The Potato Patch

25/06/2025

A VERY happy adoption to our last few piggos...

👑 Queenie (ASBO pig) went home with Jenny to be bonded into her large outdoor herd. Queenie was originally returned to us for a failed bond with a neutered boar, which then led to us finding out she had never actually lived with other pigs, only rabbits. She was panicking when mixed, so we chose Jenny's amazing herd to welcome Queenie in to their established hierarchy and help her to learn how to 'pig'. She's clearly happy as she broke out of her quarantine pen to join the gang earlier than planned! Photographic evidence of her not being a murderer is included 🤣

🍿Nasher & Popcorn were our very last pigs to go out, leaving us today to join Carol and her herd. They are very scared girls, and Carol has the expertise and patience that they need 💕

Thankyou to everyone for sharing, recommending, and supporting us. We are now officially closing the rehoming side of the rescue until further notice. This is TEMPORARY - we WILL be back! 🐹
Please note, we are still here for any PP piggies needing help so don't hesitate to contact us 💜

Over and out 🫶🏻

20/06/2025

✴️ LYMPHOMA IN GUINEA PIGS ✴️

Our lovely resident piggy Gladys was diagnosed with lymphoma today. She was born at the rescue 4 years ago on Mother's Day and is named after my great grandma 🩶

Some day soon her time will come and we will help her to pass peacefully, but for now, she's eating her body weight in strawberries and enjoying her extra lawn time 🌾 🍓

A very interesting case to add to the growing repertoire of weird and wonderful guinea pig ailments we have seen since opening the rescue in 2021. Lymphoma is cancer of the white blood cells, generally diagnosed through microscopic examination of a needle biopsy sample from the lymph nodes. It is surprisingly common in guinea pigs so it's worth being aware of the two main signs:

✴️ Marked weight loss
✴️ Enlarged lymph nodes (usually able to feel in the neck or inguinal region)

✴️ General unwellness may also be noted such as crusty eyes and nose, wobbliness and reduced activity

Treatment is generally palliative, to keep piggies comfortable until euthanasia is indicated 🌈 Gladys is currently still eating and ambulating well, and managed with high dose anti-inflammatory pain relief, but we are monitoring her very closely.

We are sharing to raise awareness of lymphoma in guinea pigs 💜 Every day is a school day!

(Photo of Gladys at the vets for her procedure today)

17/06/2025

We are still looking for new members of our Herd Help Scheme 💕 Can you help some lonely piggies find love again?

Click here for more information ✨
https://www.facebook.com/100061153250653/posts/1225326129515817/

15/06/2025

As an absolute fanatic of red-eyed guinea pigs (red-eyed Gwenne is on our logo for a reason!) I couldn't help but share this boy 😍

He's at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary near Sheffield. You would need to apply direct to them through the website link below.
Can anyone offer him a lovely home with ladies? 🙏🏻

https://www.thornberryanimalsanctuary.org/animals/teddy-bear/?fbclid=IwY2xjawK7UzxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHjKGKx_hUjgKCIQplgyyiX-I1CdOJE8Gh3wlA5L4WdktQ_t2m-ap7eoJphnT_aem_fjwswULxZumMdnRIGLTtDg

07/06/2025

It's Volunteers' Week and we would like to say a massive thank you to the amazing Potato Patch team 💜

We may be temporarily closed but our volunteer team are still very important to us.🐹

From Mandy, our fantastic treasurer who not only manages our accounts, pays the vet bills and arranges fundraisers, but also attends all our fairs and events, giving up whole days completely voluntarily. 💕

To our incredible "PP foster family" too many to name, but you know who you are. They do the vet runs, medicate, care for poorly pigs, pregnant pigs, take in pigs as emergencies, transport and obtain rescues in difficult situations.

Our keepers, who although do get paid for their hard and specialist work, do volunteer an awful lot of their time and care to extra duties and fostering alongside too 🩷

Plus all the other people who help us, in any way they can, giving up their time and love; our social media admin Hannah and Vicky, Emma our calendar photographer, Elouise who runs the website, those who make or collect goods to sell for donations, Hayley who sells the donations for us, wishlist donors...the list goes on...We are so grateful 🌼
..and also a pat on the back for Mrs and Mr PP, because the rescue work they complete (alongside working full time jobs and running the hotel) is solely voluntary, and very much for the love of it.

🌈 Animal rescue volunteers are incredibly special people indeed, and PP absolutely could not do what it does without the support of some truly wonderful humans! ✨

P.S. Special mention to Artie, the youngest of the PP team, who always volunteers that big, beaming smile of his! 😊

06/06/2025

🩷 HERD HELP SCHEME 🩷

We have been thinking long and hard about how we can help piggies left on their own after bereavement. Home to Home adoptions are still something we are supporting with even through our closure but often these are still time consuming to arrange as we still have to match pigs and homes.

We have lots of lovely supporters who have large, established herds who often offer to accept another sow or neutered boar in where appropriate, particularly for retirement cases. So to make this more streamlined, we are starting the HERD HELP SCHEME ✨

How does it work? 🤔
💖 If this sounds like something you could help with, send your email address direct to us via message, stating you wish to join the HHS
💖 Your email will be added to a network and secure database of Potato Patch herd helpers!
💖 When we are notified of lonely piggy, an email will be sent out from us to the database members with basic details and contact information
💖 If you feel you can help the piggy in need, you can contact the current owner directly to offer your support
💖 Please note, all rehoming arrangements will be completed directly between current owner and new owner, The Potato Patch is not able to manage this
💖 If you have a lonely sow or neutered boar to rehome, please contact us to request a message is sent out to our Herd Help Scheme

Don't delay, join the Herd Help Scheme today! 💕

03/06/2025

🧡💙 THE GREAT RIDGE 💙🧡
🧡💙 Fundraising for Challenging MND 💙🧡

In just under 4 weeks Hannah, Dan and 26 of their friends and family are hiking the Great Ridge in the Peak District, raising money for Challenging MND charity in honour of Dan's Dad Jim who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease on 25th October 2024. Anyone ever affected by MND around them will know just how awful this disease is.

We know it's not guinea pig related, but it's something that has really impacted everyone involved in the Potato Patch over the last year so thought it was worth sharing. If anyone does have a few pounds to spare and considers this a worthy cause, a donation would be so appreciated. Otherwise please share this post on your socials and help us to raise awareness of MND and spread the word of the fantastic work of Challenging MND charity.

Thankyou 💙🧡💙🧡

Help Hannah Messer raise money to support Challenging MND

29/05/2025

✅ FOR SALE ✅

⭐ Temporary indoor cage, ideal hospital/recovery, spare or holiday care
⭐ Approx 100 x 55cm (similar to a Ferplast 100)
⭐ Connectors missing so will need cable ties, and needs a clean up, this is reflected in price

Priced for quick sale!
£5 donation to the rescue, collection Belton or can possibly deliver locally for fuel 💜

28/05/2025

Happy Adoption to Chai & Nutmeg 🤎

Two gorgeous OAP ladies who Vicky has been caring for wonderfully. We hung on before announcing as we had had a little blip in finding PP's Ready Teddy (middle) a new companion or two, so wanted to be sure it was a good match. But finally, they are bonded and happy 🥰

23/05/2025

💜Sometimes we have guinea pigs that cannot be rehomed so they will go into permanent foster care where we can support if needed.

Two piggies who have been with us since they were born is Cranberry and Clementine, two of the Christmas babies from December 2022. They currently live with foster carer Vicky and family along with their ‘Auntie’ Maple. 🍁

These guinea pigs had a sad start to life as not only did they lose their mum Treacle in tragic circumstances, but also their little brother Figgy. With Vicky and family they are well and truly spoilt and want for nothing. 🐹

Handsome boy Cranberry had a visit to the vets recently for some much needed dental work, where vet Kiah suspected that he’d snapped an incisor at some point causing both teeth to grow unevenly. After being sedated, Cranberry had his teeth trimmed and awoke non the wiser and ready for food!🥦🥕
He’ll be closely observed over the next few weeks to ensure there’s no more abnormal growth of those pesky teeth 🦷.

Fun fact: Did you know that guinea pig teeth never stop growing and can grow at a rate of approximately 7.5cm per year! It’s therefore so important to provide a constant supply of fresh hay as part of their diet as the gnawing will help control this continuous growth.

💜We may be temporarily closed but we are still here in the background to support all PP pigs.☺️

22/05/2025

✅ FOR SALE ✅
❌❌ SOLD ❌❌
EXTRA LARGE DOUBLE HUTCH

This was kindly donated by a supporter a year or so back but is now surplus to our needs so we are selling for a donation to the rescue piggies.

⭐ To be collected from Barnetby by the buyer
⭐ Now dismantled so would fit in a large estate car or van
⭐ Extra large hutch approx 6ft long, double level, could easily be blocked off to create two separate enclosures
⭐ Cover is included but is in fairly poor condition so you will probably want to replace
⭐ May need some TLC and a few screws replacing
⭐ £40 donation to the rescue please

We would also consider donating on to a worthy cause if anyone knows any rescues who would benefit please get in touch! 🐾💜

Please message if you're interested and we can provide Leanne's (foster mum) contact details to arrange pick up 🥰

22/05/2025

This is a real issue in the animal rescue sector, there is no regulation for rescues. Anyone can open up and call themselves a rescue, without any training, knowledge or qualifications. Please sign the petition below. As a nation of animal lovers, we must do better 💜

Recent news has shocked the animal welfare world.

A BBC investigation uncovered harrowing conditions at a “rescue centre” in Wales—where animals were found suffering in filth and neglect. The most disturbing part? There is currently no legal requirement for regulation—anyone can call themselves a rescue, without meeting any welfare standards at all.

That has to change.

📌 A petition is now live, calling on the Government to introduce mandatory licensing and regulation for animal rescues:
👉 Sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/718660?sfnsn=scwspmo

📣 Then, write to your local MP and ask them to support it. The more voices behind this, the louder the message: animal rescue should mean safety—not suffering.

🔉Share this post and help spread awareness. The more people know, the stronger our collective voice becomes.

🐶🐱 And if you find yourself needing the support of a rescue, please do your due diligence. Research the rescue. If you don’t know what to look for, a rescue being a part of a regulatory body like the ADCH (Association of Dogs and Cats Homes) is a good place to start—because membership requires them to meet certain minimum welfare standards for their animals.

Let’s stand up for the dogs and cats who rely on us. Let’s make “rescue” mean something again. 🧡