Auckland Cavy Care

26/08/2024

We've updated our shop! All profit made goes to the rescue.
https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/shop/

24/08/2024

To apply to adopt Milo & Stretch, please fill out our adoption application form at https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/cat-adoption-form/

Update on the cat house - due to the cats being inside and outside. I got numbers wrong last post. There were 23 cats on the property.

Out of the 10 adults, we have de-sexed and microchipped 7 so far, with 3 more booked in next week- Phew!

The 3 five-month-olds have been de-sexed. vaccinated and microchipped. One already has found her home! And the other two are waiting for theirs now.

The 5 eight-Ish week olds, who are a bit feisty, 4 at with Pet Whisperer rescue, and one has a foster to adopt home via us.

The 5 six-Ish week olds, 4 went to Pet Whisperer rescue, and one has a foster to adopt home via us.

Thank you so much to Lynfield Vets, Auckland SPCA, and Pet Whisperer Rescue Trust for their support with these cats and helping us rehome those we can and de-sex those at age as soon as possible before the numbers grew!

18/08/2024

Calling all cat lovers!

We stumbled across a home with 21 un-desexed cats; we couldn't just walk away so we've offered our help. Unfortunately, there are so many cats already in cat rescues that we've only been able to place four 7ish week-old kittens with a cat-based rescue and one of that litter is with us as we thought we had a home for her.

We took in the three 5ish month-old kittens, lovely bubs, only used to the one man from the home they came from, but they have never hissed, growled or swiped at us. They have been de-sexed, flead, wormed, microchipped and had one lot of vaccinations. We have found one of them a home, but still have her sister and brother who we would LOVE to find forever homes or foster homes for. They need people who understand they are nervous but that's because they aren't used to different people.

We have five kittens who are around 6 weeks old, they are too young to de-sex just yet but have been flead and wormed. They would each love foster homes or foster to adopt homes; one already has a home to go to, so 4 left to find homes for.

We've booked in for de-sex and microchip his two original girl cats; and also have de-sexing appointments booked in for the remaining 7 cats, unfortunately, we are not a rescue that is focused on cats and do not have the time to commit to the 7 we can't take them in to rehome them. If anyone is able to help foster/rehome the older cats please get in touch!

We have asked several cat rescues and the SPCA for help, the SPCA was able to offer help to de-sex some of the cats, and the amazing vet clinic Lynfield Vets are able to do the others.

No cats will be left un-desexed at the property, no more breeding for these cats!

The rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00 . Together we can do so much more.

12/08/2024

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Pet Doctors St Lukes for their ongoing support of Auckland Cavy Care.

From the day St Lukes opened their doors, they have worked closely with us. Did you know that Hartley worked there for five years, looking after the Exotic Pet Hotel?

St Lukes Pet Doctors generously allow us to sell our merchandise in their reception area. Over the years, the funds raised from these sales, which go directly into our account, have helped us through some tight spots.

This week, we are incredibly humbled to receive the following message from the team at Pet Doctors St Lukes:
“We deeply appreciate the incredible work you do at Auckland Cavy Care. To express our admiration for the remarkable work you do to support animal welfare in our community, we would like to offer you a donation in support of your mission. We hope this provides some relief during these challenging times.
Once again, thank you for all that you do. We’re honoured to be part of your community and look forward to continuing our partnership.”

I often conclude our posts with, “Together we can do so much more,” but without our vet teams, we would be lost.

10/08/2024

Thank you SO MUCH to these amazing places who all recently offered us support and donations!
- The Bunny Bach for hay and pellets.
- Donations via Pet.kiwi.
- One Stop Bunny Shop for hay.
- SPCA Auckland for pellets and newspapers.
- Westley's World for some yummy seagrass mats and baskets.

This weekend alone we've had 18 Guinea Pigs surrendered. So, all this extra help means so much to us!

We are needing foster homes for both Guinea Pigs and Rabbits; our foster application forms are at https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/fostering.
Foster homes do need to be in Auckland; but we can do adoptions out of Auckland.

We have some other ways you can help on our website: https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/ways-you-can-helpFoster

05/08/2024

We are excited to announce that Auckland Cavy Care has joined the Vet Post Fur-raising Program!

You can now support us simply by purchasing your pet supplies and products online at Vet Post.

Every time you shop at Vet Post using our unique link https://www.vetpost.co.nz/?linkId=lp_299255&sourceId=aucklandcavycarerescue&tenantId=vetpost, a percentage of the sale will be donated to our group.

It's an easy way to get the best for your pets while supporting our cause. Thank you for your continued support!

PS, Please make sure you use the unique code provided. Feel free to share it with your friends and family too! We can not wait to share the wins that this program will bring us.

01/08/2024

Sometimes people cross our lives, without a fuss and with a simple gesture make a huge impact.

Sandra Jackson was just one of those people.

She ordered a calendar each year to support our work. One year, during Covid, the calendar got lost in the mail, so Hartley drove over and popped it in her mailbox. We sadly never meet Sandra, and she quietly passed away in November 2023.
Prior to leaving our world she did the most amazing thing and left a bequest to Auckland Cavy Care Rescue. We felt it was only fitting we used this to produce our Calendar, something we know she cherished.
Sandra, thank you and may you Rest in Peace

As always, our AMAZING G-Force members - you'll get yours posted to you in October! Make sure if you have set up a regular donation to the rescue that we have your postage address so we can send you your calendar as a thanks for your support.

We will soon have them for sale in clinic at Pet Doctors St Lukes!

You can order your calendar from our shop - https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/shop/product/639685/2025-accr-calendar/

Or if you're on the shore, the kind people at One Stop Bunny Shop are selling on our behalf!
https://www.bunnybusiness.co.nz/products/auckland-cavy-care-2025-calendar

All proceeds go to the rescue!
Feel free to PM us as well to order your calendar!

26/07/2024

Over the past couple of years, there seems to have become more and more nastiness thrown around. We are all in this together. All trying our best. Putting others down behind their back is no way to create change.

We recently did take in 6 Flemish giants males who were all in extremely poor condition, one was taken to the afterhours vet after we picked them up that evening and euthanised; as he had open wounds on the bottom of both his back feet with maggots crawling around and in, he had been suffering for so long that his foot was deformed from him trying not to put pressure on the pain. His mates also come in very skinny and covered in urine scald. These buns are not out of the woods yet at all. We have not posted about them as we are trying to lessen the amount of rabbits in the rescue so we can focus on guinea pigs.

We have had unkind comments about us adding in pleas for donations on the bottom of most recent posts, and us mentioning that we have animals to adopt in our posts. We're not going to stop that, as we are a rescue, we are a registered charity and we do rely on donations and the public's support.

We don't share all that we see and do on a daily basis, and how it takes a toll on our own mental health. So, on that note. Please be kind, it costs nothing. If you feel someone could do things differently, instead of being nasty behind their backs to others, talk to them - but don't be horrible about it.

We currently have 97 animals in the rescue, and there is a huge cost to care for them (time, space, money and emotions!). So please check out ways you can help us https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/ways-you-can-help/
You can do a direct deposit into Auckland Cavy Care rescue's bank account:
#38-9014-0787909-00 . All donations of $5 and over directly put into the rescue's bank account are tax deductible as we are a registered charity. We’ll send you a receipt so that you can get 1/3 of your donation refunded back to you at the end of the tax year. Please provide us your email address to allow this to happen.

25/07/2024

Sometimes, it's extra hard to say no 😟

This little fella was found on Sunday all wet in a drain, both eyes shut with gunk. He's doing well now, one eye needing ointment.

We, unfortunately, are not able to take in buns until some of the ones already in the rescue find homes - to view those ready to adopt, please visit https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/rabbits-for-adoption/

We also would love more bun foster homes! https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/fostering/

As always, we can't do what we do without your support. https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/ways-you-can-help

The rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00. As we are a registered charity you are able to claim back the tax on your donation. 💓

21/07/2024

Fundraising event – Save the Date Sunday 29th of September 1pm
St Mathews in the city Blessing of the Animals.

We are humbled to have been chosen as the charity for the 2024 Blessing of the Animals service at the beautiful St Mathews in the City at 1pm on the 29th of September.

To make the most of the opportunity we are looking for someone with a Coffee Cart to come along and sell Coffee, and teas, before and after the service. If you have one, or know someone that does have one, please check the date and time, can you help us?
Please get in touch we would love to hear from you.

We are thinking to raise funds for us on the day we would like to do a bake sale.

So, if there is any keen bakers out that would be keen to support us with a tray of decorated cupcakes, biscuits, a slice, or a banana loaf, anything really please let us know.

All baking will be required to have ingredients identified and we will stay away from anything with peanuts in it, just to be safe. We would love to have our vegan baker friends help us.

We will also need some other helpers on the day to help
• Is there anyone that would be happy to speak about adopting from us?
• Greeters to guide to seats
• A cleaner in case of any accidents
• Any keen singers out there that would be happy to sing during the service
• Helpers for the bake sale stand
• Helpers for our merchandise funding raising stand

Being such a small rescue to make the most of this opportunity we really need support on the day. Together we can do so much more.
Thank you and more updates as we get closer to the date.

18/07/2024

NOMV – Not One More Vet

I saw a poster while in at St Lukes pet doctors last week, and it reminded me we all need to be mindful of the way we work with and talk about our vets. They are critical for what we do. They deal with the life and death of furry family members every day. This is not an easy gig for them.
The topic of su***de rates among veterinarians is a serious and concerning issue. While I don’t have specific statistics for New Zealand, it is known that veterinarians globally face a higher risk of su***de compared to the general population. This is due to a variety of stressors unique to the profession, such as the emotional toll of euthanasia, financial pressures, long work hours, and the high expectations of pet owners.

In New Zealand, official figures up to 2017 indicated that at least four veterinarians took their own lives, with another four cases suspected to be su***des. These numbers, while not current, highlight the need for more support and resources for veterinary professionals to address mental health concerns.

Before you post your opinions, please think carefully about the people you are affecting.
My mother always said “If you have nothing good to say, say nothing.”

I hope our vets know how much they mean to us, particularly the ones that have been alongside us for the long haul. We don’t need to name them as they know who they are and know they are part of our Auckland Cavy Care family. We support the NOMV movement alongside them.

16/07/2024

Sadly, Goofy and Hurley have come back to the rescue - no fault of their own or their adopters! Unknown nasty allergies :(

Here is what their home had to say about the pair:

"Adopting Goofy and Hurley is the right choice for you if you are wanting a guinea who's interactive and family friendly.
They come with the best personalities. They are a beautiful pair.
Where one lacks in certain strength the other is there to help get them through and vice versa. They're really patient with kids and don't startle easy on background noise which is nice.

Just beware, you will get attached very easily.
Here's a little info:

Hurley is your typical female. She'll give you love and attention if she sniffs out your treats or food you bring her. Sometimes she'll eat and let you pet her or even pick her up, other times she'd literally sn**ch the food off of you and hide to eat alone, it literally doesn't matter how good your grip on that veggie may be.
She's vocal when she's hungry or if her space is being invaded by Goofy who is usually forcing her to get out from hiding to check out the area or say hello or he's just wanting her spot.

Goofy is truly Goofy, he loves a new lay out or even clean-up day! He will support you while you scoop every dropping, he's laid out for you by being right by your side. He LOVES to climb, he's a blanket kind of guy, loves to dig up a blanket or push it where he wants.. actually he's quite pushy with Hurley too, he got her to run up and down the stairs comfortably as well as jump. He is always up for a cuddle, if not he will still let you cuddle him over Hurley if she doesn't want a cuddle more than him.

Leafy foods are a win, I'd have to say Kale was a great winner to get them out and about. Overall, they really do brighten up everyone's day if they're not in hiding being snobs. I hope another family can enjoy them as much as we had. "

These two first were surrendered into the rescue as part of an accidental breeding group of over 20 guinea pigs - over 1.5 years ago.
We still also have Simba, Daisy, Squish and Bo from that group all still waiting for their forever homes.

The rescue relies on donations as well as volunteers to keep going. The rescue's bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00
To check out other ways you can help support the rescue please visit https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/ways-you-can-help/

16/07/2024

FOUND & CAUGHT GUINEA PIG - Lynfield

Do you know anyone who is missing their guinea from the lynfield area? Please let them know to contact us.

As always, we will hold for the 7 day stray hold period.

08/07/2024

Sadly, we have had a few people hoping to surrender their guineas pigs in the past few days; unfortunately, we currently just do not have space to take them in.

If you have been considering adding guineas to your home, but you aren't quite sure..why not foster first?
https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/fostering/

If you are ready to open your home to some new additions, please fill out our adoption application form at https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/guinea-pig-adoption-form/

And don't forget we have rabbits who also need forever or foster homes!

We couldn't continue to run the rescue without our amazing foster homes and those who donate to help - the rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00. We are a registered charity, so you can claim back tax on your donation. 💓

05/07/2024

Transport needed:

Is anyone travelling from Auckland to or near Kerepehi that can take a couple of cute little extra passengers with them so they can go to their new home?

03/07/2024

Thank you to everyone who donated to the rescue during our turn at being rescue of the month at Pet.kiwi look at all the bags of pellets and the hay!

29/06/2024

Yesterday while I was talking to soon to be adopters about 3 pairs I thought may suit them best, as I went through each pair's story It was sad to notice how all 6 of those guinea pigs were abandoned by their humans and found by members of the public who then reach out for help.

Then we went through all the animals in the rescue at the moment. Out of the 91 animals, just over 20% were found dumped and were not surrendered by their owners.

Pictured is Piggy. he and his buddy Guinea were let loose out of their hutch when their 'owners' moved out their rental property. The lovely Joan spent time gaining the boys' trust enough to catch them and bring them to us.

The 2nd pair I mentioned to the adopters was Ginko and Tansy, the two dumped in a cardboard box at an off leash dog park.

The final pair was Pepsi & Gingerale, two boys dumped in a box at a local bike park in Waihi. They were then taken to a vet clinic in Waihi who contacted us and one of their lovely staff members drove up the boys to us.

Sadly, these are not the only animals who have come into the rescue after being found abandoned. While we wish the percentage was 0%; we are thankful for the members of the public who find these poor animals and do contact us or other rescues that are focused on the specific species found.

We couldn't continue to help these animals without your ongoing support. To those who can afford to help financially, the rescue's bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00 as we are a registered charity you can claim back the tax from your donation.

Those overseas the rescues givealittle page is https://givealittle.co.nz/org/aucklandcavycare

22/06/2024

A write-up from Jack & Mikas foster home; these two have been in the rescue for over 2 years now:

"Mika and Jack are very sweet little buns who deserve to find their forever home! They are very low-key rabbits and happy to entertain themselves so they would easily fit in with a working family. They don’t require much attention and are very well behaved, if a little reserved at first. Mika is the cheeky one. She loves exploring and running around on the carpet. She also enjoys a toy she can dig or move around (we discovered this with a pile of bubble wrap that became her burrow). Jack is a bit shy and needs somewhere cosy and secure he can hide in. He loves to lie in the sun in a quiet spot. His favourite toy is a toilet roll so he can throw it around, even better if treats fall out. They have the potential to be social with a little extra time and attention as they have already come out of their shell for the short time we have had them. I'm not sure they would suit young children.

It would be lovely to see them adopted."

To apply to adopt these two or any other buns in the rescue, please fill out our adoption application form at https://www.aucklandcavycare.org.nz/rabbit-adoption-form/

Jack & Mikas' recent foster home is leaving New Zealand soon; so the pair need a new understanding foster home until their home is found.

Your donations help us to care for the animals in the rescue; like these two. The rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00.

14/06/2024

Pet.kiwi has their birthday sale on now!

They've been such great supporters of so many rescues - can't believe it has been 8 years since they opened!

13/06/2024

In Feb we posted we only had 24 cents in the bank and people were shocked at that. To be honest it is not uncommon for us to have under $100 in the back, we are 2 people running a rescue that cost over 100k a year to run and we are doing our best, while working real jobs and being mothers.

Running a rescue is an expensive business and we try our best to do things on a shoestring.

In 2024 we have been lucky to get awarded desexing grants from the SPCA and New Zealand Companion Animal Trust, which we are very thankful for. These grants are sent directly to our vets and are specifically for desexing costs only. In the past we have had been thankful to be granted awards from the Lotteries, which have been wonderful as they can be used to support other costs in the rescue, we are awaiting to hear if we will be lucky enough to get another this year, please keep your fingers crossed for us.

But our main funding stream comes via donations, 60% of the total to be exact. In the last year we saw a 40% drop in donations, boy, do we understand how hard it is for everyone out there. This year the downward trend continues, and every month is harder and harder to continue to do what we do.

We have a small group of dedicated people whom we call our G-Force team. They make regular donations, weekly, fortnightly or monthly that help us stay afloat. If we could get even 10 more regular G-Force members from this post it would make such a difference to us and the animals.

We know that a lot of people read these posts, if everyone gave just $2 a week, I would never have to do a post like this again and to be honest I hate having to write posts like this, they are not easy to write. We would much rather tell you about the animals we have but without these posts, there may not be more animals to post about. We are not trying to grow what we do, as it is more than enough for us to manage. Helping 200 plus animals a year is no mean feat for our small home-based rescue.

We do this simple chart to explain when we apply for grants in general what each animal costs us. Some animals will cost us a lot more, the ones that come in unwell, or those that just no one has an interest in to adopt and stay for months or even years with us.

Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts, we want to keep doing what we do, but we can’t do it on our own.

Raylene and Hartley

Auckland Cavy Care
Bank account number 38-9014-0787909-00

For those overseas our Givealittle is easier to use https://givealittle.co.nz/org/aucklandcavycare

10/06/2024

Unfortunately, as anyone who has asked us to take in rabbits recently knows, we have been really trying to lower our rabbit numbers in the rescue as we are a Guinea Pig based rescue and would rather focus on the main species, we are all about. However, things happen, and people abandoned their rabbits at a friend of ours, so we now have 9 more buns in the rescue.

We've checked with TSB living if they can sell the roof poles separately, but they are unable to. So, we're hoping someone may have some parts from an old dog run.

Thanks to donations we managed to buy the first two sheets of plywood for one of the runs, we still need to raise $160 to buy the 2nd two pieces to get the 2nd run up.

We have had a 3 x 3-meter dog run donated recently thanks to Cherie after sad passing of her bun - if you can fit it and are happy to foster buns please get in touch!

Together we can do more, if you can donate, the rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00. We are a registered charity - .

05/06/2024

A small update on Neenish (Named thanks to Angela's suggestion!). After being on pain relief for the first week and having a good diet, he's walking so much better already, no more frog hopping! It appears he most likely was extremely malnourished :(

Thank you to Pet Doctors for giving Neenish a check over to make sure nothing was broken.

He is SUCH a friendly wee chap. He is currently hanging out with a little 6 week old boy (still needing a name) as well as the dumped male from just over a week ago. The three are all currently happy together - even popcorns are happening! But will likely each be bonded with females once ready.

05/06/2024

We are so thankful to Pet.kiwi for having us as their chosen rescue this month! Head on over to their website to check out their products! A pet shop that has never sold animals and instead is rescue focused!

Our rescue of the month this month is Auckland Cavy Care!
If you're looking for a friend head over to their page and see all the piggies that are currently up for adoption!
You can also support them by purchasing an item off their wishlist
https://www.pet.kiwi/rescue-wishlist/auckland-cavy-care/g333.aspx

04/06/2024

Slowly we are beavering away at getting our maintenance up to date at the rescue, one task at a time.

We generally only have rabbits at the rescue base for short periods of time. During that time, we want to make sure they have the best lodging we can give them. So, with that in mind we are reworking the runs we have here.

Last weekend we started to create two new 2.3m x 2.3m rabbit runs with a 30ish cm gap between them but the option to open the middle barriers up so we could use as one large one if we wanted to. We have started by trying to level our broken concrete pad into a flat surface by using pallets and planks.

Next, we need some marine plywood, to make it all flat, then we will cover with vinyl to complete the base and then we can build the runs on top.
The marine ply is not cheap, and we need 4 x 2440mm x 1220mm sheets.
If you can help us either with a sheet or a donation towards the new sheet would be wonderful. Together we can do so much more and look forward to sharing the new runs when finished.

Our bank details are Auckland Cavy Care Rescue 38-9014-0787909-00

We also are keeping an eye out for snuggle boxes - we have generously been donated two dog runs, a 2x4 meter and a 3x3 meter but are on the lookout for two snuggle boxes to go into each. These two runs are going to be sent out to foster homes, we have one foster home who can have one once we've sorted out a snuggle box but need a second!

02/06/2024

After 892 days in the rescue; Seymour finally found his home with his girl! The wait while sad is often worth it.

We still have just over 20 buns in the rescue. One of those buns is Frankie, who has been in the rescue for 918 days - him and his girl Galaxy would love a home!

30/05/2024

From Bennie & Kevina's foster mum:

I've been fostering these 2 cuties for 2 months now. And can't believe how friendly they have become. I handle them most days, with treats while we watch TV together, (one piggy at a time).
I have them in a huge dog playpen from kmart, (the x-large) which means I can climb in and clean. And when I sit on my knees, they come and put their front paws on my knees for treats 🥰 it's so, so adorable.
And while on my knees leaning over to sweep, feel them run over my feet🤭😅
They're so chatty as well. Bennie more so, and pretty sure he's the screamer if Kevina is where he has now decided that's where he wants to be in a hidey.
If I talk to them, they come out and talk to me too before I give them treats.

Have loved training them to be comfortable with people and be handled and feel safe with people walking past them without them scurrying away. If you're looking to adopt friendly Guinea pigs, these 2 are so cuuute🥰
I'm also happy to keep them as long as possible cos they are so adorable.
But also like the idea of helping other piggies get to this point of comfort, and friendliness to go to a forever home, where you and piggies are happy with interaction.
They also let me know if they about to go toilet if I'm holding them.
Kevina is quite the lady and often goes to hay tray, Bennie, just goes wherever as soon as I put him back. Anywhere in his house is his toilet🤭😅

They're on the Auckland cavy care website for adoption🥰

28/05/2024

Looking for something to do in your spare time?

Why not volunteer at the rescues home base! We have two rooms with guineas in them. We are located in Mt Roskill/Three Kings area.

In one room, we need volunteers on Mondays & Fridays - for this room, any preorganised time should work.

For the second room, we need volunteers on Tuesday & Thursday evenings - from 5 pm.

If you may be interested in volunteering, please fill out our volunteer form at

26/05/2024

A MASSIVE thank you to Sylvia and her dog for finding and safely helping these guineas at Craigavon Park (an off leash dog park).

We would like to offer our support if the person who dumped them has other guineas.

These two are now in the rescues care; a pregnant female and a male (who may potentially have dental issues by the way he's eating). We are happy to help any others if the owner who dumped them needs help.

23/05/2024

This little fella has no name and is apparently around 4 months old, yet only weighs 252 grams.

He was given as a gift to someone who had two dogs that saw him as food, so they put him up on trademe for free - we always worry when guinea pigs are put up for free, they are at risk of being gotten for dog bait as there are some nasty people out there.

Unfortunately, we had told the person we wouldn't be able to pick up until 1pm - so when they suddenly had to go out at 11:40am; instead of reorganising a time, they left him outside in a basket outside. We were then worried and stressed as we had to get to him in time before he jumped out, or an animal or person got him. Luckily, nothing happened to him before we could get there - phew!

As you can see from the video, he is a friendly fella, but unfortunately, he appears to have a back leg or a spinal issue, which means vet visits to figure out what is wrong. He is a satin, so we are aware he may be suffering from Satin syndrome. We will do what is best and kindest for him. For now, he is chomping down on a hay, puha, and pellets.

Once again, we are only able to help guineas like this fella because of all of you and your support. You can always buy something for our rescue from Pet.kiwi and let them know it's for us - its easy to do!

For those who can donate financially, the rescues bank account number is 38-9014-0787909-00.