FAQ

Why should I adopt from a rescue?

Guinea pigs need to be rescued for a variety of reasons. Some come from sad, unhealthy and even dangerous conditions. Sometimes people just don’t want to be bothered with them anymore. Many are from local shelters where they would have been euthanized. By adopting from a rescue, you are saving lives. For every piggy that finds a loving home, we can rescue another. You will also know for sure the gender of your guinea pig and will be certain that it is not pregnant or sick. And you will have a great wealth of guinea pig information at your fingertips!

How much does it cost?

Our adoption fees for guinea pigs are:

$50 for a single
$75 for a pair
$100 for a neutered male or spayed female
$125 for a neutered male or spayed female and another piggy

The fee helps us with food, bedding, Veterinary care and medicines. This allows us to continue helping more animals, but doesn't begin to cover what we spend to help them.

How do I know the pig is healthy?

All of our adoptable guinea pigs are vet checked and treated for any health issues before they are available for adoption.

What does the Adoption process look like?

Research, talk to your family, research more, visit KGPR Guinea Pig 101 for advice.
Submit an Adoption Application.
Our KGPR staff will review the application .
KGPR will contact you for an interview.
If approved, we will work together to setup a meet-n-greet.
At the meet-n-greet you'll meet piggies that we have determined would be a good fit for your family and overall lifestyle.
During the meet-n-greet we will answer any questions you have about the piggies you are visiting with, and any general questions you have about being a piggy parent.
If you choose to go thru with the adoption, you will sign the KGPR contract, pay the adoption fee, then go home with your new piggy family member.

What if I don't know what to do?

When you adopt from KGPR, you become family. You'll have your KGPR family and their wealth of knowledge behind you anytime you have questions.

We are always available for advice—We care about how you and your piggies are doing!

Where can I shop locally for my piggy supplies?

Agri Feed Pet Supply, 5716 Middlebrook Pike is always our first recommendation.

They are the only pet store in the Knoxville are that does NOT sell animals, but they have an abundance of great supplies on hand for your piggy family member, and other furry family members you may have.

Agri Feed has graciously hosted a demo cage for us for years, we almost always have a single guinea pig or bonded pair in the demo cage.

And most importantly, they are committed to helping homeless animals find good homes.

Are aquariums or wire bottom cages appropriate housing?

No.

Aquariums are not appropriate housing for Guinea Pigs due to the very small floor space and limited air flow. Wire bottom cages are too hard on tender little feet (piggies need to snuggle in soft bedding). Our adoption contract requires that our animals will not be bred and will be housed indoors in an appropriate cage. KGPR recommends C &C cages for all our piggy families.

What size C &C Cage is best?

Bigger is always better.

We recommend at least a minimum of 7.5 square feet of living space per pig.

Please download our C&C Cage Size document on Guinea Pig 101 for more detailed information.

How can I help?

Donate.

Your donation helps us provide food, shelter, and medical care to our animals. Every little bit helps!

How can I become a Foster parent?

We are always in need of foster parents. Fostering is the lifeblood of the Knoxville Guinea Pig Rescue. Fostering is a terrific way to see if a guinea pig will fit well into your family without the commitment of adoption. For every guinea pig we are able to place in foster we are able to rescue another from unfortunate circumstances.

Foster parents are supplied with a guinea pig "starter kit" containing food and hay. Sometimes we also have cages available for foster parents to borrow. Foster parents assume all continuing expenses except vet care. In short, you provide the pelleted food, hay, salad and love and we provide the piggies and vet care!

Click the link below to submit a foster application online.

Foster Application

Who Are We

Founded in June 2001, by Janet A and her three children, Knoxville Guinea Pig Rescue is a family run, no-kill rescue committed to saving Guinea Pigs.

The current directors, Mrs. Peggy, Amy, Janelle, Crystal, and Lori bring over 50 years of experience to KGPR. Peggy’s husband Grady, affectionately known as the Guinea Pig Whisperer, has a unique talent at socializing guinea pigs.

As of February 2023, KGPR has rescued over 1750 piggies and have adopted 1675 to caring homes.

The majority of our surrenders were bought as pets for smaller children who eventually lost interest well before the end of the piggies 5 to 8 year (or longer) lifespan.

Many of the piggies surrendered to KGPR were abandoned at local animal shelters, pet shops, and our most unfortunate were victims of animal cruelty, including abuse cases, and piggies that were abandoned outdoors, left to fend for themselves. Due to the extent of injuries sustained, the age at surrender, or for other reasons, some of our rescues become permanent fosters, not able to be adopted.

Unfortunately, these instances have become far too common, causing our rescue figures to grow at an alarming rate.

Due to this we will adopt as pets for children only over the age of 6 but only when the adopting adult is equally interested and realizes the responsibility for the animal will ultimately be theirs. Many of our piggies find loving homes as pet companions for an adult.

All our guinea pigs spend their days with their assigned foster family, receiving the best care, love, and leafy greens available.