Guinea Pig Home

jennifer75061 · 08-09-2007, 08:48 AM

i was just wondering if guinea pig shows are frowned on? i have watched shows were ferrets owners compete by bringing their ferrets in for a show and tell but what about piggies? has anyone ever been to a piggy show and are there any at all?

VoodooJoint · 08-09-2007, 09:32 AM

Showing is frowned on for many reasons.

-Showing and breeding go hand in hand.
-Show breeders breed for perfect markings and hair NOT for health. They are responsible for most of the heath problems GPs have.
-Showing is stressful on GPs. They are prey animals and do not like a lot of noise and stress.
-Disease and parasites are often transmitted at shows. I have even heard of GPs getting pregnant at shows due to mishandling. There also seems to be a "plague" in the UK show circuit right now responsible for the deaths of many GPs

The list goes on and on. There is not one redeeming thing about GP shows.

jennifer75061 · 08-09-2007, 09:36 AM

wow. i wonder if the owners who take their piggies to these shows are aware of the dangers? just curious..

VoodooJoint · 08-09-2007, 12:33 PM

They are aware. They just don't care. or them it's all about the "fun" and winning a few cheap ribbons. To get those ribbons they breed hoards of GPs trying to get that *one* show-winner. The rest are culled by selling to petshops, outright killing, dumping at shelters or (their favorite) selling them at shows.

How can they be even close to responsible or caring when they take their rejects to shows to sell to anyone with money to buy? (including petshop buyers in backroom deals) They are knowingly taking unaltered animals they deemed as unshowable and unbreedable and selling them at a place overrun by breeders (including children). They know that most of the animals they sell will be bred but they don't care. However they are very quick to tell you all about how they bred for health, treat their animals well and care about them. It's all lies.

Many of the breeder cage setups are small, dark, and horrible. They usually get substandard care and food because it's cheaper and they do not give an ounce of thought to animals they sell off or dump.

WHEEK · 08-09-2007, 02:21 PM

I haven't been to a gp show, but I did see a dozen or so entered by 4Hers at the county fair recently. What struck me was that these piggies were in small wire cages all day long, with no hidey of any kind, because they were on display. It was hot in there, because of course the barns aren't air conditioned. I assume they stayed there overnight, and were there for the 4 days of the fair. I do know that the same ones that I saw there Thursday morning were still there Saturday night. (Yes, we went twice--two small kids.) Sad! And consider that for the big gp shows, travel is involved. Piggies hate traveling.

Want another sad story? It's a little off track, it's about the pet trade rather than the show animal circuit. We went to an exotics show earlier this year (wish we hadn't.) Llamas, parrots, fancy rats, rabbits, etc on one side of the building. Also one very much loved 5 year old guinea pig. On the other side of the building, it was reptile land. There were stacks of tupperware-type containers, you know the kind you buy potato salad in at a deli? Each contained a coiled up snake, lizard, gecko, or frog. That was shocking enough, and I already had been wishing we hadn't come. I started thinking that right after I'd walked about 30 feet into the building and saw the miniscule cages they were selling for small animals.

But here's the really sad part: One booth had baby alligators, in large deli containers. As I walked by that booth, I heard loud, unmistakable wheeking. There in a rubbermaid tub were 15 guinea pigs. Just under the table with all the alligators.

Yes, I did imagine swiping the whole tub and making for the exit... and seeing myself on the news that night (do they let you see TV in jail?) "Local mom absconds with tub of feeder rodents, leaving bewildered husband and kids behind in the dust," or paying the $15 pet fee times 15 piggies, and then housing them where? And doing what with the 7 or so females that were probably pregnant, probably too young to have litters without dying, or if they did, how to find homes for all of those 15 or 20 babies, who were the product of brother-sister breeding. Wouldn't the sellers be happy to get my money for all 15, and wouldn't the original breeder be happy when the seller put in an order for 15 more to replace the ones I "saved?" Not to mention, my husband would probably think I'd gone insane, and take the kids out of my care.)

papiggieluverz · 08-09-2007, 02:22 PM

How horrible, just for a few cheap ribbons, It's such a shame there are people out there like that.

jennifer75061 · 08-10-2007, 06:40 AM

oh that's so sad about all the animals but the piggies in the container! i cant even imagine doing that to those poor animals they are already very catious when dealing with people and that happens? how sad. just some things in this world that i wish i didnt see and i'm glad i didnt see that it would of broken my heart. i'm sure if you had the money you would of taken all those guinea's and taken care of them the right way but i'm sure there are 1,000's of guinea's in the same situation how sad people dont realize piggies are such precious and sweet animals. not to mention your right that's just money in the breeder's pocket! starts a cycle.

daisymaisy2 · 08-10-2007, 07:26 AM

(Want another sad story? It's a little off track, it's about the pet trade rather than the show animal circuit. ))

Aww! I know I would have been thinking the same thing. My husband would of had to pull me out of there to keep from scooping them all up. I will be sure to stay away from events like that.

kathyjacks · 08-12-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WHEEK

I haven't been to a gp show, but I did see a dozen or so entered by 4Hers at the county fair recently. What struck me was that these piggies were in small wire cages all day long, with no hidey of any kind, because they were on display. It was hot in there, because of course the barns aren't air conditioned. I assume they stayed there overnight, and were there for the 4 days of the fair. I do know that the same ones that I saw there Thursday morning were still there Saturday night. (Yes, we went twice--two small kids.) Sad! And consider that for the big gp shows, travel is involved. Piggies hate traveling.

Want another sad story? It's a little off track, it's about the pet trade rather than the show animal circuit. We went to an exotics show earlier this year (wish we hadn't.) Llamas, parrots, fancy rats, rabbits, etc on one side of the building. Also one very much loved 5 year old guinea pig. On the other side of the building, it was reptile land. There were stacks of tupperware-type containers, you know the kind you buy potato salad in at a deli? Each contained a coiled up snake, lizard, gecko, or frog. That was shocking enough, and I already had been wishing we hadn't come. I started thinking that right after I'd walked about 30 feet into the building and saw the miniscule cages they were selling for small animals.

But here's the really sad part: One booth had baby alligators, in large deli containers. As I walked by that booth, I heard loud, unmistakable wheeking. There in a rubbermaid tub were 15 guinea pigs. Just under the table with all the alligators.

Yes, I did imagine swiping the whole tub and making for the exit... and seeing myself on the news that night (do they let you see TV in jail?) "Local mom absconds with tub of feeder rodents, leaving bewildered husband and kids behind in the dust," or paying the $15 pet fee times 15 piggies, and then housing them where? And doing what with the 7 or so females that were probably pregnant, probably too young to have litters without dying, or if they did, how to find homes for all of those 15 or 20 babies, who were the product of brother-sister breeding. Wouldn't the sellers be happy to get my money for all 15, and wouldn't the original breeder be happy when the seller put in an order for 15 more to replace the ones I "saved?" Not to mention, my husband would probably think I'd gone insane, and take the kids out of my care.)

That is awful............what are people thinking. I am an animal lover, very terrified of reptiles especially snakes but I don't think they should be mistreated either. I am a new piggy owner of 5-6 weeks. We got our first pig for our daughters birthday present.He was unwanted by his first 2 families and I felt quite sorry for him but didn't really think I would love him. I told my children they would be doing all the cleaning of his cage. I had him a week when I fell in love with him. I then stupidly bought my other 2 from a pet store (I had no idea on rescues or any of that. I am really ashamed I wasn't better informed).Anyway we give our pigs 1-2 hrs of floor time a day and they are held several times a day. Sometimes I have to tell my son and daughter to let them rest and not cuddle them. I couldn't imagine seeing what you did and not going to jail......my husband would have killed me lol but I have learned that each pig has a different personality and they are truly a unique , beautiful animal that I couldn't imagine being without.I want every poor piggy they that I see now but I know I can't save them all and that I couldn't afford them all and the more these people sell the more they will breed to sell so it would do me no good to buy them up to save them. I also had no idea that pigs were used as feeder rodents??? Its just really sad what someof these animals endure.

CavyLuver4Life · 02-28-2008, 01:49 PM

I don't care about the ribbons, the breeding, or all the fame! If I entered a Guinea Pig show it would be to show everyone how special my Edmund is! But I actually will take what you have said into consideration before entering.