100 guinea pigs taken away from owner
A guinea pig owner has contacted the RSPCA after her un-neutered pets bred constantly, finally reaching 100 in number.
Officers arrived at the Sittingbourne property to find the animals, who were reportedly well looked after and in good condition. Some were living loose inside the house whilst others were in large, clean outside hutches. Sheppey RSPCA chairman Angela Walder said:
“You couldn’t fault the care...some of them were living in very nice cages; it was just a case of there was too many and she knew it had got out of hand. She was very embarrassed by it."
The guinea pigs range in age between four years old and six months. It is understood that the owner began with just two of the animals in 2009 and the numbers have multiplied over the years as the animals hadn't been neutered or the sexes separated.
Walder adds: “People don’t seem to take on board the fact they breed at the rate of knots. However, it’s not always the owner’s fault - sometimes the pet shops don’t sex them properly.
"You'll be surprised by the number of people who call the RSPCA saying 'I don't want all these rabbits anymore' and it turns out they thought they'd bought two girls but one ended up being a boy and they had babies."
The RSPCA are gradually moving the guinea pigs to a centre in Brighton for re-homing. Four of the same sex have been left with the owner to avoid any more breeding. Waldon said:
“We can only take the amount she is willing to part with. It’s good that we got in there while they were still being well looked after though - she certainly called at the right time.
“I would like to urge people to be mindful when buying a pet and that if you’re buying two animals to make sure they are sexed by a vet."
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
