where's the best place to sell guinea pigs and their set-up?

[GhoulishFan]

I'd like to know they're going to a good home...

would the news paper be the best place or somewhere more specialist? (a vets or suchlike?)

I wouldn't sell them if you want a good home, rather advertise them for free but state clearly you will vet anyone who wants to offer them a home before allowing them to take them. Your local pet shop would be one option, or call up the vet and see if they know of a local guinea pig rescue group who could put you in touch with someone looking for some. Ask about friends and family too - just maybe someone is interested. Some freecycle groups will allow pets to be offered, but others do not.

I would go with a vet or local rescue center, selling animals on rarely works out well IMO.

What is the problem with them?

nothing wrong with them at all, just need money and they're too expensive to keep atm.

If I could afford them, I would, but times are worse than hard right now so I can't.

Such a shame and really tough decision to make!

If a good home is your priority then I think go with the vet etc, if you want to raise money sell the kit seperatly somewhere else, ebay, gumtree, local shop etc. That way you can get a solution to suit both problems?

it is a really hard decision - they're so cute and friendly (not smooth haired, so they're quite unusual too)

ohhhh I don't know...

surely the cheapest food is alright for them? they wouldn't be able to sell it if it harmed them, right?

The cheapest food will be fine for a while, I would just aim to change it back as soon as you can. The fact is that it may do them more harm to go to a new home with the possible implications of that than putting them onto a basic mix food will do!

Only you can make this decision, it is really tough. I feel strongly that you take a pet on for its full life regardless of changes that happen - but I feel even more strongly that you have to make the tough decisions that are required to ensure your children have the best situation you can manage. The two do not always go together well!

You know your situation you know how much difference it is really going to make to have that extra bit of money. Do you buy your shavings etc from a pet store? Perhaps it would be cheaper to look at getting it from a local farm or something?

Where abouts do you live? County-wise? Also how old are they and you say 'set-up' - presumably you mean their hutch etc? How many do you have?

hi whispy - I don't think I will be selling them now... I agree that you take them on for life, but tbh this week I've had £5 to last til tuesday and it was a bit of "what can I sell...." but I like them too much I think!

DM, by "cheapest" food I mean guinea pig museli from Pets at home or my local independent that may be cheaper... and cutting back on the treat sticks and such things - I'd still get them stuff to chew but longer lasting stuff!

they have hay on the bottom of their cage as I was led to believe straw and shavings are not good for them?

We have a tight budget and pigs.

They live on towels (obv have to pay for electricity to wash them) but it means we don't have to pay for shavings every week so its easier to manage financially.

I buy 99p hay from Pound Stretcher and they LOVE it.

They eat the Pets at Home nuggets - and they are fine.

And thats it, we don't do treat sticks or anything like that, just those willow stick bundles and then fresh veg (usually left over peelings).

you can sell pets on preloved

Better off feeding a complete pelleted food, not the cheap museli type mix. They will selectively pick the things they like from a mix and some food is wasted, and in addition they can cause a mineral imbalance in their diet over time leading to dental issues....then vets bills. It is a potentially false econony therefore.

I agree to buy pellets if you can rather than museli but everything else sounds great, if you are keeping them on hay then a full bale will cost about £3.50 ish if you can get one from a farm - perhaps look at livery yards in your area and ring to ask if you can buy a single bale. Wrap it in a couple of bin liners (not sealed, so the air can flow but not get damp) and keep it in the shed/garage and it will do for a few weeks at least. Much chearper than pets at home.

I do understand the £5 till next week type feeling, my dc are very familiar with how good baked potatos and beans can be... until you have eaten them all week every 4th week for several months! IF it is too tight then you owe less to the pigs than you do the dc, no-one can blame you for that however I have utmost respect for you doing all you can to manage th situation for the time being. It is not easy.

ooh, i got my hay from freecycle, raked it up myself, try that next summer.

towels you say
do they like that?

I line our hutches with newspaper (donated by my dad each week!), we don't use shavings at all. I just put a thin layer of hay (purchased in bulk for very little money from a local farm) in the living area, and alot of hay in the sleeping area. I also shred paper (bank statements, junk mail etc) which makes great bedding.

I buy food online which works out half the price of the cheap petshop stuff. I got a 15kg bag of WAG for the piggies (I always feed mix rather than pelets and have never had a problem with selective feeding) food for £11.99, and a 20kg of rabbit (for the rabbit not the piggies!) for the same price. They are HUGE sackfuls and will last for ever!

My only real expense is the fresh veg, although I am quite indulgent with them! There's no reason they shouldn't have peelings and left overs. If you've got a fruit a veg shop or market stall local they may be happy to pass on their old/bumped stuff for free or very little money.

is shredded paper ok for rabbits do you reckon?

I use a layer of newspaper on the bottom of their cage, followed by shredded newspaper (not normal paper because its too sharp on the cut edges...newspaper is much softer) and thats it. I ask my neighbours to let me have their newspapers when they're finished with them so I tend to have quite a few stacked up. I put them through a normal paper shredder and just a handful of papers will give me a bin liner full of shredded paper. Much easier and at no cost to me. Woodchip/woodflakes are ok but messy to use, cost a bomb and not ideal because its dusty and can cause eye trouble for pigs/rabbits. I keep them topped up with a layer of meadow hay - I don't use straw because that's also quite sharp. I buy my meadow hay, by the bale, off ebay - costs £8 for a very large bale which lasts about 6wks with 5 pigs.

As for food - Pets at Home nugget food is ideal - stops selective feeding and its fairly cheap to buy.

They also get the usual bits of fruit and veg - whatever peelings are on the go.

We put in dandelions and their leaves and grass from the garden sometimes as treats. Also carrot peelings, bits of broccoli and peppers we aren't using. Guineas love things like that as treats and they cost nothing.

We have also changed from expensive to cheap food and it doesn't seem to have made a difference. The food we use is still in pellet form not the museli.
Ultimately they are guinea pigs and if you don't have enough money to feed your DC properly and keep the guinea pigs I would take them to a rescue who will find them a good home and use the money that will free up for your DC.