Petco Pigs

[Hansel]

[quote=pinkbunny]Hansel
And it certainly is not helping me understand your view QUOTE]

I am not trying to be "hostile" here but what part of the view here do you not understand? Why we are against breeders and petstores? I wont cramp my fingers to tell you why, you can do a forum search and you can read others opinions of breeders and petstores and why they are a bad choice. Chances are that you had to spend hundreds of dollars on your pigs because they picked up something from the bad conditions of the petstore.

[pinkbunny]

Hansel
I don't think that you were hostile, you were actually quite considerate and I thank you for that.

This is what I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by C&R5567

I am ALMOST speechless. Excuse me while I slam my head on my desk.

Absolutely no consideration to other peoples feeling, opinions and circumstances.

I've seen a lot of young people being put down and almost called idiots and such(they weren't really called that but it was clearly implied) because they did something wrong. Well what if they didn't know any better. That doesn't make those members who make those comment any better. It is also not showing great intelligence treating people like that and pushing them around.

[pinkbunny]

I guess to sum that up. An opinion can and should be voiced (after all this is a free country ) but it has to be done in a nice and polite way. Not stomping on peoples feelings and pride. Also, those opinions have to be explained and justified.

[C&R5567]

How dare you make such a feeble attempt as to try to make an example of me.

Thanks to Percy's mom and Hansel they saved me the time and energy of relaying the exact same thoughts about you and your "right fighter" mentality. I was about to go to sleep, as I cannot sit on this forum all day and night as you have to go back and forth trying to justify weak arguments. You have twice made references to my throwing around big words trying to look "intelligent". Don't even attempt to challenge me. I speak my mind here, always with restraint, alot of the time with humor or with a post to make you think. I have never been impolite to anyone here, but this now may qualify. I referred to one of your posts as lame brained but more accurately I found it to be insulting and repugnant. I will deal with the other one tomorrow since there is a challenge there.

This is a non-breeder, non-petstore, non-abuse of any kind...INCLUDING ripping the heads off of chickens, and also there is a pro-vegetarian forum here. I strongly suggest that if you want to learn about peoples thoughts and the purpose of this forum then you start looking at everything.

A previous user told you that if you catered to the breeder/petstore mentality then keep it to yourself, we don't advocate that here. You told him he was considerate and then try to make an example out of me. Well, let me respond in kind.

YOU are the problem. YOU find nothing wrong with blowing $100 at a petstore to keep the mills and sleazy business thriving. You are under the delusion that you did the right thing. You didn't.
YOU are the problem. You, just like a users b/f's sister, DID spend the money without learning. Logging on here after the fact is immaterial.
YOU are the problem. There are literally thousands and thousands of unwanted animals that will die in shelters or be placed in overextended rescues.
YOU are the problem. As a proud member of Peta and a proud vegetarian I am offended and appalled at your failed attempts to argue home pointless diatribes on a board that does not and will not advocate your position.
YOU are the problem. Your claim that the so-called market will never die.
YOU are the problem. People like you will keep this market going. When people join together things can surely happen. When you DON'T patronize that bloodsucking business then it gets harder to sell until they can sell no longer.
YOU are the problem. Take a good hard look at what Percy's Mom and Hansel said to you once again. You argued with them like they do not know what they are talking about. They clearly know more than you. They know you better than you may think. And I am on the same page.

I most certainly would have commented on anything for you until you tried to make an example of me. You have been here for 4 days. Some of your posts are stepping on my toes in what I strongly believe in. What so many others here believe in. And if you don't like my words or what I say then you are more than welcome to complain about it to the proper people.

This is all I am going to say about this at this time. I am tired. I need sleep. I go to work. But I promise I will address your challenge tomorrow so you can get a clearer understanding of my thinking, my positions and my 100% total backing of what this board stands for, whether you refuse to understand or not. Right fighters always don't.


To Percy's Mom and to Hansel, my apologies for dragging your names through this, but you made valid, strong points that illustrated what most of us are all about on this forum.

[pinkbunny]

C&R5567 no where in my posts have I insultet your person, I did however reference your post as an example. You on the other hand just insulted me numerous times.

According to what you said people who do not think in the exact terms that you do have no place on this forum. In that case there should be a posting somewhere saying that if you don't agree or think like the following list you're not welcome here. I'm sure I could have found other website with the information and help that I neede if I knew that I'm going to be THE PROBLEM.

[daftscotslass]

This forum is run by a guinea pig rescue and is a rescue-friendly board.

Does that not say it all really? It says it at the top of the forum that this thread was posted on.

What I can't believe is that you knew that rescues existed but you chose to buy in a pet shop to satisfy a selfish desire to own a couple of guinea pigs. I bought my first two guinea pigs at a pet store 13 years ago. Why? Because I didn't know better. You did - for which there is no excuse. You say that you had a bad experience with a shelter? Do tell. I had a minor bad experience with a shelter - that they were feeding a guinea pig (now mine) hamster food. What did I do? Go to a pet store? No. I told them that it was a problem and that guinea pigs can't eat hamster food. They stopped using hamster food, and Lucy is putting on weight every day on the correct diet. It's not your duty to turn a blind eye - DO something!

Originally Posted by pinkbunny

I'm going to ask you a question? What happens to the guinea pigs the don't get sold at a Pet Stores?

Well... do your research. There are very few animals that don't get sold. The sick ones are generally euthanised due to costs. If you pay $30 for a guinea pig there (I say this because they're £18 here in the UK), then you're allowing them to pay $5 to a breeder for 6 new ones to replace them. If you want some good stories about bad breeders, just look through the threads on this forum. This topic has been done to death and I think it's about time you had a good hard read at some of the evidence on this forum.

[twofinepigs]

As to comparing guinea pigs and unwanted human babies - guinea pigs are a commodity here. This means you CAN vote with your dollar. If guinea pigs become unprofitable to sell, then pet stores won't sell them. If pet stores don't sell them, breeders won't breed them for pet stores. Your invidual job is not to buy them, and not to patronize stores that sell them, and to encourage others to follow suit. (Think globally, act locally.)

Nope, you can't solve the problem. Is that a reason not to try? Would FEWER breeders and pet stores selling pigs be better than what we have now? Of course it would.

There are more things you can do. You can support rescues, do outreach education, foster unwanted pigs...but the first job is the easy one: just don't let your dollar support the problem.

Human babies are not a commodity, not subject to supply and demand, a completely different problem with different solutions. You can't compare them. With pigs, you can make a simple and direct choice with your wallet. If you made a wrong choice in the beginning - I did - you don't have to continue it.

PetSmart doesn't get my pet-supply money any more. Only shops that don't sell animals at all.

[Percy's Mom]

Originally Posted by pinkbunny

Lot's of judging and absolutely no consideration to other peoples opinions and situation. Where is the open mind?

Seeing as all of the other questions you asked me were answered before I came back to the forum today, I'm not going to address them again. Everyone else provided lucid, well informed answers to you.

This isn't a case of opinions and open minds. As I pointed out before, it's a case of ignoring facts and selfishness.

I won't pretend that I don't have a guinea pig that I bought in a pet store because I do. There are loads of people on here that have pet store pigs. Percy was purchased in a pet store after he had "accidentally" fathered a litter in that store because the employees had no clue how to sex their animals, and they had been sent a mixed group from the breeder they bought from. I'll even admit to having been ignorant to the fact that there were guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, rats, and hedgehogs in shelters and rescues. I'll go so far as to admit that the impulse you're so fond of took over the first time I held Percy in my arms, and I (thought) I HAD to buy him.

But that's as far as the comparison goes. The difference here is that myself, as well as many of the others who have pet store pigs, didn't know better when we got them, and we have learned from our mistakes and adopted friends, buddies, brothers, and sisters for our pigs post our pet store experiences. You have readily admitted to knowing there are pigs in shelters, but because of your "responsible impulses" chose to support breeders and animal mills and the living conditions pet store animals are forced to live in to satisfy your need for instant gratification. If I had known then what I know now about adopting, cages, food requirement, et al, then I'd have put him back down and moved on, probably with a desire to have a guinea pig kid of my own after searching through newspapers, internet, and word of mouth and making a few phone calls and emails to rescue my babies.

As far as consideration for your situation, which I don't recall you hinting at what that might be, what the consideration should be is that if you don't have the time or aren't willing to research where your animals come from or where you should be getting them from, you shouldn't have them. Period. End of story.

Now I think I can be reasonibly safe in saying that absolutely no one wants you to do anything other than take care of the animals you have. Regardless of where they came from, they should be cherished, loved, and cared for. The problem is the fact that you keep trying to justify how and why you bought your guinea pigs at a pet store, and there is really no justification for it since you knew there were animals languishing in shelters that need love and caring just as much.

[pamziaw]

I think you only have an excuse for buying a pig or getting one from a breeder if you don't know any better, Fudge is from a breeder because I didn't know any better but now that I do I wouldn't dream of getting a pig from a breeder or petstore. Ignorance is pardoned. However if you choose to get a pig from a breeder or petstore knowing the consequences then you are condemming a pig to die and possibly gaining lots of vet bills (I'm having to treat Fudge for mites at the moment). Simple as.

[Hansel]

[quote=daftscotslass]

What I can't believe is that you knew that rescues existed but you chose to buy in a pet shop to satisfy a selfish desire to own a couple of guinea pigs. I bought my first two guinea pigs at a pet store 13 years ago. Why? Because I didn't know better. You did - for which there is no excuse.

I cant agree with this more. You said that my boyfriends sister isnt on a forum such as this and therefore doesnt know any better. Well YOU are on this forum, and as Daft said there is no excuse.

[SuzieQ33]

If you cant find a rescue group, and your local shelters dont have piggies for adoption...is it better to get your critters from a breeder or a pet shop? Or maybe just not get one at all? Ive been looking into this since last august so this isnt an impulse. I have posted on two yahoo groups, this list under adoptables....and craigslist. There seems to be very few options for me in my area. (reno, nv) I was emailed the phone number of a breeder in my area. I am very unsure if this is ok. Oh and yes I tried petfinder first. I would also be willing to drive a ways. But I have a small car without four wheel drive. So I wouldnt be able to get far right now till spring or summer.

[Percy's Mom]

SuzieQ - I did a quick search on Petfinder and found 3 guinea pigs with a regional search for Reno, and 50 when I did an expanded search. Many in the expanded are at CavySpirit. You could try to PM Teresa (CavySpirit) on here, and I'm sure she could get you more information as far as distances, applications, etc. If your only other options are breeders or pet shops, I would hold off on getting a piggy for now.

[DaCourt]

Some rescues can arrange transport. I may actually be coming to Reno in May. My daughter has a dance competition there. If you can wait that long, maybe we can work something out. If you want an application, just go to www.cavyhaven.org. All the contact info is there.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Try to find someone who doesn't want their gps anymore or had accidental babies. There must be someone like that near you. Try the classifieds, local papers or vet offices. Keep checking the shelters.

Did you check all the resources here http://www.guinealynx.info/rescues.html ?

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Are you able to travel a bit, or see if someone can transport? California has lots of piggies for adoption. It's a 2-3 hour drive? Maybe someone can meet you halfway?

This shelter lists one gp http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/pubworks/animal_control.htm

There is one sow here http://www.nevadahumanesociety.org/adopt_others.htm

[SuzieQ33]

I just went and tried petfinder again. There is a male in incline village, NV I dont know how far away that is from me but it isnt real close. I also dont have chains or four wheel drive so going up into the mountains is a no go. The other gps listed were all in sacramento ca or further. I have a list of city animal shelters to call when I get back to reno. I am in Everett, WA right now visiting familiy. I dont know why the petfinders site thinks california is close to reno. Susanville, CA would be ok if the road is ok. Again I am not against taking a very long drive to pick up some piggies. I just have a small car and no four wheel drive. There is a large no kill shelter in Las Vegas I would love to visit, but flying home with my new friends isn't possible either. The airline I work for and fly on for free, doesnt take animals. So I guess the answer is if the city shelters are a no go then I will just wait.
I am really glad I found this site. I actually was planning on getting my new pig from my local petco. They have been very nice and seemed to know what they were talking about. Of course now I know they just think they know what they are talking about and had eveything wrong. But the ladies I have been talking to were very happy I was going to wait and look into getting my new pet instead of buy it and all the stuff right then. So thats something I guess.
On another note, if I find there are just alot of homeless pigs being put down by these city shelters instead of being given the chance of adoption, how would I go about getting some folks together to start a GP rescue in my area?

[SuzieQ33]

I did see that the one shelter had a sow. I was just going to get one and then I read you have to have two. So I was trying to get both at once. Should I start off with just the one and then try to match her up with a younger gal later?

[LBKK]

I personally would go with both at the same time. That way, they can adjust to their new home together and bond. Whereas if you get 1, and then get another later, the 1st one may feel like it's her "territory/home" and the other is invading it. That may or may not be the case, but given that you've had such a hard time finding them, you may be better off to snap up the ones you can get now. I know the search is tough. I started looking for adoptables in July and didnt find any until November!! I could have EASILY bought some from the local petstore but chose to hold out and I am grateful for it. Good luck and dont give up!!

[LBKK]

Oh, also - my 2 girls are very close in age. My guesstimate is Keiko is about 6 months old, Keira about 4 months. We so far have had no issues with fighting. I think that it is only with males that you need to get ones that have a significant age difference.

[SuzieQ33]

I think I am going to get the sow, it she is still available when I get back home. When the roads get better and I havent found her a friend, I will drive to sacramento. There is a shelter there. I see the piggies on petfinder.
Thanks to everyone for the advise.