Thursday, December 29, 2011

Adoption Fee Increase for 2012

Unfortunately, because prices keep climbing on pretty much everything from pellets to produce, we will be raising our adoption fees as of 1/1/12. It will now be $40 for a single guinea pig with cage/accessories, $50 for two. A guinea pig by itself, without a cage, will be $20, or two for $30. I am making the change to this site now, and will have to fill in the changes on the hard copies of the adoption forms. We're not crazy about doing this, but with all the calls we get from people wanting to surrender guinea pigs, we need to make sure we are able to care for them.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas! Update...

So here's what's been going on: AJ went to her new home yesterday. I removed the barrier inside the Brats' large cage, so everyone has free run again..they are all happy to have their space back without anyone fighting!
That being said, I plan on introducing our new female, Maya, to the group as soon as I clean out the cage. Maya is a young (under a year) rust-colored, self-crested female. I have taken pictures and will have her on here soon; she is very calm and healthy and would make a great companion for someone.
Olive's adoption is pending; an application has been put in and she will be leaving us sometime after Jan. 9 as a companion for another older guinea pig.
Lastly, we hate to bring any sad news, but Frosted passed away two nights ago. He was older, and had started losing weight..when he stopped eating the day before his death, we figured his time was almost done, and he passed peacefully during the night. He left behind a good-sized cage, but for now it's sitting empty...I just don't have the heart to put anyone else in it right now. :(

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Available for Adoption...Noodles

Noodles is a young male, I'm guessing about 5-6 months. He came from a classroom of toddlers in Shoppingtown Mall and he did NOT like the noise and commotion of his surroundings, so he was a little nippy when we first brought him home. I have been taking him out every day to show him that he is in a quieter environment; he is still a little jumpy, but is very curious and vocal when you hold him! When frightened, he will run onto your chest and then all the way up to your shoulder. He would do well in a fairly quiet home without small children.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

AJ, Noodles

AJ has found a home for Christmas, and is being picked up on Christmas Eve day. Hooray!

Noodles is our newest arrival; he is very scared but now that we have moved him into a much larger cage, he seems to be settling in and eating more than he was when he first arrived. He is very young, so with time and lots of love and handling, we hope he will be a good candidate for adoption after the holidays!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Baby Boys Available from CNY Piggies, Oneida

My friend Mary has two baby boy guinea pigs that need to be adopted together, or singly only if they are going as companions for another male. A lot of people have been asking if I have babies or very young guinea pigs and right now I do not, but Mary was kind enough to take the pregnant mom from us, so if anyone is interested in two babies I will pass along her contact information.

Monday, December 5, 2011

New E-Mail

Ok, I have deleted my old Gmail account and the new address is cavygirl72@gmail.com if anyone needs to e-mail me. This e-mail address is also listed on our Facebook page now.

Friday, December 2, 2011

New E-mail Address Coming Soon

There has been a security breach in my Gmail account, so I have just deleted it..it will take two days for it to be permanently erased, and I will set up a new Gmail as soon as I can. I want to make sure the old account is gone before I try to set up a new one.
In the meantime, if you need to get a hold of me by e-mail, you can reach me at jennyj66@hotmail.com. I apologize for any inconvenience..a lot of people have been calling about guinea pigs lately, so if you do e-mail me and I don't get back to you right away, it's because I'm trying to get things secured. Thanks!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving

Wanted to say a special thanks to someone who came by the other day while I was out, and my husband didn't catch her name..anyway, she brought us one large and one medium Marchioro cage, plus LOTS of water bottles, dishes, and a bag of food. Rocky and Olive have been moved into the larger cage so they have more space. We also removed the barrier in the largest cage and AJ is slowly assimilating with the four other girls.
I will be out of town for a few days and will probably not update the site until after I return; Ryan is in charge of the piggies over Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who has been generous to us this year and over the past few years..we always greatly appreciate ANY donation we receive! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Separated!

Tulip was adopted Saturday, so we put Aunt Jemima in with the brats as there was more space. Unfortunately, AJ and Jeana really don't get along, so I put a divider in the cage. They can see and smell each other without anyone getting hurt, and AJ is with Pudding so she can get used to having a companion. After Thanksgiving, we'll remove the barrier and see how things go.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Adoption Events

Over the weekend we attended two adoption events, one at Tractor Supply in Clay (which brought in just enough money to buy pellets before we left) and one in Oswego. Both had fairly low attendance, but we are hoping we got more word out about our rescue, and one person was interested in getting her daughter a guinea pig for Christmas. We took Aunt Jemima, Rocky and Olive with us. They got a lot of attention from the kids that showed up!
Sadly, also over the weekend, Rodney, our albino abby who lived with Buttons the texel, passed away, most likely from old age. Many of our guinea pigs have been with us since even before we started the rescue/adoption program, so they are pushing 5-6 at this point. This has already been a sad year (we've lost 11 to age or sickness), but I'm afraid more of our old-timers will be leaving us soon.
In the meantime, I am unemployed again and my husband is laid off for at least the next three weeks. If anyone is interested in donating even a small amount, please hit the button in the left hand column. It goes securely into my PayPal account, and can then be transferred to my regular bank account. Donations go toward pellets, bedding, produce, and possibly Christmas treats if we have enough.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Aunt Jemima

Took AJ out tonight for some cuddles (she is still nervous, and very afraid of our dogs). I still can't tell if she is pregnant; it may be a little too soon, but because she was small to begin with, I would think she would start showing very soon. She is in a large cage by herself until we know for sure. If she is not pregnant, she will be available for adoption sometime in November. She is a solid black shorthair, less than a year old, and in very good health.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

October Update

Again, I apologize for falling behind here..this is what's been happening:
All three of Aunt Jemima's babies have now been adopted. I am keeping her by herself in the cage for now, until we find out if she is pregnant again or not.
We got a call a few days ago from a group of young ladies who found an older male guinea pig, severely impacted, under a bush in Syracuse. They drove out immediately, and as soon as I saw him I knew he wouldn't last the night. The girls had named him Ron Paul; we kept him warm and comfortable until he passed a few hours later. Ryan made him a coffin and he was buried today. It makes me so angry that someone would just throw him away at the end of his life, and I am also happy that someone cared enough to scoop him up and make the call to us so that he didn't have to die alone and in pain.
I have been receiving MANY calls from people who are trying to surrender their guinea pigs, but at this point I cannot take anymore. I did take one 5 year old female, Pudding, last night, only because I had talked to her owner over a month ago and offered to give Pudding a permanent home here because of her age. She is now in with the four Brats (Jeana, Gobbles, Jazz and Tulip). Someone contacted me about adopting a female, so Tulip will be a candidate as she is one of our youngest.
We currently have 113 "likes" on our Facebook page, and we have received some donations from people all over the place, even some we have never met. As always, we greatly appreciate ANY donation..they keep our piggies clean, healthy and well-fed!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Baby Update

Morgan and I took a close look at the babies tonight..it seems that Coffee is a boy, while Flapjack and Waffle are girls. Right now, it seems that we may have homes lined up for all three..but for anyone else interested in babies, Aunt Jemima is most likely pregnant again..however, it will be probably another 6 weeks before she gives birth, then another three before the babies are weaned. We will keep you posted!

Friday, September 30, 2011

New Piggies! Aunt Jemima and Babies

Went to Central Square this afternoon to get a mom and three babies, who will be a week old tomorrow. Long story, but there is the chance the mom and/or the other females I couldn't take may be pregnant (a mom guinea pig can get pregnant again RIGHT AFTER giving birth). The family is settling in, getting lots to eat..they are all in good shape but the babies must stay with momma at least two more weeks before they will be available for adoption. By then, we will also know which are boys and girls!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Adopted...Brandon and Zippy

I have been so behind in the blog that I don't even remember if I posted these guys, but they went to their new home tonight. We had expected the family to take the four "Brats" but they felt that four guinea pigs would be too many, and the daughter fell in love with the boys. The cage had to be disassembled to fit in the car but they are in a great new home!
Fortunately, no one has passed in the last two weeks. We did take in three 4-week old babies, one female and two males..the female has already gone on to her new home, and the boys are leaving in the next few days to be companions for other guinea pigs.
Because of the recent adoptions, I was able to call someone on my "waiting list" and tell them that I could take four of their group of 8 guinea pigs. On Friday, I am picking up a mom and three babies, who will be 6 days old. They will remain with the mom for at least two more weeks, and will then be available for adoption as well. Another person called to see if I could take two females, but I had to turn her down for now..we only have room for so many!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

RIP Jabby...More Guinea Pigs Arriving

Jabby died Tuesday night, very peacefully. We buried him in a little wooden coffin with some flowers.
We are getting Natasha, Olive, and Rocky this weekend as their owner is very allergic to their bedding and does not feel she has the time to care for them properly. I believe Rocky is about four years old, which is pushing it a bit for a guinea pig, but I will still list all three as available for adoption if anyone is interested.
We will be at Home Depot on Route 11 on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10-2 as part of an event that is including rescues, hoping to get them some publicity. You can come pick up one or more of our new business cards, and possibly take home a furry friend! I will have applications available; you will need vet and personal references (the vet reference is just the name/number of a vet who can care for your guinea pig if it does get sick or injured).

Monday, September 12, 2011

September Update

We received two donations today via our button on this site; one is particularly generous, and before I transfer the funds into my bank account, I'm waiting to hear back from the donor to verify the amount. We have never had a donation over $25 so I want to make sure it was not a mistake! If not, then part of it will go toward our vet bill, and the rest will be used for food and bedding later in the week.
Sadly, we are about to lose another guinea pig to old age. Jabby is about 4-5 and is a lilac Peruvian male with red eyes; he was horribly neglected before he arrived here and was extremely fearful. It took many months to get him to come around to people. We eventually gave him a friend, another Peruvian named Giorgio, who passed about two years ago. Jabby was not my first Peruvian, but one of my favorites and one of the most beautiful, and he truly turned me on to that particular breed. He stopped eating produce over the last two days, and when I took him out for grooming I noticed that he had lost weight. I cleaned his cage, gave him a brush and trim, and he is resting comfortably in his cage. He wouldn't even eat the dandelion leaves I offered, so I know the time is coming soon. Jabby will be sorely missed.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Adopted...Herman

The person who was thinking of taking Rodney and Buttons adopted Herman instead..I'm glad because no one else has been interested in him, and he really is a sweetheart.
Dora and Joslin should be arriving tomorrow evening (we'll see what happens with the weather!). In the meantime, Martini has not been eating his produce so I am keeping an eye on him. I took him out this morning and he seems ok but looks as if he's lost a little weight. He is one of our older piggies and losing weight is a sign of old age.
We also very suddenly lost Twix..again, older, about 5, but he showed no signs of slowing down. I'm concerned about his cagemate, Jack, who has been spending a lot of time in his igloo but is still eating, etc. We will keep you updated on everyone.

Monday, August 22, 2011

More Piggies Being Returned

Rodney and Buttons are back, and we just got word that Dora and Joslin, our two Peruvian girl babies, are on their way back as their owner is also moving. I'm not sure if their pictures are still on our site, but they are on the OCGPR page on Facebook. Dora is solid gray, Joslin is solid black. They are still very young, and I'm hoping to find someone interested before their current owner moves.
HOWEVER, we do have someone coming to look at R&B this Friday, hopefully..she had adopted Buttercup and is interested in adopting from us again once she returns from vacation. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

News

We just got word yesterday that Buttercup, who had gone to her third adoptive home, suddenly passed away with no signs of illness. She was one of our worst neglect cases and had a spunky personality; we are so sorry she is gone.
Blanche got adopted the day after the Canine Carnival.
Herman is still available but may be adopted late next week by Buttercup's previous owner.
Rodney and Buttons have returned after their second adopter was forced to move to a small apartment that had no room for a 2x3 CC cage. I will be taking new pics of them soon and posting them for adoption; this time I would like them to go to a PERMANENT home.
We are still waiting to hear from Juan's pending adopter, who has been out of the country but has filled out her application and come to see Juan once already.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

UPDATE

Again, I apologize for my laziness with this blog...here is an update of what's been happening the last week and a half:
BLANCHE has someone coming out to meet her this afternoon. I took her and Herman to the Canine Carnival yesterday and handed out some applications, but no one got adopted that day.
HERMAN is still available. He is fine being a bachelor now, although he could possibly be a companion for another male.
BOXIE is living with Joe after Moe died. Joe is very old, and has accepted Boxie as a companion, so at this point Boxie is still listed as available, but I think they may be bonding. Boxie could also be a companion for another male as he is still quite young.
We did get some donations at the Canine Carnival and let a lot of people know that we exist and can either help out or offer up guinea pigs for adoption. We look forward to attending next year!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

7/6/2011 Update

We have been quite busy the last few days. Friday, we picked up three female guinea pigs; they ended up getting adopted just two days later. I'm glad we were able to keep them all together!
There has been someone interested in Juan; she came out to meet him Monday. She is going to S. Africa to do an animal research project; when she returns, Juan will be going home with her! She also generously donated 20 pounds of guinea pig pellets and a few bags of treats.
We may also have another person interested in Bo. Hopefully she is coming out sometime this weekend, although things are getting busy with summer in full gear. This Sunday is Amanda's Bon Voyage picnic before she leaves for Europe on July 17, and we have to drive to Cortland. We also need to catch up on farm chores like cleaning out the barn stalls, so we are going to be busy!
I am also taking in FOUR male piggies of assorted ages from someone on Facebook. If you know anyone who would like a pair, most of them are quite young and I don't want to break them up completely. There is a father and his three sons.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Sorry!

I apologize for being woefully behind in updating the blog, but now that I am on FB I honestly spend more time there. Nothing on this end has changed; Bo, Jeana, and Juan are still available for adoption, and we do have several people interested in either one or two. However, as usual, there are people who want to surrender...I am taking in three females on Friday, and I still know someone on FB who is trying to rehome some of her piggies as there were two accidental litters. If adoptions go through, I may be able to help her out. If you'd like to see the picture of her boys (who are living in a kiddie pool), go to FB and search Oswego County Guinea Pig Rescue to see our page...you will have to scroll down a bit to find the picture.
In other news, for those of you who don't already know, we lost Foofer over the weekend. She was very old and showing the signs of age; eventually she quit eating and drinking and passed away on Saturday. She was a beautiful little girl and we did not have her for very long, but she will be missed.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

6/7 Update

Chunky unfortunately took a turn for the worse and passed away over the weekend. We were syringe feeding him but he was just too far gone. He was such a sweet little guy; the light finally went out of his eyes, and his poor little body gave up.
We are getting Juan back from his adopter; he should be arriving sometime this week, and he is young and healthy enough to be placed back up for adoption. I will get pictures and post them as soon as I can.
Again, we will be at the Canine Carnival August 6 from 10-2 with a few of our piggies that you can meet in person. I will post reminders as the date gets closer. Don't forget we are now on Facebook with our own page! :) It's got 31 likes so far and we have met some really great people on it.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Chunky

Chunky is not doing well right now...I think he has lost weight and has stopped drinking his water, plus he is having diarrhea. We cut his vegetables and have him on a dry diet; he is eating his hay and we have given him oral Ivermectin, but at this point I have no idea what could be wrong with him and I may have Ryan take him to the vet tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jillian--Update

Jillian's bump does seem to be shrinking now after five days of antibiotics, so we are going to do the full 10 day course before we decide whether or not to have it surgically removed. She is doing well, eating and drinking and seems to be ok without her daughter Toffee, although I would like to reunite them asap.
Chunky, our latest neglect case, is still very thin...I can feel his hip and shoulder bones. On the upside, he is eating more foods and he LOVES his timothy hay, so we will keep feeding him to his heart's content. I am thinking of also getting him a vitamin supplement for his food to help beef him up and get his coat in better shape.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Update

We took Jillian to the vet and found out that her bump is actually a benign tumor that we plan on having removed sometime next week. We are waiting to see if it will respond to antibiotics, as it had been infected, but the only real permanent solution will be surgery, which will probably set us back about $300. Well, that's the price you pay when you have animals!
In other news, after losing his cagemate Cookie while we were in Vegas, Willy has passed away this morning. Over the last week he had stopped eating and drinking; when he quit eating dandelion leaves I knew where things were headed. He had been with Cookie ever since he was a baby so I'm not surprised that he died from grief when he lost him. I'm sure they will find each other at the Rainbow Bridge, along with all of the other furry friends we have lost over the years.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Jillian Goes to the Vet (Tomorrow)

Jillian, who came to us with her daughter Toffee, has an abscess on her backside that until today had been fine. When I cleaned the cage this morning, I saw that it had burst, oozing pus and blood. We got most of it cleaned up and I separated her from Toffee, putting her in a cage with fleece so that nothing will get stuck inside the wound. The earliest I could get her into the vet's was tomorrow at 10 a.m., and since it is not life-threatening and she is acting normal (eating/drinking and running around), I decided to go to the regular vet and not to emergency care. She will probalby get a bath tonight as she smells REALLY bad, but from the looks of it, she should be ok and I doubt the abscess will return once it's treated.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Lots of Piggies

I've had more people ask me if I can take their guinea pigs, and sadly I have to say no. One of them is meeting me Saturday to see if a female she's gotten is pregnant...hopefully not! She is the same woman who gave us Angus and Moo Moo; she has gotten three more guinea pigs since then and is trying to find homes for some. She has a lilac abby mother/daughter pair, so if anyone is interested please let me know and I can get in touch with her.
I'm also giving her one of my spare cages so she can keep the possibly pregnant female alone, and I'm getting a free bag of shavings, so that's a pretty good trade!
Tomorrow I am mailing in my registration for the Canine Carnival...I need to get a color ink cartridge so I can finish my binder of photos of some of our most severe rescue cases. They are graphic photos but I want people to know that guinea pigs can suffer from the same abuse and neglect as any other animal.

Friday, May 13, 2011

We Now Have a Facebook Page!

That's right! Just search for us under Oswego County Guinea Pig Rescue and "like" us! I just joined so I'm still setting things up but there are a couple pictures, including Chunky on my personal home page. I will keep up with this site but I wanted to be on Facebook since so many people are on it and it will help get the word out about the rescue, plus connect us with other animal lovers and rescuers.
We also just found out that Frosted, Ryan's pig, has bumblefoot, so we are treating it in the hopes of keeping it under control so it doesn't get as bad as Prescott's did.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Bumblefoot Strikes Again :(

I clipped Frosted's nails this morning and saw that he has indeed developed bumblefoot in one front foot. Hopefully we caught it early enough to treat it and keep it from getting worse. I've started giving him foot soaks and we still have the cream from Prescott. I'm not sure how he got it since it usually happens to guinea pigs that live on wire-bottomed cages, which irritates their feet. We will do our best to keep him comfortable and see if we can bring the swelling down.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

R.I.P. Cookie

Cookie was one of our older guinea pigs, with short black hair. Unfortunately, he passed away while Ryan and I were in Las Vegas this week. Ryan is going to make him a little "coffin" and we will bury him on the farm, with the rest of our lost guinea pigs. His cagemate Willy is quite depressed so we will keep an eye on him, and possibly find him a new companion.
In the meantime, we did get an e-mail from someone whose mother died and left a guinea pig behind, whose nails are overgrown and who might possibly have skin mites. I did agree to take him and hopefully he will be joining us soon.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

At Capacity

I just saw that Mary Green of CNY Piggies has written that she is full, and so are we. I've had two people call in the last two days asking me to take 3 guinea pigs, and I've unfortunately had to say no. I also removed my ad from Craigslist; I thought I would be able to take in more, but I received the two females and now I have no space for anyone new. I hate telling people no but I do have to know my limits.
Right now my only adoptable is Jeana; I had thought of adopting out Jazz but she is really neurotic and jumpy and would probably not make a good pet, especially for a child. I have a hard time grooming her as well. She's really cute though and I'm glad we will be keeping her.
So, if anyone out there would be interested in starting up their own guinea pig rescue, or at least fostering in this area, please let me know. Mary and I both have lots of info and could help someone get started and provide support along the way. The guinea pigs need your help!!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

I've been mega-lazy about putting new pictures on here but I just wanted to get a post up and wish everyone a happy Easter. My kids were up at 6 a.m. to search for eggs (which is good since they will be getting up early again for school tomorrow, ha ha).
The chicks are growing rapidly and getting a lot more feathers. Ryan and Morgan built twelve nesting boxes and moved them down to the coop, but the chicks will still have to stay in the house for a while. They're a lot like the guinea pigs, eating and pooping.
Our two new girls (now renamed Toffee and Jillian) are settling in well and getting into the routine. They squeak loudly at breakfast time and are eating veggies but aren't too interested in any fruit except for apples. I can't wait for the dandelion leaves to grow and for our garden to get under way so we can give them fresh goodies!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Spring Update

Not much has been going on with the guinea pigs so I haven't posted in a while (although right now they are all squeaking at me, waiting for their midmorning snack). Jeana and Buttercup are still available for adoption; I called about Angus and Moo Moo and they are doing very well.
Ryan and I will continue working on the chicken coop...the chicks are growing really quickly. They eat LOTS and are growing new feathers every day. I was going to post pictures but we have been having issues with the computer again, so I am actually using my daughter's laptop right now.
We had Jeana out last night and she is so funny..we put her on the couch and she was crawling over and snuggling with our dog Lady. She has a great personality and I hope we can find her a home, but if not I won't be too upset!

Friday, April 8, 2011

CHICKS!

I don't have pictures of them yet, but yesterday we went to TSC and picked up a dozen chicks. They're a few days old and are SO cute! Ryan and I will be working on their coop over the weekend, and in a few weeks they should be able to move in. Right now they are in an enclosure in my gym and Morgan is obsessed with them; I thought she might actually sleep in there last night! I know some people get "Easter chicks," but these guys aren't "pets." We're going to get lots of fresh eggs so we'll give them a nice house and feed them right. I'm so excited! :)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Adopted! Angus and Moo Moo

Angus and Moo Moo went to their new home yesterday. The family loves animals and have owned many types of pets over the years. The boys have grown quite a bit in just the two weeks we've had them and I'm sure they will be well-loved by their new owner!
Of course, usually when we adopt out two, we end up getting two more in their place, so we'll wait and see!

Monday, March 28, 2011

R.I.P. Malcolm

Just a couple short weeks after being adopted with his pal, Mort, Malcolm suddenly passed away with no indication that anything was wrong. His owner said he had been eating and drinking normally, and he was fine in the short time he was with us. Sometimes these things happen, but it's always sad to hear when one of our piggies passes, especially when the new family didn't have enough time to enjoy them. :(

Saturday, March 26, 2011

New Piggy...Jeana

I'm heading out to West Monroe in a bit to pick up Jeana, a black/white female. I was supposed to get Ginger today, but when I called the lady said she really wanted to keep her despite her allergies, so she changed bedding and is going to give Ginger the compressed hay cubes instead of loose hay. I also recommended she get some sisal toys Ginger can chew on. I'm glad the owner has decided to try to keep her; it's never good for guinea pigs to get shuffled around a lot.
So, as soon as I found out Ginger wasn't coming, I decided to take Jeana. Pictures will be posted soon!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

New Developments

A woman trying to find a new home for her female guinea pig, Ginger, asked if she could bring her here and of course we said yes, as we adopted out Bo and have a little room. I have also listed Buttercup as "available" after I spoke to her previous owner today; they have fallen on really rough times and most likely will not be able to take her back, so because she is young and healthy and has a great personality, we will try to find her a new home. Ginger will also be available shortly after arrival if anyone is interested; we will post pics when we get her.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Adopted...Bo

Bo went to his new home yesterday, as a birthday present for a 12 year old boy. They drove all the way from Hannibal and had done lots of research ahead of time. Bo did end up biting my hand while I was holding him, but if you set him on the couch, he will just snuggle...he really is a sweet guy and we're going to miss him!
Angus and Moo Moo swapped cages with Bo, so the family could have an enclosed cage, and now the boys have more room to run around. They are SO loud!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

New Pig

Someone is coming out Saturday to look at piggies for adoption, but on the same day Ryan is meeting a friend of his to pick up a guinea pig we promised to take long ago. I have no idea if it's a boy or girl; all I know is that it's 4 years old, which is pushing it as far as being adoptable goes, but who knows. So, as usual, one piggy in, one piggy out!
Angus and Moo Moo are doing very well. They are VERY LOUD and constantly beg for food. I've put them on baby guinea pig pellets for a while. They are still nervous but with handling I'm sure they will warm up to people pretty quickly. I'm going to post more pics of them soon now that our computer is back.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Babies

I got in touch with a woman who is taking in seven guinea pigs from a hospice situation (the owner just passed away and the family has no interest in caring for them). I was asked to take the two six-week old boys, and fortunately we just got another large spare cage that will be perfect for them. As soon as we get them I will take pictures to post, and hopefully they will be adopted soon!
In the meantime, poor Bo hasn't had anyone interested; I have decided to place Mort and Malcolm up for adoption as well as we are again at capacity!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

March is Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month!

It's true! There is now a month set aside to celebrate the adoption of rescued guinea pigs. So, if you or anyone you know has been thinking about getting one, skip the pet store and find a rescue group near you...it doesn't have to be us (though that would be great). I'm always looking through Craigslist and many people do place ads for guinea pigs there, so it's just as good to get your new piggy from someone looking to find it a good home.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sidenote to Last Post

I know in my last post I said that we never buy from pet stores, but my friend Mary made a good point about an exception: If the pet store (or farm supply store or whatever type of store) has guinea pigs that are in bad shape, of course it would be a good idea to get them out of there if possible. I've personally never had that happen, but I know other people who rescued guinea pigs from that type of situation.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Why You Should Donate to Our Rescue

Ok, let me preface this by saying I am not trying to send anyone on a guilt trip. We have only had two donations (which were very generous, thank you) since we had our donate button installed, and while I am grateful for any donation, I was hoping for a better response. We are certainly not in dire straits, but even small donations can be used to help the guinea pigs. So here is my list of reasons why you should consider hitting that button:
1. WE SPEND OUR MONEY WISELY.
I was paying $15 for a 25 lb. bag of premium guinea pig food at our local feed store. When I went to Tractor Supply, I found a comparable food in a 50 lb. bag for around $18. Double the food, only a few bucks more, so I had to switch. The good news is, the guinea pigs still love it. While Romaine and carrots are a must-have each week, I wait until certain produce is on sale before I buy it. We're always looking for ways to save.
2. BUT WE'RE NOT CHEAP!
That being said, it does not mean that we skimp on care or food for our guinea pigs. I don't care if cedar bedding is less expensive; it's toxic. I don't care if lettuce is out of season; I buy it. If a guinea pig is hurt or sick, it goes to the vet.
3. WE SUPPORT THE LOCALS WHEN POSSIBLE.
We may have switched pellets, but we still buy our bedding from the feed store up the road. They've been hit as hard as everyone else and we'd like them to stay in business. We also like to promote local businesses that have helped us, such as Piggy Bed Spreads. By using the fleeces, we are able to cut down on our bedding expenses even further.
4. WE HAVE A STRICT NO BREEDING/BUYING POLICY.
Absolutely NONE of our guinea pigs have gotten pregnant while they were here, nor have any of them come from us buying them from pet stores. The vast majority of our guinea pigs were purchased at pet stores, the owners tired of them, and they came to us. We have had only two new litters, from sows that were pregnant before they arrived. It's like Jurassic Park: No unauthorized breeding!
5. WE SUPPORT OTHER ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS.
Just because we specialize in guinea pigs does not mean we don't care about other animals. Our goats, donkey, barn cats and one of our dogs were adopted, and we support organizations like Farm Sanctuary and Best Friends Animal Society. If I feel another guinea pig rescue could give someone what they need, I am happy to pass on that information. We're all in this together!
I realize we are not an "official" nonprofit. We may be private, but we are always nonprofit, which to us means not even attempting to make money from our adoptions. Adoption fees are in place to ensure that our guinea pigs go to responsible homes. Only $6 buys bedding for one week for 27 guinea pigs; $9 provides 25 lbs. of pellets.
I guess I wanted to write this to let our followers know their donations are always used wisely, whether it is financial or in the form of cages, food, bedding, etc. My purpose in life is to take care of these animals, not take advantage of anyone. So, if you've been considering it, go ahead and hit the donate button, and it will be much appreciated.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Digging Out

Well, like everyone else, we've been digging out after all the snow we got. Ryan is back to work (hooray!), which means I'll start getting my weekly "allowance" again (it goes from his check right into my account). That's good because the money I'd saved from my temporary job is almost gone!
In the meantime, I'm just cleaning cages, taking piggies out when I can, and keeping everyone warm. I suppose I could do Tractor Supply again, but right now I only have Pudge available and I don't like taking any guinea pigs out in cold weather. January got us off to a great start with adoptions (I think we had 8), but now things have really slowed down, so we're waiting for spring to arrive!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Booooooooooored

Well, not much is going on here...I've been sitting around in my pajamas looking for a job, sending resumes, playing computer games, etc. We've gotten only one donation recently. I've seen a lot of guinea pigs in the newspaper and online, but I'm still pretty much out of room. The good news is, Ryan is expected to go back to work next week (hooray!) We've been bored out of our minds here at home but he's been helping fix up a friend's house, so at least he has something to do. I'm trying to be a good housewife, doing all my cleaning and baking banana bread.
Oh, and if the person who wanted Jazz reads this, I somehow lost your e-mail address so please contact me! :)

Friday, January 28, 2011

Guinea Pig Swap

Yesterday I picked up a guinea pig in Phoenix who is a chronic biter; the last time one of the kids held him he got dropped because they were afraid he was going to bite. They were so upset to see him go that they came by tonight to pick out another guinea pig, and they chose Rex because he is so well-behaved, gentle and calm. The family really wanted a guinea pig and hated to see Bo go, but hopefully Rex will be more suited to their lifestyle, as they do like to take him out for cuddles.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Sad News :(

The two piggies I was expecting this weekend have not arrived...Lisa discovered that one of them was very sick, and despite her best efforts, he died yesterday. His brother seems to be doing well, but his diet was poor so we will wait a few days to see how he does and then, if the weather is ok, we will get him here.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Breakdown of Expenses

Here is an approximation of what we spend per week on our guinea pigs:
4 heads of Romaine @ 1.99 each=7.96
15 lb. carrots @ 2.99/5 lb. bag=8.97
3 lb. apples= about 3.00 (whatever is on sale)
3 cucumbers, ONLY if on sale=1.98
timothy hay=(depends on size of bag and where I buy it..anywhere from 6 to 9 dollars)
pine shavings, one bale per week=6.00
Blue Seal pellets, 50 lb. bag=about 9.00 per week (we buy one every other week)
This comes out to just about $42 per week, or $168 per month. I'm not sure how much we spend on laundry detergent and utilities just for the fleeces we wash. I guess the point is that we are happy to get ANY donations, no matter how small. Whenever we adopt out some guinea pigs, we almost always end up getting more, so we can always use a little help!

Donate Button...Hooray!

You may have noticed that we now have a donate button on our site, courtesy of Mary Green from CNY Piggies. Mary is a little more computer savvy than I am; I tried to do it myself and failed miserably, so I had to enlist some help! The money will go straight into PayPal. I'm going to mark our post about expenses, so everyone can see the general breakdown of what we spend on the guinea pigs. These expenses are mainly for pellets, bedding, and produce. We do take our guinea pigs to the vet whenever needed, but these expenses are few and far between. So far our most expensive single bill was about $600, when Nova was hurt and needed staples (he was only four days old). Other than that, we average $40 a week on food and bedding.
We are not an official "nonprofit" in New York, but we do NOT make any profits on adoption fees or donations. I am also still hoping to get funding so that we can provide emergency assistance to people who want to keep their piggies but can't afford to.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Adopted! Lola and Roxy

I realize I didn't post pics of these cute little texel girls; I didn't have much time, as they arrived last night and just left for their new home. They had LOTS of stuff to go with them so we know they will be well-cared for.
We also have interest in a couple other guinea pigs, so I will keep you all posted over the next few days. We also have another person who wants to surrender her male piggy; his name is Rex and he should be here by Saturday!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The Adoption Process

I've had a few people get a little confused regarding adopting from us, so in this post I'd like to explain it step by step:
1. My Gmail account is specifically for the rescue, so someone who finds me on Craigslist or Google contacts me either via my cell phone or Gmail. I then send them the application as an attachment via e-mail.
2. There are a few options as far as returning the application. You can either do it right on the computer and send it back to my e-mail (I'm not exactly sure how this is done, but a few people have done it). It can be printed out, completed and brought here, or it can be filled out here, but I do let people know they will need vet and personal references, so they can have those ready ahead of time.
3. Once the application has been reviewed, I set up a time/day to meet the adopter(s) and they can meet their guinea pigs in person. Some people aren't sure who they're interested in and want to see who's here; some people definitely have a specific guinea pig in mind. Either one is fine; I don't like to rush the adoption process and I want to make sure the new owner picks out the best match for them.
4. A few people wonder about the vet reference. All I need is the name and phone number of a vet you would take your guinea pig to IF it were sick or injured. I don't need any type of letter, etc. from the vet; I just want to know that the adopter knows who treats guinea pigs in their area, just in case.
5. In most cases, the guinea pig is adopted the day the person comes out to meet them. Some people like to think about it or discuss it with other family members, which is fine. If the application is approved, I will also hold onto a guinea pig if the new owner has to pick it up at a later date; this does NOT require any additional "boarding fee."
6. When the application is approved and the adoption fee paid, the piggy goes to its new home. Hooray! :)
7. I will follow up about a week later with either a phone call or e-mail to see how things are going. I will also take back any guinea pigs if things don't work out, HOWEVER, if the animal is sick/injured it MUST see a vet before coming back to me. I do not believe any animal should be returned to a rescue without first getting needed medical treatment, as the new owner is responsible for vet care.
Hopefully that covers everything!