RSPCA Queensland is calling on all small pet lovers to adopt with 75 guinea pigs currently ready to find their forever homes.
Recently, a whopping 150 guinea pigs were surrendered into RSPCA care, some which were pregnant.
RSPCA Queensland Inspectors worked with an overwhelmed guinea pig owner who called on RSPCA for help. After working with the owner, RSPCA accepted the surrender of the guinea pigs.
"We’ve never seen this many guinea pigs in our care all at once!” says RSPCA Queensland spokesperson Emma Lagoon.
“We hope with some extra awareness these cute pets can start finding their new families, as we do have more guinea pigs that will be available to adopt soon.”
Many of the guinea pigs have been receiving treatment for medical conditions and the pregnant females placed into foster care.
Ms Lagoon says, “As you can imagine, our shelter teams have had their work cut out for them with the extra animals to care for these past few weeks.
“We’ve had some lovely donations of fresh fruit, veg and pellets, which has helped.”
If you own guinea pigs, it’s a timely reminder to ensure they’re housed with the same gender, or desexed. Guinea pigs of different genders should be separated from 3-4 weeks of age to avoid unexpected litters. Females can fall pregnant again straight after giving birth.
There are currently guinea pigs up for adoption at most RSPCA locations including Brisbane, Bundaberg, Dakabin, Gympie, Kingaroy, Mackay, Noosa, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, and Underwood World for Pets store.
Adoption prices:
- Guinea pigs over 1 year $40
- Guinea pigs under 1 year $50
- Two for $59
“Guinea pigs are social animals so it’s always best to adopt in pairs or more. Our adoption team can help you find guinea pigs that are best pals looking for homes together,” Ms Lagoon says.
If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation with too many animals and need support, reach out to the RSPCA for help on 3426 9999.
