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Rehoming Issue/Questions/Advice please

LaurenB16

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So, I already know the general consensus about rehoming but I still had some questions because I'm feeling really lost right now.

It's been suggested that I should consider rehoming my guinea pigs. The reasons are as follows:

1. I'm moving back home and my parents (especially dad) hate guinea pigs.
This reason is not even an option for me: they've accepted me home, they can accept the guinea pigs. It's a reason, but it won't be one of mine.

2. I'm hardly ever home to give them the attention they deserve.
I'm working two jobs during the summer and during the year I'm in school and working. I'm pretty much home long enough to feed them and clean them, and only a couple times a week am I actually able to give them the attention.

3. This is my last year of school. I'm in travel and tourism, so pretty much any job I have is going to involve me travelling, and my parents have already told me they're not willing to take care of the guinea pigs if I'm away.

4. It will be easier to rehome them now since they're still young then in a year when they're older.

These all make sense to me. If I keep them, I'm limiting my future options in my career (what if I get a job overseas?)
My mom keeps telling me that people's lives change, and when I got them, I fully intended to live alone and stay in this city. But now things have changed, and there's always the chance that I could get a job somewhere else, or be sent to another country to work.

However... I feel like such a horrible person.
I haven't even had them for a year, and I just got Donna in February...
How could I rehome them already? Ugh... I'm just really lost, because I love them and I don't wanna give them up, but I also don't want to limit my own life, you know?

I haven't made any decisions yet, I just really wanted to hear what you guys have to say.
Be nice :p
 

jacqueline

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i soooo sympathize with your dilemma! you're in a spot where you have to make a decision for yourself and a helpless animal under your care, and there's no really good decision. it sounds like you had every intention initially of making your home a permanent one for your pigs. none of us can foresee the future. and sometimes we have to make a decision to do what's best for us that may negatively impact on others. i guess i'd suggest looking at it this way: finding a GREAT new home for your guinea pigs will insure them a happy life, which is what they would have gotten with you if your had kept them and stayed put. so, the impact on them will be minimal. and in the future, when and if things settle down for you, you can "vow" to either rescue a pig(s), or some other animal, or help out at a rescue. the most important thing is to some how strike that balance and have both you and your animals healthy, happy, and well cared for. if it's not with the you and the pigs together, then it may have to be separately for now. good luck!
 

Wildcavy

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I'd just add that if you are absolutely certain that you need to re-home them, then starting the process now would give you more time to be very particular about the new home you give them to.
 

CritterLuvva

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I think people are sometimes too ready to jump down someone's throat about re-homing. "You got the pet, why can't you take care of it?" Sometimes an unnecessary conclusion is drawn that if you surrender/re-home a pet, you must be/have been a bad parent. I believe a good rescue will take all the facts into account.

I believe there are good reasons and bad reasons for surrendering a pet. When circumstances change, and there is absolutely no way to work your pets into the game plan, sometimes it's best to re-home them to someone who has plenty of time and can take care of them. Without a living, you can't take proper care of your pets. Sometimes with a living, you can't take proper care of your pets because of the nature of your job.

The decision is ultimately in your hands, but feel free to make the choice that you feel is in the best interest of you and your pets. I wish you luck whatever you decide. If you choose to re-home, [MENTION=19254]Wildcavy[/MENTION] has made an excellent point. It'll be easier to find them a great home now, while you still have time, then last minute when you have to find a home for them immediately. Giving yourself plenty of time is key to making sure they have the right home.
 

Petlovr

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I don't understand why you went and got Guinea Pigs if your major in school was travel and tourism. You must have realized you would be traveling for your job. I think you didn't plan ahead very well. (Not being nasty, but the number of people that don't plan ahead is why rescues are overwhelmed.)

That being said, I have to agree that re-homing them now is your best option so you can take your time. Perhaps your parents will be more patient knowing that you are trying to re-home them, too. Do look into rescues in your area so that if time starts to run out, you have a plan in case you don't find a good home. It can take a very long time to re-home an animal. Good luck.
 

LaurenB16

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@Petlovr you're probably right that it was bad planning in my part. The sector I was focusing on would have involved very little travel, but I've found that hotels is really not for me unfortunately...
 

pinky

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Isn't a traveling and tourism degree more about local travel and hospitality management? Do you have a job lined up? I think the job you get will determine a lot. If you want to keep them, I'd wait because you might end up with a local position that doesn't require traveling. A lot of times, the job we envision ourselves in is not what pans out.
 
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