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Frustrated My Guinea Pig is trapped...Kinda

Alyssa Wills

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I Just got a new baby piggy. His name is Mocha... I took him outside to play in our back yard, but out Kitten had gotten outside and went for Mocha and he got scared and bolted and when i tried to catch him her ended up running under our shed.
We've been trying to catch him for almost a week! (This started early Wednesday Morning)
We tried luring him with food. Trying to scare him out by walking in the shed (Which now we have lost the key too so we can't get in and rip the floor boards out!)
We were going to use a car jack to lift up the shed but it wont fit...
We also Tried flushing him out (My mothers awful idea!) and that didn't work either!
I know nothing will get him under the shed because there is a section no one and nothing can get to but very small animals.

We know he's still alive and under there, i've been feeding him fresh veggies and hay trying to get him out by setting them in a box outside.
I Can't get him after a whole week i'm i'm getting very worried.

If anyone has any other ideas to get him, or knows of a rescue center that could save him please tell me.
I live in the US State of Maine.
 

HannibalLecter

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Can you break into the shed to rip the floorboards out?
I'm sure you're aware of this now, but never take pigs outside without an enclosure.
 

Alyssa Wills

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Can you break into the shed to rip the floorboards out?
I'm sure you're aware of this now, but never take pigs outside without an enclosure.
You didn't read my post. Please read it all before replying, thank you.

And I was told they need exsersize and he was fine every other time i took him out and we can't afford a pen right now because my mom is wasting all of our money on her wedding she didn't even want so yeah. I didn't have one but i didn't want my piggy to be stuck in a cage all the time and my mom won't let him run around the house because he poops everywhere.
 

GoldieBrodiexx

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You didn't read my post. Please read it all before replying, thank you.

And I was told they need exsersize and he was fine every other time i took him out and we can't afford a pen right now because my mom is wasting all of our money on her wedding she didn't even want so yeah. I didn't have one but i didn't want my piggy to be stuck in a cage all the time and my mom won't let him run around the house because he poops everywhere.

@HannibalLecter DID read your post, she suggested breaking into the shed as you have lost the key.

A pack of grids plus zip ties to make a collapsible pen will cost about 20 dollars. If you don't have that to spend, what would you do if your pig became ill?
 

HannibalLecter

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I read your post, I know you don't have a key, but as this is an emergency it's worth drilling a hole in the lock to get him out.
They should get plenty of exercise in a large enough cage & regular floortime (you can close off an area & put a shower curtain, towels & fleece down), if you can't ensure his safety outside it's better to keep them inside until you can.
 

Alyssa Wills

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@GoldieBrodiexx
No i don't have $20 to spend because i'm a child and like i said above my mother is wasting thousands of dollars.
And you don't know anything about my history with small animals and i've never had a sick one, and if i did i can take him to our local pet smart because their is a vet that works out back that can help for a reasonable amount of money.

@HannibalLecter
Well i'll ask if we can do that because i really want my piggy back
But it's a brand new shed and we live on government housing so i'll most likely get shot down along with all my other ideas..
 

westypigs

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Do you know for sure that he is still under the shed? Unless you are watching all sides of the shed at all times he may very well have gone somewhere else.
 

Alyssa Wills

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Do you know for sure that he is still under the shed? Unless you are watching all sides of the shed at all times he may very well have gone somewhere else.
I said i know he is, i've been seeing him poke his head out and he's been eating the hay and veggies i've been leaving out
 

westypigs

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Call your local Humane society, they may have some ideas and tricks that may help.
 

Alyssa Wills

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HannibalLecter

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@GoldieBrodiexx
No i don't have $20 to spend because i'm a child and like i said above my mother is wasting thousands of dollars.
And you don't know anything about my history with small animals and i've never had a sick one, and if i did i can take him to our local pet smart because their is a vet that works out back that can help for a reasonable amount of money.

@HannibalLecter
Well i'll ask if we can do that because i really want my piggy back
But it's a brand new shed and we live on government housing so i'll most likely get shot down along with all my other ideas..

Pet store vets have very little, or no knowledge about guinea pigs. They often give an incorrect diagnosis or the wrong treatment, both can be deadly. You will need a cavy savvy exotics vet which is expensive, and the pig will need to go there as soon as there is any sign of something wrong.
You (or your family) will therefore need a good sized vet fund in place as guinea pigs go downhill very quickly, or you need to consider rehoming the animal to someone who can afford proper treatment & care when needed, before something actually happens. I understand that it's hard, but you will be able to make your own money & decisions soon enough. The greatest sign of love & maturity is to do the right & best thing for the animal, not necessarily what you want to do.

If no one has a key to the shed it can't be used anyway until someone changes the lock, there is no reason for them not to open it.
 

Alyssa Wills

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Pet store vets have very little, or no knowledge about guinea pigs. They often give an incorrect diagnosis or the wrong treatment, both can be deadly. You will need an exotics vet which is expensive & pigs need to go there as soon as there is any sign of something being wrong.
You will therefore need a good sized vet fund in place as guinea pigs go downhill very quickly, or you need to consider rehoming the animal to someone who can afford proper treatment & care when needed, before something actually happens. I understand that it's hard, but you will be able to make your own money & decisions soon enough. The greatest sign of love & maturity is to do the right & best thing for the animal & not necessarily what you want to do.

If no one has a key to the shed it can't be used anyway until someone changes the lock, there is no reason for them not to open it.
No just leave me alone now.
I got help from someone who is actually helping with the problem instead of stressing me out and making me feel worse.
 

Inle_Rabbit

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He's been out there for a week it is time to get him out before a predator like a cat or raccoon finds him. Breaking into the shed and pulling up the floor boards sounds like one good option. You could also try creating a tunnel to a box with veggies and food in it and stop up the hole when he goes in. Get a couple of people together and see if you can work him out from under the shed with brooms.

The bottom line is any time a guinea pig is outside of it's cage it needs to be confined. Period. When in the yard a guinea pig needs to be in a pen supervised at all times for its own protection. We have had heard many stores of guinea pigs escaping just like yours has and not all have happy endings. A member a while ago accidentally dropped her guinea pig and killed it when she tried to catch it after it bolted away from her when she had it outside without a pen. There are other stories where cats, dogs and even large birds have killed guinea pigs when unsupervised outside. Get a pen. You sound like you're pretty smart. Go mow a few yards or do other chores and save up the twenty dollars to buy a package of grids and create a safe place for your guinea pig. You are responsible for his safety, keep him safe.

Grids: (broken link removed)
 
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HannibalLecter

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No just leave me alone now.
I got help from someone who is actually helping with the problem instead of stressing me out and making me feel worse.

This is not about you, this is about the wellfare of this animal. If you or your family don't have the money to provide the pig with what it needs, you shouldn't have the animal. You don't need a guinea pig - you want one. They have no choice in the matter & rely on us for their every need. Should this pig get ill with something like an upper respiratory infection he can go downhill very quickly. And if you or your family don't have the money to bring it to an exotics vet fast enough, it can be fatal. It's not fair to you or the pig.
 

westypigs

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No just leave me alone now.
I got help from someone who is actually helping with the problem instead of stressing me out and making me feel worse.

You asked for advice, you shouldnt be telling people to leave you alone when they are just trying to help.
 

aspecht

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I have reported this post, if you are not going to listen to the advice being offered, then don't ask for advice. The fact of the matter is your pig was not cared for properly, which resulted in it being put into a situation that is neither safe nor healthy for the pig. I'm positive that you could have broken into that shed and figured out a way to get the pig out. If it were mine, I don't care what I had to do to save it, I would have done it. If the animals are yours, then it is YOUR responsibility to care for it properly. This means that you have to keep it safe. $20 on a pack of grids IS NOT that much. Ask your Mom for some chores to do to earn it, cut your neighbors grass, pet sit your neighbors animals, there are plenty of opportunities for even children to earn that small amount of money quickly.
 

ClemmyOddieIndy

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Seriously people?!? Aspecht you seriously reported the post? You are all talking to a child (remember that), that you are going to scare away. This child is clearly poorly educated in care of their guinea pigs, and NEEDS a forum like this to help them. It is the rare person who comes into this wonderful world of pigs with enough knowledge to not make mistakes. This is not the first post I've seen from a person who has had troubles like this. So while to most of us it seems commonsensical to NOT allow your pigs outside unconfined there are people who make that mistake. Also, we have no idea the situation this poster is in. So, making assumptions is pointless. The problem at hand is getting the pig out from under the shed before it dies (if it hasn't already). Some of you have offered advice, and I hope the OP takes that advice.

As for the vet at PSmart.... as someone who works there 1) it is likely more expensive than your local exotics vet 2) they are not that knowledgeable in small mammals. It's best to find a good exotics vet. The best and the brightest do not go work as pet store vets.
 

Alyssa Wills

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Well report it. I am stressed out wanting to save my pet and you just want to make it harder on me.
My mom and I are going to get another piggy (We were planning to get one in september but due to what is happening and my stress level being so i broke down and tried to break the lock off my shed.... We're going to get a new piggy and hopefully a leash (just for this event really i know they aren't good for piggies)
And we are going to see if my piggy will come out to make friends with the new one.
Since he's still a baby hopefully he'll come. This is out last resort, and we hope it will work.
Thank you to the people who actually helped me.
@ClemmyOddieIndy
The state i live in isn't a common place to have animals like birds and small animals, all the offices in the area i live in are strictly Cats or Dogs (Not even the same building!) so it's very hard but i'm use to taking exotic animals to pet smart because we have been going their for so long and we've made friends with the people that work their it's actually cheaper for me to take him there now, since petsmart is also walking distance from my house so if it's an emergency i can walk there alone. I'll look for a regular vet though
 
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ClemmyOddieIndy

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Well report it. I am stressed out wanting to save my pet and you just want to make it harder on me.
My mom and I are going to get another piggy (We were planning to get one in september but due to what is happening and my stress level being so i broke down and tried to break the lock off my shed.... We're going to get a new piggy and hopefully a leash (just for this event really i know they aren't good for piggies)
And we are going to see if my piggy will come out to make friends with the new one.
Since he's still a baby hopefully he'll come. This is out last resort, and we hope it will work.
Thank you to the people who actually helped me.

I would doubt that he will come out for another guinea pig. They're not like dogs. If I were you I would focus on getting your current guy out from under the shed. You could call a local locksmith out and they can get you into your shed. Then rip up the floor boards with a crowbar.

Can you post a picture of the shed?

The leash won't work. Your guinea pig will not understand what you are doing to it. Also, getting another pig is a bad idea because you need to QT them from each other. Your current pig may have contracted something being outside this long. You don't want to expose a new pig to something.
 

Hhbean

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You can try calling your local rescues and see if they have a humane trap you can borrow. You would place it near the hole and place food inside, when the piggy goes in to eat the door will automatically close. Good luck!
 
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