lost piggie

Hi everyone, I haven't been on in a little while as I've been doing my artwork in the evenings (i will post some piccys soon). I have a bit of a dilema.

I went in P@H to get some treats for the buns and I was chatting to this elderly couple, and they were saying how rabbits aren't good pets for kids and piggies are much better and how on christmas morning they looked out their window and saw a random piggie running around their garden! Luckily they spotted it before their 4 yorkies did They popped him in a small pet carrier and tried to find the owner. They didn't have any joy, so they tried local petshops to see if they wanted him, but no one did. They then tried the P@H local to me and they sent them to a different P@H near me, the one I was in with my boy. Anyway, you can guess what happened next, the words just tripped out of my mouth and I went home him.
I figured he was better with me as I know how to care for piggies and have a spare indoor cage in the attic and piggie food etc....
Thing is, I'm not sure what to do with him now, I can't put him with my piggies cos they are female, and I cannot afford to neuter him cos I'm saving to spay Hermione and Easter. He can't stay in the house as there is no room.
I don't mind keeping him, one more won't make a difference but the only solution I can think of is to put him with the rex trio. I can make an area that only he can get into for his bed, food and litter box, and then he can choose whether to go outside on the lawn with the buns, or stay by himself in his quarters. The rex trio are in a play house.
I am mindful that they are not supposed to live together, and that he would be better with a piggie companion instead, but this isn't possible. Should I try and rehome in? If he'd have been female, i think things would have panned out differently for him. He is friendly but terrified and hasn't come out of his hidey house at all. I feel so sorry for him. He asn't got a name either, any suggestions?

Oh bless the poor little guy. Well done for taking him, even if temporary, the last thing he needed would be to be back in a pet shop.

I really dont know how best to advise you hun - I know that it does work with piggies in with buns sometimes but these are exceptions.

Is there a charity that might help with his neutering if you explain how he got to you? Might be worth some thought?

If not is there a rescue that might take him. x

If ever I'm homeless I'm going to come and knock on your door!!

Seriously though good on you for taking him in, poor little boy. I hope you're able to sort something out.

What colour is he?

That's wonderful, glad he found a home at last and he must think he's really landed on his feet!

Whatever happens, keep in mind that this guy probably wouldn' have lasted 5 more minutes if they hadn't seen him...

The info about piggies and buns is actually under scrutiny at the mo. There is no point telling people that they shouldn't do it,and leaving at that...just like people house rabbits in small hutches, people do keep piggies and buns together, so experts are thinking of putting something together to help owners who do this to do it well.

i agree with everyone else,sometimes they do live together ok,when patch was living with snowflake and spike,they lived together fine,i just kept an eye on them a little more,i just wanted some more piggies lol and tbh i would have done the same as you

Jay wrote:That's wonderful, glad he found a home at last and he must think he's really landed on his feet!

Whatever happens, keep in mind that this guy probably wouldn' have lasted 5 more minutes if they hadn't seen him...

The info about piggies and buns is actually under scrutiny at the mo. There is no point telling people that they shouldn't do it,and leaving at that...just like people house rabbits in small hutches, people do keep piggies and buns together, so experts are thinking of putting something together to help owners who do this to do it well.

thats very interesting as i posted on a g-pig forum and a lady told me,that they should not be together as rabbits can pass on "pasteurella" to the g-pigs and can kill,would be very interested to find out the out come of that

Thanks for your support, I have homed him in the playouse and put a trixiie hut in there for him. I put a wire mesh infront of the door and made a small opening so only he can get in there (well so I thought, just found Boo in there munching on hay) but I need to make the gap smaller. The buns sniffed him then ignored him. I'm going to put his food in the trixie hut so the greedy buns don't get at it and he can't reach their food cos I put it on the shelf where they can get to.
I wouldn't have chosen to house them together but the people who found him had been keeping him in a tiny pet carrier as that is all they had, so he is better here as he has room to move and access to fresh grass/air.
I worried about pasterella too but tbh with everything in this world there are people who are very set in their opinions on what is best, yet things tend to muddle along ok regardless, so in this instance I am ignoring my learned response to keeping them together and just seeing how it goes. Still doesn't have as name though, he is white with a ginger and dark brown blaze on his head.

He smells horrible too, not sure if that is a male thing or if he needs a bath???

Yes there are some diseases that are possible to pass on, although having piggies & buns together does not mean that these cross by default. Animals that in good health will have immune that supports them and prevents this.

ETA: 'There is the danger of harn to the piggies, but again, it is a risk, but one that is not bourne out too often. I personally think each case should be assessed individually. Provided the rabbit in question wasn't giant, which would be a pretty daft pairing (!), when you have a healthy rabbit and a healthy piggie living seperately, then you have two highly social animals living in isolation. A neddie dwarf is unlikley to be able to break the back of a piggie, but that's not something I know.'

I realise this may be a bit contentious, but (for example) if there really is no other way of providing a friend for either, then the comany they provide each other leads to a happier animal(s). Quality of life whilst alive is all that actually matters to an animal that has no concept of mortality.

Piggies and rabbit's avergae lifespans are aound the same time - 4-8 years, although buns can live a lot longer. If a piggie lives for 8 years in isolation, but free from the dangers, is that better than living for 4 years with company, giving a better quality of life, but the piggie succumbing to pasturella or being kicked?

I really don't know the answer, but my instinct says the latter. The first scenario could be described as keeping an animal seperate for the owner's pleasure - the second scenario could be descibed as giving the animal a better life, for the animal's sake.

In this respect, I can see why this needs looking at and revising.

Sorry to go off topic a bit

When I had male piggies, they had this issue when they got older with compacted poo. It would collect up inside them and then I'd have to help remove it. There is info online about it, but when it happened they smelt. Might be worth taking a look at him to see if its that. From what I can remember it only happens in boy pigs

Peter Gurney wrote several really good books about guinea pigs and there are some health pages based on his work here - http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/

As Carla said, boars can suffer from impaction issues making them smell. They also ned their scent glands cleaned occasionally just like rabbits. I am sure there will be information about that on that website.

I am also thinking that Boo's lot are the better option than Vince's seeing as they have seemed to be more easy going on the socialisation front. But if you can find a way to get him neutered then to go in with the lady piggies would be ideal - he can have his own harem.

That was it, impaction! I was racking my brain trying to remember what it was called. It was part of the reason we got girl piggies the last time, the impaction thing is awful. Trick I found was not to breathe in through your nose when you're doing it. I always told myself it was worse for them than me.

Fingers crossed it works out ok with the bunnies.

Lots of positive vibes on their way love.

Hugs

JO xx

Aww well done for taking him in Who knows how long he would have lasted if they hadn't have found him and P@H would only have sold him on and who knows who to. It sounds like the buns are being quite welcoming, lets hope it stays that way!

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Peter Gurney wrote several really good books about guinea pigs and there are some health pages based on his work here - http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/

As Carla said, boars can suffer from impaction issues making them smell. They also ned their scent glands cleaned occasionally just like rabbits. I am sure there will be information about that on that website.

That's a really interesting site

How is he settling in?

Jay wrote:Yes there are some diseases that are possible to pass on, although having piggies & buns together does not mean that these cross by default. Animals that in good health will have immune that supports them and prevents this.

ETA: 'There is the danger of harn to the piggies, but again, it is a risk, but one that is not bourne out too often. I personally think each case should be assessed individually. Provided the rabbit in question wasn't giant, which would be a pretty daft pairing (!), when you have a healthy rabbit and a healthy piggie living seperately, then you have two highly social animals living in isolation. A neddie dwarf is unlikley to be able to break the back of a piggie, but that's not something I know.'

I realise this may be a bit contentious, but (for example) if there really is no other way of providing a friend for either, then the comany they provide each other leads to a happier animal(s). Quality of life whilst alive is all that actually matters to an animal that has no concept of mortality.

Piggies and rabbit's avergae lifespans are aound the same time - 4-8 years, although buns can live a lot longer. If a piggie lives for 8 years in isolation, but free from the dangers, is that better than living for 4 years with company, giving a better quality of life, but the piggie succumbing to pasturella or being kicked?

I really don't know the answer, but my instinct says the latter. The first scenario could be described as keeping an animal seperate for the owner's pleasure - the second scenario could be descibed as giving the animal a better life, for the animal's sake.

In this respect, I can see why this needs looking at and revising.

Sorry to go off topic a bit

I think you put that accross very well Jay. Thank you.

icedancer wrote:How is he settling in?

Well, he certainly has a name now, he is called Boss, I laughed out loud at what he just did to the buns I chucked a carrot onto the lawn and the buns gathered around it and were eating it when suddenly, piggie came running from nowhere and snatched it off them! He ran away with it and the buns were looking and sniffing for it but they couldn't find it! Easter hopped past me and made a disgruntled sound at me then found piggie eating her carrot. Interestingly she wouldn't take it off him, neither would Hermione, but Boo just removed it from him! So he is called Boss now as I think he is going to give them a run for their money

He wheeked as well, which is something the old couple said he'd never done whilst they were trying to find him a new home. They said that he never made a sound, so this must be a good thing. I will feel better when I see him popcorning. He doesn't come out of the trixie hut though, I have to remove him and put him on the lawn. Once out he seems to enjoy himself, munching on grass and leaves and darting about. He said hello to the Vince trio, well actually I think he was after their greens but he couldn't get his head through the bars He is sat with the buns now, eating a fresh pile of hay. I made the hole to his trixie hut smaller so the buns can't get in and I put his pellets in there so they wouldn't eat them.
I hope he is ok, he still smells a bit, a bit musky like a dirty old pig tramp so I may bathe him in a few days if it doen't go away. New animals always smell strange I find, until either they start smelling like me or I get used to their smell, I don't know which is which perhaps I am weird

I will post some pictures of Boss with his new buddies later.

I don't know about the other piggy owners on here - but I wash my piggies much more than the rabbits. Probably about twice a year. It seems to be something advocated for them but not for rabbits. I was doing nail clipping with mine this morning and reflecting that they are getting smelly. I buy them nice shampoo from gorgeous guineas which should help with any mites and things around.

I think the running off with food is a g.p. thing. I don't know about your girls but mine rush the pile of veggies when they go in then they tak whatever their favourite is and rush off with it to eat in a corner before someone steals it out of their mouth. My favourite thing is to watch them with cherry tomatoes in the summer. You quite often see them playing tomato tug of war.

As for the bossiness thing, I had a piggy called Poppy who lived with Bruce for a bit. But Poppy completely terrorized him. I went out one day and she was sitting in the opening to the sleeping areas of their hutch and he was cowering in the corner at the back of it. It is not like Bruce finds it hard to stand up for himself - he lives with Flo after all and she is no walk in the park - but I couldn't leave him with her. She wouldn't accept other piggies either. I initially got her with another piggy called Pepper. But is became obvious very early on that Pepper was not well as she was growing in length but not in width. She was eventually diagnosed with congential liver problems and died at about 6 months old. She and Poppy got on ok but Poppy was still very dominant and would sometimes just sit on Pepper. And she would charge down other piggies and attack them. I have never had another g.p. like her.

Poppy sounded very stroppy indeed!

Here are a few piccys of Boss

awwwwwwww the wheek i love that sound,sounds like hes starting to feel more at ease,iam sure he will start pop corning soon,i think it took a few days for fudge and rubee to do it and i agree with the smell thing,i think in a few days they will smell like the rest of them,he is adorable too does that mean that your going to keep him

love the last pic of them all eating together

He's adorable I love how he is standing up for himself too!

Guineas are so greedy!

Easter and Hermiones tails too