When looking for a pet guinea pig, you may consider adopting one from a rescue shelter. Before you rescue a guinea pig, however, you should make sure these pets are right for your lifestyle. You can then look for local guinea pig, or cavy, shelters in your area, and review their requirements. After you have contacted a shelter, you may need to fill out an application, sign a contract, and pay a small fee.
If you want to rescue a guinea pig, you must learn to care of these exotic pets. These animals need loving care and attention. For example, it is important that they have fresh food and clean water every day. You guinea pig also will need a cage, which should be cleaned and replenished with fresh bedding about every week.
Like any pet, they also enjoy attention and playmates. This means you may need to get more than one guinea pig, or you need to spend at least a few hours a day with your pet. If you are not sure that you will have the money or time to properly care for a guinea pig, perhaps you should look into other types of pets.
The next step when you are looking to rescue a guinea pig is to locate a local rescue shelter. These can often be found through the yellow pages or online. Reputable breeders may also know of guinea pig rescue shelters in the area.
Individuals looking to rescue a guinea pig are often encouraged to visit one or two shelters before deciding. During this visit, the volunteers in these shelters can educate you even more about what's involved in owning a guinea pig. You will also learn about shelters' policies and requirements.
Some guinea pig rescue shelters have very strict requirements before individuals rescue a guinea pig. For example, many of these shelters will not allow an animal to be adopted if it is to be a child's pet. These shelters want the best care for these pets, and many believe that a child is not capable of providing this type of care. Many shelters also require that individuals have a large cage to house the pet before they rescue a guinea pig.
Guinea pig cages should be rather large. Many experts recommend at least 7 square feet (0.65 square meters) for one of these animals, and at least 10 square feet (0.93 square meters) for two. Wire-bottom cages should also be avoided. The rescue shelter may also offer cages for sale, or at least tips on what to look for when buying a cage.
The cage should be prepared with fresh bedding on the bottom. Some types of bedding are typically considered to be more acceptable than others. For example, recycled wood pulp bedding is often recommended. Water bottles, food dishes, and guinea pig toys should also be included in the cage.
After you fill out an application for adoption, you will usually be allowed to choose which guinea pig you want to rescue. Before you can take him home, however, you will usually need to sign a contract. You must usually agree to certain provisions, including regular cage cleaning and regular veterinary check-ups.
When the contract is signed, a small fee is usually required before taking your new pet home. The fees usually help pay some of the costs of running the shelters