I got a new guinea pig!

[cavyowner2007]

Hun I agree with you about adopting the female. It would be terrible for innocent lives to die over "demand". They will ALWAYS sell guinea pigs in pet stores. People - if you love pigs so much, then care about ALL those who need homes. It isn't JUST shelter pigs. It is EVERY pig that has a price tag on it. I adopted my pigs from a rescue who was also a breeder. And boy did I have words for her! Breeding all the pigs she rescued. It made me sick! I now have her two females she used and they will NEVER ever have babies again. Guarenteed. BUT if I ever did adopt one from a petstore, which I doubt I ever would, I would give him/her a chance! Animals are animals. Rescued or not. Them pet store pigs almost are ALL rescued! Think about how all them pigs got there. People didnt want them so they dump them at pet stores! Thats how MOST get there. well hun, all you need to look for is swelling of the abdominal area, waddling, and feel for babies. As for vet visits, it doesn't cost much at all to get vet care for a pig. Please see a vet. Even if you have to loan money off a friend/family member. It will be worth it when healthy lives come out of a -healthy- mom. Good luck :]

[VoodooJoint]

Originally Posted by cavyowner2007

if you love pigs so much, then care about ALL those who need homes. It isn't JUST shelter pigs. It is EVERY pig that has a price tag on it.

We care enough about the animals that we do not support selling them in petstores. This includes NOT buying them. If we keep buying the animals we are rewarding the stores for selling them and they will ever stop.

Originally Posted by cavyowner2007

Them pet store pigs almost are ALL rescued! Think about how all them pigs got there. People didnt want them so they dump them at pet stores! Thats how MOST get there.

You have an awful lot to learn. The GPs in petstores are most decidedly NOT rescues or dumps. People want cute little baby animals, not older animals which are the ones that usually get dumped. Petstores buy from mills, bunchers and backyard breeders.

I almost wish the Ebay auction was still up that we got cancelled today. It showed classic pictures and attitude of a typical petstore breeder. In the auction the breeder admitted to backbreeding repeatedly and showed pictures of a poor mom and multiple babies all crammed into a 10 gallon fishtank. That was the breeder's standard of care. The exact same standard people support when they buy from petshops.

I recommend you read more on this site. There is a wealth of knowledge and experiance here and you may learn the real truth about petstore.

By the way. This thread is nearly 2 months old. Try to refrain from replying to dead threads.

[cavyowner2007]

Yes I have changed my mind after researching a little more, after I thought of my post. I just wish I could cancle a friend of mines idea of "guinea pig rescue". She is breeding and they are sick! I bought mine two weeks ago, and they have flakey skin, very curvey toenails. It discusts me but I am not going to turn away a rescued pig for anything! They are getting the vet care they need now, and are not packed into pet store cages having babies! I realize that It was pretty much stupidity with my last post, I just feel all animals are equal, and they all deserve chances, as sick people do. No person is turned down from being made (bred) by parents, but theres millions of kids in adoption agencies. I can see its pretty much the same deal. Animals are like my kids, since I have none and plan on having none. I will also be doing more pig rescues once I expand my cage, and get my girls ready for a new "pig member". I am glad there are people out here who do care. I truely am. I just also wish people would give every animal, pet store or not, a chance. I watched people dump off 4 baby pigs and their parents. They said they did it out of good heart when a breeder sold them the parents (yes the breeder happened to be the friend of mine!) and then she let me "foster" two of her pigs, come to find out, 5 weeks later three little babies pop out! She is awful and needs alot of hate mail for breeding.

[Ly&Pigs]

I just also wish people would give every animal, pet store or not, a chance.

Do you know what happens when a person goes to the pet store to buy a pig? At least 2 more take it's place. They come from guinea pig mills or backyard breeders who backbreed their sows to death. They come in tiny plastic containers from the mills or breeders in the back of a hot truck with all sorts of other animals in too small containers and arrive at the store sick, pregnant and often with mites or other parasites. The only way to stop this horrid cycle is for people to stop buying pigs in petstores. There is no such thing as rescuing a pig from a petstore.

Also if people buy from petstores and no one adopts from shelters, the shelters stay full and pigs that are homeless are turned away from the shelters because there is no room. By buying at the petstore you're probably condemning more than one pig to die. There are hundreds of thousands of pigs in shelters and rescues that need homes. Why support breeders by purchasing a guinea pig in a petstore when you can save a pigs life by adopting it from a rescue or shelter.

[cavyowner2007]

Yes I know. It hurts to know that not all pigs can be saved =( Its very unfortunate. I am just glad there are shelters who do help and actually try! I have been a guinea pig rescue before, but not specialized, so I left it up to the better people.

[VoodooJoint]

Originally Posted by cavyowner2007

I just wish I could cancle a friend of mines idea of "guinea pig rescue". She is breeding and they are sick!

If they are sick and not getting medical attention then you need to report her to the SPCA or Humane Society. She is breaking the law and causing suffering by denying them medical attention.

[smartorl]

And please let's not forget that pet shops intentionally don't seperate the pigs there is no mistake there. By not seperating them and allowing to breed, chances are that babies, sellable byproducts to them, will be born before the mother is purchased which pumps more profit into their pockets. I monitored a few shops around here, nothing super intensive but they usually always had a litter of babies in the store, babies that they didn't have to buy. When questioned it is always a sexing error, give me a break. And while it is sad for those pigs that happen to be the "sacrificed ones", I can see how people become upset at the idea, but rather there be a few sacrificed than thousands pumped through the same channels.

[cavyowner2007]

Yes that is very unfortunate. I went back to the petstore and they have new babies there. Only one baby, they were all sexed and put into seperate cages finally! =) I am so grateful for that.

[MattysMom]

Originally Posted by C&K

Maybe there is no rescue really close to you, but if you looked around, you can always find a pig in need of a home. Many people are available who could have helped pig train a pig to you too if you where unable to make the drive.

Unrelated.... but is a pig train just a bunch of people who drop off and pick up a pig to get it to you? because that is pretty freakin cool of people

[Choco-latte]

I beleive all GP's deserve a chance, but when you get a pet, do you just take it home and hope for the best and feed it? when I get any pet the first thing I do is call my vet for a check-up. It could have a disease, mites, illness or a problem. That is what it is about being responsible. People who are responsible do this. I have 3 cats, 1 dog, 1 cockatoo and 2 GP's. They are see the vet on a regular basis and when I first brought them home.

As far as your Piggie being pregnant, a vet can tell you this information. Most of the time GP's from stores are pregnant. You should call a vet today

[VoodooJoint]

Just a reminder to people. This thread was started 7 months ago, the original posted was banned and cannot respond.

[catzeye21138]

Originally Posted by daftscotslass

You have missed the point completely. Are you going to "rescue" every poor guinea pig you see in a pet shop? Because you can bet your life that the money you give to the pet store will be used to buy another two "poor" guinea pigs, and another two, and so on.

I'm wondering also if you and Carmella are the same person...

I know that this is a far way back but the petstore I live by doesn't buy their guinea pigs. Often they don't even have any. They only take guinea pigs from people who can't keep them from accidental pregnancies or if someone found some. There is also no shelters anywhere near me that hold guinea pigs, I am still looking though don't get me wrong. I'm just saying that not all pet stores buy their guinea pigs and that might have been the case here.

Edit: Oops, sorry voodoo.

[random09]

Guys, I didnt know about shelters and stuff around here because we simply have none and I have NEVER heard of it until I got Rizzo. I got her from a pet shop. Petco. And she seems to be very healthy. I know that you all think that is terrible but if someone didnt adopt those piggies then where would they go? THey need a home also. And for us, who didint know aabout the shelters, we could have started there. But im just saying maybe she didnt know.

But in all honesty. Why would you adopt a guinea pig from a place who obviously cant even sort out their sexes and take care of them. Why would they even sell a pregant one to one who doesnt know a thing about guines pigs?? You got ripped of and I hope she has no problems.

[random09]

I also looked in newspapres and had no luck. So I came on here after I got her for advice. I really dont suggest petco though because tey had some really rude guys working in the one I went to. Jsut some advice. But my next one will for sure be a rescued one.

[chinchachu]

You are all a bunch of nazis, good luck to you and your holy crusade.

[VoodooJoint]

Why thank you Chincachu!

[Liz_z_Rox]

The 1st page of this post is rather disappointing. Does everyone on here act like a disgruntled 3 year old?! I hope not, or I wasted a few minutes of my life registering for this site.