Guinea Pig Rescue

Everybody has heard about the homeless animals; the cats, dogs and even bunny rabbits that are abandoned and neglected. Few people consider that there are other casualties of human recklessness. Guinea pigs are perhaps more at risk than any of these others mentioned because many cavy owners are not prepared with the proper information on how to care for them and they become overwhelmed with the fast breeding characteristic of g.p.'s.

As a consequence, they are left with nowhere to keep these unwanted offspring. There are also people who breed them for pet stores much like a puppy mill, where they are neglected and their physical needs are not properly met. Still others guinea pigs are disease ridden with ticks, bumblefoot, impaction or any other number of illnesses and are not given medical help.

Whatever the reason or circumstance, it is a fact that many guinea pigs are neglected and this is where the need for Guinea Pig Rescues arise.

There are places all across America that are helping to educate people and take care of these poor, abandoned guinea pigs. They are called Cavy Rescues and they are non-profit; they do it for the love of the animal.

I wanted to write about them to help raise awareness about them and to give some guinea pig pointers myself so that perhaps this problem will be less of a burden on these wonderful organizations.

Guinea pigs are lovable and fun pets and to see them suffer is a tragedy. I own a couple of g.p.'s myself, and I could never imagine getting rid of them because I lost interest or they were too tiresome. Getting any pet is a big commitment, whether it is a fish, dog, turtle or goat. Guinea pigs are not the exception.

Every pet comes with a level of responsibility. I would never suggest getting a guinea pig before knowing a few things first.

More Is Better

The most important of these is that they are herd animals, which means that they are never happy living alone. It is always strongly recommended by experts that you should get two or more, other wise you will have a sad pet indeed.

For me personally, two is the magic number, but many g.p. lovers out there can't resist their many charms and choose to keep many more. Each animal has its own personality and this is one of their best qualities and keeps guinea pig enthusiasts coming back for more.

Spay or Neuter Your Guinea Pig

Another important thing to know is that they breed very fast, so you must be extra careful to get the proper mix if you keep them in one cage together. This happened to me where I got a male and a female, even though the pet store representative assured me that they were both female. I didn't know until I caught them mating. I swear that this is a true story, it was kind of funny at the time, but then I realized the consequences.

I researched the subject online and found out that the male babies must be separated from the mother at only three weeks old or I would be in even more trouble. It's true, the three week old babies are ready to mate successfully and so I had to act fast. I had homes ready for the babies on the very day that they turned 3 weeks old, not a day sooner and not a day later. I was not about to take any chances. I have since brought my male in to be neutered to prevent future accidents. So it was a hard and expensive lesson learned.

Time Investment

Be prepared to spend a lot of time with your guinea pig. They are very intelligent and curious and so they need to play and have mental stimulation. It is advisable to get them toys and plenty of 'free range' time outside of the cage. By this I mean to have an area that your guinea pig can play outside of the cage. Make sure there are no hazards such as electrical wires they can chew or holes they can fall down. Handle them every day and they will bond even closer to you and you will also become more attached to them as you learn their personality even more.

Like a Small Child

Create a routine with your guinea pig much like you would with a child. Feed them at the same time every day, spot clean the cage every day (by this I mean scoop out any uneaten vegetables and excess droppings) and completely once per week. Take your pet out of the cage to play at about the same time every day. If you keep up a regular schedule your pet will learn when to anticipate each activity and you will see how excited they get when they see you coming. Such fun it is!

Knowing that this is the minimal care and attention that a guinea pig needs should help you decide whether you can invest the time and energy needed to keep them healthy and happy. Especially when it comes to sexing them properly be very cautious and remember my story so that you don't end up with piles of unwanted pets.

If you follow my suggestions and advice you won't have any problems with getting a pet guinea pig. Many people are not aware of these issues that can arise with keeping this pet and that's where the Guinea Pig Rescue folks come into the story. They will take in and care for unwanted, abused and neglected g.p.'s.

I wish that there wasn't a need for such a service but there unfortunately is. I'm grateful to know that there are such dedicated people out there who are willing and able to help these unfortunate and unwanted pets.

It is my true wish that this hub will help prevent this problem from happening. The key word is help, because I know that as long as there are people and pets, there will be issues such as this.

If you would like to donate your time, money or supplies to one of these noble institutions click on the link below and it will take you to a listing of Cavy Rescue places that would welcome and appreciate any support you can offer.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cavyrescue&channel=linkdoctor

You can also visit cavyspirit.com where they do a fantastic job of educating people about these lovely animals and help rescue and find homes for neglected, abused and unwanted guinea pigs.

http://www.cavyspirit.com/