Pet Peeve!!!!!!

[craig51]

I have been reading this forum for a couple of months now, and one thing really annoys me.

Its when people say "I bought a pet store pig becuase the shelter didnt have the kind I wanted", or "wait a while and you will get the one you want".

What the . They all need rescued,doesnt matter if they are fat, small, big, three legged etc. The only real exception is a lethal.

This picking of guinea pigs is in my view, the same as a breeders when deciding to keep or kill.

[Giplet]

I sort of agree. Eerr, actually, yeah, I completely agree. If there is a guinea pig in need of being rescued, you rescue it, no matter if it is the 'type' you wanted or not. It's not like being out clothes shopping, "Oh, I won't get that top because it's not the colour I want." "Oh, I won't get that pig because it's not the colour I want". Aaaahhhh! It still needs a home.

I had never thought about this before Craig, but I completely agree with you.

[Cavy Chick]

Meh. Im indifferent. The point is at least one piggy is getting a new home. I know id have a preference to long haired ones with unique colouring, so thats prolly what Id look for first. I dont think people are doing it out of meaness. You must have liked something about the piggies you adopted..whats the difference?

[stitsy&codyPig]

I agree I havent got Cody a friend because there is none for adoption so I prefer to wait until I find one for adoption rather than buy one from a pet store when there are so many that need homes.

[salana]

Sometimes people have to choose by sex. Sometimes people want to soothe a mourning pig with a pig that looks like their departed cagemate.

That's never cause to support a pet store or breeder, though.

stitsy&codyPig--try petfinder and craigslist.org, keep an eye (or advertise your wish to adopt) on the Cavy Placement forums on Guinealynx and Pigloo, and good luck.

[JennG]

Well one that has rescued piggies, I've reached my limit of eight girls BUT I would really like to adopt a himi. Even though I've seen ALOT of cute piggies (never met one I didn't think was adorable), I couldn't get hubby to agree without a good reason. IF I find a himi, he MAY agree but I'll really have to work on him. I'm happy with my eight girls but there's just something about a himi.

My original trio came from a humane society and the lady said I didn't have to take the white one cause, "she's not the prettiest thing." Well, that kind of cinched it for me and all 3 came home even though I was only looking for two.

But I do understand the general statement about waiting for a pet instead of buying one. I could very easily go at check out the pet stores for a himi and just buy one but I'm not going to do it. It's not essential that I get a himi RIGHT NOW! If it happens, it happens. If not, I'm sure it will eventually. (unfortunately)

[PiggieMamaKelly]

I can see this both ways. Right now, I am open and very casually looking for a fourth girl. I am not rushing out to get the first homeless pig I run across for a couple reasons. One is the reason you are talking about. I want a long haired pig, and I will wait until I find one that needs adopting. But there is another reason I wont just drop by the shelter and pick up just any pig. My "future pig" will be sharing a home with two others. I need to wait for the right personality or I will cause alot of stress for me AND my pigs. On the other hand, the thought you are having is also a thought I had several months ago when I was looking for my third pig. I was looking for that "perfect pig" (which meant peruvian, at the time) and I realized I was being kind of superficial. I was going to drive several hours away to get that breathtakingly beautiful pig when there was one in a high kill shelter just down the road. So I went and got the only female pig at the closest shelter. At the time I thought she was ugly, she had short hair and she was a SAVAGE! Not the cuddly long haired pig I had hoped for. Well, months later I wouldn't trade her for the world. She is adorable in my eyes and is calming down and becoming a very sweet girl.So, making a short story long.... I can see both sides of this coin.

[muffin]

I agree with Craig. It is selfish of someone to ignore the rescue pig in order to get what they want right away. By buying from a store, a pig is left in a shelter. I wouldn't have cared what type of piggies mine were when I got to the shelter, they were going to be loved sooooo much. I just wanted to give a loving home. I didn't have any preferences. I still had to wait ages to get them though, and even thought the excitement of getting piggies was almost unbearable, I wouldn't have gone out and bought some just because my adoption got delayed. It took about 6 weeks before I could find piggers to adopt from a shelter!

[rachieanne99]

I partly agree. I don't think it is right if someone buys one from a petstore using the excuse that there weren't any "good" ones at a shelter. But, I think some selectivity is okay. I knew I wanted to adpot piggies, I didn't care what they would look like, but I wanted to feel some sort of "connection" with them, if that makes sense. I didn't want just any pigs, I wanted ones that I fell in love with as soon as I saw them. As cheesy as it sounds, there is just that moment when you know they are the right little furball for you.

[nonamian_girl]

You are right, but selfishness is a part of human nature, and it's hard NOT to pick the cutest, cuddliest one.

[WEAVER]

Craig, this is a great topic!
Ok, here is my view. . .I believe it is ok to wait and be patient to adopt the pig you have your heart set on or one that catches your eye. Before you get upset, let me explain. I think everyone has their own view on what they think "a cute pig" is, or what they fall in love with. I think when you look on Petfinder, or something like that, a pig catches not only your eye, but also your heart. You just know that is the pig for you.
On the other side of this just going to the shleter and picking up the pig they have just to adopt a pig may not be your answer. You may not have that "connection" because you were not patient to get the right pig for you. Instead after you get that pig home you will be thinking again in a month or two "I want a . . . . . . ." and the cycle continues all over again. The problem there lies, how many pigs can you really financially afford, not to adopt, but feed properly, house properly, and get vet care. Let me put it another way, you would not walk into a pound and say to the lady behind the counter "I will take the dog in cell #2", even though you know nothing about the dog, the kind, the temperment, size, sex, or what it may look like. You instead walk around, take your time, spend some time with a few that steal your heart and see what one is "perfect for you", you take him/her home and are completely satisified and you saved a animal. No matter which way you look at it, you saved a animal. The real point is you wait, be patient and your pig will be waiting for you one day at the shelter, it may not be tommorrow or a week from now, but it will be there.

[nonamian_girl]

You know, come to think of it, when I got my first Canadian pig, she was the only one left at the pet store, and I thought she was ugly, but since she was the only one, I took her home with me and I loved her to death. She was an amazing pig (oh and she turned out to be a male but we got so used to it I still think of her as a female).

But it's hard to think like that. Although ScottandDebbie picked out the pig no one wanted at the shelter, and look how much they loved Larry.

So yes, I see your point now that I've thought about it. I think to begin with, you can't help that "I want a cute baby" thing. But maybe if I was to adopt more pigs now, I'd ask for the one no one wanted.

[JennG]

WEAVER-Very nicely said. I was trying to get to that point but I'm alittle sleep deprived.

[Giplet]

I never thought about the sex thing, but yeah, that point is essential really. Personality as well, I think that is more of a sketchy area. How do you know what personality will get on with your existing piggies? I mean, with people, it could be that opposites attract, or similar personlaities clash and so we don't get on or similar personalties is the reason we get on. I think in this case, you need to get the piggies to meet first to see if they get on, if that is at all possible.

But otherwise, I still agree with Craig, if you want a female Coronet and all the shelter has is a female Abby, then you don't just ignore her. You want a GP, you have the space and time and money for another GP, so you open your arms to her, not just leave her and wait for the next coronet that comes by. In doing this, you could be killing her.

If the shleter has lots of piggers, then yeah, you walk around and find one that you connect with the most. But if there is only one piggy and it is the right sex, then you take her/him. Personally, I would just fall in love with ANY piggy I see.

[pamziaw]

I agree too, when i got another piggy i went out to give a homeless piggy a safe perminant home, not bothered about looks, just wanted to give a piggy the loving and care they deserve.

[WEAVER]

Let me put something else out there though, if you just walk in and adopt a pig, but in you heart it is not "the perfect pig for you", you go home. The next day I go to the shelter wanting to adopt the pig I saw on Petfinder (the pig you took home), he was the "perfect pig for me". The lady said he was adopted yesterday. I walk out (no other pigs, the pig I wanted is gone, and you are home looking at your pig that you are going to have for the next five years (at least) thinking---gosh you are so ugly your cute.

Is where I am trying to go with this is there is a pig out there for everyone, if everyone took the time to adopt and not "buy". Everyone has their own opinion of what cute is, or what they want. Therefore just going to the shelter and picking up a pig and not being patient to get the one that is REALLY what you want you could be adopting a pig that someone else has been waiting for and think is the perfect pig. Really we all know there is no "perfect pig", it is more important to find the "right pig" and adopting the first or last one to come along is not the answer either. And for many people that would be a impulse adoption, they are not going to happy til they get the pig they are "really wanting" anyways and than they end up with too many pigs to care for, or the pig comes back to the shelter when they tire of it, neither being good for the pig, and yet all along if he would of remained at the shelter, he would have made someone's "perfect pig", a long time ago when I came into the shelter. Understand?

This is why adoption works, and shelters try to pair potential owners with a compatable pet. THERE IS A PET FOR EVERYONE, if everyone takes their time and finds the RIGHT pet for them. The answer to the shelter problem in the first place is finding a animal that works for you, if not how do you think they wound up there in the first place. For whatever reason they were not right for the previous owner. Do not adopt on impulse or because you do not have patience, that is not the answer. You adopt because it feels right, the pet is right for you, and in the end everyone is happy, the animal is happy, and it feels perfect.

[Sabriel]

Also, sometimes breeds aren't just about looks. They also make a difference health wise. Teddies have dry skin, satins have bone issues, and skinny pigs have a slew of issues. So it's not just about looks, it's also about level of care. Can one care for these higher maintinence breeds?