Should we really make our own?

[firstguineapig8]

You are all so sweet. Thank you for being so helpful and optimistic.

Thanks for the info. I will go look and see. I think it will actually be nice to get two piggies that have been alone all their lives. That way they will both get to experience what they really should have been all along COMPANIONSHIP.

I can't wait. I will go sign up at that site and hopefully something comes up.

Oh, I have another question. I read that males mark alot. I guess their scent. Do I have to worry about that?

thanks much!

[socal805]

I can't imagine that they pee or mark any more than females do. My girls pee everywhere and when they get aggrivated at each other they squirt pee at each other. The sides of the coroplast always have pee on them. I wasn't prepared for how messy guinea pigs are. I totally clean my cage every 5 or 6 days and I spot clean every day. The food area is changed daily and their cozy cups/beds have to be shaken out every day. It's a lot of work but I don't mind!

[socal805]

Oh my gosh, I just read through this whole thread over at GL
Guinea Lynx :: Topic - OMGosh look@these poor boys

This is the reason we all need to try and adopt, either through places like craigslist or from a shelter. Take a look at what these pigs were living in! This gets me back to the original topic of this thread which was "Should we really make our own?"
I think every guinea pig owner should have a c&c cage, either store bought or home made. Making them is really so so easy and does not take much time!

[GuineaPinny]

I'm some woman over at GuineaLynx! That is, I run the AAGP site. I haven't read your whole thread, but let me know if there's a type of pig you're looking for and where you are, and I can see what I can find. I've got a registry of hundreds

Thanks for referring people to my site!

[GuineaPinny]

Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY
110 posts of NY pigs. And there are multiple listings in most posts. And often there are multiple pigs per listing! Oh, and I'm not sure where you are in NY, but I've got a number of pigs listed who work only as only pigs.

[firstguineapig8]

Hello. Thanks for the help.
I originally wanted a lone pig but heard so much negative impact that it will have on the poor little piggie. But you say you have ones that only work alone?
I will get a cage big enough for two. I am in Long Island NY 11803

About one hour or so from NYC.

thanks again. I'll keep checking too.

[socal805]

I'm some woman over at GuineaLynx! That is, I run the AAGP site. I haven't read your whole thread, but let me know if there's a type of pig you're looking for and where you are, and I can see what I can find. I've got a registry of hundreds

HaHa! That's great! I am so glad that you have put that registery together! Ginny if you can help find her a pig or two, that would be great! Firstguineapig8 I don't want to speak for you but after talking to you a pair who is bonded already would be great for your family! Either that or a lone pig. Ginny if you can find her some pigs and she needs help with transport/piggy train do you think that would be possible?
Firstguinea8 it sounds like you need to go shopping for cage materials asap!! I have a feeling that you will be getting some pigs very soon! Just so you know, if you can't find coroplast right away you can put the grids together and put them down on top of a plastic liner with towels and fleece on the top. Just make sure you've got all of your hideys and things in there and the pigs will be fine.

[socal805]

Wow I have been looking at all of the pigs in NY that you have posted Ginny, there are sooooo many. I'm not familiar with New York but it seems like we should be able to find firstguinea8 a pig or two!

[firstguineapig8]

You all are SO AMAZING!

I am so glad I came across this forum.

I am talking to a woman that has two baby females, smooth coat which is what my son prefers BUT she is in OH (
I was so sad because they would have been perfect.
I am going today to buy the items. I think I should be able to find everything today )
I'll keep updating if anything comes up.

God bless,
Anabell

[firstguineapig8]

Well..They were all out of grids at target. So off I go to search some more.

I also found another person who had baby piggies. BUT they are a bonded set of three. I would do it but I think I prefer to start small and see how it goes. I don't want to bite more than I can chew.

The search goes on...

[socal805]

Do you have a bed bath and beyond? or a linens n things? They both have grids. Also try places like Kmart and Walmart, they might have them. Make sure you look in the closet organizer section. I understand about not wanting to take on the 3 pigs but I bet they are cute! Keep looking!

[GuineaPinny]

Sorry I haven't checked in--I don't check this forum as often as others, I search what feels like hundreds each day. Do you think you could email me at adoptaguineapig @ gmail.com (remove spaces) with what you're looking for and I can help find your piggie and work on a piggie train, if necessary?

It would be so nice after posting so many homeless pigs to really help one get a home. I see them get adopted online but I don't know anything other than that. That's why I'm glad I do in person fostering too--especially when it means cute babies bouncing around!

[GuineaPinny]

Okay, so I just reread the thread, and I personally think that of all the options, shelter, rescue, individual, while they all have their pros and cons, rescues have the most pros. That's just me though. If patience is not one of your virtues, a shelter or individual are other great options, but you don't have the health guarantee necessarily, or, necessarily, the continued contact for guinea pig help specific to your pig. Also, you would probably more easily get transportation help with a rescue, because they'll have contacts with guinea pig lovers all over the area. Many rescuers like to come to your home anyway to do the adoption in order to make sure your set up is suitable (if this is the case though, they might have a restriction on how far they travel).

So that's basically my way of saying I'm including some that aren't quite as close to you as is instinctively ideal. I am also including some of the shelters I really like, but I don't know NY geography super well, so sorry if some aren't realistic.

Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY-Life Long Tails-Two Bonded, One Single
I would recommend the first bonded pair in this listing (the baby girl listed second shouldn't be a single pig for her forever home). If the daughter is five months old and they're still getting along, odds are very low they would become unbonded, from my understanding. They're also both young so they're less set in their ways (generalization), and they'll have more time on the good diet and care you're providing them, possibly making them less prone to health problems (generalization).

Erie County SPCA Erie County SPCA (not sure of NY geography) always has a ton of pigs, and my hunch is they don't put them all on the website. It seems like they have more small animal experience with the average shelter, and since they house so many regularly I would guess they would have more of an idea of how differing pig's personalities. You could contact them and see if they had either a loner pig, or a good pair for a first time , but prepared owner. They also have off site adoption locations, described here: The SPCA Serving Erie County: Off-Site adoption photos and locations

Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY-Lollypop Farm in Fairport-Class Photo The Lollypop Farm in Fairport is a shelter that's worth the trip. They have some of the most adorable guineas I have ever seen, and also have what seems like above average guinea pig experience.

Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY/NJ/PA-Rescued piggie girl needs a home This beautiful girl is being housed by an experienced guinea pig person who saved her from CL, and is fostering her, though is not affiliated with a rescue. She is willing to travel to a good adopter. Contact her to find out if she thinks this pig would be a good single pig.

Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY-Craigslist-b/w guinea pig Just posting this one because the pig is in your area. It's an older CL ad, so the pig might be gone. Didn't seem like the poster was screening.

Here are some more of the Life Long Tails pigs: Adopt a Guinea Pig in PA/NJ/NY/WV: NY-Life Long Tails Their mailing address is Cheektowaga, but they operate out of foster homes, so some of the pigs might turn out to be near you.

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY473.html Amiable Animals is a rescue run by a woman over at GuineaLynx. I think they only have one guinea pig available for adoption, but it seems like the rescue offers referrals to other guinea pigs available for adoption. Worth a shot, if none of the other links work out.

And here are two NJ rescues that have tons of piggies and might be willing to work out a train: North Jersey Guinea Pig and Hamster Rescue and Have-A-Heart Guinea Pig Rescue .

Good luck, and I hope this helps!

[GuineaPinny]

Oh, meant to say this before:

Does your friend really keep them in a quarantine tank? Or was that a mistype? I bet your son has told you all about the dangers of keeping piggies in tanks--this will not, at all, lead to healthy pigs. It's very bad housing. I would not buy, or receive for free, an animal who was kept in a tank for any period of time. Even though I would be helping that pig, I would just be making a spot for another one. No one who has guinea pigs' best interests at heart and is knowledgeable about what they're doing will keep their pigs in a tank. If it really is a tank, your friend might be very well intentioned, but accidentally doing the pigs a disservice. A tank pig might be setting your son up for a disappointment shortly. And if it's not a tank, maybe someone else will read this and know how terrible they are!

[firstguineapig8]

sorry..I wrote tank because I also was looking into fish tanks and they have quarantine tanks for the fish..so that is why I wrote tank. It's not a tank..it's a pen. So no worries. Either way, I am probably adopting thanks to the help of everyone here.

[firstguineapig8]

Wow! GREAT information and listings. I just wanted to reply to say thank you. I am going to go search now. So far..the non skittish guy named Moose sounds great. I am going to keep searching though. Hopefully I find a cutie that will fit our family.

thanks a bunch!

[GuineaPinny]

No problem! Just want to add this CL listing which showed up today: