Adoptions are held via appointment after an application has been submitted.

Guinea Pig Adoption Information

Have you found the new (furry) love of your life? Here is the information you need to bring your new furry potato friend home.

Please begin the Adoption Process by completing our adoption application. It helps us to begin conversations based on where you are at in the pet finding process.

We do not have a public shelter building to visit as all of our guinea pigs are kept in foster homes, so adoptions are made by appointment. It's easier to get the ball rolling and ensure your adoption appointment goes smoothly with the following steps:

1. Look through our list of adoptable pets and see who might suit your family's choice of physical characteristics and personality traits. If you're not sure which guinea pigs are right for you, let us know what you are looking for, and we'll be glad to help play matchmaker.

2. Fill out an adoption application. It can be completed online here:

Small Pet (guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils) Adoption Application

Please Note: We do not hold pets for inquiries until an adoption application has been submitted and approved.

If you're not sure which one(s) you are interested in, let us know your top picks or the must-have or preferred qualities you are looking for. These pets are kept in foster parent's homes. We have guinea pig adoption days every other weekend (check calendar for dates) but we do require an adoption application be submitted ahead of time to ensure that the pigs that you are interested/that would be a good fit for your family can be there ahead of time. Most of our guinea pigs live in Baton Rouge, but some are spread throughout the state.

3. We will respond as soon as possible with any questions about your application and reply to any questions or concerns. We will also confirm that the foster family is able to bring their foster to our next adoption appointment day, or let you know if an alternate time or date if needed.

If you already have a guinea pig and are looking to adopt one to bond to your current guinea pig, we have two options:

You must bring your guinea pig for some "speed dating" to see if he/she and your desired adoptable(s) get along. If they hit it off, great! If they are fighting from the get-go, we can try somepiggie else. If they are so-so, we can send home the hopeful match to see how they do at home and work on their relationship. This may take a couple days to a couple weeks or more, we know all guinea pigs are different! A trial run is a great option to give them a chance and see how they do on your piggies’s home turf, and is the perfect opportunity to do what we call "foster-to-adopt." We'll send him or her home with you after your application has been approved as long as the guinea pig has a place to stay separately until the bonding process is complete (cages can usually be supplied temporarily but there is a flat $50 deposit for any supplies borrowed and returned upon the return of supplies.).

Notes for your adoption appointment

Each adopted guinea pig goes home with an adoption bag and packet which includes an adoption certificate, a measuring cup, and some pellets that your adopted pet has been eating to help with the transition to its new food. If your guinea pig has any specific toys or treats that they really like, we will send those also. Our adoption fees are typically $30/guinea pig** or $50 for a pair of guinea pigs. The adoption fee for each pet is listed on their biography pages. Your pet's adoption fee can be paid by cash or card. This adoption fee does not include a cage or accessories unless mentioned specifically on that pet's biography page. We sometimes have cages for sale if you can't find a preferred one locally or don't want to buy online.

**Please note: We do not adopt out guinea pigs by themselves, if adopting a single guinea pig it must be to another guinea pig.

Please bring a pet carrier, cardboard box or plastic tote (anything with 12 to 14 inch sides, lined with a towel, hay or paper bedding for traction to bring your new guinea pig home. Your pig’s adoption fee can be paid by cash, check (made out to Magic Happens Rabbit Rescue), and most times we will have a credit card reader for smartphones at adoption days and care days, depending on which adoption counselors are there.

Not all of our guinea pigs are spayed/neutered, but can be done for an additional cost.

It's important to have the majority if not all of the guinea pigs’s home (cage and food) lined up for your pig to explore once you get home. Stopping by the store for a quick accessory is OK, but you don't want to be caught without proper housing if the pet store on the way home doesn't have the right size cage or playpen available for sale.