Help me write an adoption profile for a guinea pig!

[Ccort]

I'm fostering two guinea pigs (sisters), ages 2-3. One recently had mammary cancer and had surgery to remove it. I am buying a pink top hat and bow for a little photo op for her her (breast cancer/pink) and her sister will have a different colored outfit too. I thought I would use her story to help adopt them. Guinea pigs are HARD to adopt out, especially at their age and with having had cancer.
Would anyone like to give it a shot to write an awesome profile for these girls?

 

[Callender Girl]

Kudos to you for fostering these girls! My only experience with a guinea pig was decades ago, so I don't really know what folks are looking for when they want to adopt. I am a former newspaper journalist and editor, so I feel like I SHOULD be able to help, but words aren't coming to my morning brain.

I hope someone steps up to help; if not, maybe my thought processes will kick in later and I can offer good suggestions. Where will this profile be posted? How many words are you allowed to or want to use? I'm guessing they MUST go together, right? Do you have a basic outline in mind (I'm guessing you've fostered before) that can be tweaked?

I guess I would "humanize" them as much as possible -- a tough breast cancer survivor and her supportive, bonded sister who deserve a chance to live out their lives in comfort together.

Okay, that's all I have for now. Hope someone else provides more help.

 

[Ccort]

Kudos to you for fostering these girls! My only experience with a guinea pig was decades ago, so I don't really know what folks are looking for when they want to adopt. I am a former newspaper journalist and editor, so I feel like I SHOULD be able to help, but words aren't coming to my morning brain.

I hope someone steps up to help; if not, maybe my thought processes will kick in later and I can offer good suggestions. Where will this profile be posted? How many words are you allowed to or want to use? I'm guessing they MUST go together, right? Do you have a basic outline in mind (I'm guessing you've fostered before) that can be tweaked?

I guess I would "humanize" them as much as possible -- a tough breast cancer survivor and her supportive, bonded sister who deserve a chance to live out their lives in comfort together.

Okay, that's all I have for now. Hope someone else provides more help.

Hi!

I currently have a foster cat too and have written a lot of profiles but guinea pigs are so tough to get adopted that I hoped for a little help! I don't have a basic outline but usually write about two paragraphs. These are posted on Petfinder. Ideally, you want to grab the attention of the reader within the first sentence or two since SO MANY homeless pets are listed. With guinea pigs, people tend to buy them as babies from the pet store and while these girls are still young, they aren't babies and sadly her having cancer will make it unlikely she ever finds a home. (Except mine, of course)

They MUST go together. If it helps, some things that describe them....

1. They love to eat fresh grass and romaine lettuce and squeal in delight at doing so!
2. They like spending playtime in an enclosed outdoor run but must live indoors. See above-fresh grass!
3. They are the queens of their cardboard castle
4. Like cuddling with my dog and playing with our pet rabbits (I have an ADORABLE photo of them cuddled in tight with my Staffie)
5. They were dumped off in a parking lot in a cardboard box, yet are friendly and sweet!

Names-Peaches and Cookie

Not sure if this helps but had to try!

 

[Callender Girl]

I'm quite familiar with Petfinder; don't ask how many dogs have come my way because of it! (Just two, right now; both are mixes -- one has a lot of pit and am staff in him).

How about something like this? And, I won't be offended if you don't like any or all of it. My ego isn't as important as getting a good home for these two.

Peaches and Cookie might appear to be ordinary guinea pigs, but these two beauties are benevolent queens of their cardboard castle. They are happy to hang out with peasants (including a dog and rabbits) but also enjoy private royal feasts of fresh grass and romaine, delivered to their home. Indoor palace living only for this pair!

Inseparable, one of the girls is a warrior queen, who survived mammary gland cancer, with her supportive sister by her side. At 2 and 3 years old, they have plenty of life ahead of them and are looking for someone who appreciates their uniqueness.

Hope there's something you can use!

 

[Callender Girl]

Another approach might be to emphasis how they've overcome their "hard knock" lives. Abandoned, thrown away when one of them was seriously ill, nothing has broken their spirit or zest for life. And, then go on to sing their praises.

BTW, this is the kind of appeal that would seriously get to me. My menagerie currently includes a rescue dog who was found wandering around alone at a gas station in Oklahoma for more than a week, her blind pit-am staff "brother," a cat born without eyes, and a chicken with total use of only one of her legs. I stepped in and bought one my sheep who was about to be sold by the pound as someone's Easter dinner. Previously, I adopted a deaf dog and served as the de facto "hospice home" for terminally ill and senior dogs from a breed rescue. As a kid, I bottle raised a blind lamb. I cannot resist "special" pets.

 

[Ccort]

I'm quite familiar with Petfinder; don't ask how many dogs have come my way because of it! (Just two, right now; both are mixes -- one has a lot of pit and am staff in him).

How about something like this? And, I won't be offended if you don't like any or all of it. My ego isn't as important as getting a good home for these two.

Peaches and Cookie might appear to be ordinary guinea pigs, but these two beauties are benevolent queens of their cardboard castle. They are happy to hang out with peasants (including a dog and rabbits) but also enjoy private royal feasts of fresh grass and romaine, delivered to their home. Indoor palace living only for this pair!

Inseparable, one of the girls is a warrior queen, who survived mammary gland cancer, with her supportive sister by her side. At 2 and 3 years old, they have plenty of life ahead of them and are looking for someone who appreciates their uniqueness.

Hope there's something you can use!

I like the connections to their castle! I feel like it needs a bit of something else added in but not sure what that is.

 

[Ccort]

Another approach might be to emphasis how they've overcome their "hard knock" lives. Abandoned, thrown away when one of them was seriously ill, nothing has broken their spirit or zest for life. And, then go on to sing their praises.

BTW, this is the kind of appeal that would seriously get to me. My menagerie currently includes a rescue dog who was found wandering around alone at a gas station in Oklahoma for more than a week, her blind pit-am staff "brother," a cat born without eyes, and a chicken with total use of only one of her legs. I stepped in and bought one my sheep who was about to be sold by the pound as someone's Easter dinner. Previously, I adopted a deaf dog and served as the de facto "hospice home" for terminally ill and senior dogs from a breed rescue. As a kid, I bottle raised a blind lamb. I cannot resist "special" pets.

Well, shoot. You sound just like me. I'm sitting here with my former bait dog Am Staff who adores the guinea pigs and my tiny toy rat terrier, adopted as a senior. The problem is, taking in the animals with special needs so often means they never get adopted. I HATE how overlooked they can be.

 

[Callender Girl]

If you want to play up the royalty theme, maybe you tie it into their reaction to food: They absolutely squeal with royal -- but dignified -- delight when served feasts of fresh grass and romaine.

That might make them appear eager and lively if someone has concerns about their ages.

And again, I will take no offense at any reaction to my suggestions. I was in the newspaper world for a very long time, and received regular doses of criticism and rejection. I can take it! Let's get these girls a home!

 

[Ccort]

If you want to play up the royalty theme, maybe you tie it into their reaction to food: They absolutely squeal with royal -- but dignified -- delight when served feasts of fresh grass and romaine.

That might make them appear eager and lively if someone has concerns about their ages.

And again, I will take no offense at any reaction to my suggestions. I was in the newspaper world for a very long time, and received regular doses of criticism and rejection. I can take it! Let's get these girls a home!

I love that sentence..."The absolutely squeal with royal..." LOVE.
Now to put it all back together! Ok, I need to share pics in case that gives you anything and because, well, I'm a proud foster Momma.

 

[Callender Girl]

Yay! I'm glad I could come up with something useful.

They're beautiful -- I'd adopt them IF I didn't already have a gazillion critters and live half a country away! The last photo is my absolute favorite. How can anyone resist those faces?