In a dilemma

[CrazyMom]

Hey everyone,

Elephants baby is now one month old. Gus has been separated and is now in the top level of my 4x2 and the girls are in the bottom. I am getting frustrated because I have yet to find him a forever home. He is posted on guinea pig zone. I am worried about posting him on Craigslist because of so many irresponsible people. I figure if he is seen on guinea pig zone then the people are semi knowledgeable.

I don't think Gus is doing well. He hides in a blanket most of the time and chews on the grids. Quite frankly I am pretty sure he is bored. He is proving to be very hard to tame. He won't come out at dinner time and when I finally catch him he flails until I put him down. He has also not taken to drinking out of a water bottle. I am worried he isn't getting enough water, I put a bowl of water in there for him and he didn't touch it. I am trying to give him as many "wet" veggies as possible but I don't want to over do it in fear of other side effects. How could I tell if he is dehydrated? His poops are normal.

My next problem is what to do with him. I have considered getting him a buddy and just keeping him. But that would limit my girls to the bottom level and them for the top. When I built the cage I was wanting the girls to have both levels. The bottom doesn't seem very well lit and it is getting dirty much quicker (not that I am too worried about that). I don't have the space for another cage of this size and I have read that boys need a little more space. So do I keep trying to adopt him out as a lone pig, get a buddy, or get a buddy and try to adopt them out together if the right home comes along?

Thanks!

[mufasa]

Here's a thought: List him on Craigslist as a companion piggy only. That way, you can ask the potential adopter to provide photos of the current pig and cage, as well as being reassured that he won't be alone.

[Petlovr]

How could I tell if he is dehydrated?

Pinch an inch of skin on his back. If the skin stays folded, he's dehydrated. The slower it unfolds to lay flat again indicates how severe the dehydration is. If it goes flat immediately, he's fine.

Adopting out a guinea pig, cat, bunny, dog, whatever, takes a lot of time. This is why rescues are always so full. Homes are hard to find; for instance, a baby bunny in a rescue will adopt out in 16 months, on average. I think you should plan to have him for a while until you can find a good home. I wouldn't put him on Craigs List, there are just too many nuts out there. Keep trying to socialize him, so if someone comes to meet him, he'll have a better chance at a home. Also, you might want to think about what you want to happen if the people would want to return him. Average home stays are about 2 years, then people dump their pets for any number of reasons. Do you want him to come back to you? Go to a recommended shelter? Good luck, and keep trying.

[lissie]

Can you get him neutered so he can live with the girls?

[foggycreekcavy]

I agree, see about neutering him.

And yes, adopting out a pig can take lots of time. Timmy has been in my rescue since 2006.

[CrazyMom]

Neutering is seriously expensive. I have a guinea pig vet fund but it is really only there for emergencies, and I wouldn't want to have to use it later and it not be there. I did put a very serious ad on Craigslist, saying I needed pictures of a cage and guinea pigs and I would have to bring him there, but within 1 hour I got an email about studding him. Yeah right. Ugh people!

[schavarry]

Neutering is seriously expensive. I have a guinea pig vet fund but it is really only there for emergencies, and I wouldn't want to have to use it later and it not be there.

In all honesty you can't get him neutered until he's 4+ months old, the vet I found won't do it until they're 5-6 months. What if you call around to the vets in your area and see if you can find one you'd trust to have him neutered at, inquire about the cost and start saving up now? If you put $25 a month toward a "neutering fund" you should have most of the money you need for his neuter by the time he's old enough. In the mean time you can look for a home for him and if you find him a forever home you can add the neutering money to your vet fund...?

[Onetwo]

Are there any rescues/shelters in your area? Ask if they know of anyone who is looking for a GP and if possible if you could leave a flyer and state the conditions on the flyer. Keep putting an ad for him on CL with your requirements and don't back down. Just ignore the dumbasses on there.

[pinky]

He's only four weeks old so you can't expect him to be tame. Guinea pigs respond to handling and lots of TLC. The more you interact with him, the friendlier he'll become. It takes time and patience.

[CrazyMom]

I will start putting money aside so if I don't find him a home I can get him fixed. My hubby thinks it might be a good idea to get one off of Craigslist that is in a tiny cage so that I could adopt them out together. Any ideas on this?

[schavarry]

I will start putting money aside so if I don't find him a home I can get him fixed. Thank you.

My hubby thinks it might be a good idea to get one off of Craigslist that is in a tiny cage so that I could adopt them out together. Any ideas on this?

to ME that seems like more effort than I would be willing to put in. If you can't find someone to adopt one, and you don't have space for two I wouldn't recommend taking in another just to try to adopt them out as a pair... Especially if you don't know if your boy will like the one you find on CL. That's my 2 cents.

[pinky]

You never know if two guinea pigs will be compatible. You could end up with two males in separate cages. Plus, it's stressful for guinea pigs to be moved around. If your intention is to rehome them, don't put the other in in a position where he'll have to readjust twice....By the time you pay a rehoming fee and buy the extra food, it might just add up to the neutering cost.

[CrazyMom]

Very good points. I just feel bad for the little guy being alone

[mufasa]

Neutering is seriously expensive. I have a guinea pig vet fund but it is really only there for emergencies, and I wouldn't want to have to use it later and it not be there.

Check around because neutering prices can vary widely and are not necessarily indicative of quality.

In my part of FL, one vet quoted $200 while another was $500. Ironically, the $500 vet is a member of the exotics organization, yet the person I spoke with on the phone said almost nobody neuters their guinea pig and made it sound like I was a little nuts. The $200 vet is the one who sexed Borat and I feel comfortable with that clinic.

Craigslist is a magnet for loonies, but there are normal people looking for piggies there too. It's where I found Amy, and I would have been happy to give a cage photo, vet phone #, etc. had the people asked but they didn't care about all that. The right person will be willing to meet your conditions cheerfully.

[lissie]

Check with low cost spay/neuter clinic. There's one in my area that only charges $55 for neutering, and the vet is an experienced vet who neuters rabbits and guinea pigs for the rescues in this area all the time.

[CrazyMom]

Hey everyone,
I finally got someone to reply to my post. But this is the picture of the cage she sent.
The lady swears it is 4 ft by 2.5 feet. Am I blind or does this not look like your regular pet store cage?

[jowasaurus]

That cage looks like it [might] be around 2 1/2 X 1 1/2 grids?

I wouldn't really say it is big enough for a growing pig and another that she already lives with. And just from the picture, she's over feeding pellets [and it looks like it has stuff mixed in] and the hay rack is empty-ish.

It's totally up to you though. I feel weird judging someone before actually getting to talk to her in some form or another.

[CrazyMom]

That cage looks like it [might] be around 2 1/2 X 1 1/2 grids?

I wouldn't really say it is big enough for a growing pig and another that she already lives with. And just from the picture, she's over feeding pellets [and it looks like it has stuff mixed in] and the hay rack is empty-ish.

It's totally up to you though. I feel weird judging someone before actually getting to talk to her in some form or another.

I actually asked her about the pellets and she didnt really offer an answer for that. and that she was just getting ready to refill the hay. I might have come off as judgmental in my email to her, but I have to make sure Gus is going to the best possible home. I worry about people out there because before this forum I was uninformed too.

[jowasaurus]

Well you could always link her over to this forum for more information. At least the diet and nutrition and possibly cage building information!
I got a boy from Craigslist yesterday and his last parent wanted to come over to make sure he was going to a good home. We met at Eat-N-Park [a local restraunt chain] and then I had her follow me to my home. I made sure I wasn't alone and walked her to the living quarters.

She had never heard of C&C cages or anything. I told her about my vet, the type of food and hay I fed, to try and make her more comfortable. If you're going to let this woman be Gus' new pet parent, it's totally alright to ask a million and one questions about her and her guinea pig knowledge!

[CritterLuvva]

@CrazyMom Personally, I wouldn't go for it. Tiny cage, no hay (it doesn't take more then a minute to refill hay! Do it BEFORE you take pictures folks!), too many pellets, question avoidance... way too many red flags! Better to be safe then sorry. I'd count her out. I hope you find a good, quality home for Gus soon. Best wishes!