Got space for some furry bundles of fun? Homes needed for 33 Guinea pigs
MORE than 30 Guinea pigs are set to go up for adoption in Derby after they were rescued.
Ninety of the pets were taken in from a house in Cheshire in October where they were found running riot.
Since then, 33 of those have been brought to Derby, where they are recuperating.
Many of the animals were found infested with mites, while it was also discovered that some were pregnant after they were rescued.
The Guinea pigs, who have been sent out to foster homes, are set to be put up for adoption in the coming weeks, when they will be given a second chance at a happy life.
Matt Daxer, who is a team leader at RSPCA Derby, which took in the pets, said the centre has taken in similar numbers of guinea pigs before.
He said: “They were brought in from out of our area. They were found in a house in Cheshire. There were about 90 in the house and they were running about in groups. The regional director contacted us and asked us if we had space to take some in.”
However, there were so many that the shelter in Abbey Street was not able to take them all in.
Matt said: “We phoned around all our volunteer foster carers because we didn’t have the space. Some of them had mites, which are a parasite that’s quite common when they’re kept in bad conditions. There were a couple that were pregnant “It’s better they’re looked after in a home for the moment as they’ve got mites and need to get used to people.”
Matt added that he thought the animals would be up for adoption, with some doing so in groups to be kept together, by the end of November.
“They will go up for adoption, but they need to finish two weeks of their mite treatment first,” he said.
According to the RSPCA, Guinea pigs are highly social animals that live in close family groups of up to five or ten.
They also need a high fibre diet supplemented with vitamin C, along with large accommodation with space for regular exercise and shelter.
They need to be kept somewhere that is between 17C and 20C, with warm bedding and untreated wooden toys to chew.
They also require good quality hay for the majority of their diet, with this being supplemented by daily fresh grass or vegetables and leafy greens.
Anyone who is interesting in adopting from the group of Guinea pigs is asked to contact animals@ rspcaderby.org.uk.