Adopting Cavies

Adopting a guinea pig is a commitment for the lifetime of your pet. We have an adoption fee of £12 per single guinea pig or £20 for a pair. Please bear in mind we will only adopt single guinea pig to homes with an existing guinea pig(s). We are looking for loving homes for these guinea pigs, many of whom have come from negative situations.

Adoption Rules:

1. We do not adopt guinea pigs as gifts.
2. We do not adopt piggies as a classroom or day care pet nor as a pet for any setting with a group of children
3. We do not allow our Guinea Pigs to be used for the purposes of breeding or experimentation.
4. We only adopt Guinea Pigs in pairs, or as a friend to an existing piggy
5. The animal will receive veterinary care if needed
6. The animal will be treated humanely
7. If you have to relinquish the animal at any time, it must be returned to us. Please don't try to re-home the cavy yourself.
8. We do not adopt to children, but we do adopt to families with children, The adults in the home must want and be responsible for the guinea pigs.
9. The adopters must have appropriate supplies including a cage of a suitable size.
10. We may ask you to fill out an adoption contract supplying us with information and promising to care for the piggies and returning them to us if you can not.

Supplies Needed:

1. Cage of an appropriate size.
2. Water bottle
3. Feed bowl for dry food
4. Hay
5. Toys (can be as simple as scrunched up brown paper bags or hay filled toilet tubes)
6. Pigloo or similar hidey house
7. Bedding : Shavings or fleece
8. Vegatables

Is adoption for you?

Adoption of an animal through a rescue is not for everyone. The adoption process takes time and effort and requires a demonstration of commitment by the potential adopter.

Adoption is right for you if:

1. You want to offer a home for life to a piggy that has already been discarded once, sometimes more and may have been neglected and / or abused.
2. You want to adopt a Guinea Pig that is best suited to your home and family. Guinea Pigs have different personalities, so we do our best to find an ideal match for you and your family
3. You are committed to offering the best possible care, including, but not limited to,

• Appropriate habitats that offer enough space to maximize your piggies enjoyment
• A good quality diet, which includes Hay, Feed and Vegetables
• Veterinary Care by a vet qualified and experienced in Guinea Pig care

Adoption is not for you if:

1. You want a Guinea Pig right now. Although the adoption process can be quite quick, it may also take several days depending on when you contact us. Most adoptions are done at the weekend.
2. You want a single piggy to live by itself. All of our Guinea Pigs are adopted in pairs or as a friend for an existing piggy. Guinea Pigs are social creatures and enjoy the company of each other.
3. You want to keep a piggy in a smaller cage than recommended. Exercise is essential for a happy healthy pig.
4. You want to adopt a Guinea Pig for a young child and expect to have no or little involvement. Guinea Pigs are fragile animals and thus, young children must be supervised when holding the piggies to make sure they do not squeeze them too tightly or drop them on the ground. In addition, young children can not be expected to take full responsibility of their pets: Ensuring adequate food is supplied, a clean cage is maintained and any illness is detected early is the responsibility of a mature adult.
5. You consider Guinea Pigs to be "starter" pets. A Guinea Pig is a start and FINISH pet.

Guinea Pigs are adopted as family members and should NOT be considered less important than a cat or dog. The lifespan of a Guinea Pig is 5-7 years. Make sure you are committed to owning this pet for its lifetime.

After rehoming, and for the rest of the animals life, if you have any questions or problems, no matter how small, we will be at the end of the phone or email to help you as much as we can.

We do not "sell" animals. But we hope that when you adopt animal from us you feel able to make a donation to the rescue. We are totally reliant on donations for our funding our continuing work at Summerland Cavy Rescue.