Who will take care of them if something happened to me? Making a plan for the pigs

[Kim37040]

I am been thinking a lot recently about what would happen to the pigs if something happened to me.
I have received confirmation from my family and friends (who are NOT pig fans) that they could not personally take care of them for various reason but would take them to a shelter.

Of course that does not work for me since not all shelters know how to take proper care of guinea pigs and I don't want them to be in a shelter, I want them to be in a home.

But when no one you know can or will take them, what to do?

I have sent an email to a guinea pig rescue that is like 3 hours from me asking for suggestions.

Wondering if anyone else is in a similar position and plans have you developed.

Thanks

[Inle_Rabbit]

The animals go with the kids. End of story. I lost a parent as a child, I could not imagine loosing both parents then not being able to keep my pets.

[Wildcavy]

We have an adult daughter and also 2 special needs sons, so we've done some planning should something happen to my husband and me. Now that we have the pigs, they would go to either my daughter or to the boys' godparents (who would also take in the boys).

I personally recommend having a will or at least some sworn written instructions as what to do. If you relatives can't/won't take them in, ask in the will that they be rehomed or placed with a rescue or foster.

If one of my relatives or dear friends passed and had an animal that I couldn't permanently keep, such as a cat, I would nonetheless try to care for the cat temporarily until I could rehome it. Also, if you have assets of any kind and no other dependents that need them, you could always stipulate that your assets be used to rehome / foster your piggies.

Leave info about likely rescues, this forum, etc to make it easier for your family / friends to try to do the right thing. You could even pre-write the posting for them so all they'd have to do is copy/paste.

[Inle_Rabbit]

My husband and I used this guide to gather information to help ease any stress on loved ones if we pass prematurely. I created an additional section for pets. I included care, names, brands of food, vet information ect.

[mufasa]

We're pretty new to guinea pigs, but there's a piggy rescue within reasonable striking distance that I hope could take them for rehoming if I bequeath some $$.

The animal I worry about the most is my horse. You can't even give them away in FL right now because of the upkeep, and it's very rare that people keep them as forever family members. Most ultimately end up at the sale, and then a Canadian or Mexican slaughterhouse.

[Wildcavy]

@mufasa are there any therapeutic riding programs that could adopt your horse? ours periodically does. Depends on the temperment of course, but many of the senior horses are just wonderfully patient. And spoiled.

[mufasa]

@mufasa are there any therapeutic riding programs that could adopt your horse? ours periodically does. Depends on the temperment of course, but many of the senior horses are just wonderfully patient. And spoiled.

That's a great idea. There are a couple of therapy programs that I know of. I'm not sure if they keep their seniors until the end, but I'll have to check into that. Figment is very, very patient with kids. I had him at a vacation Bible school function once, and a little kid ran up behind him and grabbed his hind leg! Could have been a disaster, but he was just like "meh."

[Kim37040]

Since I do not have kids, leaving them to them is out of the questions.

I did hear back from a guinea pig rescue and they said they would take them if I willed them to them.
What would be an appropriate amount of money to will along with them?
I would not want it to be so little that it would not be adequate to take care of them, but I definitely could not afford to will money to take care of them for the rest of their lives.

What does the forum think?

[pinky]

Most rescues will take in guinea pigs if you pay a surrender fee. I'd state in my will that they go to the rescue of your choice and stipulate you'll donate a lump sum to the rescue for taking them in.

[pinky]

Since I do not have kids, leaving them to them is out of the questions.

I did hear back from a guinea pig rescue and they said they would take them if I willed them to them.
What would be an appropriate amount of money to will along with them?
I would not want it to be so little that it would not be adequate to take care of them, but I definitely could not afford to will money to take care of them for the rest of their lives.

What does the forum think?

I was watching TV and typing my reply so I didn't see your post. Since you don't have kids, I'd give whatever you consider a generous amount to the rescue. I don't know what your financial situation is and whether you have life insurance, savings, etc., so it's really your call what you'd want to donate.

[coconutty78]

I told my husband that i would be devastated if he gave them away if something happened to me. I would want them to live out the remainder of there life with him and my son as a legacy of me and my love for pets big and small. If i did not have my husband i would have no one to count on in this scenario either and they sadly would end up at a rescue, most people i know think having pets is to time consuming and that they feel most are dirty and not intended to be in the home.

[spy9doc]

My husband and I used this guide to gather information to help ease any stress on loved ones if we pass prematurely. I created an additional section for pets. I included care, names, brands of food, vet information ect.

That's a great guide! I have created something similar, but now see that I need to make it more functional for others. And, I had not thought of the piggies as a part of that. My partner's mother piggy sits for us, but she might not be an option for long term care of them.

Thanks for the information!

[Inle_Rabbit]

It's a good guide. We had most of it already gathered in one spot but no one other than my husband and I knew where it was or what info went where. Having that guide really made it easy to organize and allowed us to let our family know about in case we both should pass. I also added a page for my kids as well with information on their doctors, brief medical history, schools, teachers, bus numbers, just stuff like that. Anything to ease the burden.

I mentioned it earlier but I lost a parent when I was a teen. What my family went through for no other reason than sheer lack of planning and organization is not something I wish on someone else. It's hard to think of things like this but it is so very important. Have everything organized and have enough life insurance!! Typically for someone with a family or spouse, you need 10x your income or for a homemaker ~400K, to replace your financial contribution to your family if you were to pass. I cannot stress how important it all is and how little people think about it and stay on top of it. If you move states you also need to update your will. Most wills are invalid between states.

[bleukarr]

Ironically I have the same problem, I thought I was just paranoid and being overly depressed but I guess not haha.
My parents, especially my mother, hates "rats and rodents". What scares me the most is that my parents wouldn't even try to get her to a shelter, they'd let the dogs have her or let her run into the road, or worse get fed to a snake or hawk just to spite my death... I maybe over exaggerating, but I assure you not by much.
Since I drive quite a distance to work (a little too fast), roughly, everyday, I have iffy health, I stop breathing in my sleep, and I work in a bit of a shady place, I've become more and more mortified at the possibilities of not coming home to that cute little face.
I may not have a child, but I can assume if I died Scout wouldn't be ok. Children have to be taken care of no matter what and as humans it's hardwired to do so, but it takes a certain kind of people to understand that those animals are your children and you MUST love them and take care of them. Not everyone has that mindset.
My boyfriend lives with his sister, who has 2 little ones. To make matters worse the oldest, 3, almost smothered his little brother, not even 6 months, with soap. Then my friends are a definite NO because they're either drugged up, have miserable home lives, too immature, or have some very rambunctious and hungry animals.
_{I haven't slept very long so I hope I made my point and didn't get too off topic... !}

[Wildcavy]

Wonder if it's possible to create a rescue that does nothing but responsibly rehome the piggies of folks who pass away or become to ill to care for them, and have no one to take them in.

[schavarry]

I cannot stress how important it all is and how little people think about it and stay on top of it. If you move states you also need to update your will. Most wills are invalid between states.

Wow @Inle_Rabbit - I really need to start thinking about all of this! I didn't even realize that wills could become invalid by switching states (which happens a LOT in military life) - probably didn't realize that because I haven't thought of setting up a will but with a 5 year old it's something I should really look into!! Thanks for the information, and sorry you had to learn about all this the hard way!

Wonder if it's possible to create a rescue that does nothing but responsibly rehome the piggies of folks who pass away or become to ill to care for them, and have no one to take them in.

This is a brilliant idea! I'm not sure it would ever happen but it would be great for ALL animals, not just piggies...

[Wildcavy]

This is a brilliant idea! I'm not sure it would ever happen but it would be great for ALL animals, not just piggies...

I wish it could be done for all critters, too. The thing about piggies though is that every day I realize how much more disposable people think they are. Like ratties and mice and other "pocket pets." People tend to think of what to do with their cats, dogs, horses -- not everyone, but more than small animals. Piggies? Eh, just put them in the pound or dump them. Nothing will happen. Or give them to a snake breeder.

Sorry for the soap boxing. I just hate that any one with companion animals has to face the extra hurdle of getting people to take their love for their animals as seriously as they do.

[nibbler100]

i Prefer not to think about the stuff, i AM the chiled in my sitch, and the only "pig resuce" in ohio is the humain sosity.. i dont want my pigs to go there ): i know i need to..

[schavarry]

I wish it could be done for all critters, too. The thing about piggies though is that every day I realize how much more disposable people think they are. Like ratties and mice and other "pocket pets." People tend to think of what to do with their cats, dogs, horses -- not everyone, but more than small animals. Piggies? Eh, just put them in the pound or dump them. Nothing will happen. Or give them to a snake breeder.

Sorry for the soap boxing. I just hate that any one with companion animals has to face the extra hurdle of getting people to take their love for their animals as seriously as they do.

Yeah, I more or less meant pocket animals/exotic animals, animals other than the typical dog or cat...Not that dogs and cats don't need homes but they're easier to find homes for it seems. Don't mind the soap box! I like to climb on one once in a while too

[Inle_Rabbit]

Wow @Inle_Rabbit - I really need to start thinking about all of this! I didn't even realize that wills could become invalid by switching states (which happens a LOT in military life) - probably didn't realize that because I haven't thought of setting up a will but with a 5 year old it's something I should really look into!! Thanks for the information, and sorry you had to learn about all this the hard way!

Thank you very much @schavarry . Please do think about it. It is the one soap box I stand on most of all as it is something everyone should have planned out and very few people do. My step-father was 40 and died suddenly of a heart attack with no prior warning signs. I was 15, my brothers were 13 and 6. My mother was a housewife and to maker matters worse we had just recently moved from MI to TX and he had not redone the will. We were very hard it by it all emotionally and financially.

My husband and I used Legalforms.com to do our wills since we have very few assists and it was so cheap! I think they might have a discount for military. Please stay on top of it. No one wants to think about dieing but at the same time if it did happen your family will have one less headache to deal with on top of the heartache.