RSPCA just rejected me as an adopter

[Meowy Catkin]

I wouldnt rehome to the set up either

The two species just aren't designed to live together they have different dietry requirements and the pigs would be exposed to bird poo, dust and their feed - just no way would I do that the set up sounds amazing apart from the birds

So there are no birds in the Andes then? Of course wild guinea pigs evolved alongside birds as part of the ecosystem. I wonder how big Andean Condor poo is?

Surely how many birds are in the aviary should be considered? If it's overpopulated and cramped, that would be very different from having only a few birds in a large space.

 

[Goldenstar]

SIL got turned down for a dog because she worked one hour a day at lunchtime in the primary school at the end of her road .
So the rescue turned down an experienced home with keen walkers with another dog and fenced garden .
Its no surprise rescues are full.

 

[dunthing]

Mrs. B, Faracat and Goldenstar, I'm in total agreement with all your comments. Absolutely ridiculous reason for not rehoming and damned stupid policies too.

 

[fallenangel123]

Assuming the birds in the aviary are not hawks, I can't see it being a disaster after all the other piggies live there happily.
Obviously they would be better off kept individually in little wooden boxes with the occasional hour on grass though go figure.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Don't know anything about Guinea pigs but that looks like a lovely home Paintmeproud


I wont get started on what I think of RSPCA


RSPCA go a little to far on some home checks or those interested in rehoming.

 

[paulineh]

I have only ever had a Dog from the RSPCA and that was over 40 years ago , before all the politics. I now go to the breed rescue centres to get my dogs (Springer Spaniels).

I have recently had dealings with the RSPCA and find their attitude unbelievable . They just sat back and waited for some poor ponies to die and even then did little.

I have stopped giving to them and would not adopt from them.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

No, I wouldn't keep guinea pigs in an aviary but neither would I keep them in a hutch with a small run either. That's probably worse.
They're brilliant little animals and sadly tend to get short changed with housing.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Assuming the birds in the aviary are not hawks

LOL!

 

[Billabongchick]

Just to derail this; Paint Me Proud is that a Kakariki you have in there? Lovely aviary!

 

[suestowford]

I am also going to go off topic a little and ask the OP, how come your piggy boxes aren't all chewed up? Mine would gnaw through that cardboard in a day!

 

[Serianas]

Im sure alot of people keep guinnea pigs on aviaries with birds (sorry dont know much about them!)... a friend of mine as a child has a rabbit in one, scampering around with the quails!

However my thoughts on the RSPCA are also not good... I have heard enough horror stories of their treatment of Exotic rescues to never donate to them again... my dontations come in the form of tins of food to local rescues... They are not the organisation I used to support when i was a child im afraid...

 

[Paint Me Proud]

Just to derail this; Paint Me Proud is that a Kakariki you have in there? Lovely aviary!

Yes kakarikis. I have two breeding pairs and have chicks regulalry. They are lovely lovely birds, sadly not as popular as they deserve.

I am also going to go off topic a little and ask the OP, how come your piggy boxes aren't all chewed up? Mine would gnaw through that cardboard in a day!

lol, I dont know, they dont seem to bother, i have to cut the holes myself. They have lots to do though, they run around the outdoor area and nibble on the turf i get them a lot.

 

[Kaylum]

We got turned down for a rescue dog from them, as we worked even though we had had a dog for 17 years who we rescued ourselves when she was dumped from a car. They do not look at the experience of the owners so are not looking at the bigger picture. 17 years we had that dog. They are actually denying an animal a home which in itself is cruel.

 

[Hexx]

The RSPCA would never rehome to me as I work full time. However, I have found three brilliant rescues that did consider me as a suitable home - to the extent that I have successfully fostered 15 dogs for one rescue and 5 for another, and I can say that ever single one of them came with issues, but left a well balanced, happy dog, ready for its new home. I still keep in contact with a number of the new owners.

I have also permanently adopted four dogs from rescue, two having now passed away reaching the grand old ages of 15 and 13. The other two are 8 and 3 respectively, and let me tell you, the three year old is not for the faint-hearted - he is a handful having spent the first 15 months of his life confined to a crate! If not for the flexibility of these wonderful rescues, 24 dogs could still be waiting in kennels/rescue!

 

[cremedemonthe]

The RSPCA would never rehome to me as I work full time. However, I have found three brilliant rescues that did consider me as a suitable home - to the extent that I have successfully fostered 15 dogs for one rescue and 5 for another, and I can say that ever single one of them came with issues, but left a well balanced, happy dog, ready for its new home. I still keep in contact with a number of the new owners.

I have also permanently adopted four dogs from rescue, two having now passed away reaching the grand old ages of 15 and 13. The other two are 8 and 3 respectively, and let me tell you, the three year old is not for the faint-hearted - he is a handful having spent the first 15 months of his life confined to a crate! If not for the flexibility of these wonderful rescues, 24 dogs could still be waiting in kennels/rescue!

A very good example of why I will not support or donate to the rspca, ever, I've had too many bad experiences with them.Well done Hexx, I have rescue dogs too from council dog pounds, customers who haven't wanted the dog they had and another rescue centre (NOT rspca).
Forgot to add, I used to keep numerous guines pigs in a large run with guinea fowl, they never had problems or got shat on either and have you seen how much guinea fowl do!

 

[Billabongchick]

Yes kakarikis. I have two breeding pairs and have chicks regulalry. They are lovely lovely birds, sadly not as popular as they deserve.

I know where to come then if I ever get some more (we have a very active cat at present). They are lovely birds; so full of character and fun - I miss mine that I had when I was younger; I have to keep watching videos of them on Youtube to get my Kakariki fix!

 

[Nudibranch]

The birds present no threat to the guinea pigs - what harm exactly is a bit of bird poo going to do, even if, shock horror, it landed on one?! Bird seed would not be an issue either if they consumed a bit. As for dust, it's an aviary and it looked pretty spotless to me, dust will be minimal. There's more dust in hay and straw.

This really doesn't surprise me though, the RSPCA seem to be way off the mark with many of their policies. Their inspector thought a traveller colt tethered on a cliff edge, no shelter, no water and bare grazing with a condition score of about 1.5 was fine because he "saw someone visit it" on the day he supposedly went to check it out. Anyway that's another story.

PMP I hope you can find some nice guineas, are there any other (more sensible) rescues nearby? Presumably in the unlikely event the RSPCA can rehome three together, they will be happy with them being stuck in a hutch 24/7, just so long as they are "safe"....

 

[YasandCrystal]

I think it's a shame that a compromise couldn't have been reached. I am sure it would be pretty simple to construct a low 'roof' in the indoor bit partcuarly, of say thin ply that could lift or hinge up and would provide a 'poop catching platform' which could then be hooked up for cleaning out.. Similarly and maybe on a lesser scale so that they could still benefit from the sun this could be done in the outdoor area too and thereby minimising the dander and poop near the guineas.
imo there is always a way around these things.

 

[applecart14]

Ridiculous. These people who sit behind desks and make decisions never use their common sense but happily dictate to us 'mere mortals' what we can and can't do.

 

[weebarney]

As a bird and previously a guinea pig owner I wouldn't be happy rehoming pigs into an aviary either. I may be wrong but I would guess that any other guinea pig sanctuary would say the same thing.
With this being a horse forum I think people need to remember what they would say if someone had been wanting to keep a pony in an unsuitable environment.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Unsuitable in what way WB? - Having chickens and geese roosting in their stables and running about the yard/fields? Swallows nesting in the stables and pooing everywhere?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I think that birds confined to an aviary inevitably produce a much more polluted environment than wild or free range birds. I personally wouldn't mix guinea pigs and birds in an aviary.

I am an asthmatic, and find bird dander and dust to be one of my most challenging triggers. I would not enter an aviary for love nor money. I am fine with the jackdaws, swallows etc that nest in our stables in the summer, so I presume that the dander etc dissipates into the open airspace.

 

[weebarney]

Unsuitable in what way WB? - Having chickens and geese roosting in their stables and running about the yard/fields? Swallows nesting in the stables and pooing everywhere?

Because it's in a confined space, I know what bird poop etc is like in confined spaces. Not my idea of a nice place to live.

 

[weebarney]

Got this off a guinea pig rescue web site - Guinea pigs should never be housed in enclosures with any sort of bird or chook. Birds quite often carry mange mite and static mite and when a guinea pig is infested with these mites they will lose their hair and weight and wounds will be found. Guinea pigs running along the base of an aviary is very un-hygenic and the bacteria from bird faeces and feathers will make a guinea pig very ill. The constant flight and movement of the birds in an aviary will also effect a guinea pigs behaviour, causing them to become very skittish and stressed in general. All of the above may be common sense to many people but to some people especially backyard breeders housing guinea pigs in aviaries with birds is not uncommon.

 

[ThoroughbredStar]

They are actually denying an animal a home which in itself is cruel.

Hit the nail on the head there- some of these rescue centres need to look at re-homing a bit more realistically!

I got turned down by a re-homing centre (wanted to adopt a bitch JRT) because I didn-t have a back door to my very large, secured garden, and had to enter by going out the front. I've managed with my other two JRT's without incident and offered a very fun and active home........

 

[Goldenstar]

Hit the nail on the head there- some of these rescue centres need to look at re-homing a bit more realistically!

I got turned down by a re-homing centre (wanted to adopt a bitch JRT) because I didn-t have a back door to my very large, secured garden, and had to enter by going out the front. I've managed with my other two JRT's without incident and offered a very fun and active home........

Bonkers bonkers bonkers

 

[Nudibranch]

Pet birds will nor carry mites and Im sure OP would have treated them if they had any parasites! OP already has guinea pigs in there, without any problems! There is a lot of rubbish on the internet, and a good deal is perpetuated by animal "rescuers" who seem to thrive on pretending they and nobody else really understands animals.

Far better in the aviary than some shoebox hutch. And presumably the aviary is open to the air, so how is it worse than swallows nesting in a stable?

 

[weebarney]

Pet birds will nor carry mites and Im sure OP would have treated them if they had any parasites! OP already has guinea pigs in there, without any problems! There is a lot of rubbish on the internet, and a good deal is perpetuated by animal "rescuers" who seem to thrive on pretending they and nobody else really understands animals.

Far better in the aviary than some shoebox hutch. And presumably the aviary is open to the air, so how is it worse than swallows nesting in a stable?

The guinea pig rescues I've seen treat their pigs very well, fwiw I wouldn't keep pigs in a stable with swallows going in and out either But at least they are just seasonal. Op would be better posting on a guinea pig website to get a true reaction as to whether she has suitable living quarters.
A lot would be unhappy at the use of wood shavings as they aren't really the best bedding for pigs as they are dusty and strong smelling for their little noses. Remember they live their life only cm's from the ground. On top of that add dander and poo and birds flapping around.