Adopt a Guinea Pig

10 Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Guinea Pig From a Rescue

1. You’ll fight against bad breeding and piggy mills

Some guinea pig breeders try to make sure their pigs are well and have anything they could need, but, sadly, other breeders don’t put the same effort into cavy care. Guinea pig breeders who breed purely for money are often referred to as mills because they aim to produce as many guinea pigs as possible for profit.
You’ve probably heard of puppy mills, where hundreds of puppies are born in poor conditions to be sold to unsuspecting pet parents. These pet mills operate almost like a factory, producing baby animals without caring for them or their parents. When it comes to guinea pig mills, the lack of proper care often means that the piggies aren’t handled or well fed. Breeding can also come with many health complications for the mother pig, so guinea pig mills are particularly hard on the female pigs.

Of course, not all breeders are the same, and some do care about their floofers. But if you choose to rescue guinea pigs for adoption, you’re supporting the fight against these horrible practices. Instead, you’re helping those who rescue guinea pigs do their job even better.

As a word of warning, many pet shops and online sellers of guinea pigs get their pigs from bad breeders and piggy mills. Although the floofs look adorable when they’re young, we think it’s best to adopt, not shop, in the interest of piggies everywhere.

2. Guinea pig rescues provide a second chance for a forever home

Guinea pigs are small, but their hearts are so big. These tiny pigs have a lot of love to give! From popcorning to wheeking and zooming about, these fur balls are full of excitement to meet new people (especially if they have snacks), and none of them should live in a rescue center for guinea pigs for too long. The floofers belong in a cozy fur-ever home.

A lot of the time, guinea pigs end up being rehomed because inexperienced pet parents get overwhelmed by the amount of care these furry floofers need. And we get it – cavy care isn’t as easy as you may think. But that means that herds of guinea pigs are rehomed through each guinea pig rescue, just looking for piggy parents to call their own.

And other times, when a piggy has lost their friend and the cavy carers aren’t in a position to adopt another, the single pig is surrendered to a rescue center for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are a super social species, so they can’t live alone. If a guinea pig rescue gets a lone piggy in, they’ll normally bond them with another pig or herd, so they can have the companionship they need.

It’s never easy to rehome pets, but by giving them a second chance with you, you’ll make some fabulous floofers very happy!

3. Rescued guinea pigs have established bonds

Guinea pigs are social animals. They can become incredibly lonely if they don’t have at least one other friend to bond with. That’s why any rescue center for guinea pigs or any other reputable establishment will never adopt out one rescued guinea pig, unless it’s to bond them with an existing piggy. 

When it comes to making friends, guinea pigs are just like us and have their own preferences when choosing their companions. Sometimes, pairings can become tricky to get right or can break down over time. If you’re new to guinea pigs or find the bonding process particularly stressful, a guinea pig rescue may be a great option for you as many of the guinea pigs available are already in existing pairings with established bonds. And if you’re after rescue guinea pigs for adoption to add to your existing herd, many rescue centers for guinea pigs can help you introduce the floofers. Let’s find out more about that!

4. Guinea pig rescues often offer matchmaking services

Do you currently have a solo guinea pig in need of a new friend? There are many situations that leave a single pig searching for new rescued guinea pigs to live with. Perhaps you’ve got a piggy that is finding it difficult to bond with another or has sadly become lonely due to the passing of their friend. In any situation, it’s important to try to find another guinea pig for them to pair up with, so you can stop them getting lonely.

Guinea pig rescues often offer matchmaking services, and they’ll help find the perfect match for your furried singleton. Trained guinea pig rescue staff arrange one-on-one introductions with your solo piggy, so they can assess whether the pairing is likely to work out and will allow you to keep trying until a perfect match is found. It’s the perfect situation for you, your pig, and the rescued guinea pigs!

5. Adoptions free up more space for new rescued guinea pigs

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there are over 6 million animals that are received in shelters each year. This is a staggering statistic, as so many pets are rescued or surrendered every day in the United States, let alone the rest of the world. Rescue centers for guinea pigs and other pets often reach full capacity due to the immense need for their services. 

When choosing a place to find your guinea pigs, consider taking a look at rescues first. You will not only help guinea pigs find their forever home but your adoption will also open up more space at the facility to allow other pets to have a chance at finding their forever home too.

6. Rescue centers for guinea pigs help with sexing

In some cases, new pet owners have discovered that either one or both of their guinea pigs have become pregnant, shortly after bringing them home. Despite being told that they were bringing home guinea pigs of the same sex, wrong identification by inexperienced pet shop staff can result in unplanned pregnancies.

As cute as the prospect of baby guinea pigs sounds, pregnant and nursing sows require a lot of care and support to ensure both mom and babies are healthy. Not something many new pet owners are equipped to handle! And they often require extra vet care, too.

Guinea pig rescues have trained volunteers and staff that are experienced with sexing guinea pigs. This will help ensure you do not have any unexpected surprises when bringing your rescued guinea pigs home.

7. You’ll have better insight into your piggy’s health history

At non-rescue facilities, animal care can vary in its thoroughness, so it’s difficult to tell whether the guinea pigs are healthy or well cared for.

When surrendered to a guinea pig rescue, the floofs get health checks through experienced cavy-savvy vets to ensure piggies receive a clean bill of health before becoming available for adoptions. In the case where a condition is found, the rescue for guinea pigs will ensure that prospective pet owners are well aware to ensure that they’re the right fit to meet the guinea pig’s care needs.

In the case of guinea pigs arriving in poor health, like malnourishment in situations of neglect, guinea pig rescue staff work alongside vets to help guinea pigs recover back to their normal, healthy selves before the rescue guinea pigs are up for adoption.

8. Adoption fees directly support other rescued guinea pigs

Many guinea pig rescues are registered charities which are solely run by volunteers with no monetary gain. This means that these facilities are not made for profit but with the sole purpose of helping animals in need. So, when adopting your guinea pig from a rescue center, your guinea pig’s adoption fees are put to good use. The facilities use these fees to go directly back into the rescue to pay for running costs to support the other animals waiting to be adopted out. This includes food, cleaning products, gas for vehicles used to transport animals, vet care, and much more!

9. Adoption cuts down on overpopulation

Breeders who raise guinea pigs out of passion and love for these small pets will often do so in a responsible way. These individuals will take the appropriate precautions to ensure all pets are in good health and well cared for.

Sadly, some individuals or larger operations breed guinea pigs or other small pets solely for profit and compromise on the animals’ welfare. These types of facilities are commonly referred to as guinea pig farms or mills, where piggies are kept in crowded cages, fed poor diets, or can be isolated in small cages resulting in poorly socialized piggies.

When you adopt rescued guinea pigs from a rescue center for guinea pigs near you, you’re not supporting guinea pig farms, but making a conscious decision to favor facilities with strong values for proper animal care. And you’re also taking a stance against the overpopulation of guinea pigs because the money you invest in your rescue guinea pigs helps a great cause instead of lining a guinea pig mill’s pockets.

10. Guinea pig rescues provide ongoing advice

Welcoming rescued guinea pigs into your home is exciting but can also become overwhelming if you haven’t owned them in the past. There are a lot of aspects of their care to consider. To help guide you on your pet owner journey, rescues are often very supportive in providing tips and advice post-adoption. This can be in the form of vet recommendations, instructions on how to trim nails, education on skin care or diet, and so much more. Your guinea pig rescue’s support never ends!