Last night i took in two beautiful Girl Guinea Pigs. I set up their pen in the kitchen along with two baby rabbits that belong to my daughter that were camping inside for the night.

Anyway we kept a watch on the for four hours and they seemed great, the rabbits unhooked the pen so the guinea pigs could get out and they were all realy relaxed and at ease, we felt safe enough to go to bed and let them be.

When i woke up this morning i was happy enough that the guinea pigs and rabbits were a snugged up together (they kind of scattered when i went in lol) I was going about sweeping the droppings up when i noticed a white sheet i had put down for the guinea pigs was competely spotted with a mucky red looking stain...my first thought was poo but it looked too red to be poo, i checked each animal thoroughly but none of them seemed harmed.

Do you think the Guinea Pigs could be in season or could it just be really red poo, is got me baffled :S

Hey, have you checked the backs of the guinea pigs - rabbits will sometimes lunge for guinea pigs and take fur from their back.

even if they "get on" rabbits should not be kept in with gpigs, they can easily kill them , carry dieseases that can kill gpigs etc

Rabbits and Guineas need a different diet, another reason why they shouldnt be housed together, that aside, have they eaten lots of carrots, was it orange watery stuff I know rabbits can poo orangy water, if fed too many carrots?

Alternatively they may have eaten the rabbit food which has caused scouring?

My rabbit, a few days ago, had pee'd (maybe poo'd out) some red/orange liquid but it was flemmy type like sticky. I cleared it up and havent seen it since. What gemima said might have found my cause! She has lots of carrots (especially when the bag of carrots look like theyre about to go off she then has them all, and she had, had about 7 full ones) it could be this? (Thanks Gemima, you've probably just worked out what the liquid was near my bun!)x

Rabbits and Gpigs should NEVER be housed togehter, please do some research before you continue.

I think it was the rabbits they had a nice meal of carrots yesterday. I've known many people keep rabbits and guinea pigs together and i know at college rabbits and guinea pigs were kept together. They have both been moved into individual cages now but i was unable to take them to the hutch last night as when the guinea pigs arrived it was quite late.

hels1977 i dont like the way you said that comment but im not going to take anything by it, as i said ive spent three years in an animal care course but sometimes you can forget the basics which is way i came on here early this morning to ask advice, as i have said in college guinea pigs and rabbits were kept together in my animal management college and they were fine, it was for ONE night and they were kept in a cordened off pen so the rabbits COULDNT have got to the guinea pigs the rabbits were laid beside the cage and the guinea pigs were at the same spot on the other side of the cage.

As i have said the guinea pigs are now in a hutch of their own. The rabbits were left to run around while i kept the guinea pigs with food and water in a large carry box so i could see if it was the rabbits poo. It seems it was so i am not concerned any more as alot of people have said its due to the carrots.

Thanks for the advice.
Fallen

PS : Im not sure if my college was doing the right thing or not so im just going to say its something i wouldnt normally do anyway as i prefer rabbits to be kept with rabbits and guinea pigs with guinea pigs. Unfortunately until the lighting is fixed this weekend i cannot see my way down to the Little wonders home were all the animals are paired in their own hutches at night time.

With all due respect... it's commonly known now by many (ok, so there are many that still don't know) that rabbits and guinea pigs can't be housed together. I'm horrified that your college kept them together and just goes to show what a joke some qualifications are!

I don't want to upset anyone but perhaps you should consider revising some of these forgotten basics before opening a rescue as doing so takes such a lot of knowledge and care. I'm sure many rescues would be very grateful for the help if you wish to volunteer and you could maybe even foster for them to get yourself going.

I know you say the rabbits and guinea pigs couldn't get to each other but your OP states:
the rabbits unhooked the pen so the guinea pigs could get out and they were all realy relaxed and at ease, we felt safe enough to go to bed and let them be.

When i woke up this morning i was happy enough that the guinea pigs and rabbits were a snugged up together

So now I'm just totally confused. How have they been kept separately somewhere the rabbits can get the guinea pigs out of and how were they all snuggled up together in separate parts of the pen?

I'm glad it's just a case of feeding too many carrots but it really does sound like before people put faith in you to care for and rehome their pets (that they may have taken a heartbreaking decision to rehome and want the very best for them) you could perhaps be doing some revision of how to care for these animals...

where did you do your animal care course?

With all due respect... it's commonly known now by many (ok, so there are many that still don't know) that rabbits and guinea pigs can't be housed together. I'm horrified that your college kept them together and just goes to show what a joke some qualifications are!

I don't want to upset anyone but perhaps you should consider revising some of these forgotten basics before opening a rescue as doing so takes such a lot of knowledge and care. I'm sure many rescues would be very grateful for the help if you wish to volunteer and you could maybe even foster for them to get yourself going.

I know you say the rabbits and guinea pigs couldn't get to each other but your OP states:


So now I'm just totally confused. How have they been kept separately somewhere the rabbits can get the guinea pigs out of and how were they all snuggled up together in separate parts of the pen?

I'm glad it's just a case of feeding too many carrots but it really does sound like before people put faith in you to care for and rehome their pets (that they may have taken a heartbreaking decision to rehome and want the very best for them) you could perhaps be doing some revision of how to care for these animals...

I don't want to sound as though I am being horrible either, but I very much agree with Lottie.
Also the 'French lop eared rabbit' on your website appears to be a dwarf lop - French lops are giant rabbits and should be over 10lbs, they are absoloutley huge and have very broad faces with big bone structure.

Molly is only young i have no idea if she is going to grow to be much bigger or not as the previous owner didnt tell me as such. Thanks for pointing out an error.

Last night the rabbits unhooked the pen and we closed it back up before we went to bed.

I did three years at Barnsley College, i was based out at wigfield farm, i have certificates for my first diploma in animal care and two years in Animal Management, i would be willing and happy to show these to anyone interested.

Since opening Roxys Little Wonders i have been reading up on what has become rusty, it has been four years since my animal care course and although i remember alot of the basics there are some things i want to revise upon so that i am top notch.

I gave the rabbits a carrot each the day before...

I love my animals, i love cuddling them, i love spending time with them, i love the fact that i am helping them, i love the fact i can eventually help other rescues with donations - if that makes me a bad person then fair enough but i will continue and push forward in order to prove i am capable.

Fallen knows everything she needs to know about animals and how they should be kept.. she did a long course on it all.. which is probably more than most of you did.. when i was younger i kept my guinea pig and rabbit together for nearly 5 years and they lived very happily together nothing ever wrong with either of them.. so it does go to show you that they can live together and get along.. you can actually buy rabbit and guinea pig food all mixed so they can have the food for the both of them that will provide the right nutrients.. i did this animal care course and they did keep rabbits and guinea pigs together in cages.. fallen is doing a brilliant job with these animals and i dont think you lot slating her is helping.. i mean she is only just gettin this re housing scheme off the ground.. she dont wanna hear your malichous comments..

xxjojaxx

Rabbits and guinea pigs should not be kept together as they both have different dietary needs. Guinea pigs need a high level of vitamin c every day as they cannot store it whereas rabbits can get runs if they have too much vitamin c. I buy and feed rabbit food and a seperate guinea pig food. Rabbits can also kill a guinea pig with a kick of their back legs. I would never keep the two together for the health and safety of the animals involved.

Last night the rabbits unhooked the pen and we closed it back up before we went to bed.

...

Since opening Roxys Little Wonders i have been reading up on what has become rusty, it has been four years since my animal care course and although i remember alot of the basics there are some things i want to revise upon so that i am top notch.

...

I love my animals, i love cuddling them, i love spending time with them, i love the fact that i am helping them, i love the fact i can eventually help other rescues with donations - if that makes me a bad person then fair enough but i will continue and push forward in order to prove i am capable.

Okay look, I was trying to tread very carefully as I have great respect for anyone with the ability (or even the desire!) to run an animal rescue. It's a bloody hard job and the last thing I wanted to do was offend - however, ultimately, as I'm sure you'll agree - the main priority is the animals. Hence my choice to make the post I did. It wasn't meant to be offensive and I did try to post carefully so as not to offend you.

However, somewhere this just doesn't add up Fallen and you'll seriously do yourself no favours bulls***ting people. You have only just started and if you make mistakes people will trust you far more if you admit to them and learn from them. Why do I say this? Well...

Firstly, you say 'Since opening Roxys Little Wonders i have been reading up on what has become rusty, ' well sorry but this should read before not since. You will never know everything, you are expected to make mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad person or your rescue a bad rescue. But it's easy to launch into things too soon.

Secondly... somewhere, you're lying and that's the only reason I'm posting again - it's not fair to lie to people, if you did house the rabbits and guinea pigs together - so what? You've said that your college course did (note to avoid said college course!), you've said it was for one night and we know that they didn't come to any harm. So what's the big deal?! All you have to do is say 'right... mistake noted - won't house them together again'. Otherwise I just can't understand why your OP said what it did. It was made very clear that not only were they snuggled up together when you came down the next morning but also that the red spots were on the sheet you put down for the guinea pigs - and yet, it's from the rabbits. See what I mean?


When i woke up this morning i was happy enough that the guinea pigs and rabbits were a snugged up together (they kind of scattered when i went in lol)
...
i noticed a white sheet i had put down for the guinea pigs was competely spotted with a mucky red looking stain...my first thought was poo but it looked too red to be poo, i checked each animal thoroughly but none of them seemed harmed.


Sorry, but when I am given two very different versions of events, by the same person, I start to lose respect for that person and I'm sure that others would too.

Fallen knows everything she needs to know about animals and how they should be kept.. she did a long course on it all.. which is probably more than most of you did.. when i was younger i kept my guinea pig and rabbit together for nearly 5 years and they lived very happily together nothing ever wrong with either of them.. so it does go to show you that they can live together and get along.. you can actually buy rabbit and guinea pig food all mixed so they can have the food for the both of them that will provide the right nutrients.. i did this animal care course and they did keep rabbits and guinea pigs together in cages.. fallen is doing a brilliant job with these animals and i dont think you lot slating her is helping.. i mean she is only just gettin this re housing scheme off the ground.. she dont wanna hear your malichous comments..

xxjojaxx

Firstly, don't assume what others have or haven't done. It would seem that your special college course means sod all anyway if they have given instructions that rabbits and guinea pigs can be kept together - one of the most basic rules in animals! Several people here who have responded have done courses. Others have years of experience with these animals.
The moment you start talking down to the people in the know who are giving advice is the moment when people start to get unfriendly and arguments start. We all take animal care very seriously. None of us were suggesting that Fallen didn't care, or wasn't taking it seriously but if it's a simple lack of knowledge then she needs to know better and people were taking the time to inform her of what can happen when the two are kept together. Because we all care.

Secondly just because you have kept a guinea pig and a rabbit together succesfully doesn't make the blindest bit of difference.
I know a lot of people who have used choke chains succesfully, I also know people who have damaged their dog's trachea, spinal discs or skin around the neck using choke chains... but hey - XYZ was ok with theirs so it must be ok! (silly comment? So was yours.)

You can't get foods that take both dietary needs into account. You can get foods that say they do... but they don't.

Rabbits will get ill if fed the levels of Vitamin C that guinea pigs need. Guinea pigs will get ill if not fed the levels of Vitamin C that they need as they can't store it.
How can you possibly get a food that takes both dietary needs into account?! The animals don't know which flake is for them and which flake is for the other!


So I'm sorry. I really didn't want to offend you Fallen, I tried to keep my first post as inoffensive as possible because I've said I have a lot of respect for anyone who wants to help. I know this post was harsh but your posts just don't correlate and like I said people don't like being bulls***ted or even thinking they are being!

Sadly, loving your animals, loving to cuddle them and spend time with them aren't the requirements of a rescue centre :( so much more is necessary and it's great that you have this set up and the ability to help them - it's great that you want to. But knowledge comes first. A lack of knowledge can be deadly to the wrong animal.

My suggestions of fostering for another rescue weren't to undermine what you were doing - they were to get an idea of how to run your own rescue whilst using the space efficiently to help animals in need while you do all the important revision that you're currently undertaking (which really should be done before opening a centre). The suggestion wasn't intended to upset you - we both have the same aim, to help the animals and I was just offering advice on how you may be able to better do that.

Good luck however you decide to proceed - and please don't listen to your college course when it comes to how you can house the animals - listen to the advice you've been given here, here you'll get advice not only from experienced owners (and those that have done courses jojo) but also from existing rescues who can give you the benefit of their experience. :)

I made the error of keeping the rabbits and guinea pigs together, as i said i DONT do this usually if you see my animal shelter the rabbits are with the rabbits and the guinea pigs are with the guinea pigs, however taking the animals down the the shelter that night would have proven hazardous for me and the animals. Admittedly i could have tried to find another spare room but i have to bare in mind i have a daughter and i cant have them anywhere she wonders which is why they are normally down in the shelter.

I would like to say that i have read and studied alot when it comes to animals and im sorry if i have given people the image that i am no good when it comes to animals but as i have said i am going to hopefully show you over the months that i am capable of what i have chosen to do.

I am working very hard and putting alot of money and effort into making this as good a place as any for the animal with no home, all the animals kept here are fed and cleaned and handled every day, i am getting the ones that are not neutered to the local vets for neutering. They will get regular check ups while under my care and there nails and teeth will be trimmed. I will keep records of each individual trip to the vets, and take not of everything to do with the animals. I will post EVERYTHING on my site, including scanning in my qualifications to show that even if they are worthless i tell the truth when i say i have been to college and got them.

The pictures on the website you will see that i have two rabbits paired in one cage, two rabbits in another and then the two guinea pigs who have a very large amount of room.

This weekend some heavy work is getting done on the shelter...i am in the process of requiring rabbits hutches and a guinea pig cage for while this is being done so none of them are kept together and they are not in harms way while the work is being carried out.

I hope you will eventually see i only have the best intentions at heart, i dont want to come across inadequate all im wanting to do is help...

I am sure that you will run a fabulous rescue FallenAngel6, and it is obvious that you will continue to accept advice in the spirit in which its intended which isn't always easy to do :)

I am sure that everyone is hoping that you will make a great success of it as it is much needed work and as Lotti says not everyone can do it as it can be hard but you seem very determined that it should work...that is great :thumbsup:

The advice to work along side an existing rescue is good advice in my opinion, you will learn a lot from people who have already been where you are and made a success of it.

Keep on using the group for support and help I am sure that it will be forthcoming if you ask, good luck with everything :)

I made the error of keeping the rabbits and guinea pigs together, as i said i DONT do this usually if you see my animal shelter the rabbits are with the rabbits and the guinea pigs are with the guinea pigs, however taking the animals down the the shelter that night would have proven hazardous for me and the animals. Admittedly i could have tried to find another spare room but i have to bare in mind i have a daughter and i cant have them anywhere she wonders which is why they are normally down in the shelter.

I would like to say that i have read and studied alot when it comes to animals and im sorry if i have given people the image that i am no good when it comes to animals but as i have said i am going to hopefully show you over the months that i am capable of what i have chosen to do.

I am working very hard and putting alot of money and effort into making this as good a place as any for the animal with no home, all the animals kept here are fed and cleaned and handled every day, i am getting the ones that are not neutered to the local vets for neutering. They will get regular check ups while under my care and there nails and teeth will be trimmed. I will keep records of each individual trip to the vets, and take not of everything to do with the animals. I will post EVERYTHING on my site, including scanning in my qualifications to show that even if they are worthless i tell the truth when i say i have been to college and got them.

The pictures on the website you will see that i have two rabbits paired in one cage, two rabbits in another and then the two guinea pigs who have a very large amount of room.

This weekend some heavy work is getting done on the shelter...i am in the process of requiring rabbits hutches and a guinea pig cage for while this is being done so none of them are kept together and they are not in harms way while the work is being carried out.

I hope you will eventually see i only have the best intentions at heart, i dont want to come across inadequate all im wanting to do is help...

Had a look at the website. Just wish to point out that you can't have something "more perfect". If something is perfect, then you can't improve upon it.

Good luck with the new venture.

Fallen knows everything she needs to know about animals and how they should be kept.. she did a long course on it all.. which is probably more than most of you did.. when i was younger i kept my guinea pig and rabbit together for nearly 5 years and they lived very happily together nothing ever wrong with either of them.. so it does go to show you that they can live together and get along.. you can actually buy rabbit and guinea pig food all mixed so they can have the food for the both of them that will provide the right nutrients.. i did this animal care course and they did keep rabbits and guinea pigs together in cages.. fallen is doing a brilliant job with these animals and i dont think you lot slating her is helping.. i mean she is only just gettin this re housing scheme off the ground.. she dont wanna hear your malichous comments..

xxjojaxx
well actualy no its not more than most i have level 2 animal care and national diploma animal managment and behaviour, but she did go to a different place we was nevr tought that we was always told they shouldent be togeather i think maybe her college was wrong,which is unfair on herx

Hi Fallen,

Thanks for the message. I wanted to say thank you because honestly, it looks so much better when you explain things properly instead of giving different versions of events :) People who use you will want to know that they can trust you to be honest with them.
Of course it still was risky to put them together and hopefully you've learned something that your college obviously misinformed you on and won't do it again. It's not your fault if your college have misinformed you.

Please let me know if I can help with hutches (or food for that matter) - the hutches I can get aren't cheap even for me to buy but I knock prices down for rescue (I currently supply Ferret Hutch rescue) and can see how cheap I can get the hutches for you so that you're not having to pay full retail price :) Of course you may still be able to find cheaper second hand ones that are still in good condition.

Good luck - you don't need to convince anyone that you have the animals' best interests at heart, that much is clear. As I said, good intentions don't cut it in rescue but I'm sure you'll do just fine.

One last word of advice - from someone who also works with animals... regardless of how much you know or learned at college, please continue to take advice from other professionals in the same field - you can really learn a lot from others, and benefit from their experience.
I'm a dog trainer but I will never stop learning and if there's anything I'm not sure about I call upon other dog trainers to help me.
You'll never know everything there is to know and you may know more about one thing than others, but others may know more about something else than you do - so use it :)

To be honest fallenangel, I don't really care how you took my message, it's factual and correct and if your course have advised otherwise then frankly I'm horrified.

I would urge you to look at fostering for other rescues before you launch into this venture, simply because an animal care course isn't everything - won't teach you all you need to know and it will give you the real story before you launch into the venture yourself. You have a fantastic opportunity here to help a lot of unwanted animals from other rescues that are bursting at the seasm - and the time to do it from what you've said. Hence, it seems to make perfect sense to me to go down that path first.