Would You/Have You Adopted an Albino Pig?

[Cavalicious]

I've been watching my local rescue's online site daily to see which pigs get adopted (whereby their picture is removed). I notice that the albino pigs (white hair, pink eyes, non-lethals) always remain. I also recall my rescue person saying how much she loves all of her pigs but has a soft spot for the albinos because of how difficult it is to get them adopted even though many of them have such great personalities.

Now I'm seriously thinking about going back and adopting one. I know it's not the first choice, because honestly, we all want a cute/beautiful pig with wonderful coloring. Is there anyone on here that favors the albino pigs for any reason? I doubt that they are much different, healthwise and personality wise from any pigmented pig, but if you know otherwise, please let me know that too. Thanks in advance.

[bpatters]

This is just to warn you, Cavalicious, that many people insist that there's no such thing as an albino guinea pig, that the PEWs (pink-eyed whites) that you see are not truly albinos. So you may get a bunch of responses to this arguing with your terminology.

However, there are dozens of scientific papers written about research on albino guinea pigs, so I think they must meet the scientific definition of albinism.

[SpicyPiggies]

The red eyes creep me out ugh I feel so shallow saying that!

[Inle_Rabbit]

The only albino guinea pigs that creep me out are the albino skinny pigs. I would adopt a friendly hairy albino guinea pig if he had a good personality! =D

[CavyMama]

I think the red eyes are kind of cool looking. I had a grey, white and ginger pig (Ollie) with red eyes. I also had a silver/white agouti (Loki) with deeper ruby eyes - VERY cool looking.

[captaincavymom]

Crackers is sweet, has a great personality, and is becoming more friendly as time goes on. We have no problems with him and I'm glad we got him. Wouldn't trade him for anything, red eyes and all.

[SurfingPigs]

Just to touch on what bpatters mentioned: true albinism does not naturally occur in guinea pigs, according to my research. However, there appears to be a laboratory strain of guinea pigs with genetic mutations that have resulted in true albinism. These are the Duncan Hartley strain of laboratory guinea pig and are the ones most commonly referred to in scientific studies that I have noted. Just trying to clarify a common misconception many of us have read over and over.

Now, the "albinos" we typically see are the PEWs. Healthy PEWs have no more health anomolies (that I am aware of) than any other pigs. I have heard lots of adopters at events say they didn't like a PEW because it looks like a rat, but I find them really cute. I think the all white with red eyes creeps many adopters out, for one reason or another.

[kittymalone]

I, too think they are just as cute as the others. The red eyes make them more interesting. I'd adopt one, too but I usually tend more toward the "unwanted" and find that they sometimes make the most loving animals (I have an "unwanted" chihuahua and african grey-both were "ugly" to their previous owners but I think they are beautiful. I also once adopted a 23-year-old cat just so she'd have a loving home to live out the rest of her life).

[HolyCowBunny]

One of our first pigs, Amy, was a PEW. She was sweet and perfectly precious. My DH prefers darker-colored pigs like we have now, but Amy will always be one of my favorites.

[Eimear]

I think the reason people may not like them is because they look like albinos and therefore people may associate them with being unhealthy and shorter-lived than dark eyed pigs. Thats what I think anyway, to me they just dont look as healthy even though they probably are in reality.

[Kimberly713]

I was going to say Yes, if I had the time and money to care for one, since I was under the suspicion that PEW's were more prone to health issues.

Knowing that they aren't, yes I would certaintly adopt one if the opportunity presented itself. Anything hairless has a slim chance with me though, except turtles, turtles are cool.

[Hhbean]

I would adopt a PEW and a Skinny any day of the week if I didn't already have 4 piggies(that is my max amount). I've never seen a piggy that didn't just melt my heart! Sharks and those big green grasshoppers freak me out, anything else is good!

[kitgal421]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO!!

I adopted an albino/Red eyed/white piggie a few months ago named Luke and he is the joy of my life! He is absolutely the biggest cuddler and loves to be held. He also the happiest pig I have ever had. He practically popcorns when I look at him!

It's a very common misconception that albinos have more problems than "normal" pigs. This is absolutely not true. Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell which pig will have more health problems than another.

Every time I pass by a shelter, petstore, or any other place that has pigs it breaks my heart to see how many albinos there are without homes. I would take all of them home if I had the space/money. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE THIS PIG A GOOD LOVING HOME!



How can you say "no" to seeing such a happy piggy? Think of the life you could provide for this poor (supposedly) "unwanted " pig.

[Cavalicious]

I'd give individual thanks to everyone, and I do mean everyone. I'm happy for the honesty and knowing that some of you have healthy, popcorning cuddlers amongst your PEWs. I'm definitely going to do some visits and see what I can do.

[SurfingPigs]

Sharks and those big green grasshoppers freak me out, anything else is good!

That got a good laugh out of me! I surf too much to worry any longer about sharks, but I hate those big grasshoppers. Seriously the worst things on earth.

[Maj C Prado]

Big Grass Hopper Flew into my hair one............. Eeeek, "{Got Back at it by my turtle}'' Heheheheheeee
I LOVE Skinnys' and Albino's anything that needs a home, I try to provide, adopting a 14 year old Pit Bull Mix w/ Cancer, Large Headed Chiauhua w/ dislocated leg, PEW Pig, and other pets w/ bad pasts, I say go for it!!!!!!!

[Gigabyte]

We have a couple in the local shelter that I'd like to adopt...If I had the money, I would.

[arcangel]

I have 2 PEWS right now one is brown with red eyes thought but i love my piggies and they dont have worse heath problems then any normal pig would i got mites but only cause of the store i got them from but other then that they are a happy fat sows

[foggycreekcavy]

Yes, in the guinea pig world "albinos" are called Pink Eyed Whites, as mentioned earlier, or PEWs. You would not believe how many people not only say that they get creeped out by them, but also think they are "evil"!

I like to think of their red eyes as beautiful rubies.

Arcangel, brown pigs are not PEWs. All PEWs are white.

[Cavalicious]

I'm going to have to brush up on my "Introductions" knowledge just in case. I'm a sucker for any pig, by the way. Something so adorable about that lower lip; I must be weird.