The rescue I volunteer at always has a large number of piggies waiting for their forever homes. If I could I would have them all, but that is completely unrealistic and I'd probably end up as someone they need to be rescued from!!
Cuddling them all every week and bringing a few into my home for fostering helps to assuage the need to rescue them all. Also the thought of the potential vet bills!!
When I foster, I have to think of it as looking after a friend's animals for a short time, much as you might take care of a friend's cat or dog when they go on holiday. Of course some of these holidays go on for weeks, but the principle is the same. I do get attached, but I know that they will move on to a good home.
Sometimes the fostering fails, i.e. they don't go back.
My three piggies at the moment all started out as fosterlings.
Marigold and Ruby were with us for a month while Marigold weaned her babies. Ruby was one of the babies, there were 2 other girls. When they returned to the rescue the other 2 girls were rehomed together within days but for some reason My 2 weren't. They were there for 6 weeks without anybody being interested in them and I found it both surprising and upsetting. My girls deserved a good home as much as any of the others. Life at the rescue is good, and often far, far better than where they came from, but it isn't the same as being in a family home.
So after 6 weeks I decided that my girls should come home, and they have been with us ever since. That was 5 years ago.
Our other pig, Cecil, was also a foster. He was terrified of all piggies, especially boars, and all people. He spent his life in a state of panic.
His best chance of a home was to be neutered and be introduced to some gentle ladies. He was far too fearful to tolerate the handling involved in his recovery from neutering and the fear was that his fear would get the better of him and he would give up or have a heart attack. He came to stay to help him get over his fear of people so he could have the surgery. During his stay, he and I became very attached. He responded very well to me and I was afraid that if he returned to the rescue he would see it as being abandoned. When he was calm enough he had his surgery and he began to take an interest in our girls, who lived on the other side of the room. Once he had served his waiting time, he was introduced to our girls and they all live happily together in a large pen in our sitting room.
So not ALL foster piggies go back, but the vast majority do. I see the occasional adoption as my reward for giving all the others back!! If I'd kept them all, well, there'd be no room for me and my human family!!
Catherine, the pellets we use soften when wet and if you add enough water they become porridge like. The pellety bits in the muesli don't react like this and stay hard and unyielding.
I suppose every country will have it's own manufacturers and ideas as to what makes good pet food. All our creatures seem to do well all the same.
Cuddling them all every week and bringing a few into my home for fostering helps to assuage the need to rescue them all. Also the thought of the potential vet bills!!
When I foster, I have to think of it as looking after a friend's animals for a short time, much as you might take care of a friend's cat or dog when they go on holiday. Of course some of these holidays go on for weeks, but the principle is the same. I do get attached, but I know that they will move on to a good home.
Sometimes the fostering fails, i.e. they don't go back.
My three piggies at the moment all started out as fosterlings.
Marigold and Ruby were with us for a month while Marigold weaned her babies. Ruby was one of the babies, there were 2 other girls. When they returned to the rescue the other 2 girls were rehomed together within days but for some reason My 2 weren't. They were there for 6 weeks without anybody being interested in them and I found it both surprising and upsetting. My girls deserved a good home as much as any of the others. Life at the rescue is good, and often far, far better than where they came from, but it isn't the same as being in a family home.
So after 6 weeks I decided that my girls should come home, and they have been with us ever since. That was 5 years ago.
Our other pig, Cecil, was also a foster. He was terrified of all piggies, especially boars, and all people. He spent his life in a state of panic.
His best chance of a home was to be neutered and be introduced to some gentle ladies. He was far too fearful to tolerate the handling involved in his recovery from neutering and the fear was that his fear would get the better of him and he would give up or have a heart attack. He came to stay to help him get over his fear of people so he could have the surgery. During his stay, he and I became very attached. He responded very well to me and I was afraid that if he returned to the rescue he would see it as being abandoned. When he was calm enough he had his surgery and he began to take an interest in our girls, who lived on the other side of the room. Once he had served his waiting time, he was introduced to our girls and they all live happily together in a large pen in our sitting room.
So not ALL foster piggies go back, but the vast majority do. I see the occasional adoption as my reward for giving all the others back!! If I'd kept them all, well, there'd be no room for me and my human family!!
Catherine, the pellets we use soften when wet and if you add enough water they become porridge like. The pellety bits in the muesli don't react like this and stay hard and unyielding.
I suppose every country will have it's own manufacturers and ideas as to what makes good pet food. All our creatures seem to do well all the same.
Greeting from Wales.
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
