22:16

ours nip when they think we've forgotten their tasty snacks cheeky monkeys

NotPregnantJustFat · 06/09/2009 22:37

Thanks Pyrocanthus & morocco. I am hoping my DD will not become frightened of hers as it's her one that nips most. We were feeding them veggies when we brought them indoors to be handled and I thought that might be why they nipped as they associated the handling with being fed. But I've stopped that and they still nip. They don't seem to do it because they're frighened I just think they're exploring, (with their teeth)!

They are still gorgeous though.

morocco · 06/09/2009 22:39

my kids are all obsessed with the nastiest nippyest of our guinea pigs. we have loads = they are all really friendly but one is a real nipper and quite narky tbh. she's always the one they fight over holding first - kids are strange creatures

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 07/09/2009 10:52

Pyrocanthus - they named all the piggies after car makes.

NotPregnantJustFat - we bought the hutch and run from the rescue place so we know we have the right size. The piggies also nipped us a bit while we were holding them but it didn't really hurt. I think they are about 18 months. Is that still a baby and do we have to put the in the naughty corner if they nip us again?

The girlie one squeaked away when I was holding her. How do you know if they are squeaking as they are not happy?

OP posts:
Pyrocanthus · 07/09/2009 11:31

Brilliant, I want Daewoo and Hyundai.

I think the squeaking girlie might have been a bit nervous - when they get to know you they will sound more like a cat purring. She may not have had a completely positive experience of being handled before (being in a rescue centre), might be a bit timid by nature, or doesn't like being called Truffle.

Hear some guinea pig noises here.

NotPregnantJustFat · 07/09/2009 11:58

FabBakerGirlIsBack - I read on the net that you should either tap them on the nose to stop them nipping or pull the hair at the back of their neck, (which is apparently what their mums would do if they nipped them). Seems a bit cruel to me though and obviously I don't know how reliable that advice is.

I was looking on one rescue website as was feeling guilty about getting baby gp's and not rescue ones and the amount of things you had to conform to would be enough to put anyone off getting a rescue one tbh.

I've got 3 rescue cats though so don't feel too guilty. Although dd did say that the only thing cuter than a baby gp is a kitten and that can we get kittens and get rid of the cats

Original poster
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 07/09/2009 12:52

It did cross my mind we could have had some piggies already if we had been to the pet shop but I am a softie at heart and felt going to the rescue place was the way to go for us. I have volunteered to help them when DS2 goes full time at school.

DH has already told me I am not to bring home all the animals...

OP posts:
NotPregnantJustFat · 07/09/2009 18:12

I'd be terrible if I worked at a rescue place. I have been told by my DH that I am not allowed to bring any more strays home. Our last cat was a stray and the older two from a rescue centre.

I did feel bad about getting baby pigs but I didn't get them from a pet shop. I got them from someone who advertised. She wasn't a breeder but just had a huge run full of guinea pigs where they were all running free. The run was about as big as my garden, it was huge! She just had too many and had just separated the males and females as it was getting out of hand. She said her and her husband would sit in the runs with them in the evening, lovely.

Now I just need my big house in the country with some land and I could take in all the waifs and strays that I liked. That would be my idea of heaven