Boarding

Wheektown provides boarding services for guinea pigs in west Melbourne. The guinea pigs are given spacious C&C cages with fleece bedding, high-quality food, temperature control, and round-the-clock care.

Boarding clients must be dropped off at the Wheektown residence, or they can be picked up and/or dropped off at your place for a small fee.

If you would like to board with us, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Boarding is $5 per pig per night. Discounts are negotiable for multiple guinea pigs or longer stays.

Apply for boarding

    Owner #1 details

    Owner #2 details

    Travel details

    ​There is a $2 fee for each picking up or dropping off the guinea
    ​pigs per km distance from the residence.

    Veterinary information

    If specific veterinary details are not provided, our own vet will be used.

    Guinea pig information
    ​
    ​Guinea pig #1

    Guinea pig #2

    Guinea pig #3

    ​Guinea pig #4

    ​Guinea pig #5

    ​Guinea pig #6

    ​Guinea pig #7

    Guinea pig #8

    What we provide

    Housing
    • Cages are built in C&C style to the number of guinea pigs.
    • Bedding material is in the form of fleece or cotton liners.
    • Spot cleaning is done once per day and thorough cleaning is done once per week.
    • Cooling is provided in hot weather and heating is provided in cold weather.
    Feeding
    • Access to fresh water at all times in the form of a dropper bottle. Bowls of water may be provided if necessary.
    • Access to fresh grassy hay at all times.
    • 1/8 cup of Oxbow adult guinea pig pellets provided per guinea pig in the morning.
    • 1/2 cup of fresh fruits and vegetables provided per guinea pig in the evening.
    • Fruits and vegetables may include the following: cos lettuce, red oak lettuce, coriander, basil, parsley, carrot, carrot tops, sweet potato, green bell pepper, truss tomato, cherry tomato, cucumber, apple, strawberry, kiwi fruit, banana, corn husk, fresh grass.
    ​Care
    • Someone will almost always be home to provide attention.
    • Administration of medication where necessary.
    • Health checks will be conducted at least once per week.
    • If the guinea pig falls ill the owner will be contacted for permission to take it to the veterinarian.
    • If the guinea pig is in a life-threatening situation, it will be taken immediately to a 24/7 emergency veterinarian.
    • In emergencies, the owner will be contacted but the guinea pig will be taken to the veterinarian regardless of whether or not the owner can be contacted in time or whether or not they grant permission. Everything in our power will be done to save the guinea pig on the way to the veterinarian, including first aid treatment and CPR.

    Conditions of leaving your guinea pig(s) in our care

    • You must try to be contactable at all times.
      • If you are travelling on the road you must do your best to remain within mobile service as much as possible.
      • You must advise us if you will not be contactable for long periods of time.
    • You must provide an up-to-date and accurate medical history for each animal where relevant.
      • We are not responsible for any problems that arise due to information you have given incompletely or incorrectly.
      • We are not responsible for any problems that arise due to old age, pre-existing conditions, or naturally occurring ailments.
      • We are not responsible for any problems that arise due to circumstances out of our control.
      • Any existing medication required must be provided by the owner.
      • We reserve the right to refuse boarding to any sick animal(s) that pose a potential threat to the health of any humans or animals already in the house.
    • Animals will not be housed in inappropriate groups.
      • No opposite-sex groups may be housed together unless one of them is de-sexed.
      • No more than one male may be housed together with females unless in an exceptional bonding case.
      • No more than two or three already bonded males may be housed together unless young or in an exceptional bonding case.
    • In the event that an animal needs to be taken to the veterinarian, all costs must be reimbursed by you.
      • This is not the case if, for some reason, the problem has been caused by us.
      • We will pay for all necessary costs at the time to ensure the animal is treated immediately, but they will need to be reimbursed when you pick up the animal(s).
    • The cost of boarding is $5 per guinea pig per night.
      • Discounts can be negotiated for larger groups or longer stays.
      • Full payment of the expected length of boarding (drop-off time to pick-up time) is required before or when you drop your animal(s) off.
      • If you end up coming home earlier than expected you will not be charged for the remaining days after you pick up the animal(s), and a refund of those remaining days will be given.
      • If you end up coming home later than expected you will be charged at the same rate per additional day (there is no extra cost to being late). However, we do request that you contact us if your plans change.
      • If extra payment is required due to a later stay or veterinary expense, pick-up of the animal(s) may be refused until such payment is provided.
    • If you fail to retrieve the animal(s) within seven days (168 hours) of the pick-up date and time provided:
      • We will attempt to contact you at least once per day during this seven-day period.
      • If you make no attempt to contact us during that time and we are unable to contact you, we may assume you are not coming back.
      • In this situation, after seven days of no contact you agree to relinquish ownership rights of the animal(s).
    • If we have reason to believe your animal(s) is/are being neglected or mistreated, we may request that changes be made to their care.
      • In extreme situations, such as obvious physical abuse, severe neglect, or threats to conduct or permit physical abuse or neglect, we reserve the right to contact the appropriate authorities or refuse retrieval of the animal(s).
      • Such situations include: starvation and dehydration, refusal to provide reasonable shelter, refusal to provide medical treatment for serious conditions (e.g. mange, scurvy, broken limbs, malocclusion), and conductance or allowance of deliberate harm (e.g. baiting, mutilation, hitting, dropping, or throwing).
    Once we review your application we will
    ​email you to confirm.
    IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM OR JUNK FOLDERS.