Losing a pet, no matter what circumstance is always a difficult thing. There are some situations however, that go beyond heartbreak. This is the plight of our very dear friend Marsha. Marsha and her family narrowly escaped death when a tornado demolished their home in Alabama this past week. Marsha has been a life-long animal lover and took particular pride and care of her beloved guinea pigs, rats and hammies. She loved to sew blankets, tunnels and beds for her animals and also took orders and sewed these items for others too. All her pet cozies were of the finest quality.
http://www.cozycavy.com/
Marsha, her husband, two children and their pet dog managed to live through the devastation, although her daughter and dog were injured and required medical care. At present, we do not know the plight of the little furries, but the outlook is not good.
The hearts of all of us here at the former Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue go out to Marsha and her family and we want them to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers. At present, this family has lost everything.
If you and your friends want to help a fellow guinea pig lover, there is a site set up to accept donations that will go directly to the family for whatever their immediate needs may be. You can find it here:
http://sponsoraguineapig.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-month-of-may.html
Please consider a donation. Even a small one will add up and be so appreciated.
Update:
Marsha’s daughter is off oxygen and is doing well and slated to be released from the hospital. Also, Marsha and her husband have been able to go back into their neighborhood and they have found all but one of the guinea pigs and 6 of their pet rats. Unfortunately, only 4 of the guinea pigs and 4 of the rats were survivors. We are saddened to hear of the ones that did not make it, but thrilled to hear of the ones that did. They are truly little miracles.
Apr 29, 2011
Feb 28, 2010
Adoption Tips
Hello from the PigPen in Janesville!
We still have rescue pigs awaiting new homes (watch petfinder for postings of their "mugshots"), but we also want to bring to your attention all the pigs that are still awaiting homes in your local shelters and humane societies. We encourage people to consider adopting these lovely guinea pigs straight from the shelter.
Shelters and humane societies are being severely hurt by the economy right now. Donations are down, but animal surrenders are up. Many shelters do not have the funds to house and care for the smaller animals and exotics for a lengthy period of time. Be aware that they often do not post the smaller animals on petfinder along with cats and dogs, but it doesn't mean they have no guinea pigs (or rats or hamsters or gerbils) available for adoption. Ninety nine percent of the guinea pigs that come through the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue are pulled from Wisconsin shelters when their "time is up" and most of them are young pigs that are a year old or younger.
Here are a few tips and ideas if you are considering adopting from your local shelter:
-Do your research and have your cage and supplies all ready before you bring your new pig/pigs home. Remember that petstore cages are way too small for these animals to live in, so consider a C&C cage like the ones at http://guineapigcages.com/ .
-Call your local shelters and humane societies frequently to find out if they have guinea pigs available and have them take your name and contact information down so they can call you if pigs become available.
-Oftentimes you need to visit frequently in person to let shelters know that you are looking for pet guinea pigs.
-Read through the sexing guides on the GuineaLynx Health Care Guide (http://www.guinealynx.info) so you can double check the sexes of available guinea pigs at the shelter (mistakes can happen!). If you are not sure about the sex of an animal, see if you can take the animal to a vet prior to finalizing the adoption.
-If you are looking for a friend for a pig that you already have, do take the precaution to quarantine any new animals in a separate room from your present pets for 3 weeks. It's not a bad idea to take the new pig for a visit to a cavy savvy vet during that quarantine period to rule out any illnesses or the presence of mites or lice. Also have the vet doublecheck the pig's gender. An accidental pairing of a male and female puts the female at serious risk(complications, often resulting in death, are quite common with guinea pig pregnancy and birth).
-Often guinea pigs have been eating an inferior brand of pellets and have not been given hay or fresh daily vegetables when they are surrendered to a shelter. Do provide unlimited hay (SO important to healthy digestion and healthy teeth!) and immediately switch to a decent pressed pellet (like Oxbow brand Cavy Cuisine) which contains no seeds, nuts or bits. Also start immediately to introduce fresh vegetables, but keep in mind it may take the guinea pig time to get used to them if they have not been eating them (sometimes they are even a little scared of a piece of lettuce at first).
-The best way to monitor the health of your new guinea pig is to use a digital scale to weigh the pig weekly. A pig adopted from a shelter will often show an initial weight jump (anxiety from being in a shelter environment can affect appetite) and then it is quite normal to see a gradual weight gain thereafter (from typical growth).
-It's scary for a guinea pig to be in a shelter environment and it will take a few weeks or even up to a month for a guinea pig to start to relax and get used to your home. Be patient. Remember that a guinea pig may not have had a lot of handling before it was surrendered to the shelter so it may take time before it feels comfortable being picked up and held. Of course, young children should never be allowed to catch and hold a guinea pig and that is even more so the case with a pig that is not used to being handled.
-Giving a shelter pig a new home is just as rewarding as providing a home for one of our pigs in rescue (99% of our rescue pigs were pulled from shelters just like yours) and we hope you will not hesitate to look into the option if you are wanting to add a pair of these lovely animals to your family.
-Volunteers from the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue are more than willing to answer questions you have about pigs you have adopted from the local shelter. Don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail.
Charlene
We still have rescue pigs awaiting new homes (watch petfinder for postings of their "mugshots"), but we also want to bring to your attention all the pigs that are still awaiting homes in your local shelters and humane societies. We encourage people to consider adopting these lovely guinea pigs straight from the shelter.
Shelters and humane societies are being severely hurt by the economy right now. Donations are down, but animal surrenders are up. Many shelters do not have the funds to house and care for the smaller animals and exotics for a lengthy period of time. Be aware that they often do not post the smaller animals on petfinder along with cats and dogs, but it doesn't mean they have no guinea pigs (or rats or hamsters or gerbils) available for adoption. Ninety nine percent of the guinea pigs that come through the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue are pulled from Wisconsin shelters when their "time is up" and most of them are young pigs that are a year old or younger.
Here are a few tips and ideas if you are considering adopting from your local shelter:
-Do your research and have your cage and supplies all ready before you bring your new pig/pigs home. Remember that petstore cages are way too small for these animals to live in, so consider a C&C cage like the ones at http://guineapigcages.com/ .
-Call your local shelters and humane societies frequently to find out if they have guinea pigs available and have them take your name and contact information down so they can call you if pigs become available.
-Oftentimes you need to visit frequently in person to let shelters know that you are looking for pet guinea pigs.
-Read through the sexing guides on the GuineaLynx Health Care Guide (http://www.guinealynx.info) so you can double check the sexes of available guinea pigs at the shelter (mistakes can happen!). If you are not sure about the sex of an animal, see if you can take the animal to a vet prior to finalizing the adoption.
-If you are looking for a friend for a pig that you already have, do take the precaution to quarantine any new animals in a separate room from your present pets for 3 weeks. It's not a bad idea to take the new pig for a visit to a cavy savvy vet during that quarantine period to rule out any illnesses or the presence of mites or lice. Also have the vet doublecheck the pig's gender. An accidental pairing of a male and female puts the female at serious risk(complications, often resulting in death, are quite common with guinea pig pregnancy and birth).
-Often guinea pigs have been eating an inferior brand of pellets and have not been given hay or fresh daily vegetables when they are surrendered to a shelter. Do provide unlimited hay (SO important to healthy digestion and healthy teeth!) and immediately switch to a decent pressed pellet (like Oxbow brand Cavy Cuisine) which contains no seeds, nuts or bits. Also start immediately to introduce fresh vegetables, but keep in mind it may take the guinea pig time to get used to them if they have not been eating them (sometimes they are even a little scared of a piece of lettuce at first).
-The best way to monitor the health of your new guinea pig is to use a digital scale to weigh the pig weekly. A pig adopted from a shelter will often show an initial weight jump (anxiety from being in a shelter environment can affect appetite) and then it is quite normal to see a gradual weight gain thereafter (from typical growth).
-It's scary for a guinea pig to be in a shelter environment and it will take a few weeks or even up to a month for a guinea pig to start to relax and get used to your home. Be patient. Remember that a guinea pig may not have had a lot of handling before it was surrendered to the shelter so it may take time before it feels comfortable being picked up and held. Of course, young children should never be allowed to catch and hold a guinea pig and that is even more so the case with a pig that is not used to being handled.
-Giving a shelter pig a new home is just as rewarding as providing a home for one of our pigs in rescue (99% of our rescue pigs were pulled from shelters just like yours) and we hope you will not hesitate to look into the option if you are wanting to add a pair of these lovely animals to your family.
-Volunteers from the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue are more than willing to answer questions you have about pigs you have adopted from the local shelter. Don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail.
Charlene
Jan 13, 2010
Recent Adoptions: Oleta, Otis, and Madeline!
MadelineOleta went to her new home to be friends with Sassy. Sassy recently lost her long time buddy and was lonely. But now she has a new buddy in little Oleta! Oleta and Sassy will be living in Middleton with Linda. Yay, Oleta, Sassy, and Linda!
A big HOORAH for our little Otis who was adopted this month to be a friend for his new buddy Popcorn! Otis was doing a lot of "popcorns" when he met Popcorn. Otis and his new friend will be living with Christina in Rockford. Thank you, Christina!
We are so thrilled that Madeline went home this past weekend. Madeline was born in rescue 2 years ago and had been adopted with her mother Gizelle when Madeline was 4 weeks of age. Sadly, Madeline was returned to the rescue last month after Gizelle passed away and we were preparing to post her story on petfinder to start looking for a new home for her. We knew she was terribly lonely. But no more! We got an e-mail from Leah, who was a former adopter. Her pig Jiffy and recently lost her lifelong partner and she also was terribly alone. So it was a wonderful match between two beautiful lonely pigs. How wonderful, Jiffy, Madeline and Leah! Jiffy and Madeline will be living with Leah in Grafton.
Charlene
Dec 23, 2009
Dec 14, 2009
Recent Adoptions: Perlie and Bonzai
A big HOORAH for our little girl Perlie who went home with her new friend Bonzai and new family Anne and Patrick of Middleton. Bonzai is a neutered male that lost his long time cagemate, so he was looking for a friend to chase away the lonelies. We are so glad we could make him happy and find Anne and Patrick a new guinea pig to pamper and spoil. Here 's a picture taken by Patrick of Bonzai and Perlie getting to know each other. Don't they make a lovely twosome?
Dec 5, 2009
December Pigs of the Month: The Marshmallow Boys
Magoo
Gilbert
Who are these adorable boys? Why it's Gilbert and his buddy Magoo! This lovely pair might not have flashy colors, but they more than make up for it in personality. They both have a twinkle of mischief in their eyes. Gilbert is the vocal one and his lyrical voice can be heard over all the other pigs, especially when it's veggie time. Magoo is quieter, but he just knows he is something special with his crazy cute hairdo. These boys are friendly, curious and funny and will make great pets. Are they the pigs for YOUR household? Gilbert and Magoo are just one of the lovely pairs of pigs that up for adoption through the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue. If you are not in the position to provide a home, consider helping to sponsor these lovely boys while they await their new family. Even a $5 donation will help us continue to provide hay, pellets and fresh vegetables to our rescue pigs.Check them out on Petfinder!
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14820699
Recent Adoptions: More happy tails!
Congratulations to Merlin and Padraic (renamed "Galahad"...how CUTE!), who went home to Rhinelander this weekend. Their new family had a 2 grid by 5 grid cage all ready for them (and lots of veggies!). So lots of space to run and tons to eat. What more could a pig ask for?
Merlin
Merlin getting cleaned up for his new home
Galahad's baby picture (he's grown up a lot since then!)
Also, Crockett and Ike went to live in Stoughton with Lori and her family. Way to go, Crockett and Ike!
Crockett
Merlin
Merlin getting cleaned up for his new home
Galahad's baby picture (he's grown up a lot since then!)Also, Crockett and Ike went to live in Stoughton with Lori and her family. Way to go, Crockett and Ike!
CrockettP.S. Guinea pigs don't actually have tails.
Nov 5, 2009
Thank You to Our Friends!
Hello everyone! Sometimes we are so blown away by the generosity of our supporters here at Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue, that we just feel the need to thank some of them in person.
We offer a round of applause to one special young lady in Neenah. For her recent birthday, Carly decided to ask her birthday guests to bring donations for our rescue instead of bringing birthday presents...and she sent us a check for $115. How wonderful is that?!! Thank you so much, Carly!
We also need to extend a warm thank you to Katie in Appleton. Katie provided one of our pregnant momma pigs with a temporary foster home so the little momma could get lots of attention and care during her pregnancy and delivery. SO helpful, Katie! We are so appreciative and momma piggy Indra and baby Ike also thank you!
We just HAVE to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sally in Madison who supplied our rescue with a large assortment of much needed towels to be used in our cages. Thanks to you, Sally, our rescue pigs will be comfortable, clean and cozy while they stay here with us awaiting their new homes.
No, we are not done yet. Our friend Jane also sent us a most generous donation through our paypal account. How can we express our appreciation, Jane? Oh my goodness...thank you!
Ha! Susan, you're not getting off without a heartfelt thank you either! Susan brought us hay, pellets and some wonderful hidey houses and play tunnels for our rescue pigs. You should just SEE the little pig smiles on the faces of our little rescue piggies!
It is ALL of you wonderful folks that have made our rescue work possible. As you know, our rescue is only here because of your generous donations. We can't do it alone and we are so grateful for the help and support. You are all very special to us and our rescue fuzzballs.
All of us at the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue
We offer a round of applause to one special young lady in Neenah. For her recent birthday, Carly decided to ask her birthday guests to bring donations for our rescue instead of bringing birthday presents...and she sent us a check for $115. How wonderful is that?!! Thank you so much, Carly!
We also need to extend a warm thank you to Katie in Appleton. Katie provided one of our pregnant momma pigs with a temporary foster home so the little momma could get lots of attention and care during her pregnancy and delivery. SO helpful, Katie! We are so appreciative and momma piggy Indra and baby Ike also thank you!
We just HAVE to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sally in Madison who supplied our rescue with a large assortment of much needed towels to be used in our cages. Thanks to you, Sally, our rescue pigs will be comfortable, clean and cozy while they stay here with us awaiting their new homes.
No, we are not done yet. Our friend Jane also sent us a most generous donation through our paypal account. How can we express our appreciation, Jane? Oh my goodness...thank you!
Ha! Susan, you're not getting off without a heartfelt thank you either! Susan brought us hay, pellets and some wonderful hidey houses and play tunnels for our rescue pigs. You should just SEE the little pig smiles on the faces of our little rescue piggies!
It is ALL of you wonderful folks that have made our rescue work possible. As you know, our rescue is only here because of your generous donations. We can't do it alone and we are so grateful for the help and support. You are all very special to us and our rescue fuzzballs.
All of us at the Wisconsin Guinea Pig Rescue
Shelter News
Recent Adoptions: Godiva, Moxie, Vivi, Oona and Olivia!
Congratulation to Godiva (now named Blossum!), Moxie (Pansy) and Vivi who all went home with Amy and Luciana in Janesville.
Vivi was adopted to live with Amy and Luciana's beautiful neutered boar, while Blossum and Pansy have their own large cage to zoom around in. If that wasn't enough, Amy and Luciana also fell in love with our mother/daughter pair, Oona and Olivia and they also went to their new home in Janesville. We know that all these pigs will be pampered and spoiled. Congratulations to all!
Congratulation to Godiva (now named Blossum!), Moxie (Pansy) and Vivi who all went home with Amy and Luciana in Janesville.
Vivi was adopted to live with Amy and Luciana's beautiful neutered boar, while Blossum and Pansy have their own large cage to zoom around in. If that wasn't enough, Amy and Luciana also fell in love with our mother/daughter pair, Oona and Olivia and they also went to their new home in Janesville. We know that all these pigs will be pampered and spoiled. Congratulations to all!
Oct 8, 2009
Standing Room Only!
A big HELLO from the Janesville PigPen! Are we going nuts here?
Why, yes. Yes, we are (grin!). The 13 pigs that recently came here have blossomed...into 21! And there will be more. Three of the 7 sows in this group were confirmed pregnant on intake. Two weeks ago, the lovely little Oona and the equally beautiful little Paloma gave birth on the same night to 9 little pups. Oona had 6 babies (sadly one was stillborn) and Paloma had 3. Initially, Oona and Paloma shared a cage and both took care of all the pups. When Oona needed medical treatment for a hormonal issue, we separated the two families equally to give everyone a chance to thrive. So Oona kept four of her babies and Paloma happily took to raising her own three and one of Oona's. So in one night, we welcomed the brand new Oliver, Olivia, Otis, Oleta, Oscar, Panya, Perlie and Padraic. Okay, okay....Quiz time: What babies belong to which mother? You KNOW you can figure it out!
So what of the other new piggies that came to us to find new homes? Well, remember I said that there will be MORE piggies? Yup! Indra is ready to pop with her pups any second now. And the very beautiful red abby sow, Jezabel has just been confirmed pregnant. So far ("knock on wood") Tallulah, Hepzibah and Yasmine show no signs of pregnancy. These three beauties share a cage. Talluhah and Yasmine are both tan and white Americans, but Hepzibah is a drop-dead gorgeous tan Abby and, Hoo Boy, she's got an A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E, that one!. Maybe I shouldn't have named her after a mythological goddess.
But what of the 6 boars that we took in? I can't help myself, I already have favorites. Merlin, an adult chocolate and tan American, is a big, squooshy lovebug. What else can I say? And Henry is just plain sweet. He's a pale red and white boy with lovely pink eyes, but such a NICE little boy. I just want to hug him. Crockett is the prettiest young abby boar that we've had here in a long time...so many different SHADES of tan on one pig. Shadrach has pretty tans on him too and another really nice, nice little pig.
Warning: Do not read any further if you have an uncontrollable sweet tooth!!! I MEAN it! I'm WARNING you! I just love, love, love the MARSHMALLOW BOYS!! One is smooth and white and one is FLUFFY and white. Does it get any better than this? I'm talking about Gilbert (be still my heart!) and Magoo. Gilbert is an American and Magoo is a fluffy, fluffy, fluffy (did I mention "fluffy"?) Abbyruvian. How cool is that? Someone is going to be SO lucky to adopt these two special boys.
Okay, I'll admit it. I just totally love them all. How can you have a favorite when they are all so wonderful?
So we have quite a few pigs here in the rescue and you will be able to see some of them up on Petfinder within the next few days (so don't change that channel!). Here are some pictures of our new little babies, but DO NOT blame me if you swoon from the cuteness.
If anyone lives in the Madison/Milwaukee/Janesville area and wants to donate food or bedding to go toward caring for all these beautiful little fluffballs, send us an e-mail and we will see what we can work out for pick up. The babies and moms are eating Oxbow brand Cavy Performance pellets and lots of timothy hay (and daily fresh veggies). The other pigs are eating Oxbow brand Cavy Cuisine (and hay and veggies). As to bedding, we can still use gently used towels or aspen shavings and Carefresh brand paper bedding.
All of you have a great day and give your pigs a hug from us!
Hey I was eating that!
Why, yes. Yes, we are (grin!). The 13 pigs that recently came here have blossomed...into 21! And there will be more. Three of the 7 sows in this group were confirmed pregnant on intake. Two weeks ago, the lovely little Oona and the equally beautiful little Paloma gave birth on the same night to 9 little pups. Oona had 6 babies (sadly one was stillborn) and Paloma had 3. Initially, Oona and Paloma shared a cage and both took care of all the pups. When Oona needed medical treatment for a hormonal issue, we separated the two families equally to give everyone a chance to thrive. So Oona kept four of her babies and Paloma happily took to raising her own three and one of Oona's. So in one night, we welcomed the brand new Oliver, Olivia, Otis, Oleta, Oscar, Panya, Perlie and Padraic. Okay, okay....Quiz time: What babies belong to which mother? You KNOW you can figure it out!
So what of the other new piggies that came to us to find new homes? Well, remember I said that there will be MORE piggies? Yup! Indra is ready to pop with her pups any second now. And the very beautiful red abby sow, Jezabel has just been confirmed pregnant. So far ("knock on wood") Tallulah, Hepzibah and Yasmine show no signs of pregnancy. These three beauties share a cage. Talluhah and Yasmine are both tan and white Americans, but Hepzibah is a drop-dead gorgeous tan Abby and, Hoo Boy, she's got an A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E, that one!. Maybe I shouldn't have named her after a mythological goddess.
But what of the 6 boars that we took in? I can't help myself, I already have favorites. Merlin, an adult chocolate and tan American, is a big, squooshy lovebug. What else can I say? And Henry is just plain sweet. He's a pale red and white boy with lovely pink eyes, but such a NICE little boy. I just want to hug him. Crockett is the prettiest young abby boar that we've had here in a long time...so many different SHADES of tan on one pig. Shadrach has pretty tans on him too and another really nice, nice little pig.
Warning: Do not read any further if you have an uncontrollable sweet tooth!!! I MEAN it! I'm WARNING you! I just love, love, love the MARSHMALLOW BOYS!! One is smooth and white and one is FLUFFY and white. Does it get any better than this? I'm talking about Gilbert (be still my heart!) and Magoo. Gilbert is an American and Magoo is a fluffy, fluffy, fluffy (did I mention "fluffy"?) Abbyruvian. How cool is that? Someone is going to be SO lucky to adopt these two special boys.
Okay, I'll admit it. I just totally love them all. How can you have a favorite when they are all so wonderful?
So we have quite a few pigs here in the rescue and you will be able to see some of them up on Petfinder within the next few days (so don't change that channel!). Here are some pictures of our new little babies, but DO NOT blame me if you swoon from the cuteness.
If anyone lives in the Madison/Milwaukee/Janesville area and wants to donate food or bedding to go toward caring for all these beautiful little fluffballs, send us an e-mail and we will see what we can work out for pick up. The babies and moms are eating Oxbow brand Cavy Performance pellets and lots of timothy hay (and daily fresh veggies). The other pigs are eating Oxbow brand Cavy Cuisine (and hay and veggies). As to bedding, we can still use gently used towels or aspen shavings and Carefresh brand paper bedding.
All of you have a great day and give your pigs a hug from us!
Hey I was eating that!
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