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Adopting Adoption dilemma

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sdpiggylvr

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@PizzaPiggy - Your piggy has lived alone for some time, so he may not have the strongest social skills. Introductions may be a bit of a challenge. The rescue I volunteer for invites adopters to bring their lonely piggy to the rescue and we do introductions right there to find the best match. A format like that would help you find a friend for sure, since they will have all the options and will know what to do.

There is no way to tell whether or not a guinea pig that bites humans will be aggressive to other guinea pigs. I had a guinea pig who was super sweet to me and then would fight other guinea pigs to the death. So I can't give you a definitive answer on that.

I know you don't want to hear that the pet store is not the route to go, but I really think you should reconsider getting this guinea pig. Honestly. Do you want to save this one life, only to continue to the pet store animal cycle of abuse, or save two lives at a rescue -- the one you adopt, and the one that the rescue now has room for?

Do you suggest letting this poor thing live its life miserable just because you hate pet stores?

As hard as it is to step away from that poor pig, that is the decision I would make in this situation. I stopped buying pet supplies from pet stores because it makes me so sad to see the guinea pigs there and know that I cannot save them. But what you must always remember is that if you free up the space for another guinea pig at that store, they will fill the space. There will always be more pigs there. The only way to stop that cycle is to support rescues and shelters and not pet stores. We vote with our dollars and with our business. Taking that animal off the pet store's hands is another way of telling that pet store that there is a demand for animals. They won't stop unless the demand stops.

What is the difference from the health of a rescue pig that originally came from a pet store? You guys shame breeders but the ones breeding for health would be the only way to get a piggy that wasn't pet store stock.

It's true that rescues can't do anything about genetic problems in guinea pigs originally from pet stores. Even breeders could end up with guinea pigs with birth defects or other complications. There are no guarantees for a perfect guinea pig from a breeder.

But many guinea pigs from pet stores have treatable illnesses or are mis-sexed. So when you buy that guinea pig from a pet store, it may have mites or an upper respiratory infection or it may actually be a boy instead of a girl. Rescues sex guinea pigs properly and provide medication, high quality food, love and care. I can only speak for the rescue that I volunteer for -- all our adoptable guinea pigs have been given a completely clean bill of health. Any guinea pigs who have serious issues that require ongoing medical care are kept as sanctuary animals to live out their lives in the care of the rescue. So the only guinea pigs an adopter will be able to adopt are healthy and normal.

I'll admit -- my first guinea pig was from a pet store. The first guinea pig I looked at had drainage coming from one eye and a bald patch on its back. The second guinea pig I looked at was the one I ended up buying. Over the years it was obvious that she had not been bred well. She was sickly and did not end up living a long life.

Now I foster guinea pigs for a rescue, and I am often reminded of why I do what I do -- there is a constant supply of guinea pigs desperately in need of homes. At my rescue, we don't euthanize our animals. Some shelters don't have that luxury.

My motto is, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
 

PianoPlayer88

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This is the most ridiculous arguement I have seen in a while. I think that Pizza Beth is right. You guys should try to empathize, not just immediately deny giving advice and saying "never support petstores, they only reduce animal welfare" and any other overrated and overused comments. Just try to be reasonable and not drive people out. I'm on the verge of leaving myself, but not sure yet.
 

veggiegirl

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pizzapiggy, I had two boars already when I bought Tinsel and I was worried about him fighting with the others because he was a bad biter to humans. I introduced them and at first I feared I had been right he seemed like a big bully constantly following and chasing the other pigs that was until they got REALLY sick of it and turned on him. Tinsel lost a couple of chunks of hair but no blood was drawn. Ever since he has been at the bottom of the pecking order and is a big softy who is easily upset and never challenges the other 2 pigs dominance over him.

So to your question NO I do not believe that just because a piggy is a bad biter he will be the same to other piggies, that said it could go either way really just depending on the individual pigs personality. Also I know you have received so much about getting this pig from a pet shop but please do not take it to heart as we do not all think you are doing a bad thing. The fact that you are getting the piggy for free means to me you are not even supporting the shop. They are making no profit in fact they are likely losing money on it so I do not have a problem with this. The idea that you are freeing up space for new pigs to take it's place just does not make sense to me because if this pig sits for months taking up cage space and no one will buy it then it is more than likely they will kill it and replace it anyway. You taking the piggy simply means that you are saving his life and preventing him having a horrific inhumane early death completely needlessly. Pet shops will not simply let the pig live out it's life and put off buying any more pigs to sell just because they cannot sell or re-home the pig they have, they will kill it! EVERY pig deserves a loving home! I actually know that a couple of the main rescues here is Australia have gone to pet shops after receiving reports that there were really sickly neglected pigs in the store and they went and were given them for free by the shop. It is posted on the rescues website, if they do not have a problem with taking pigs for free from pet shops in order to save them why should everyone else.
 

RodentCuddles

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PizzaPiggy - we've had many single pigs come in the rescue. I'll tell you about Chester.

A little girl had got given him as a birthday present, after having him for 5 years she got a puppy and Chester wasn't exciting anymore so they put him up for free - I talked to her and Chester came here *covered in matts, fungal and had a URI*. He had lived alone for the past 5 years - alone since 3 weeks old. After he was better we bonded him with another single adult male in the rescue this boy was Jasper, Jasper was found wondering around in a public park and then brought to the rescue.

It was a bit of a tricky intro *blood was drawn but we didn't give up* and they became best buds - sadly no one wanted to adopt them since Chester was 5 years old *he is 6 now*. They stayed in the rescue for a whole year and watched over 80 other guinea pigs come and go. Then one day they found their home - they found it together.

While it was a bit of a harder intro, it was worth it. I'd gotten to know the boys and they were 'mine' for a year - they weren't 'in love' but they were happy to have each other.

I would really recommend you to get in contact with your rescue and work with them for finding a buddy for your girl. :)
 

MrWhistles

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Re: Adoption delema

They can call it "adopting" all they want but if the money is going back to Petco, it is buying. Buying from a pet store no matter how sad and lonely the pig looks, is still supporting the breeding mill industry.

110%! The exact response I had in mind!


That said, Pizza thoroughly sounds like a very happy pig to be an only pig. They are social creatures, but so are we. There are plenty of humans who would rather be alone than be around people. But, I would try my very best to find a pig that fits him best. Contact a rescue. Tell them about your pig, about your worries and see if you can meet with a foster and let him filter through the prospective pigs.
 

courtneylushae

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It may say that it is against breeding and pet stores and shows... but also on any new persons post it says
You are seeing this message because you are a Cavy Slave member of this forum, that is, you've been online for a while and have been active. And you are seeing this message because you are in the INTRODUCTIONS forum, where usually Newbies post (new to the forum).

We want to ENCOURAGE new people to participate and stick around. Yet, frequently, a new person will post about wanting to breed, buy a pig from a pet store, show, etc., and they are immediately CAUTIONED that a) it's not a good thing to do and b) we frown upon it on this forum.

Yes, we do frown upon it, BUT, we need to give our new members a chance to explore the forum without being put into a defensive or offended frame of mind.

So, LET IT GO. Back off. Encourage them in positive way, but don't dig for dirt. Do NOT ask them where they got their guinea pig(s) so that we can start to get them to see the light right away! You certainly don't need to encourage practices we don't support either, but let them get comfortable on the forum, first.

Your support in making the forum a friendlier place to participate is GREATLY appreciated!


so yeah.... it speciically says to not jump people about things.. shes already thought about leaving... so Id say this post was the final straw.... I have thought about leaving several times for the same reason... and people jumping for not doing things absolutely perfect... its so annoying... not everyone is gonna do things the same or exactly perfect first time around... and some areas dont have access to all the same things as other places... in my area you cant find grids anywhere... or decent food... so they are using the plain pellets from walmart until i can get enough money to order offline... and pet stores do suck... but if i need something urgently the closest one has decent pig supplies... so i will get certain things from there... akwardly they dont carry food? just bedding and medicines and toys
 

Rayen

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so yeah.... it speciically says to not jump people about things.. shes already thought about leaving... so Id say this post was the final straw.... I have thought about leaving several times for the same reason... and people jumping for not doing things absolutely perfect... its so annoying... not everyone is gonna do things the same or exactly perfect first time around... and some areas dont have access to all the same things as other places... in my area you cant find grids anywhere... or decent food... so they are using the plain pellets from walmart until i can get enough money to order offline... and pet stores do suck... but if i need something urgently the closest one has decent pig supplies... so i will get certain things from there... akwardly they dont carry food? just bedding and medicines and toys

It has to be said that the internet doesn't offer up a lot of ways to express ourselves properly. A lot of the blame for people seemingly 'jumping' to attack others is simply a misunderstanding due to how bland text can come across. Everyone has to keep an open mind when they ask for advice from a pet forum, as many people that gravitate here are very serious about their level of care for animals. They have also seen the same list of reasons people give for not doing something that seems like the most basic of basic care a thousand times before. So they may come off as impatient and snippy, but it's best to read their advice and and remember that getting angry and defensive only makes the situation worse.

Are we all going to be the best at caring for guinea pigs right off the bat? Of course not, but we have to be open and willing to change as well. Looking for advice and then getting mad when people are not simply congratulating you on your decisions is, well, silly.

It's also a little silly to come to a pro-adoption forum looking for support to take a pet store animal home. Would you go to, say, a food forum designed for vegans and ask for their top veal recipes and then get angry when you are instead given recipes with meat-alternatives? That's basically what's happening here, people are coming to a forum that is against breeding/pet stores and then acting surprised when the forum members take a more blunt approach in their responses about getting a pet store animal.
 

MrWhistles

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I'd like to note, like someone else already has, that no one was defensive or rude to the poster.
 

CavyMama

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It may say that it is against breeding and pet stores and shows... but also on any new persons post it says
You are seeing this message because you are a Cavy Slave member of this forum, that is, you've been online for a while and have been active. And you are seeing this message because you are in the INTRODUCTIONS forum, where usually Newbies post (new to the forum).

We want to ENCOURAGE new people to participate and stick around. Yet, frequently, a new person will post about wanting to breed, buy a pig from a pet store, show, etc., and they are immediately CAUTIONED that a) it's not a good thing to do and b) we frown upon it on this forum.

Yes, we do frown upon it, BUT, we need to give our new members a chance to explore the forum without being put into a defensive or offended frame of mind.

So, LET IT GO. Back off. Encourage them in positive way, but don't dig for dirt. Do NOT ask them where they got their guinea pig(s) so that we can start to get them to see the light right away! You certainly don't need to encourage practices we don't support either, but let them get comfortable on the forum, first.

Your support in making the forum a friendlier place to participate is GREATLY appreciated!


so yeah.... it speciically says to not jump people about things.. shes already thought about leaving... so Id say this post was the final straw.... I have thought about leaving several times for the same reason... and people jumping for not doing things absolutely perfect... its so annoying... not everyone is gonna do things the same or exactly perfect first time around... and some areas dont have access to all the same things as other places... in my area you cant find grids anywhere... or decent food... so they are using the plain pellets from walmart until i can get enough money to order offline... and pet stores do suck... but if i need something urgently the closest one has decent pig supplies... so i will get certain things from there... akwardly they dont carry food? just bedding and medicines and toys

That message is referring to new members who are generally posting and haven't mentioned where they got their pig. If someone ASKED them where they got it, THAT would be digging for info. The OP posted specifically ASKING about getting this pig from the petstore. How would you have us respond WITHOUT mentioning that this forum IS anti-petstore?
 

CavyMama

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Personally I'd get the piggie. I know that this forum is anti-pet store and breeders like that but I try and ignore it. Not all pet stores are bad. And at least in my area I can't find the heaps of rescue piggies that people on here talk about.

Really. You might want to be part of the forum for more than 2 weeks before deciding to suggest to other members to ignore the very things this forum stands for. And yes, all petstores that sell live animals are bad. They all contribute to the breeding mill industry. There are some stores that only sell supplies, these do not contribute to breeding mills and are fine to shop at.

I understand the OP completely. I got jumped on for saying I was considering saving a feeder piggy. For God's sake the OP is probably saving this pigs life. She knows the risk. The pig is FREE. The pet store lost money on this pig. So she isn't supporting them by saving them. Do you suggest letting this poor thing live its life miserable just because you hate pet stores?

Again, you are missing the point of the argument. Even if no money is exchanged, by taking the pig, it is opening a spot for the store to order more from the breeding mills. It is telling the breeding mills that there is demand for them to continue doing what they are doing. To keep sows pregnant back to back then to discard her when she no longer produces pups. It is encouraging the breeding mills to continue to keep pigs is horrible conditions.

I honestly don't understand this forum. I've been quiet about it until now but this is ridculus.

Really. You signed up on Feb 1st. You've been quiet about it for a whole 10 days? How did you ever manage? And in 10 days, you have decided that we are just being totally unfair and unreasonable? Really. You've managed to figure it all out?

You guys shame breeders but the ones breeding for health would be the only way to get a piggy that wasn't pet store stock.

Okay, simmer down now. Have YOU been to rescues that are overflowing with guinea pigs? The ones that keep getting pigs surrendered to them? The ones that received 20+ pigs at a time from a hoarding situation? Because I have. The breeders are causing this problem. Rather than people adopting the pigs that already exist and need a home, breeders (yes, even the ones breeding for health) create MORE of a problem. For every pig that is bought from a breeder, a shelter or rescue pig is euthanized for lack of space. That breeder pig took a home away from one who needed it. One whose time was up and whose life would have been saved.

And what of these breeders who breed for health? Why? Is it really doing anything to further a healthy line? Are guinea pigs generally healthier because of it? There is absolutely ZERO need to breed guinea pigs. There is no shortage of guinea pigs. They are not at risk for going extinct.

I think this is the last I'll be on this forum.

You will do what you are going to do. No one will stop you. You are free to leave if you want, But if you've decided we are no good after only 10 days...what does that say about YOU?
 

courtneylushae

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I get the whole no pet store thing... and I havent got any from one.. mainly because the one near me is crap... but she isnt technically buying it. If they are gonna give it to her... then they must know they HAVE to get rid of it asap... owners of big chains like that dgaf about the animals... and they CAN and WILL have it killed... its either gonna be killed or she gets it or imo the worst choice, some person who dont know anything about pigs is gonna get it and it will have a bad or mundane life. a life is a life to me and all deserve to have a better life... everyone wants the little kids and animals on the commercials to be saved... but what about pet stores... i only see people complaining and saying dont get from pet stores or breeders.... these animals need love and caring as much as the ones anywhere else.... There are zero rescues in my area so i have taken in quite a few pigs with my mom and we buy them off people all the time if we want one... my mom has even bought two from a petstore because she liked them... they are perfectly healthy if they are from a decent store... so.
 

Levenn

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Can we please close this thread, pretty sure the person who originally made this topic is gone...
 

Princess_Piggie

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Oh my goodness, I'm beginning to feel like a broken record like I'm sure so many others users are. I'll put it as simply as I can (again)

when you take a guinea pig from a pet store, you are 'demanding' that product. Because of that demand, they breed sows back-to-back, to 'supply' the product. This process is deadly to the sow. If you do not 'demand' the product by taking a pet store pig, they have no need to breed and 'supply' it.


Now, that's not to say I'm being a little hypocritical, because I am. My two girls are pet store pigs, but those where my pre-forum days, I was unaware of the horrendous state of affairs behind the pet store breeding process. Now that I'm aware of it, I specifically do not go near any pet store that sells animals and I buy all my supplies from a local, none-chain pet shop that sells products only.

When you post on a forum that is anti-breeding and anti-pet store (it's not like this is hidden, it's out there for all to see), about wanting to support the 'demand' part of the pet store breeding process, you will receive backlash. Of course we all feel terrible for those poor pet store pigs, I'd take them all in a heartbeat where it not for the fact that that would be negative for pigs in the long run. It's not about not caring about the pigs sitting in aquariums, it's about not giving the pet store more reason to breed. If you want to help those pigs, adopt your next one, and show the pet stores there are already enough pigs that need homes without them adding to it, as well as the fact they pretty much murder sows to do so (if you haven't already, make yourself aware on the detrimental effects of breeding, back-to-back in particular).
I do however agree that the thread should be closed because it's just creating arguments, and the OP doesn't seem to be returning anyway.
 

CavyMama

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Folks, as a point of information, this forum is anti-breeding, anti-petstore and pro-rescue, whether you agree with it or not. If you disagree with it, that's fine but you cannot staunchly defend petstores and breeders and then be surprised or get upset when you get some push back from many members here.

I never understood why some people post about how irritated they are at the anti-petstore/anti-breeding posts. That's what the forum stands for! Why are you irritated that members are supporting the very thing the forum stands for? Because it doesn't line up with what you believe? You signed up for this forum. You came into OUR backyard. You can't be upset that you don't like the rules of the game.

With that, I think this thread has run its course and is closed.
 
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