Our Re-homing Process
The rehoming process varies slightly depending on whether or not you are new owners or are looking for a companion(s) for your existing guinea pig(s).
The first stage is for you to complete our rehoming application form which enables us to find out a bit more about the home you are offering. If you are new to guinea pigs please don't be concerned if you haven't already bought your accommodation or other equipment yet - we are more than happy to give you advice about what to buy as we wouldn't want you to buy something which doesn't meet our requirements. Please contact us if you would like us to send you our application form.
If all is well with the information provided in your form, we will invite you to visit the rescue. Please note that visits are strictly by appointment only. We will advise once we have your form.
During your visit (occasionally a telephone conversation instead) we will discuss your application with you and go through suitable accommodation options, the other equipment you'll need as well as day to day care including cage set up and feeding. We will also tell you more about the guinea pigs we have available.
Once you have all your accommodation and equipment purchased and ready we will either visit you for a home check or will ask you for a specific set of photographs instead. Please do not be put off by the idea of a home check - we are only interested in where the guinea pigs will live.
As a final stage we will ask you to sign an adoption agreement and make your adoption donation when you collect your guinea pigs from us.
Please be aware that if you live some way from St Albans you will need to be prepared to travel to the rescue for a pre-adoption visit/chat and again to collect your guinea pig once you are ready and all the checks have been completed.
The first stage is for you to complete our rehoming application form which enables us to find out a bit more about the home you are offering. If you are new to guinea pigs please don't be concerned if you haven't already bought your accommodation or other equipment yet - we are more than happy to give you advice about what to buy as we wouldn't want you to buy something which doesn't meet our requirements. Please contact us if you would like us to send you our application form.
If all is well with the information provided in your form, we will invite you to visit the rescue. Please note that visits are strictly by appointment only. We will advise once we have your form.
During your visit (occasionally a telephone conversation instead) we will discuss your application with you and go through suitable accommodation options, the other equipment you'll need as well as day to day care including cage set up and feeding. We will also tell you more about the guinea pigs we have available.
Once you have all your accommodation and equipment purchased and ready we will either visit you for a home check or will ask you for a specific set of photographs instead. Please do not be put off by the idea of a home check - we are only interested in where the guinea pigs will live.
As a final stage we will ask you to sign an adoption agreement and make your adoption donation when you collect your guinea pigs from us.
Please be aware that if you live some way from St Albans you will need to be prepared to travel to the rescue for a pre-adoption visit/chat and again to collect your guinea pig once you are ready and all the checks have been completed.
Our Rehoming Requirements
We are highly committed to ensuring the continued health and welfare of all the guinea pigs we re-home. Many of the animals that come into our rescue have come from very poor living conditions and we are determined that they will never have to suffer the same way again. In line with other major animal rescues we have set some minimum requirements which all new homes are required to meet. We will discuss these in more detail with you when you apply to us but in summary they are as follows:
- A hutch or cage which is ideally 140cm wide x 70cm deep or equivalent (internal measurements) for a pair of guinea pigs. Some guinea pigs require larger sized accommodation, as do bigger groups so we strongly recommend that you talk to us before purchasing anything. Beware of external measurements provided by sellers!
- We have a very strong preference for single story accommodation. Any ramps will need to be of an acceptably gentle gradient and with protection around the entrance and the sides to prevent injury. We will only rehome guinea pigs to accommodation with ramps if we know that they have used ramps before as we find that many refuse to use them.
- Unfortunately many hutches are too small and have been designed for rabbits so are totally unsuitable for guinea pigs despite what the sellers say. This is particularly relevant to hutches with an attached open bottomed run beneath them.
- Ideally guinea pigs will be able to go into a separate secure outside run for exercise and grazing in good weather. This must have rigid, predator proof sides and top. Chicken wire, c & c grids, nylon mesh, netting or similar is not acceptable.
- Adequate protection must be provided to keep the guinea pigs safe from domestic and wild predators and also from extremes of weather at all times.
- Appropriate levels of care and supervision must be provided by adults in the case of guinea pigs being rehomed to live in a household with children.
- We only accept applications to adopt guinea pigs from individuals aged 18 or over
- Guinea pigs should be housed either inside the house during the winter months (October to April inclusive) or inside a shed or outhouse with good natural daylight, good ventilation and some form of insulation.
- Guinea pigs should not be put out into outdoor runs during the colder months of the year (October to April)
Additional Information for Rehoming
All our guinea pigs are re-homed on the basis that they are not to be used for breeding.
We usually rehome guinea pigs in same sex pairs but occasionally have pairs made up of a neutered male and a female. We also sometimes have trios of girls available or a neutered male with two girls. Occasionally we have larger groups available.
We do not rehome single guinea pigs to live on their own. As they are sociable animals we only rehome single guinea pigs to live with another of the same sex or with a neutered one of the opposite sex. We are happy to help find new companions for recently bereaved guinea pigs depending on what we have available in the rescue. On these occasions all introductions must be done here at the rescue so we can be sure that all the guinea pigs get on well together before we let any go to their new homes. As demand for our bonding service is high there may be a wait for availability
We will rehome single females to live with more than one guinea pig but only rehome boys to live in pairs.
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live with rabbits or in the same enclosure as any other species of animal or bird. We will rehome to homes with other pets as long as we can be sure that the guinea pigs will be safe at all times.
We do not rehome guinea pigs to homes where they will be allowed to free-range outdoors
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live in housing with permanently attached runs eg. Eglu
We do not rehome guinea pigs to schools, petting farms or any other institution
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live in children's bedrooms
Please see our articles "They Myth About Boys" and "The Importance of Hay and Shelter" in the More section of this website for important additional information on these two topics.
The decision whether or not to rehome to anyone applying to adopt guinea pigs from us rests with us.
We usually rehome guinea pigs in same sex pairs but occasionally have pairs made up of a neutered male and a female. We also sometimes have trios of girls available or a neutered male with two girls. Occasionally we have larger groups available.
We do not rehome single guinea pigs to live on their own. As they are sociable animals we only rehome single guinea pigs to live with another of the same sex or with a neutered one of the opposite sex. We are happy to help find new companions for recently bereaved guinea pigs depending on what we have available in the rescue. On these occasions all introductions must be done here at the rescue so we can be sure that all the guinea pigs get on well together before we let any go to their new homes. As demand for our bonding service is high there may be a wait for availability
We will rehome single females to live with more than one guinea pig but only rehome boys to live in pairs.
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live with rabbits or in the same enclosure as any other species of animal or bird. We will rehome to homes with other pets as long as we can be sure that the guinea pigs will be safe at all times.
We do not rehome guinea pigs to homes where they will be allowed to free-range outdoors
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live in housing with permanently attached runs eg. Eglu
We do not rehome guinea pigs to schools, petting farms or any other institution
We do not rehome guinea pigs to live in children's bedrooms
Please see our articles "They Myth About Boys" and "The Importance of Hay and Shelter" in the More section of this website for important additional information on these two topics.
The decision whether or not to rehome to anyone applying to adopt guinea pigs from us rests with us.
