Now that we're getting to holiday season- what do you do with your Super Furry Animals when you are away?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Do you have a neighbour or relative who pops round or takes them to their house?
Or small animal boarding?

Or does having little animals mean that you don't go away ?

(Just being a Nosy Bugger you understand)

[silver73]

I would not leave my pigs to be looked after by anyone that is not a GP expert especially after Blonde pig getting ill. Someone who knows about GP would spot the not eating and know how serious it is ...

I would leave with Vedra at Cambridge Cavy Trust or with a GP rescue that do GP boarding. There is one in Kent.

I know it sounds silly but I love my pigs so much and really worry about them as they are 5 years old now and GPs are just not hardy

[dietcokeandwine]

We've had several Friday-Sunday weekends away, and on those days I just ask a friend to pop in and feed/check on them on the Saturday, change water, top up dry food/hay supplies etc. We have a fridge in the building where the pigs are so I leave a big bowl of fresh food in there for the friend to give them when they pop in. We are always back by mid afternoon on the Sunday so I'm comfortable doing this and piggies have always been fine.

I wouldn't be comfortable doing that for longer than a weekend though. I would want them staying with people in another home so they'd get the interaction, cuddles and - as silver says - the general observing/health checking. We will be away for three weeks during August, and guineas are off to my mum's for their own holiday . My sister will have them for the first week (staying at mum's house), then mum for the last two. Luckily their indoor hutch is portable, and they'll stay in mum's shed (which will be fine I think in August though I wouldn't do this if it was winter time), and I'm buying a second, collapsible run so they can have some outdoor grazing time whilst there (our run is fab but not portable in the slightest!!).

I am happier with this than any other arrangement as we had guineas our entire childhood and so there's no-one I'd trust more with my the children's guineas than my mum and sis

[fortifiedwithtea]

This year I took the kids away in Easter holiday leaving DH at home to carry on working look after the piggies.

Last year we only went away whilst eldest DD was on football tournament. Was going to board Old Boy (we didn't have the girlie pigs) with a rescue in Chelmsford but bottled it at the last minute. The reason, new next door neighbours had bunnies and agreed to look after him. He was just as spoilt as he is at home, being cuddled watching the telly .

Previous years, old neightbours looked after Old Boy and he had a brother at that time. And the one time they were away at the same time, the boys were boarded at the vets. But only as a favour because one of the vets I know personally because she is a mum at DC school.

[whojamaflip]

Ours go on hols to a neighbour who also has is potty about gps. They have a wonderful time - they have access to a huge run in their garden and lots of gp friends to squeak at through the wire. They also get to come in and watch tv.

We rarely go away due to dh's work but its a military operation getting all the animals looked after - gp's and dogs go away, cats, pigs, sheep and chickens have someone coming in several times a day.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

The chaps are going to the Small Animal Boarding where I got them (via a Rabbit Rescue) Yes it does confuse them, being guinea-pigs .

[KRITIQ]

We've got a great pet minder who comes in if we're away for a few days. I'm still deliberating about what to do when we plan to go for just over a week in the autumn. Must check out a place "up country" that specialises in pig boarding.

Now that our kitty has gone to the rainbow bridge (RIP Herbert Gingercat,) we are planning to take the rodents on the road now. It's fun asking hotels if they allow guinea pigs. I've done it before and most of the time, they don't believe you until you turn up! One guest house asked the pigs to sign the guest book! :)

[guineapiglet]

It is definitely worth checking local animal rescue etc, our local animal sanctuary does day boarding and weekly boarding for small furries.

As my guineas were in the shed, if we went away for short periods would ask neighbours to go in and let them out/feed etc, but I hated doing it and worried about them all, so it is wonderful to read a thread where people feel the same, I never quite felt they would look after them as I, sorry, the children, would. A friend with four guineas would bring hers to stay and we would do a swap where mine would go to hers, with run, cage, igloos etc, what aperformance! It is really lovely to think there are like minded people whose standards of care include watching television with cuddles, absolutely essential! Am moving over the summer and as have no guineas at present, would be very happy to have house guests, it would be an absolute pleasure. We have taken ours on holiday in an indoor run and made use of gardens etc for them to roam and explore - they are relatively easy to transport short distances, and really liked camping!!!!

[ByTheWay1]

Ours go to a bunny boarder... they take GPs too. Ex vet nurse runs it, has loads of cuddle time - and writes a blog with pics for each of her boarders! FAB!

[SquigglePigs]

If we go away for the weekend a friend pops by to feed them. For longer hols they go to either my parents or a friend. Both have had piggies before so know how to look after them and are willing providers of cuddles!

[FernieB]

We boarded ours for the first time this year. They (2 GP's and a bunny) had a lovely time at a small animal hotel run by a retired farmer who is potty about small furries. I saw a few places but in a lot of them, the animals are shut up in hutches/cages most of the day. At this place, they had their own 6 ft run (in a barn) with a hutch inside with a ramp so they could come and go as they liked. They were handled and spoken to daily and did not want to come home.

Previously my rabbit was looked after by family, but the last time we went away (for 2 nights) she was ill, stopped eating and when I got back I had a severely ill rabbit who died the next day. I would never again allow anyone to look after my animals who was not going to take care of them as I would.

[Rollersara]

Our rats often go to our friend who also have rats, and we take theirs. Now however we seem to have moved into a pet mad street, so we have looked after the rats at no.1, next door's rabbit and the cat at number 13 (not all at the same time!). And they look after our rats and piggies, all works very well!