Advice: Considering rehoming, but not sure...

[blackrose]

I'm considering rehoming my two Guinea Pigs. They get their physical needs met in my care (food, water, hay, groomed, clean cage), but I haven't been able to offer them a safe enviornment for out of cage time and due to monetary problems I've had to cut down on their veggies to once a week and downgrade their food quality.

This makes me feel just downright awful, knowing that I can't offer them the ideal care.

I just don't have the money to buy veggies once a week. And that isn't because I'm spending the money on other trivial things. I am a student working part time that pays for gas to and from campus, part of my tuition, all of my school books, and also for three dogs, two ferrets, and a bird. I've had to cut out some of the things that could be cut out, and spending $60 a month on veggies was one of the first things to go.

Come summer our garden will be producing and I'll have plenty (not to mention I'll be able to work more hours), but then when winter comes I'll be back in the same boat that I'm in now.

I can't offer them secure out of cage time anymore, due to many differing factors. I don't have room for a larger cage (the cage they are in now is just under the recommended footage for two pigs) or I'd make a huge C&C cage and be done with it. They have room in their cage to run and I've been giving them interactive toys, but I just don't feel like that is enough.

Is it absolutely horrible to keep them caged all of the time and only occasionally give them veggies? Is that something worth rehoming over?

I just want what is best for my piggies, even if that means giving them up to a home better equiped to deal with Guinea Pigs. I'm just all torn up about this.

[walleandeva]

I think you'll be doing the best thing for them. It will be hard for you but you've got to think about them. They really need veggies every day. I think it just shows how much you love them by how cut up you are over this.

[Paula]

For optimal health, pigs need floor time at least several time a week and a cup of veggies every day. They also need to have an appropriately sized cage, not something that's "just under" the minimum requirements. More importantly, if you can't assure their safety 100% of the time, they are absolutely better off in a home that can.

It's a hard call to make, but their needs and safety should come before your desire to keep them, especially when you realize you aren't giving them the best care.

[blackrose]

More importantly, if you can't assure their safety 100% of the time, they are absolutely better off in a home that can.

They are perfectly secure while in their cage, but between all of the foot traffic, the other animals, my schedule, and everthing else that goes on in the house, I'm having a very difficult time finding time for supervised floor time in a safe area where I can watch over them and all other animals and people are away.

It's a hard call to make, but their needs and safety should come before your desire to keep them, especially when you realize you aren't giving them the best care.

I completely agree with you. I just wish I were able to give them the care they needed, but right now it just isn't possible. I love my little wheekers.

I don't want them going to just anybody if I rehome them...how should I go about placing them? I want them to go to someone that is a true Guinea Pig person, like all of you are. I also don't want to place them into a rescue - they have a home here until a better home can be found, and then they'll have a home to come back to if need be.