What if I keep the babies?

[VoodooJoint]

I'm creating a sticky reference thread of this post by VJ from this thread: http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ep-babies.html.

I think most of us would agree it's a great summary of information.
Teresa

Originally Posted by Crazy4cavys

Albinism is NOT a breed, it is a birth defect that causes there to be no color pigments in an animal.

Not quite. It's cause by recessive alleles. While albinism does exist what people are trying to make you understand is that it DOESN'T exist in Guinea pigs. It is impossible for it to exist in guinea pigs because they do not possess the particular alleles responsible for albinism. Therefore a pink eyed white guinea pig is just that, a-pink-eyed-white-guinea-pig NOT an albino.

There are certain animals that CANNOT create albinos. The closest thing they can produce is a "lethal". When the "improper" alleles (which would be normal, recessive alleles in other animals) meet they create a "lethal", a creature that is usually lacking in much pigmentation as well as also inheriting severe deformities. These can be anything from deafness (which is survivable) to severely deformed eyes, teeth, digestive tracts, limbs and so many other variables that it's impossible to list them. MOST of these deformities cannot be survived and usually lead to death soon after birth.

Those deformities CAN and DO exist in guinea pigs and I doubt you have even the slightest clue as to how to distinguish a potential cross that can create a lethal. Here's a clue. YOU HAVE NO IDEA! Since you do not know the genetic background of your guinea pig you would have no way of knowing if the cute little babies you want, and think your guinea pig wants, will come out to be malformed and suffering creatures that you, and your guinea pig, will have the infinite joy of watching slowly die. What FUN!!!

Originally Posted by Crazy4cavys

Honestly, if there was nearly as many piggs as there where dogs and cats ... but where I am there are none beeing put to sleep, or abused.

You have no idea. You are so very wrong. There are loads of guinea pigs being abused right now. Some are probably within a few blocks from you. Do you want to know why you aren't seeing as many in your local rescues (although I doubt you really looked all that hard) it's because most people either allow the guinea pig to slowly die of neglect and poor care in some basement, garage or outdoor cage. Most of those came from the petstores where they were bought as a "child's pet", or as an impulse purchase. Once the newness wears off they are forgotten about and allowed to die in filth.

Do you want to know another reason why you aren't seeing as many in rescues? It's because many people set their guinea pigs "free" when they don't want them anymore. They let them go in parks, golfcourses, forests and sometimes just their backyards to fend for themselves. They usually know, but simply don't care that they can't survive. As long as they are gone it's no longer their problem.

Do you know that the SPCA believes is the #1 abandoned (set free) animal is? It's not the cat, it's not even the dog, they believe it's the rabbit. Unfortunately, unlike dogs and cats, so few survive their release for long that it's hard to pinpoint. Do you honestly think guinea pigs are being treated any better?

So sure, go ahead and breed, breed BREEEEED and feel free to ignore the craigslist and newspaper ads full of people looking to dump their pets. If you have filled up your home with cutie wootie little babies and can't take them in then I'm certain it won't bother you to know that it's very likely the owners will just set it free to live a natural and long life in the wilderness like nature intended (are you catching my sarcasm?) or maybe they will just give it to a reptile owner as food.

Oh well, what do you care, right?

Originally Posted by Crazy4cavys

I'm just saying they breed to survive, so doesn't that mean they want to breed

Their instinct tell them to breed to reproduce their numbers so that they don't die out. Guess what? There is no reason when they are in safe captivity and under your protection for them to breed. Their instincts are false and they do not have the full understanding of what reproduction is. Their mating runs on hormones and circumstance NOT on some sort of romantic notion. You cannot humanize them to that extent. NO animal desires to be a mother or a father. You can see that everyday in the millions of happy, healthy and well adjusted spayed and neutered animals.

YOU may desire to have cutie wootie babies but your guinea pig does not. Your pig wants a large comfortable home, interesting things to do and explore, healthy and varied food, water and preferably companionship. It is not thinking, "oh, I have nearly everything in life, now if only I had a baby". That sort of thinking is something that only humans, and perhaps some higher primates and sea mammals, are capable of. It's not the guinea pig that wants babies, it's you. If you want a baby so bad then why don't YOU have one? Endanger your life, health and future, NOT your pet's. You are the one that compared their "desire" for children to the human desire. If that's true and both are equal then you have the baby. That animal is not your toy.

If you still want to do this thing then no one can stop you. You have been given reasons not to and appraised of the facts. You can act compassionately and maturely or selfishly and childishly. Take your pick.