Cheshire Guinea Pig Rescue

Our adoption Policy 2023:

1: Rehoming

If you live in a rented property please check with your landlord you can have Guinea Pigs in your home. We rehome Guinea Pigs to SMOKE FREE homes. However we allow both indoor and outdoor homes. Guinea pigs make wonderful family pets however we recommend any interaction with children younger than 8 is supervised. Homes with young children are encouraged to apply. We ourselves have 5 young children so our piggies are well used to seeing/being handled by young children. We will only rehome single Guinea Pigs to live with an existing companion to ensure they don't get lonely unless this is in the pigs best interest. So be prepared to adopt a pair. Adoption donation of £30 per Guinea Pig is compulsory. We match our Guinea Pigs with your circumstances - A set up check will be carried out via a date proofed photo. All our guinea pigs are re-homed on the basis that they are not to be used for breeding.We cannot guarantee the age of sows, so it is important sows are not bred from. Birth problems can occur in sows that have not had a litter before the age of 12 months. Most of our rescue guinea pigs boars and sows have already had a difficult time and just want a peaceful loving home free from extra stress. All Adoptions are considered on an individual basis.

2: Existing pets:
Think carefully how your exisiting pets will accept new family members, this mainly refers to Dogs and cats. Dogs are a huge part of a family, and some breeds can instinctively be interested in rodents !! So its worth taking into consideration how your beloved pooch will welcome Guinea Pigs into your home. We have added this reminder to our policy as sadly Guinea Pigs were recently returned due to a pet dog becoming very stressed and not leaving them alone. We recommend all owners never leave their Guinea Pigs unsupervised around other animals and use a fully enclosed run in their garden.

3. Health

A full health check and mite check is carried out when every the guinea pig is admitted to the rescue. However, we cannot guarantee this and therefore we recommend a preventative 3 monthly dose of ivermectin. Bonding: Owners who have experience of guinea pig care have the choice to carry out this out themselves at home and before introducing a guinea pig to an existing Guinea Pig.The wellbeing of a depressed guinea pig is paramount and the benefits of exclusion have to be weighed up. Guinea pigs can be placed near to one another so at least they can share conversation and smells. This is occasionally done with neutered boars.

4: Hutches/Cages

Outdoor / winter definition :
Hutch outside during summer months, moving to a Garage / Shed from October to March - with lighting during the winter months. Area not used for car storage. Indoor definition : Inside your home / conservatory. Outdoor/Winter:
Minimum requirements
Secure garden with run available/fox proof mesh
Garage/Shed - with lighting and heat as required. Area not used for car storage

5ft x 2ft length hutch - minimum for 2 Guinea Pigs, this size gives plenty of room for toys and tunnels. A double hutch is a great choice for a trio of Guinea Pigs
Outdoor secure covered run minimum 5ft x 2ft
Waterproof and windproof cover. We recommend the Chartwell 5ft hutch double or single, its very well made and meets the requirement
5ft x 3ft run

Indoor: Minimum requirements for 2/3 Guinea Pigs. A minimum 140cm length Guinea Pig cage. 160cm is preferred and will make your piggies happier. C & C grid set up - 4 grid x 2 grid minimum (loft space optional)

5: Diet
Adoptees agree to ensure the guinea pig is fed fresh meadow hay, a varied fresh low calcium diet and dried nuggets with added vitamin C . The rescue advises a low calcium diet to help avoid bladder problems. Science selective grain free nugget or burgess excell are our prefered products. Good examples are:
Burgess excell / Mr Johnsons Guinea Pig Advanced / Science selective and Science selective grain free / Harringtons
Hay and fresh water MUST be available at all times.