New Piggy Owners!!

madrae · Feb 24, 2013

Welcome! The piggys ae awfully cute. How old is your daughter? My piggys are mine, but the whole family loves them to death. I'm lucky that everyone likes to pitch in.

Razzle · Feb 25, 2013

Welcome. Very cute little fellows you have there. I love their names.

amstar8201 · Feb 25, 2013

s.green11 said:
I"m a new piggy owner myself. I got Meeko and Gypsy from petco the day they came in too and have had them since about 3 days after christmas. they're only a couple months old still.. and they've had a million hundred thousand problems (that's an exaggeration). Check your guinea pigs for lice!!!!! you can't get them but it will irritate your babies. Also take some of their poos in to be checked for Giardia (not sure how to spell it) my babies came with both :/ but both have also been treated. Also pay close attention to them. the may be sneezing. My sneeze all the time. I've been told their okay but better safe than sorry. what ever you do, don't take them back!!!! I've heard really bad things about guinea pigs being taken back to pet stores. Also i'm with you on the saving them thing. I had gone into petco to buy some more supplies and when i got there they just happend to just get Meeko and Gyps in, and they were in a fish tank and i wasn't going to leave them there, and now they will live very awesomely happy healthy lives

Yea we suppose to had gotten them on Friday but there weren't any, we were told they would arrive Sunday so we showed up as soon as they opened. It was about 8 in a fish tank, which I don't understand. You would think a pet store would have them in a better living space. Am I able to form an complaint about that? You can tell most of them were terrified, it was like 4 hurdled together in an igloo. We picked the ones that were running around. I'm hoping when they go to the vet (which should be this week hopefully) things check out fine because I really don't want to send them back there.

amstar8201 · Feb 25, 2013

madrae said:
Welcome! The piggys ae awfully cute. How old is your daughter? My piggys are mine, but the whole family loves them to death. I'm lucky that everyone likes to pitch in.

Hailey is 8 years old. Reese is mines and Finn is hers but at the end of the day they are both ours together. My mother is acting like she don't think they are cute but have been popping her head in to see if she could see them lol.

madrae · Feb 25, 2013

My daughter is 9, and she is my best helper and spends the most time with them (I have 4). We do not have any other pets because of my allergies so we just spoil them to death. My daughter really enjoys making cardboard houses and other toys for them, and she helps keep track of everybody getting equal love in a day!

About the pet store.... Depending on where you live and what you saw, you can file an assortment of complaints. First, to the store itself. Then, if, knock on wood that you wouldn't have this problem, your piggys do end up with a skin problem - specifically a fungal one, like ringworm, you can call the town's Health Department. I point out ringworm, because while it is treatable and all, there is a possibility humans can contract it, and that is the sort of stuff the Health Department will care about. Speaking only of animal welfare - overcrowding, lack of water/food, and any sickly looking animals in the store, you call your state's Agriculture Department. They are the ones that care about animal welfare laws. Possible, depending on the town, animal control might care as well.

s.green11 · Feb 25, 2013

amstar8201 said:
Yea we suppose to had gotten them on Friday but there weren't any, we were told they would arrive Sunday so we showed up as soon as they opened. It was about 8 in a fish tank, which I don't understand. You would think a pet store would have them in a better living space. Am I able to form an complaint about that? You can tell most of them were terrified, it was like 4 hurdled together in an igloo. We picked the ones that were running around. I'm hoping when they go to the vet (which should be this week hopefully) things check out fine because I really don't want to send them back there.

don't send them back! I've heard that they don't actually treat them when you do ... I've heard STORIES that they don't put them back on sale.. some euthanize them and some put them in plastic containers in a closet and wait for them to die. This information may be inaccurate.. but on the chance that it's true... I wouldn't risk taking them back, it's too heartbreaking to think about.

sdpiggylvr · Mar 2, 2013

amstar8201 said:
Hello everyone, my name is Andrea. Today my daughter and I became owners of two shy piggies. We picked them up from PetSmart the very day they came in. I really wanted to adopt but there aren't any breeders in my area, nor do I have a car. However I feel like we saved these two. They were in a aquarium tank like setting bunched up with other piggies. The sales guy knew nothing about guinea pigs, let alone animals period and was quick to admit he was only here for the money. Which really makes me want to form a complaint. Anyway we rescued these two lol. Meet Reese (cup) and Finn The Guinea Pig (my daughter loves Adventure Time).

s.green11 said:
I"m a new piggy owner myself. I got Meeko and Gypsy from petco the day they came in too and have had them since about 3 days after christmas. they're only a couple months old still.. and they've had a million hundred thousand problems (that's an exaggeration). Check your guinea pigs for lice!!!!! you can't get them but it will irritate your babies. Also take some of their poos in to be checked for Giardia (not sure how to spell it) my babies came with both :/ but both have also been treated. Also pay close attention to them. the may be sneezing. My sneeze all the time. I've been told their okay but better safe than sorry. what ever you do, don't take them back!!!! I've heard really bad things about guinea pigs being taken back to pet stores. Also i'm with you on the saving them thing. I had gone into petco to buy some more supplies and when i got there they just happend to just get Meeko and Gyps in, and they were in a fish tank and i wasn't going to leave them there, and now they will live very awesomely happy healthy lives

@s.green11 and @amstar8201: The thing is that even though you may be giving them a wonderful home, by purchasing guinea pigs from a pet store you are freeing up space for the pet store to put more guinea pigs in their place -- continuing the vicious cycle. Yes, you may have saved these ones from being cared for improperly, but what about the next ones they put in their place? And the next ones? You're supporting the pet store's practice of neglectful care of their animals. They will continue doing this unless we stop purchasing their animals. They breed, breed, breed the animals without regard to proper care or medical attention. They do not care about the animals; it is completely and totally about the money the purchasing of all their supplies brings in.

I volunteer at a small animal rescue, and all animals adopted out are properly cared for, fed appropriate and healthy foods, and thoroughly checked for medical issues before being available for adoption. It's not about the money. It's about making sure the animals get adopted to responsible homes where they will be loved for their entire lives. Do you see the difference?

I really want to encourage you to try to find homeless guinea pigs in a rescue or shelter the next time you adopt. You will truly be saving their lives.

s.green11 · Mar 3, 2013

sdpiggylvr said:
@s.green11 and @amstar8201 : The thing is that even though you may be giving them a wonderful home, by purchasing guinea pigs from a pet store you are freeing up space for the pet store to put more guinea pigs in their place -- continuing the vicious cycle. Yes, you may have saved these ones from being cared for improperly, but what about the next ones they put in their place? And the next ones? You're supporting the pet store's practice of neglectful care of their animals. They will continue doing this unless we stop purchasing their animals. They breed, breed, breed the animals without regard to proper care or medical attention. They do not care about the animals; it is completely and totally about the money the purchasing of all their supplies brings in.

I volunteer at a small animal rescue, and all animals adopted out are properly cared for, fed appropriate and healthy foods, and thoroughly checked for medical issues before being available for adoption. It's not about the money. It's about making sure the animals get adopted to responsible homes where they will be loved for their entire lives. Do you see the difference?

I really want to encourage you to try to find homeless guinea pigs in a rescue or shelter the next time you adopt. You will truly be saving their lives.

look.. they're my first guinea pigs.. i didn't know that.. but i've heard it a million times since getting them ... i've got it! and i even said that multiple times .. i got them at the damn pet store... i've been told it's not a good idea... i see it as saving them GET OFF MY BACK! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT/READ IT ANYMORE especially after saying multiple times that i've LEARNED why .. i have first hand experience now of why not to! so SHUT UP. no one wants to be told over and over not to get guinea pigs at a pet store. in fact my experience that i shared was me giving evidence as to why not to get them from pet stores... maybe if you actually read the comments -.- and you know what.. it's a learning experience period. I saved them! and as i've also said multiple times... i wont get them from a pet store again nor will i return them ...

SophieBunny · Mar 3, 2013

s.green11 said:
look.. they're my first guinea pigs.. i didn't know that.. but i've heard it a million times since getting them ... i've got it! and i even said that multiple times .. i got them at the damn pet store... i've been told it's not a good idea... i see it as saving them GET OFF MY BACK! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT/READ IT ANYMORE especially after saying multiple times that i've LEARNED why .. i have first hand experience now of why not to! so SHUT UP. no one wants to be told over and over not to get guinea pigs at a pet store. in fact my experience that i shared was me giving evidence as to why not to get them from pet stores... maybe if you actually read the comments -.- and you know what.. it's a learning experience period. I saved them! and as i've also said multiple times... i wont get them from a pet store again nor will i return them ...

Wow... I really don't think that @sdpiggylvr was meaning to be rude, or harass you in any way, they were merely trying to explain about something that most of the members on this forum feel strongly about. There was no need to get angry or tell sdpiggylvr to 'shut up'. He or she might not have known that you already know buying pigs from a pet store isn't saving them. I'm sure it wasn't meant to upset you.

iMariaRainbowz · Mar 3, 2013

The black and ginger one is identical to one of my guinea pigs when he was a baby! Totally the same

cfoster1966 · Mar 3, 2013

Welcome to the forum! Your pigs are adorable. Good luck and enjoy them!

sdpiggylvr · Mar 3, 2013

s.green11 said:
look.. they're my first guinea pigs.. i didn't know that.. but i've heard it a million times since getting them ... i've got it! and i even said that multiple times .. i got them at the damn pet store... i've been told it's not a good idea... i see it as saving them GET OFF MY BACK! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT/READ IT ANYMORE especially after saying multiple times that i've LEARNED why .. i have first hand experience now of why not to! so SHUT UP. no one wants to be told over and over not to get guinea pigs at a pet store. in fact my experience that i shared was me giving evidence as to why not to get them from pet stores... maybe if you actually read the comments -.- and you know what.. it's a learning experience period. I saved them! and as i've also said multiple times... i wont get them from a pet store again nor will i return them ...

I'm very sorry if I offended you; that was not my intention at all. I was just trying to explain an issue that I care about, in hopes that maybe more people could know about it. I had no idea whether or not you had heard about rescue/adoption, because you hadn't said anything about it until now. So please accept my apologies, and please know that I did not mean to upset you.

amstar8201 · Mar 4, 2013

I definitely understand the whole not getting a guinea pig from a pet store thing. I don't have a car to go far out, and Petsmart is around the corner from me so that's where I went. They have their first appt with a cavvy savy vet Friday morning. We also found out over the weekend that they are boys from a friend who has guinea pigs himself. Anything else I'll see when we go to the vet.

amstar8201 · Mar 4, 2013

s.green11 said:
don't send them back! I've heard that they don't actually treat them when you do ... I've heard STORIES that they don't put them back on sale.. some euthanize them and some put them in plastic containers in a closet and wait for them to die. This information may be inaccurate.. but on the chance that it's true... I wouldn't risk taking them back, it's too heartbreaking to think about.

Since we have had them for a week now, I couldn't see myself parting with either. We have bonded with the little cuties and they are warming up to us also. That's why I'm happy they are both of the same sex, I'm not sure if they are brothers or not but they are pretty close to each other also. So they aren't going anywhere now.

s.green11 · Mar 5, 2013

amstar8201 said:
Since we have had them for a week now, I couldn't see myself parting with either. We have bonded with the little cuties and they are warming up to us also. That's why I'm happy they are both of the same sex, I'm not sure if they are brothers or not but they are pretty close to each other also. So they aren't going anywhere now.

That's how I feel about Gypsy and Meeko. I'm not sure if they're sisters, but they were together when i got them and the same size. Gypsy has longer hair though. I think they're starting to get used to me now, they'll give me kisses sometimes, it's cute

I take my guinea pigs to Hannah the Pet Society.. and they're switching the bedding they supply from the wood shavings to fleece. It's fluffy.. and before i was putting the wood shavings under the fleece so it could soak up their pee and all i have to do is vacuum up the poos... but the shavings stick to the fleece... so i tried putting rabbit litter under the fleece and i think it's amazing! You can tell where to clean because the little red pellets turn to sawdust when it gets peed on.. so i can vacuum up the dry sawdust and vacuum up the poos.. I can't afford the fleece flippers on the website but this makes for an easy clean too! and all you gotta do is vacuum like i said before and wash the fleece in the washer

s.green11 · Mar 5, 2013

sdpiggylvr said:
I'm very sorry if I offended you; that was not my intention at all. I was just trying to explain an issue that I care about, in hopes that maybe more people could know about it. I had no idea whether or not you had heard about rescue/adoption, because you hadn't said anything about it until now. So please accept my apologies, and please know that I did not mean to upset you.

I completely understand, but you know when every time you mention that you got it from a pet store and you get lectured about it.. it's irritating. I even got it from my vet! I apologize for snapping. I realize that wasn't your intention. And i had heard of them, I didn't know where to go though, and there was one person who's guinea pig got pregnant that she wasn't prepared for and i was gonna buy one from her, but when i went in to PetCo to get my guinea pig stuff to be prepared they were in a small fish tank and they had just gotten there that day and I just couldn't leave them in such poor conditions. And i've learned from it too.. they had soo many problems when i got them. lice and giardia at the same time. Poor babies. I mention that i got them there only to testify that it's not good.

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New Piggy Owners!!

madrae

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