Breeding My Friend Wants To Breed!! - Page 2 - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**MCR_Rox** · #21 03-01-09, 11:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by pennykit&amanda

I can't really stop him. His friend already bought a trio. And he's waiting 'till he breeds them a few times, so he can get a few for himself.

You can still attempt to stop him by persuading him to either keep the guinea pigs himself as pets or to give them to someone responsible who actually cares about the welfare of the guinea pigs. Even after he breeds them, you can still stop him from further breeding.

Guinea pig breeding also can cause many, many breeding complications (lethals, birth complications, etc...) Also, these guinea pigs will most likely not be pre-killed, which is bad for both the snake and the guinea pig. He'll probably feed them live, which is painful and possibly lethal for the snake. Maybe if he cannot afford to buy food for his own snake, he should give the snake to a person who can actually care for him/her correctly.

Complications (scroll down)
Maybe you could print out the section of it on complications for your friend and show it to your friend. Maybe also try the page on breeding on guinea lynx, though I forget exactly what it says.

**pennykit&amanda** · #22 03-01-09, 11:18 pm

I know about all the complications, but I can't do anything now, haven't heard from him in awhile.

**MCR_Rox** · #23 03-01-09, 11:19 pm

How exactly do you have contact with him? Try contacting him.

**pennykit&amanda** · #24 03-01-09, 11:22 pm

I talk to him through a program called "Skype". I'll log on and see if he's on or has been on recently.

EDIT: He hasn't been online since I last talked to him (Feb. 14).

**MCR_Rox** · #25 03-01-09, 11:31 pm

Does Skype have offline messages? I haven't used Skype in a while and forget exactly what features it has. Sorry. I guess if it doesn't have offline messaging, you'll just have to wait until he signs in again sometime. I hope I don't sound too rude or anything.

**pennykit&amanda** · #26 03-01-09, 11:37 pm

Umm, you mean like if I send him a message, and if/when he comes online he'll get it as unread? I can do that, but it will only notify him if I'm online at the same time he is.

**MCR_Rox** · #27 03-01-09, 11:40 pm

Exactly. That's quite odd. Does Skype list any e-mails or anything? Maybe you could find his e-mail and send the message that way. I don't know. I guess you'll have to wait if you cannot find anymore ways to send him a message. Also, sorry if I sound rude or something. I'm not trying to be rude.

I'm going to bed for now. Have a good night/day (don't know where you are.)

**Alusdra** · #28 03-02-09, 10:22 am

I haven't been into large snakes for a while- but I think that guinea pigs are used as feeders when the snake gets too big for large rats. I'd be more concerned with his euthanasia method than his breeding them for food, per se- as long as his method is humane...

It can be hard to keep your feeder colonies small enough to not overwhelm while at the same time large enough to keep your reptiles well fed (I have insect feeder colonies). Plus you then have the expense of feeding and housing the colony- which in the case of GP as feeders will likely be close to what he is spending on pre-killed, frozen rats. He should keep his feeder pigs as well as everyone here keeps their pets- from the humane standpoint for the pigs, but also so that the snake gets proper nutrients (in the bug breeding world it's called "gut loading").

If you get in touch with him again, tell him it is probably a lot easier and in the long run less expensive to continue to buy pre-killed, frozen rats. If he can't afford them, it is probably a better idea to find a new home for the snake.

**Myspoiltpiggies** · #29 03-02-09, 01:52 pm

I don't know much about snakes but I do not think there is anything wrong with feeding guinea pigs to the larger breeds of snakes, apart from the fact it makes all us piggy lovers feel sad!

If an owner chooses to feed their snake it, there ain't much we can do (apart from tell him little white lies and hope he falls for it!)..

**pennykit&amanda** · #30 03-02-09, 02:07 pm

Snakes still shouldn't be fed live food, unless they absolutely refuse to eat pre-killed (which isn't common). I do agree that feeding a guinea pig is no different than feeding a mouse or rat, but honestly I don't believe this is the best choice for him to breed his own to feed the snake. You can buy pre-killed guinea pigs, which I have no problem with, and I wish he would do that. But I'm not sure he can.

Honestly, I'm not so mad at him anymore... actually, I'm not mad at all. I just don't think he can take care of the pigs properly, nor do I think he can afford it. I used to want a snake, and felt I would be perfectly fine feeding it pre-killed or live (if needed), so it has nothing to do with him just wanting to feed his snake something it so obviously needs.

**Myspoiltpiggies** · #31 03-02-09, 02:12 pm

Yes, I was aware that snakes shouldn't eat live food. I'm wondering how they are killed? And whether this friend is planning on feeding them live to his snake.

I can understand that some snakes need their prey to move. I have a chameleon, and like most, he won't eat the food unless it moves.

**pennykit&amanda** · #32 03-02-09, 02:15 pm

I have no idea how their killed.

**Skinny Pig** · #33 03-02-09, 03:01 pm

I watched a video on YouTube. It was about a snake in China that usually ate mice/rats. The store ran out of rats and mice so they tried a hamster. Even the hamster was too big for the snake to eat so they "became friends". If someone could tell me how to post links, I could post the video here.

**Skinny Pig** · #34 03-02-09, 03:04 pm

Wait, I think I found out how.

Link removed by Ly

Cool, I think it worked.

**AnimalHouse36** · #35 03-02-09, 03:10 pm

That zoo is obviously misinformed because no snake should be fed live. The snake can be injured from the animal and it's unsafe for both.

**pennykit&amanda** · #36 03-02-09, 03:21 pm

Not to mention that they're living together and the hamster is a RC and should be kept at around 65 to 70 degrees, and the snake at 74 to 82!

**pennykit&amanda** · #37 03-02-09, 03:38 pm

The snake also needs 84 to 88 degrees on 1/4 of the floor. I bet the hamster is dead by now. Either got eaten, or died of heat stroke.

**Skinny Pig** · #38 03-02-09, 05:31 pm

Well it said that a cat was trying to eat it as soon as the snake didn't.

**Ly&Pigs** · #39 03-02-09, 07:08 pm

Please read this link before posting anymore YouTube videos.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...her-media.html

**Treacle** · #40 03-05-09, 04:45 am

I was told that th mice had to be alive otherwise the snake won't recognise them as food. Its horrible! I went to a pet store to buy a mouse once as my mum only let me have a samller cage, so I went for a black and white tiny thing, the shop owner asked me which snake I had! Horrified I told him I wanted the mouse to keep it! He had a good life with me I am glad I saved at least one...