We always have a lot of very lovely guinea pigs needing good homes.

If you would like to offer one of our guinea pigs a loving home - here are some things you will need to know.

• You will need a large hutch to keep your guinea pig comfortable. The hutch should be as large as possible so they can have room to move move around freely. They will enjoy tunnels and boxes to go into in their hutches, as they tend to be naturally slightly shy!

• Guinea pigs are not as hardy as rabbits, and do not tolerate cold weather very well. It is therefore a good idea to keep your guinea pig's hutch under cover during the colder, winter months.

• You will need a garden so your guinea pig can go outside to stretch his/her legs, and graze on some grass. They will need some kind of shelter in their run to shade from in the summer, and keep warm and snug in the winter.

• All our guinea pigs are fed on a complete, pelleted food, not mixes. This is best for them, as it prevents them selectively feeding which can cause serious medical problems if this is allowed. They must also have constant access to hay. They need plenty of vitamin C in their diet to keep them healthy, and it is important that you give them some fruit and vegetables every day. This can include apples, pears, carrots, cabbage, celery and many others. If in doubt, ask your vet's advice before giving any new item to your guinea pig.

• Guinea pigs are very social creatures, and it is often better to try to keep them in pairs or small groups. Female guinea pigs will usually get on very well together, but you can only usually keep males together if they have been brought up together.

• Do not worry if your guinea pig seems to squeak a lot - they are naturally very vocal animals. They will often squeak loudly when they know you are coming with their favourite vegetables!

We always do a home check before any of our animals is adopted. This can usually be arranged within a couple of days. Once the home check is done we ask that you pick your new pet up within 24 hours, to free up the space for another needing our help.

Our suggested minimum donation for one of our guinea pigs is £35, or £50 if neutered. We will NOT normally split up any pairs or long-standing groups of guinea pigs if they have bonded.

Donations made by adopters are a vital contribution to our funds. They are not compulsory, as a good home is the first consideration for our animals. Our adopters almost invariably wish to make a donation at the time of adoption however, and the above suggestion represent approx. half the average cost to our charity of preparing each guinea pig for rehoming, although many do cost the charity a lot more due to health and other problems. We try our best to give all animals in our care whatever help they need. Therefore larger donations are always much appreciated.

If you are not comfortable with making a donation, please consider the effect this will have on the charity’s ability to help other animals in need in the future. Please also consider your ability to meet the considerable ongoing expenses that responsible animal care represents. These matters should be discussed with us before the adoption proceeds.