Um...help the noob?

[TX_2_Pigs]

I wanted to start off by saying welcome to the boards. You will find a ton of fantastic information. Someone already suggested reading all the sticky threads at the tops of every forum. They will provide you with most of the answers to most of the questions you probably have. If they don't, the forum search feature will also aid you in answering your questions. If you still don't find what you need, as you have noticed, you will get lots of feedback when you ask.

Originally Posted by Almi_

I didn't say that getting a pig from Petco's adoption center would be a rescue, I said it would be an adoption.

Well in all honesty, no it isn't. In an adoption you have to fill out forms and be approved and THEN you get to take the pet home. Or you get rejected if they don't feel the animal is appropriate for you. In this situation, you still simply plunk down your cash and take the animal home the same as with the normal purchase. So what that they are returns, they're still just "stock".

Originally Posted by Almi_

This particular pet store has an open habitat, and people that are tall enough can reach in and hold the rabbits and cavies.

Pigs and rabbits should never be kept together. They have very different dietary needs and a rabbit, even if it is playing, can severely injure the pig without trying because of the power they have in their back legs. As far as that goes, pigs should never be housed with anything other than pigs.

Originally Posted by Almi_

You can't tell me that I need to buy everything on that list and feed her a little bit of each every day. That's just not practical at all.

Sure it is. You asked what you should buy to keep on hand everyday. That list was it. If you only want to get a couple different lettuces at a time, that is fine. Just get romaine and red leaf one week. Then the next week get green leaf and butter head. Then get escarole and radicchio. Check out Ly's chart. It is totally awesome and I use it as a bible. I print it and take it with me to the grocery store. Wheek Weak gave you a link to it earlier.

I buy 1 head of romaine, 1 head of red or green leaf, 1 head of radicchio, 1 head of escarole or endive, 2 bunches of cilantro, 2-4 green bell peppers and a bag of shoestring carrots. These are all every day vegetables. I chop it all up and put it in a small trash can that I keep in my spare fridge. I add other ones that are less frequent, like parsley or cucumber, every other day or every third day.This lasts me about a week with my 4 pigs.

PS: This is the same thing I bought even before I had the spare fridge and trash can. I would just keep everything in the crisper and pull it all out every night, pull a couple leaves off of every head, 1/2 a bell pepper and chop them up then throw in a small handful of shoestring carrots. This was usually enough for 2 meals. They got half that night and the other half the next morning.

[Toadies]

Hi Almi. I guess you figured out that we are dedicated to bettering the life of all fur, huh? Variety in the veggie department assures a better diet and health for your baby, as well as adding interest to her day. You get used to the fridge not being for people food anymore. It soon will become second nature to get and have the food ready. No matter how much "trouble" it may seem to be, your piggy will pay you back a hundred-fold. There's not much better in this world than when your piggy "kisses" you or snuggles into your neck. I've had my boys for 3 years now and they still run. They are at the bottom of the food chain, after all. Time, patience and gentleness will make them more comfortable, but they may never come when called.
At any rate, this site is a wealth of support (yes, support) and info for the betterment of your piggy's life. Welcome. Your baby is beautiful.

[SerpentineSylph]

Originally Posted by Biscuit

I also thought that a rescue pig would be skittish and scared. I got my first chinchilla from a breeder because of this. I know that is possibly true of some other species. Pigs aren't really that way. It's odd! Often it is the opposite, pet store or breeder pigs are not handled at all. My bravest, sweetest pigs were dumped on a shelter.

It's true. My three-year-old boar I adopted from the Humane Society was far more tame than the baby pig I got from someone who's pig had babies. You think if you get this little baby from shortly after birth that you can imprint it however you want and make it love you - it's just not true. My three-year-old boar, Doc, started recognizing his NEW name (he was named "Fennel" before) in about the second to third day and will look for me when I call his name. We've had Boo for almost a month now, and he still doesn't know his name very well and usually gets scared of it more than going "ooh! It's mum with the veggies!" Babies don't seem to have any concept of what you may have "saved" them from, the adults just seem very thankful and appreciate what they've got. I guess that's just the maturity even our piggies receive through hardship.

On a side note, when we bring an animal into our home, we shouldn't be compromising the animal's natural needs and happiness to fit our lives. "Well, I don't have room for a C&C cage, the pet store works fine. I just don't have time to give them veggies, it's too much work." Well, then it sounds like guinea pigs aren't the right animal for you. I'd love to have fish, but I hate cleaning the big aquariums, and have a tendency to put it off too long as a result, therefore I don't get fish. Your not just bringing some random object into your home, this is a living, breathing, FEELING animal. You want them in your home, than learn what they need not just to survive, but to thrive and be HAPPY. If you can't provide that, then don't get the animal. It's that simple.

I just don't understand. Why would you rescue small animals, if you don't believe they're overpopulated, Almi? They wouldn't need large (and small alike) rescues, you just have to rescue the occasional abuse case. The demand would be higher than the "supply" if they weren't overpopulated, so you wouldn't have thousands of small animals in rescues and there wouldn't be a need for them. People always need to do more research before assuming that small animals "aren't overpopulated in their area", or that there are "no guinea pigs in shelters near [you]" (you hear these cop-outs all the time, it just gets more and more frustrating each time you hear it).

I'm not in any way trying to be mean, and I hope I didn't come off as such, I just think a lot of what you're saying and doing is contradictory.

[Ly&Pigs]

Go to the diet and nutrition forum and read ALL the stickies, paying good attention to the one labeled Nutrition Charts and Sample Menus.

What do you think of making frozen veggie portions? It would be a lot easier to buy a bunch of veggies and portion them out right away and freeze them. That way she'd get a better variety, I'd waste less, and it would save me a bunch of preparation time every night. That's important to me with eighty other mouths to feed.

Absolutely no freezing of veggies. They need fresh only.

Um, okay, well I have Ivermectin. I have it mixed 5 parts water and 1 part Ivermectin in a spray bottle for my mice. Thanks for the link - I'll have to take a look at that.

Pigs need ivermectin by weight. You can't just use 1 part of ivermectin and 5 parts water mixed in a spray bottle unless you want to kill your pig. It needs to be properly dosed.

[Almi_]

Originally Posted by pigsforlife

No rabbit pellets.

KMs timothy based pellets or oxbow cavy cuisine/performance (cuisine is alfalfa based, perfomance timothy based) is the way to go. Unlimited timothy hay supplemented with alfalfa hay until she is 6 months old. Again Oxbow and KMs are the best brands out there.

Check out the stickies located at the top of each forum. In the Diet and Nutrition forum there is one particularly sticky that holds a chart posted by Ly. Look at this.

Pigs need a varied diet of vegetables, yes, but you need to watch how often particular veggies are fed and in what quantities. Therefore you may find it easier to set up a menu that you can follow.

Please consider getting her a friend, cavies are social creatures and do well in groups of 2 or more. http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm
2 sows can live happily in a 2x3 C&C cage which is 7.5sq ft.

She could grow up to be a rex/teddy (fuzzy hair like my Toffee - http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...hegirls006.jpg - she is the cream and white pig in the background) or a texel, which has long curly/wavy hair. Crazy haired pigs are abbys which is what my Rosie is - http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...hegirls015.jpg

Okay, I will pick up some alfalfa hay today. I did give her rabbit pellets for the night, but she picked around them anyway. =P

I'll probably also get some better quality pig food then; I'll see what our PetSmart carries. I never really looked before. Oh, and while we're on the subject, I have a coupon for a free bag of Kaytee Fiesta (which I think is one of the worst brands of pet food), is this okay for a treat, or should I just not even bother? (I'm guessing the answer wil be no, but I figured I might as well "ask the experts.")

I have looked at the sticky with the fruits/veggies before I posted this topic, but I'll have to go take a look again, thanks.

I gave Ginger some radish tops, broccoli, carrot, celery leaves, and strawberry yesterday, and she didn't even touch it. Should I be worried?

Yes, I know, I already said in my initial post that I will eventually get another female Guinea when I find the right one.

Okay, good to know. I wanted to know if a 3 x 2.5 foot cage would be okay, since that's what I was planning on getting.

Thanks for clearing up what her coat type is.

Originally Posted by clotho

rabbitsncavyluv is a very smart, helpful person whose primary concern is the best interest of the animal - who also doesn't mince words - I personally find that refreshing and would take rabbitsncavyluv's advice to heart.

So many people on here give so much of themselves to try to stop the cycle of abuse these animals go through with breeders and the treatment they get in pet stores - and it makes them cringe when they see people buying from pet stores. Just do a simple search on pet stores and read a few threads and you'll see why.

If it were me, I would treat her for mites.

I'm so glad I found this site and all these knowledgeable people who really care about animals and are active in helping them. Stick around - read a lot - and you'll learn a lot too. I learn something new every day.

I agree with you on that. Rabbitsncavyluv would be even more lovable if he/she was a little more open-minded and got to know a person before he/she judged them.

I understand what you mean. Perhaps it was hypocritical of me to get a cavy from a pet store, but [small/rodent] pet overpopulation is hardly a problem here to the point where I run the only small animal rescue for 80 miles, so where am I supposed to get cavies, if the only unwanted ones just turn up at pet stores anyway?

Alright, I will start the mite treatment as soon as I get the correct dosage.
I may stick around for a bit until I've read what I need to, but I dedicate most of my time to taking care of our 80+ animals, working, and helping out new hamster owners on a hamster forum I've been a member on since 2003. So forgive me if I disappear for a while (or forever..?).

Originally Posted by rabbitsncavyluv

You called yourself a "rescue" in the first sentence of your post. A true animal rescue operates differently than what you described.

You state yourself you don't know anything about the pet store you got your pig from. Letting random people just reach in and grab the pets is a recipe for disaster. I knew someone who worked at a pet store like that a long time ago and many rabbits had to be put down or dumped in the back to die because they had their backs broken due to mishandling. And pigs have been dropped or kicked by rabbits. They should never be housed together.

Oh, and you don't really need both alfalfa and timothy pellets. Just either one - alfalfa since she is a baby. You just need both alfalfa and timothy (or another grass hay).

Oxbow and Kleenmama are high quality feeds. Slowly introduce veggies.

Okay, so you're saying had I not ever said I run a rescue, that I would get treated like a normal person, and with more respect? That's a little backwards. I'm sorry, whether I buy a Guinea pig from a pet store or not, I do still run a rodent rescue. I have my pets just like any other normal person, and I have my rescues, ones I've taken in because they have something wrong with them, were found in a garbage can, or were in a bad situation, not because I wanted them for pets. Some of my rescues I have kept as my own pets, others are up for adoption. Though I treat them all as my own, I don't really have a desire to have fifteen mice and thirty hamsters. I don't like gerbils much, but I have three of them. You get the picture.

Yes, I have stated the conditions of the pet store where I got my pig from so that you guys could get a better idea of the situation. I'm not defending the pet store, I'm sorry if it came across that way.

And yes, I know that rabbits and cavies should not be housed together. I have done research on them years ago; coming here has helped greatly in refreshing my memory of them.

So alfalfa pellets and alfalfa + timothy hay?

Do you think she was ignoring what I've offered her because she's never been introduced to it before? She'll eventually try them, right?

Originally Posted by OSUCavies

But, there are quite a few people here who come across very abrasive in their postings/threads...not just sometimes, but ALL the time. And those are the individuals that make it difficult to take information from because of the attitude they seem to have on the board. Maybe to those of us that post here often, we can look past it and just take the information---but the ones that don't know us from Joe Schmo, they are the ones that take it to heart and go running for the hills rather than staying and learning... that is my point.

That is a very good point you have, and that is something I continue trying to get across to people. Your intentions may be great, but if you try to "help" someone by telling them the way they care for their animal is appalling (just a random example) in an attempt to get them to change their ways, chances are they're just going to take offense and not listen to you at all. A kind, intelligent person finds a way to keep both animal and owner happy. You must appeal to the owner, because THEY are the one that is caring for that little animal you're trying to "save."

I'm not so ignorant that I don't see great advice when it's given to me, but I will admit that someone telling me off on the subject of my animals is a huge sore spot for me. I take pride in what I do and my animals are my life. I can't hide it - if someone were to question me, there's no doubt I will take offense to it. I hate it when people don't take care of their animals correctly, and I would hope that I would never do the same. Which is why I'm here - I want to make sure what I know about cavy care is right, and I wanted to get any extra advice I could get my hands on. There's a reason that coming to a group of people that own a certain kind of animal is the best way to learn about them.

Originally Posted by PiggieMamaKelly

I think it is assumed that there is a certain mentality among rescue folks and that is the "Don't buy while shelter animals die" line of thought. To me it came across as what seems like a real conflic of interest.

You're right. I may think differently than other rescues, because I've never been right in the middle of animal cruelty or a bunch of animals with no homes. Most of what I see is animals finding homes. Perhaps that is why every shelter around here is no-kill, and why I think it's okay to buy pets for myself as well as take in rescues. I can definitely see why people would think that what I'm doing (buying animals while I run a rescue) doesn't make any sense.

Originally Posted by Biscuit

With regards to the perception of rudeness, how would you have worded it, Almi? How would you have let the person gently know that while rescuing animals is admirable, we here likely find that to be contradictory to ever buying one from a pet store. How could we educate you about these things without you taking it as rude because you do not currently share that opinion or understanding? Would you feel it was rude no matter how it was worded anytime someone disagreed with what you did? Should they just keep quiet in your opinion? I'm genuinely asking. =)

Sometimes circumstances like a big cage with rabbits & piggies that everyone in the store can reach into may seem like a good thing. I know what you mean, really, I used to think the same way. But then I saw injured pigs, scared stiff pigs being handled by bratty children and strangers all day who had no idea how to handle a guinea pig properly, I changed my mind.

I also thought that a rescue pig would be skittish and scared. I got my first chinchilla from a breeder because of this. I know that is possibly true of some other species. Pigs aren't really that way. It's odd! Often it is the opposite, pet store or breeder pigs are not handled at all. My bravest, sweetest pigs were dumped on a shelter.

Hmm, I think you missed something here (or are making this into something bigger than it needs to be?). I have already said time and time again that I can see why people would question that. What bothered me was that rabbitsncavyluv was getting after me for not researching a pet first. Which, I have already researched pigs, I was seeking additional information on them and had some specific questions. I stated my opinion that one shouldn't tell another off for seeking advice. I also never said anything about anyone being rude. It was offensive to me that I was getting told off for innocently seeking expert advice. Would you rather have me go read a book, or come here, where you guys, people that do truly care about these animals, can give me way better (and more in depth) advice?

People can word things however they like. I wasn't complaining, I was telling it like it is. "You came off as offensive," isn't saying, "you are an offensive person," and it's certainly not saying, "stop being so mean!"

Thanks for your input, perhaps I was being a bit biased when I said I didn't want to start off with a "rescue pig."

Originally Posted by TX_2_Pigs

I wanted to start off by saying welcome to the boards. You will find a ton of fantastic information. Someone already suggested reading all the sticky threads at the tops of every forum. They will provide you with most of the answers to most of the questions you probably have. If they don't, the forum search feature will also aid you in answering your questions. If you still don't find what you need, as you have noticed, you will get lots of feedback when you ask.

Well in all honesty, no it isn't. In an adoption you have to fill out forms and be approved and THEN you get to take the pet home. Or you get rejected if they don't feel the animal is appropriate for you. In this situation, you still simply plunk down your cash and take the animal home the same as with the normal purchase. So what that they are returns, they're still just "stock".

Pigs and rabbits should never be kept together. They have very different dietary needs and a rabbit, even if it is playing, can severely injure the pig without trying because of the power they have in their back legs. As far as that goes, pigs should never be housed with anything other than pigs.

Sure it is. You asked what you should buy to keep on hand everyday. That list was it. If you only want to get a couple different lettuces at a time, that is fine. Just get romaine and red leaf one week. Then the next week get green leaf and butter head. Then get escarole and radicchio. Check out Ly's chart. It is totally awesome and I use it as a bible. I print it and take it with me to the grocery store. Wheek Weak gave you a link to it earlier.

I buy 1 head of romaine, 1 head of red or green leaf, 1 head of radicchio, 1 head of escarole or endive, 2 bunches of cilantro, 2-4 green bell peppers and a bag of shoestring carrots. These are all every day vegetables. I chop it all up and put it in a small trash can that I keep in my spare fridge. I add other ones that are less frequent, like parsley or cucumber, every other day or every third day.This lasts me about a week with my 4 pigs.

PS: This is the same thing I bought even before I had the spare fridge and trash can. I would just keep everything in the crisper and pull it all out every night, pull a couple leaves off of every head, 1/2 a bell pepper and chop them up then throw in a small handful of shoestring carrots. This was usually enough for 2 meals. They got half that night and the other half the next morning.

Thank you.

You're right about the Petco adoptions. They charge people a surrender fee as well as an adoption fee. They probably make more money off of their "adoptions" than they do their other animals. It makes me angry, and is part of the reason I started a non-profit rescue.

Haha, yes, the different dietary needs - I've been wanting to ask this one. So far two pet stores have told me there is a certain feed you can buy that's okay to feed to both rabbits and cavies (but isn't the best for either of them). I personally thought this was crap, and it's something that never really needed to be made because rabbits and pigs shouldn't be housed together in the first place. I was on Petfinder and saw a listing for a trio - a rabbit and two pigs. It said that they were fed this food, and could be adopted out together. What do you think?

Okay, I will try to keep as many of those things around as I can. I have a question though - why such a variety? I mean, don't a lot of fruits and veggies have basically the same benefits as others? And certainly a wild cavy wouldn't have the benefit of this variety in the wild.
Thanks for giving a better idea of how you feed your pigs. It helps put things in perspective for me, so that I can figure out my own routine.

Originally Posted by Toadies

Hi Almi. I guess you figured out that we are dedicated to bettering the life of all fur, huh? Variety in the veggie department assures a better diet and health for your baby, as well as adding interest to her day. You get used to the fridge not being for people food anymore. It soon will become second nature to get and have the food ready. No matter how much "trouble" it may seem to be, your piggy will pay you back a hundred-fold. There's not much better in this world than when your piggy "kisses" you or snuggles into your neck. I've had my boys for 3 years now and they still run. They are at the bottom of the food chain, after all. Time, patience and gentleness will make them more comfortable, but they may never come when called.

At any rate, this site is a wealth of support (yes, support) and info for the betterment of your piggy's life. Welcome. Your baby is beautiful.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by SerpentineSylph

It's true. My three-year-old boar I adopted from the Humane Society was far more tame than the baby pig I got from someone who's pig had babies. You think if you get this little baby from shortly after birth that you can imprint it however you want and make it love you - it's just not true. My three-year-old boar, Doc, started recognizing his NEW name (he was named "Fennel" before) in about the second to third day and will look for me when I call his name. We've had Boo for almost a month now, and he still doesn't know his name very well and usually gets scared of it more than going "ooh! It's mum with the veggies!" Babies don't seem to have any concept of what you may have "saved" them from, the adults just seem very thankful and appreciate what they've got. I guess that's just the maturity even our piggies receive through hardship.

On a side note, when we bring an animal into our home, we shouldn't be compromising the animal's natural needs and happiness to fit our lives. "Well, I don't have room for a C&C cage, the pet store works fine. I just don't have time to give them veggies, it's too much work." Well, then it sounds like guinea pigs aren't the right animal for you. I'd love to have fish, but I hate cleaning the big aquariums, and have a tendency to put it off too long as a result, therefore I don't get fish. Your not just bringing some random object into your home, this is a living, breathing, FEELING animal. You want them in your home, than learn what they need not just to survive, but to thrive and be HAPPY. If you can't provide that, then don't get the animal. It's that simple.

I just don't understand. Why would you rescue small animals, if you don't believe they're overpopulated, Almi? They wouldn't need large (and small alike) rescues, you just have to rescue the occasional abuse case. The demand would be higher than the "supply" if they weren't overpopulated, so you wouldn't have thousands of small animals in rescues and there wouldn't be a need for them. People always need to do more research before assuming that small animals "aren't overpopulated in their area", or that there are "no guinea pigs in shelters near [you]" (you hear these cop-outs all the time, it just gets more and more frustrating each time you hear it).

I'm not in any way trying to be mean, and I hope I didn't come off as such, I just think a lot of what you're saying and doing is contradictory.

Haha, I don't expect to "make" any rodent "love me," I think they all just tolerate me. ^_^ I was hoping that it would be easier to handle a baby (which, it is, and she doesn't wiggle and kick around like some other insane ones I've had to deal with), and therefore it would be easier to get one used to me that way. She is proving to be a very good little girl, and isn't hiding in her puzzle blocks all the time anymore. She was out munching hay even with around 20 people being loud and walking by her cage constantly for Easter yesterday.

Oh no, I would NEVER compromise an animals needs. I'm just asking questions. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not that kind of pet owner. Heh, I know what you mean; I'm the same way as you in the way that I hate taking care of big fish tanks. I used to have fish in my 55 gallon long ago, but I hated taking care of it, so now I have frogs in there instead. =P

I'm only speaking for my area. I know that animal overpopulation is a lot bigger problem in more populated areas. (I live in North Dakota...yaey prairie and farmland?) I know of all the animal rescues around, and Petco is the one that gets all the cavies, which aren't ever there more than a couple of days to a week. I've done my research. I rescue small animals because I love them and because I have the time, space, and money to. (And I hate Petco's adoption center.) I began rescuing them and just keeping them before I decided to start adopting them out. To tell you the truth, taking care of the 3 lagomorphs and 50 rodents that I have now is almost nothing to me.

I understand what you're saying.

Originally Posted by Ly&Pigs

Go to the diet and nutrition forum and read ALL the stickies, paying good attention to the one labeled Nutrition Charts and Sample Menus.

Absolutely no freezing of veggies. They need fresh only.

Pigs need ivermectin by weight. You can't just use 1 part of ivermectin and 5 parts water mixed in a spray bottle unless you want to kill your pig. It needs to be properly dosed.

[FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Verdana]Okay, I will do that.[/FONT][/FONT]

Yes, I know that now, thanks.

I realize that medication is dosed by weight. I said I have 1 part Ivermectin and 5 parts water for my mice. I said I would look at the link I was given and get the correct dosage before administering any medication. I'm not that ignorant, but thanks for your advice.

[catzeye21138]

Pretty much everything has been covered but I want to add that she is most likely a red or a teddy. I doubt she is a texel because at that size you would start seeing it in their fur. Teddy's fur runs rump to nose usually. Their fur is described as 'Kinked' while rex fur is described as 'Curled'. However, rexes aren't in the US. So if you live over here, she would be concidered a teddy. I'd call her cute, you could probably stick with that.

[babybunny]

Originally Posted by rabbitsncavyluv

If you run a small animal rescue, why are you buying animals from pet stores? And without doing proper research on the pet before buying them?

You keep saying rabbitsncavyluv "told you off" and "judges" you. However, the post that you reference is 2 legitimate questions. It is confusing for us to fathom why any rescuer would support the horrific animal abuse and neglect by purchasing an animal from a pet store. Also, your first post shows that you didn't do "proper" research before buying and bringing home your pet.

rabbitsncavyluv only voiced the questions before anyone else did, there is no judgment or telling one off.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

With the veggies, there are three things I feed my pigs everyday: lettuce, bell pepper and a carrot. Everything else I rotate in based on how often they can have it, and based on what is on sale or looks good in the produce department that week.

Is your baby a squeaker? I had a 4 week old pig once and he never shut up! It was like having a human baby around.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Petsmart doesn't carry quality feeds. They usually recommend their own brand Nutriphase which is poor.

What do you mean she picked around the pellets? If you do not have plain pellets and the ones with seeds, nuts and colored bits, you need to ditch them.

You should adjust your veggie list. Radish tops may be okay to feed but broccoli can cause gas, celery is mostly water and carrot/ strawberry are sugary and should be fed as a treat.

Your pig likely isn't used to veggies so she doesn't know what they are. Most pet stores only feed crappy pellets, often no hay and rarely veggies.

You should be feeding dark leafy greens like romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, endive, escarole, cilantro, etc. as Texas suggested already.

And yes baby bunny, that's what I meant.

Originally Posted by Almi_

Okay, I will pick up some alfalfa hay today. I did give her rabbit pellets for the night, but she picked around them anyway. =P

I'll probably also get some better quality pig food then; I'll see what our PetSmart carries. I never really looked before. Oh, and while we're on the subject, I have a coupon for a free bag of Kaytee Fiesta (which I think is one of the worst brands of pet food), is this okay for a treat, or should I just not even bother? (I'm guessing the answer wil be no, but I figured I might as well "ask the experts.")

I have looked at the sticky with the fruits/veggies before I posted this topic, but I'll have to go take a look again, thanks.

I gave Ginger some radish tops, broccoli, carrot, celery leaves, and strawberry yesterday, and she didn't even touch it. Should I be worried?

.

[krittercrazy]

At the rate that you are taking animals from PetSmart and Petco there will be an overpopulation problem in your area. I noticed on your home page that the majority of your "rescues" are from pet stores. One was from a trash can outside the pet store and one was one of your own pets that you are adopting out to make more room for the sick and unwanted at the pet stores.

On your home page you made note of how pet stores do not take proper care of their animals nor do they give good information to the purchaser. What many people have difficulty understanding is that by taking responsibility for the sick, injured, suffering animals in the back room from these pets stores, they are absolving the pet store of wrong doing. The pet store continues buying from the breeder(who has to breed more for the demand that "the rescuer" is creating, is back breeding, has overcrowded conditions, not breeding for health, etc.) The pet store doesn't have to worry about the public finding out about the sick and injured in the back room because they have a "rescuer" on hand to take the financial and emotional burden on. And to make it all the much sweeter - the "rescuer" pays the pet store for this privilage.

That you take animals from the pet stores and call them rescues is certianly you business, however, here the majority of the people see beyond the animal that is in the pet store right now. They also see the animals to come if they were to buy(adopt, rescue what ever term you use). That is why rabbitsncavyluv and other speak up and say what they do.

Sometimes whispering will get peoples attention other times you have to speak up loud and bold. In a setting such as the internet you can get both at the same time.

Out of curiosity, how does a rat dye itself blue?

[Almi_]

Originally Posted by babybunny