Have any of you ever taken a pig to the pet store or any other public place? Perhaps at a fair? I have seen some very cute guinea pig harnesses and carriers (some carriers just look like any old small duffel bag!) and so was just wondering. Many people take their ferrets, birds, rats, etc out for strolls around the neighborhood and such, so why not piggies?
I have joked with my Husband about taking Our lil Oreo to work in His cargo pocket. I think it would be a super cute idea. I would totally take my girls out with me everywhere if I could.
I dont know about the carrier I have heard from many threads that travels stresses the piggies for various reasons , but the harness can very badly hurt the piggie
Harnesses are extremely dangerous for pigs and can injure their spine. Guinea pigs are prey animals and will dart in one direction if they feel the need to hide. This can cause damage to vertebrae and other bones.
Guinea pigs aren't meant to be "walked" like a dog. It's against their very nature. Just because the stores sell the harnesses, doesn't mean they are good for pigs. Stores also sell yogurt drops, honey sticks and exercise balls for pigs. Does not mean they are okay.
Not to mention that being out and about can be very stressful for the pig and the risk of exposure to germs and illness.
Crazy Cavies (08-01-12), GummiB3ar (08-01-12), Kelsie (08-01-12), LauraKHeit (08-01-12), LoriBush (08-01-12), PiBee (08-01-12), tabikat55 (08-01-12)
When I was out with my family walking my dog, I used to bring one of my pigs out with us, holding her on a towel. She didn't seem to mind either way, but I was always conscious about the weather (I live in Florida and didn't want anything to happen). I don't think I'd try anything more "public" than that, just because I feel nervous keeping my pigs away from food for more than a half hour.
You would think pet-stores would take more consideration into the care and well being of the animals they sell for and the animals they have in there store, especially when you think about the people who are usually buying for their animals, they have all the right intention, but not all the time well informed, and put their trust in the pet-store to do right by them and be well informed. But i guess in the end the more money they make the less they care.
You could buy a pet stroller! Aha I wanna buy one for my pigs
You are so right GummiB3ar, I can't believe how many people take the word of a salesperson in a petstore. Of course I can't always say it's the salesperson fault. Petstores try to get by with paying the least and won't spend any time or money on proper training. I was in a petstore a little while ago and heard the clerk tell someone that a rats lifespan is 10-12 years. Normally I don't say anything and as much as I wanted that rat to get a home I just couldn't let someone believe that. I stepped up to the customer, when the clerk stepped away, and told her what wonderful pets rats make but they do not live that long. She was very nice and thanked me and said I'm going to take her anyway since I've already fallen in love with her. I'll just give her a great home for hopefully the 3-4 years that I have her. That's a perfect example of pet stores not educating their staff.
@Kelsie - you have more patience than I would have in that situation. I would not have waited until the sales clerk left. I would have stepped up to correct him/her right then and there. I figure, maybe the salesclerk will learn something as well and maybe the next time someone asks, will give the correct information.
Perhaps this is your experience? Certainly not mine. If one has healthy, well-adjusted cavies, then I feel that the risk is minimal.Originally Posted by CavyMama
Mine go with me to the pet store and hang out on a towel in the kiddie seat of the shopping cart. They love the attention and the change of scenery. People in the store love that I bring them in and even know them by name.
The other place they go is to school. I'm a college professor and frequently weave cavy health, nutrition and anatomy into my lectures. My students always want to "meet" Chester and Maya, so the last day of classes, I take them to school with me. My students get to hold them, feed them veggies, and experience some of the joy that I feel.
I'm a tireless advocate of responsible cavy ownership and this is one way to demonstrate it. Being handled by strangers, meeting other animals, and being in a new environment also seems to help reduce the stress of going to the vet or the necessity to have someone sit them when we need to be gone overnight.
Inle_Rabbit (08-01-12), mother feathers (08-01-12)
I've certainly thought about taking my pigs out places, I've even thought about making them a stroller type creation out of a newspaper cart we have. I've always thought it was stressful for them and unpleasant.
What about just taking them for a walk around the block? Would that be a bad idea?
I have taken my two girls into work with me, for the first time last week, with pre-school children. In small groups they came and fed them a few veggies and asked questions about them, and my Piggies loved it. They seemed happy traveling, Caramel being quite interested in whats going on around her, and Misty tends to sleep while we ravel, it relaxes her. But they are used to moving around, I have a fairly large carry box, with food and hay, and a bed, and they get into it themselves when its time to go out.
I wouldnt use a harnes though, or anything wraped around them other than a towel seems quite harmful to me, as theyre so timid and scoot about all the time.
I also feel Im quite lucky when it comes to pet stores.. In my small town, we have one Im not a fan of.. but just outside of town there is a "PetsAtHome" and they have wonderful staff.. they dont hire anyone who doesnt have a love and knowledge of small animals. They have rats, hamsters, Piggies and Rabbits. But its like no store I have ever seen. The rats and hamsters are kept in large, well ventilated cages, and they are brought out for a cuddle at least once a day by the staff.. and the guineas and Rabbits arent in cages at all.. they have there huge spaces, covered in softwood and toys and houses and cuddly blankets.. they dont stick to the minimum, their piggies have more space than my own. and they again are cared for and loved by staff!
The only sad thing is how these animals came about. But they are most certainly cared for whilst at the store, no substandard about it. I have had staff there refer me to another shop, or website for things, to get them cheaper, or to get something better.. they care, which is hard to find.
Assuming you mean carrying them in something secure and not walking them on a harness, and it's not too hot out, I think there would be nothing to worry about.
Our pigs usually stay in the apartment, but our building manager has a piggy of her own, so when I visit the office downstairs to pay rent or something, I'll bring one of them and we'll chat about pigs for a bit. Kwee has also come with me to visit family, about a 15 minute drive away, and I'll probably bring Curly as well some day soon now that her abscess is healed.
Besides my boys being taken home from a different state (Sundae there and back!) Sundae's been to the pet store once. He was in a carrier, and it was right after he'd been to the vet. I went there afterwards to pick him up some toys.
My experience walking my pig around the block (on a towel) was just fine. I just get a little neurotic about having them so far away from their food for a little while! Someone approached me and asked me how my "puppy" was. It was pretty funny.
I certainly can’t speak to your specific guinea pigs or experiences, but generally speaking, hauling a guinea pig out into a public place is not going to be advisable. They are not like dogs, they benefit not at all from being pawed over by strangers and “exposed” to new environments. Doing so is likely only going to cause unnecessary stress and is of very little (if any at all) benefit to the pig(s).
And the reality is, no matter how well adjusted and content you think your pigs might be, they are still prey animals and they are still more likely than say, a dog, to dart if they become frightened or startled, which does happen quite easily and without warning. I’d be terrified to leave my pigs sitting with no restraint whatsoever in an open environment where any and everything could potentially startle them to the point of bolting, causing potential injury from a fall or who knows what else.
Furthermore, they don’t benefit from “socialization” with other animals outside the home or strangers – the only possible benefit I see from carting them out across town is to the owner and the attention they might get. I realize you, personally, might have an exceptional situation with pigs who have been exposed enough to “strange” environments and people, but there’s really nothing responsible about toting these sensitive creatures of prey out into new environments and there’s certainly nothing the pig is going to gain by being exposed to situations and places in such a manner like a dog might, although I do understand that repeated exposure might reduce the obvious stress caused to the animal by doing so. That’s not to say it’s because the pig “likes” it but rather has become accustomed to tolerating it and either is or seems less stressed than is normal.
Also, the idea of toting them to a pet store or classroom where they’d be exposed to germs and/or careless children is simply not something that should be responsibly encouraged. Again, your own situation and pigs are your business and you can take whatever risks you feel are necessary or worth taking, but there is certainly nothing that is of benefit to a guinea pig by hauling it out in public and stressing it unnecessarily.
I’ve had to bring my pigs to work with me for the day, too, because I live too far away to take them home after a vet visit, and the general impression I get from them is not at all glee and happiness for experiencing something “new,” it’s outright terror and a strong desire to return to the surroundings they know and are comfortable with. Continued exposure might reduce that stress, but because there’s no benefit to my pigs in doing so, I wouldn’t intentionally cause stress to them when there is no benefit to them. There would be no responsible reason to do so, and for that reason, I would discourage anyone from taking their pig(s) to public places regularly and without good reason (for the pig).
HannibalLecter (08-01-12), jacqueline (08-01-12), Kelsie (08-01-12), MrWhistles (08-31-12), seida (08-01-12)
Paula, you make some very good points. However, I still disagree with you based on my individual experience. My cavies are not "pawed over" by strangers...I'm very cautious as to who touches or holds them. And, if you look at my post, I teach adults in college, not children, and these students are future healthcare professionals.
I spend an inordinate amount of time with my cavies and am acutely sensitive to them. If I felt that these experiences (however infrequent) were risky or that stressful to them, then I obviously wouldn't do it.
I invite you or anyone else into my home to meet Chester and Maya to see if you think they are anything less than happy and well-adjusted.
I think that my guinea pigs like seeing new surroundings, but it depends. A timid pig might be really scared by the new surroundings, while a outgoing "person-pig" might be fine. I have a blue carrier with two/four of the sides made of wire and plastic bottomed, I add some fleece or hand towels to the bottom and they doze off in it often, they feel secure in it I think. If it's ideal temperature and maybe you bring a small bag of hay, water-rich veggies (watermelon and cucumber?), but I would attach a small water bottle to the carrier. You could always leave some hay in there. My guinea pigs LOVE their carrier and when they are scared they bolt into it, because I think they think of it as a tiny version of their cage because of the fleece. I wouldn't bring my pigs with me because of their bathroom habits and other reasons , but bringing them around to show company seems fine. If they like their carrier they might just doze off while you're bringing them around-if they are used to noises they might. I would not put a guinea pig in a harness, if they got scared they would run and hurt themselves, and also they poo and pee everywhere, unless your outdoors in a field or something you wouldn't want that happening. And if you're walking them around outside you don't now what chemicals people could have on their lawns. I would bring my guinea pigs around for short periods of time around in their carrier, but not in a harness.
Huh, I never knew harnesses were bad for them. I knew balls and wheels were, but never harnesses! The more you know. <3 That's why I visit this forum!
I don't think it is as negative as an experience as some are saying, to let a guinea pig experience new things and such. Bunnies, rats, birds- they're all prey animals but many dedicated owners will take them places. I think the key is to keep the time outside short but pleasant. Taking them outside is just one form of enrichment, just like giving them toys and out-of-cage time. The more you do it (all the while keeping it positive, of course) the better they'll adapt to it and even enjoy it.
I think all animals need a bit of discovery and new things regularly in their lives. It boosts their self-confidence so they're less xenophobic (scared of new things).
Of course, I'm just a learning, pre-guinea pig owner who is mainly drawing from her knowledge of birds and other critters, so who knows. Maybe you all are right- it wouldn't be surprising if you were.
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