New and hopin for a guinea pig

Welcome to the forum! I would first warn that long hair does not mean more allergies. In fact, my short haired abbys are far, far worse on my allergies than my long haired silkie used to be. Therefore I wouldn't discount them just for having long hair. And if you trim their fur regularly grooming shouldn't be much of an issue either.

Also before you go to a pet store I would recommend looking on craigslist for unwanted guinea pigs. If you place an add specifying what you are looking for people who are looking to rehome their guinea pigs will contact you. That's actually how I found out about the rescues near me.

Good luck

I agree with @Agrimony! I got all three girls from Craigslist/Kijiji - one of them would have been drowned if I didn't take her. There's a ton of pigs that needs home and for the most part they'll have cages and accessories to go with them!

Don't go to pet stores - please. Honestly the issues that you can and will probably end up with are ridiculous.

Please, please, please, please, please adopt.
Even if it means that you have to wait for some pigs to come along. You don't have to get a bonded pair, you can get one and then another.

That being said, welcome from me and my 3 girls.

I agree. Going to the pet store, you're likely to get a sick or missexed pig. @mufasa has a truly touching story about her pig, which I hope she will share.

Never get guinea pigs from pet stores! I have made the mistake of getting a guinea pig from the wrong place and it has cost me a lot of money in vet bills (Over $1000).

Thank you! I will try the long haired just in case. But I don't want to go on Craigslist or kijiji cause I just feel soooooo bad taking others guinea pigs away from the even though they need to be gone!

Actually getting a piggie from someone that doesn't want their piggie any more from Craigslist or kijiji is a blessing for the piggie. I have rescued animals in the past from owners that didn't want them, and have ended up with the best animals EVER!

Also, my pet hamster was bought from petsmart and she was so friendly. But I will DEFINATELY try to save one from the ospca first and other animal rescues. Thank you for your help!

Its not only that you could get a mis-sexed, sick or pregnant pig. When you buy from a pet shop or breeder you are supporting a horrible cause (Killing thousands of sows each year) but when you adopt a pig the money is going to worthy cause that is trying to help 'clean up' the mess of which breeders and pet shops have created.

soopermum62 said:

Actually getting a piggie from someone that doesn't want their piggie any more from Craigslist or kijiji is a blessing for the piggie. I have rescued animals in the past from owners that didn't want them, and have ended up with the best animals EVER!

Click to expand...

I have never adopted a piggie from Craigslist or Kijiji BUT many, many, many hamsters and the way I think is not for the person but for the animal..Only once has my b/f and I been sad to take a animal.. We once had our vet call us and asked if we wanted a roboski hamster..these are smaller than dwarfs..he came all the way from China with his owners to Canada and when she moved back she was not able to take him so we did and we did keep in contact for a long time and sent pictures

AnimalLover026 said:

Thank you! I will try the long haired just in case. But I don't want to go on Craigslist or kijiji cause I just feel soooooo bad taking others guinea pigs away from the even though they need to be gone!

Click to expand...

I understand your hesitancy but if someone has listed their pig on craigslist or kijiji, it's because there's a reason they cannot keep them. You are doing both the pig and the owner a favor by adopting them. (adopting the pig, not the owner LOL)

Also, buying from a petstore is contributing to the breeding mill industry. They are forcing females to be pregnant back to back and keep their pigs in horrible conditions.

I understand that everyone wants me to adopt from kijiji. But that is something I feel uncomfortable doing. I will regularly check on what animals are up for adoption in the rescue centres. Buying from a pet store can also be considered rescuing. Some little kid who doesn't know what they are doing could take it and hurt it. You could save it from that. And I have had good personal experiences from petsmart so I will continue shopping there but look at shelters first

AnimalLover026 said:

Buying from a pet store can also be considered rescuing. Some little kid who doesn't know what they are doing could take it and hurt it. You could save it from that.

Click to expand...

Not really. Unless you plan to buy all the pigs they have for the rest of your life, you aren't rescuing anything. Buying a pig from a store opens up a spot for a new pig from the breeding mill which means another sow has to be backbred again. As long as people buy from petstore, breeding mills will be in business and the suffering continues.

And I have had good personal experiences from petsmart

Click to expand...

Talk to @mufasa about her petstore experience. Other members here have similar stories about being sold a sick, missexed or pregnant pig.

AnimalLover026 said:

I understand that everyone wants me to adopt from kijiji. But that is something I feel uncomfortable doing. I will regularly check on what animals are up for adoption in the rescue centres. Buying from a pet store can also be considered rescuing. Some little kid who doesn't know what they are doing could take it and hurt it. You could save it from that. And I have had good personal experiences from petsmart so I will continue shopping there but look at shelters first

Click to expand...

This is a stance that we a firmly against. By saving that one pig you doom many others to die so that the store can replace its 'stock'. In the big picture it does nothing to help the animals and does so much to hurt them.

Thank you so much for all your help everyone! But I will not be talked into ssomething I am uncomfortable doing. I understand your reasoning for the pet store. But I'm not sure if you are saying they are not happy. I saw one popcorning. And they were all happy and healthy. I am most likely going to my local animal shelter and adopting one from there

We are not saying you HAVE to adopt from Craigslist or kijiji. We just want you to ADOPT from a Rescue or Animal Shelter and NOT SHOP a pet store or Breeder. .

No one is trying to talk you into anything. If you don't want to adopt from Craigslist or kijiji then don't but we just wanted you to be aware that it's an option.

Glad you are looking to your animal shelter to adopt a guinea pig. Some shelters don't take in many guinea pigs so you can also try petfinder.com to locate local rescues that do have guinea pigs.

Thank you EVERYONE for your help! I have just looked it up and yes it is terrible so I will avoid buying from the pet store. Plus, adopting from the shelter is cheaper and sorry for the tiny misunderstanding. Ik now what all pet stores breeding grounds are like. And thank you for educating me lots more on guinea pigs! I want to be a vet when I am older so if I do that, maybe I can work for petsmart and helpthe sick sows and keep complaining about it and possibly stop this. It's a start at least unlikely to happen but with gods help it can be done

To everyone who is worried I am going to buy once at a store. I found a Guinean pig rescue near me. And I am DEFINATELY getting two from there. yay!