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Seeking in our area

velvet55

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Cavy Gazer
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Hi! we live in Hurst Texas which is the Dallas FtW area and my grandson wants a guinea pig for Christmas. Having raised show rabbits in the past I know the best place to get an animal is not a pet store. So we are looking for a breeder close by that we can see the parents and stock they come from. Please send me an email on how to get in touch with you, my email is [email protected]. Thanks in advance.
 

bpatters

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Cavy Slave
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How old is your grandson? Guinea pigs are pretty fragile animals, and are not suitable pets for small children.

Please don't buy from a breeder. Most of them know nothing about the genetic problems that guinea pigs can have, and many breeders raise guinea pigs in horrible conditions. Pregnancy and delivery are very hard on guinea pig sows, and the death rate is high for both sows and pups. If you get one from a breeder, you just participate in that chain of supply and demand.

An excellent rescue is Texas Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue in Lewisville, which is pretty close to you. They're open on Saturdays for adoptions, but you have to apply in advance. See https://www.theguineapigrescue.com/

Guinea pigs are not "purebred" like some other animals are. They're all cute, and all deserving of a good home.

Please do some reading before getting a guinea pig. They're herd animals, and you need at least two, not one. You also can't buy a cage at a pet store that's large enough for them, so some research is in order. See the following:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!
 

velvet55

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Thanks for the tips. I can see it is much different than rabbits as breeders were the ones who took very good care of the stock and was alot like dogs or cats with pedigrees. My grandson is 10. He has never had a pet before so this will be an adventure for him and his 2 cousins ages 13 and 15. They have raised hamsters. Lewisville is close so we will check them out. Again thank you for the help.
 

bpatters

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Ten's a good age.

Are his parents on board with the care that will be required? And are either you or they ready for the sometimes expensive vet bills? Small animal vets (dog and cat) aren't equipped to treat guinea pigs. There are several exotic vets in the Dallas area, but as always, the exotic ones tend to be expensive.
 
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