Hiya from Derby, England!!

[spikesjacket]

Hi there all!

I'm Karen and I am a 34 year old mum of 2. Catrin is 13, and Kristopher is 12.

I have always loved guinea pigs since I was about 5? The girl next door to my parents kept 3 girls in a hutch out the back, I forget all the names but I know that one was Snowy as she was pure white with pink eyes and ears....

I have kept piggies myself since Oct 2005, when we aquired Robbie and Riley. They were 6 months old when we got them. About 6 months later we were "given" Flash he was only 5 weeks old, we went to Pet Rescue in Nottingham and got him a cagemate Patch, the rescue owner wasn't 100% sure of his age but estimated it at around a year.
6 months again after that we bought Maisy and Daisy, then about 6 months ago aquired Mina and Lucy. The boys are outdoor piggies, with sheltered in the shed during the coldest months. The girls live indoors.

We have never housed the boys and girls indoors at the same time and all the boys were used to outdoor living when we got them.

There are pictures that I uploaded in my gallery, or in My piggies/In Memory

I have been looking for a piggie forum for a while, ever since my last one Squeaky Pigs shut down.

[AnimalHouse36]

Welcome to GPC.

Your piggies are adorable! However, housing them outside is against this sites principle so don't expect that to be taken lightly.

[spikesjacket]

I'm sorry about that! But I was advised that this was acceptable practice when taking advice from a lady that shows her piggies, and they ARE sheltered at night time,

[AnimalHouse36]

Originally Posted by spikesjacket

I'm sorry about that! But I was advised that this was acceptable practice when taking advice from a lady that shows her piggies, and they ARE sheltered at night time,

People who show their cavies are NOT to be used for examples. They put their cavies under tremendous stress and add to overpopulation. There are thousands of cavies in shelters and even more on death row and in irresponsible homes being neglected because they thought they were "cute".

Please, please make the switch. Even if your piggies are covered at night there are still to many dangers out there. Besides the weather there are cats, dogs, and people who would be happy to snatch up a piggie when you aren't home. You already have two in your house why not make the switch to four? They would be SO much happier and all around safer.

I hope you don't feel attacked in any way what so ever. But this site are VERY pro-adoption and anti-showing and breeding. Take a look around the site (in the kitchen mainly) why we don't support either.

[spikesjacket]

I understand about the pro-adoption stance as I am very much that way inclined but sometimes it can be ignorance that dictates why you do these things, we really have only one room suitable and as the outdoors pigs are male and the inside ones female housing them in close quarters might not be for the best. Also my piggies live in large hutches rather than cages at this point, but they were made to order and have more than enough room, I am always trying to find new and exciting additions for them to play in, or explore around and in the summer months they spend time outdoors in a run, I honestly did what I thought was right by them.

I understand that you are not having a go at me, but sometimes it can come across that way even if it not intended......

[AnimalHouse36]

I understand about the pro-adoption stance as I am very much that way inclined but sometimes it can be ignorance that dictates why you do these things, we really have only one room suitable and as the outdoors pigs are male and the inside ones female housing them in close quarters might not be for the best. Also my piggies live in large hutches rather than cages at this point, but they were made to order and have more than enough room, I am always trying to find new and exciting additions for them to play in, or explore around and in the summer months they spend time outdoors in a run, I honestly did what I thought was right by them.

Many people have housed sows and boars together in the same room. Sometimes right on top of eachother. I beleive paulam.moore does. I do not so I can't give you to many details but I know that it is successful.

I understand that you are not having a go at me, but sometimes it can come across that way even if it not intended......

On this site many of these people are passionate about the care of cavies (me included). I may come accross that way but I only want the best for your guinea pigs.

[sweetpigsrescue]

Hello and welcome! You are from my hubby's side of the pond..he is from Manchester!
Your pigs are so cute...sorry to read about the ones you have lost.

[Myspoiltpiggies]

Originally Posted by spikesjacket

Hi there all!

I'm Karen and I am a 34 year old mum of 2. Catrin is 13, and Kristopher is 12.

I have always loved guinea pigs since I was about 5? The girl next door to my parents kept 3 girls in a hutch out the back, I forget all the names but I know that one was Snowy as she was pure white with pink eyes and ears....

I have kept piggies myself since Oct 2005, when we aquired Robbie and Riley. They were 6 months old when we got them. About 6 months later we were "given" Flash he was only 5 weeks old, we went to Pet Rescue in Nottingham and got him a cagemate Patch, the rescue owner wasn't 100% sure of his age but estimated it at around a year.
6 months again after that we bought Maisy and Daisy, then about 6 months ago aquired Mina and Lucy. The boys are outdoor piggies, with sheltered in the shed during the coldest months. The girls live indoors.

We have never housed the boys and girls indoors at the same time and all the boys were used to outdoor living when we got them.

There are pictures that I uploaded in my gallery, or in My piggies/In Memory

I have been looking for a piggie forum for a while, ever since my last one Squeaky Pigs shut down.

Hello Karen,

I am Katrina, an 18 yr old with 6 piggies. It is great to see another UKer on here!!

Even though my guinea pigs live outside (well, in a heated shed!) I must say indoors is best and if you could make that change that would be fantastic!! Mine are coming into my bedroom this year, once my room is finished being re-painted and re-furnished. I know it is the norm, especially in the UK, to keep them outside, but it is best for the guinea pigs to be indoors. I have actually had at least 2 die from heat stroke in the Summer. The biggest reason I am making the change is because I don't see them enough out there, whereas in my room I will see them all the time. My girls and boys (I have 3 of each sex) live fine in the same room in different cages, they never fight, so if this is the reason you keep one lot inside and the other outside, I wouldn't worry!!

My family think I am silly for having them in such big cages in my room my dad says in America they can do that because they have bigger houses than us!

[Amsley246]

No kidding on the bigger houses ! Sometimes I wonder why people have such big houses and waste most of the space in them. They don't even have that many people living in the most of the time! Welcome spikesjacket! I hope you enjoy the site and all the information it has to give! There's much to learn and you can basically find out everything you need to know. I know some people can be a little pushy on here, but I just don't let them get to me, we are here for the best interest of our pigs ! Congrats on the adoptiong of your piggies (althought it may have been a while ago!) I hope you live many happy years together!