About the Kavee Guinea Pig Rescue
The guinea pig rescue was started in 2020 by the devoted husband-and-wife duo, Tara and Ian. They’re avid cavy enthusiasts, so they opened their doors (and hearts!) to floofs from around the UK who are on the search for a new hooman family. And some piggies are lucky enough to stay at the guinea pig rescue permanently.
Special needs guinea pigs, whether they have a disability or are senior piggizens with additional needs, live comfortably and are well cared for, without having to go through the strain of moving again. The other half, however, stop by to get assessed, receive any treatment (and lots of TLC), and are rehabilitated before they move on to other pastures green.
Tara is a pigspert with plenty of experience in cavy care. She and Ian have a long-standing relationship with Kavee’s CEO and co-founder, Clementine Schouteden, who used to live on the Isle of Wight. Tara and Clementine started Gigglepigs and Kavee around the same time and have shared their love for and knowledge of guinea pigs ever since.
Over the years, Tara has shared her never-ending guinea pig expertise, while Clem supported the rescue work with regular donations and carloads of Kavee goodies. Now, they’re combining their efforts and joining forces to create the Kavee Rescue, a safe haven for guinea pigs in need that supports small animal welfare and raises awareness for the amazing work Tara and Ian do.
You can contact us via email at therescue@kaveecage.co.uk
The Rescue was set up in 2020 by the wonderful husband-and-wife duo Tara and Ian as Giggle Pigs Rescue. In 2023, they joined forces with Kavee to help even more piggies in need.
At the moment, we don’t have any volunteering opportunities available. Keep an eye on our social channels - any opportunities pop up there first.
The Kavee Rescue supports guinea pigs in need by offering the right cavy care, veterinary attention, and matching the right piggy parents with their floofs. We aim to improve the lives of guineas around the globe by educating cavy carers on their pets’ needs (and wants).
The Kavee Rescue aims to help as many piggies in need as we can. Sometimes, this means rehabilitating and then rehoming guinea pigs to their new furever home. Other times, we take in special needs piggies who stay at the Rescue permanently.
On the beautiful Isle of Wight
The Kavee Rescue is based in Tara and Ian’s home, so they don’t have set opening hours - too busy giving love and attention to precious fluffs! When it comes to prospective piggy parents wanting to meet their new pets, or those who need to surrender their guinea pigs, we’ll arrange a time that works well for all parties.
If you wish for your guinea pig to be rehomed, they must first be surrendered into our care to allow time for health and vet checks before being rehomed to a new family. We cannot seek a new home on your behalf whilst the guinea pig is in your care.
Yes, we do. There are several stages which begin with a home check and includes a chat in person, meeting our available guinea pigs and taking time to choose the most suitable piggies for your family. We also offer lifetime support and advice, should you require it. You can fill out our online application here.
The rescue rebrand was established from a long-term relationship between Tara (Gigglepigs founder) and Clem (Kavee founder), both of whom are passionate about the welfare of small animals. Through this partnership, Kavee provides the rescue with a wider platform to raise awareness, alongside operational fees and continued product donations.
While this contributes towards giving a safe loving environment to more pigs in need, the day-to-day life at the rescue looks the same as before, with Tara and Ian caring for all these piggies in their home on the Isle of Wight.
Despite the additional support, the rise in the cost of living is making it increasingly difficult for all rescues across the UK to remain open. Now more than ever, donations and support are needed to ensure that all of these animals get the care and love they deserve. Read on to find out how you can help the Guinea Pigs in our rescue.
Yes, we do. Please see the next question for more information.
Monetary donations can be made here. We also accept donations of dry food, hay, soft towels, and fresh vegetables - please contact therescue@kaveecage.co.uk to find out how you can help.
All monetary donations made are secure and go into the Rescue’s dedicated bank account. They are used toward vet bills and all the regular expenses such as dry food, hay and vegetables
We’re not a registered charity at the moment. It’s something we’re looking into.
In the past, Giggle Pigs have sold shirts and hoodies. The Kavee Rescue is looking into marvelous merch options at the moment. We’ll keep you posted!
Yes, the adoption fee is £30 per guinea pig. This helps us continue to do our amazing work, and it also protects our floofers.
Currently, we have around 80 piggies. This tends to fluctuate between 70 and 90 at any given time.
We do our very best to help the guinea pigs in our care overcome illness and get back to full health, working with a veterinarian to ensure correct treatment is provided. In certain circumstances when a guinea pig's quality of life is compromised severely, or they are suffering and treatment would prolong this suffering, the decision is made to put the guinea pig to sleep. This decision will be made in a timely fashion, in order to prevent prolonged physical suffering and always carried out by a veterinarian. If a chronic illness can be managed without compromising the quality of life in any way, we manage that condition with the help of our veterinarian, until the time comes to say goodbye.
Most of our guinea pigs come from the Isle of Wight, however we have accepted guinea pigs from mainland UK as far away as Manchester. We try to concentrate on Island piggies only as the demand for our services has increased dramatically.
First you will need to fill in an application to adopt. Your application will be reviewed and if successful, you will hear from us to arrange a visit for a chat and to meet available guinea pigs.
No, unless you are adopting to add to an existing guinea or herd, they should never be forced to live a life alone, guineas are herd animals.
Please check out our webpage and social pages for more information.
Website: www.kaveerescue.co.uk/pages/kaveerescue
Social: @kaveerescue
Email: therescue@kaveecage.co.uk
Every day, our dedicated duo work from dawn til dusk to give the gorgeous rescue guineas everything they could ask for - from a brilliant diet and vet-prescribed medication to wheeky clean cages and plenty of cuddles. You can think of Tara as a Kavee Cinderella, but with piggies all around her instead of woodland creatures. And the work never stops!
On top of feeding, cleaning, and TLC, the Kavee Guinea Pig Rescue also speaks with piggy parents who have made the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pets, to see how we can support them. And, on a much brighter note, we welcome prospective piggy parents to the rescue to meet their cute cavy companions. It’s really important to us to find the perfect fit for piggies and parents, so Tara and Ian take extra care in the match-making process. And then there’s popcorn parties all around!
For the in-house piggies, the Kavee Guinea Pig Rescue goes through incredible amounts of food, cleaning products, and - maybe most surprisingly - washing machines. About ten loads of piggy washing are done every day.
And the donations the rescue receives from passionate piggy parents are crucial to the work we do. We couldn’t do it without you!
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