[Love4Piggers]

Oh wow, I am so glad you started this thread, Envisionary, thank you!! Some of you have already heard my story, but I'll put it here, too, so it will be with other's stories on how this board has changed me. Well, I think like many others, I was fully aware that there were shelters and rescues full of dogs and cats in need of homes, and also was knowledgable about backyard puppy and kitten breeders; but unfortunately, I had no idea that guinea pigs and other small animals were dealing with the same problems. My dogs and cats are all rescues, but I thought that when I wanted to get gerbils, guinea pigs, etc., that I had no choice but to purchase them from a pet store. I was extremely clueless and ignorant. I've had gerbils and hamsters, all from pet stores. And so when I made the decision to get guinea pigs, the first thing I did was go to the pet store to purchase them, along with a "My First Home" cage. They were fed awful food with colored bits, fed veggies but no variety, and were given carrots and parsley every day. They lived in the My First Home until they got bigger, then I did what I thought was the best possible thing I could do for them, and went and bought the biggest cage I could find at the pet store. And until I found this board in August, they had lived in pet store cages for the whole approx. 4 1/2 years they had been with me. As soon as I possibly could, my boys got a 2x5 C&C, (I was absolutely shocked at the actual size, as compared to the pet store cage,) and got rid of the terrible pellets and placed an order from KM's for 25lbs. of hay and 10lbs. of Timothy pellets. The bottom of their My First Home cage is now a hay room, entirely filled with fresh KM's hay, and they absolutely love it. They are now 5 years old, and acting younger than ever. They run around, and popcorn, and they have lots of room for all the new toys and hideys I bought them, too. They now get veggies twice daily, and with much more variety. They have slimmed down, they are more active, their coats are shinier, and they are so much happier.

I have also been educated about the backyard breeders, and all the piggies at rescues in need of homes. I know not to ever go to the pet store for small animals, but to adopt rescues waiting for a home.

Thank you so much for this website, it has given my boys a new lease on life!!