Adopting Where did you buy your guinea pig?

I got my first guinea pig, Kestrel, from Petsmart. There aren't any breeders or rescues who have guinea pigs near our home, and it was kinda the easiest way to obtain a piggie at the time. One of the biology teachers at my school had three guinea pigs as class pets, and while she insisted they were all females...one was male. So she ended up with two litters of four babies, and I got my Freckles from her about three months ago. I've literally known her for her whole piggie life lol. But my Petsmart piggie was the right gender and wasn't sick at all. I've had her for three years now and she's never had any problems, behavioral or or otherwise.

My boys came from my local guinea pig rescue. I found out about it by posting an ad on Craiglist saying I was looking for guinea pigs, a few people emailed me and pointed me in their direction. To all of you who don't have local guinea pig rescues I strongly recommend craiglist/petfinder. There are so many small pets on there!

@KatiesPiggies, I got my girls from Petco in Manhattan, Kansas. I then found this site and realized what I had done... if I ever get more pigs they will be rescues. And just so you know there ARE shelters with guinea pigs in them at the moment... if you live near Manhattan I know there are some in Wichita as well. Also, to reiterate what others said, breeders aren't supported on this site either.

I got my girl from a flea market... I mean she was only 5 dollars. Right now I'm currently looking for a friend for her!

@RodentCuddles
What is a lethal white? I have heard of it, but never known what it is?

TheMuffinPiggy said:

@RodentCuddles
What is a lethal white? I have heard of it, but never known what it is?

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Her thread is here - https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/89707-Is-she-a-lethal-white-or-not

I got my Carlton from Petsmart. He's been healthy so far, and has a nice temperament so I got lucky. I may have found a friend for him on craigslist, I have to check and make sure I can swing the re-homing fee she wants, (is $25 a typical re-homing fee? It's not a rescue just a lady with a piggie she can't keep)

Thank you @RodentCuddles

I absolutely REFUSE to buy from a pet store...ANY animal (except maybe fish). I even have a hard time going in to the pet stores for food, bedding, etc because I'm disgusted at the conditions all of the animals are forced to be in, but I KNOW by "saving" them I am only making the overpopulation worse and NOT saving a rescue pig. I'm only feeding the big box ridiculous market of animals/pets. ANYWAY....my piggies were technically "rescues" I suppose. A girlfriend of mine had purchased them (not sure where from) for her daycare children (12!! of them!) and they were living in a too small cage with only pellets and water for any type of nutrition and the occasional carrot treat. I DEFINITELY consider them rescues. They were low on vitamin C and were shedding ALOT! They're doing much better now and are ridiculously more happy and energetic than when we first got them. <3 our boys!

I adopted mine from a fellow forum member, @bibliocavy , as she couldn't keep them anymore

Unfortunately I bought mine from WAPC. They specialize in aquarium fish but have beautiful bunnies and guinea pigs. I got Charlemagne on February 25th, 2013 and joined the site two days later after just discovering it.
Later I would rescue Delilah from a neglectful owner, my sister. She was also originally from a pet store, but that is not where I got her from.
Deli and Char scream when they hear my flip-flops up the stairs my room is at the other end of a long hallway!
But I don't think the title is very nice...a lot of us chose to adopt and not shop. I didn't know any better, but I should have. I've been reading everything I can find on these fluffy little creatures

Eddy Pig came from a pet store. He was under fed and beat up pretty badly by the other pigs. The pet store told me that he had been dumped off there that morning and given his health issues they sold him to me half price. He looked awful but just one day with fresh veggies and good food and he looked a ton better. It took a month to clear up the abscess and get him up to a healthy weight. It was another month before he squeaked for the first time.

Ben was a craig's list piggy. He came from a girl who developed an allergy to him. She broke out in hives anytime she touched him. He came to me with bumble foot and his feet were deformed from the infection and bad care. The previous owners said he always hobbled and had red feet. It took over two months to get his feet healed but they will always be deformed.

Buddy was from craig's list, just before Christmas. His child owner got bored of him. Other than having a dirty cage he was fine

Bacon was again from Craig's List. His owner was headed off to college. Bacon came from a great home in great health.

Our newest addition is Tony. Tony was from Craig's List and his teenage owner just lost intrest in him. He was under weight and bit me anytime I tried to feed him. He was so hungry he would just bite at anything that smelled slightly like food and his cage mates if they got too close to the food when he was around. We have had him about 2 months now and he's gained about half a pound and no longer bites his humans or his cage mates when we feed him. He knows he will be fed every day and it has mellowed him. He's such a sweet boy.

I bought my first piggy, Mufasa, from a pet store before I knew any better. I would never, ever, ever do that again. If you don't have a rescue in your area but you do have a pet store, I guarantee there are pigs needing homes. You just have to look for them in places like Craigslist.

Mufasa died after just 15 days, so I adopted Borat from a shelter. Sadly, he had a genetic defect and had to be put to sleep after only three months. Of my current girls, Amy came from Craiglist (family that just didn't want her anymore) and Quinn came from Petco, but NOT a purchase. Someone dumped her off there the day that Borat died, so it was kind of like fate. The adoption fee went directly to their spay/neuter fund.

Rosalie, Bella-Cinderella (rip) Ginger and Rapunzel were all from PetsMart, Brownie and Cupcake were from a lady on Craigslist who kept them in a tiny finch cage with a young male (<8 weeks) Our next piggy will be a rescue or shelter one.

I got Nala and Pumpkin from CritterCorral, a rescue in Illinois. Sarabi and Harley are from @nibbler100.

I got River and Teddy from Petland. I know, shame on me There are no local breeders around here and my rescues almost never have guinea pigs. Otherwise I would have adopted in a heart beat!

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I'm in the same boat you are I live in a small town and there are not breeders near or rescues and our humane society doesn't get them.

Lucky for me my first pig star who I got from super pet is a very special and loving pig. Unfortunetly my second pig bella who I also got from super pet wasn't so lucky (R.I.P). They had put her with a male pig and she got pregnent. After having her for 3 months she gave birth to 4 still born babies. The next day she wasnt any better and we took her to the vet. After feeling around she could tell there was still one inside her. She told us they couldnt operate. So we decided to put her to sleep. But now i will never buy any pets from super pet again. And i dont want anyone else to have to endure the pain i did.

On a side note...I have 2 opinions on pet stores. On one hand I feel I am rescuing the animal from nasty pet store conditions and on another I feel I am supporting the pet store.

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Yes i most definetly agree.

We got our two from our local animal control.

I got my George and Patch from Petsmart.
My sweet Charlie (who died last year) I got from a random lady I met on the pet aisle at Wal Mart.
My girls, Joanie and Raven, I got from the Knoxville Guinea Pig Rescue in Knoxville TN.

I got the first one from a pet shop that was about to give him away to a rescue because no one wanted him (that was before I knew any better, though). And the second two I got off a local woman whose guinea pigs had two babies. I took them both
(I don't have them any more, but the ones I DID have I mean)

Honestly, it would be better to wait for the rescues near you to have piggies or to drive to a rescue somewhere else that does, rather than buy a pig from a pet store.

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Yes but for some us the closest is like 5 or more hours away. Plus for me I live on the easter shore and the closest to me is over the bay bridge. And if you don't live around here you wouldn't know that the toll for that has gone up to like 6 dollars. Then of course I would have to fill up my car which is like almost 4 dollars. But that's around here, I don't know the gass prices over the bridge.

I would love to adopt but no one close enough to me is adopting them out or even rehomeing theirs. So its just not an option for me and my humane society doesnt get them. Trust me we used to go there at least twice a week for like a year and never seen any. And i still go there quite often and still have never seen any. Although i have seen rabbits and birds aside from dogs and cats.