Our Story

Piggie Parcels® was founded in 2018 by Amanda, after a life long love for piggies turned into a dream to make Natural Forage Foods more accessible to all piggie owners. The business grew and soon other family members were involved in the running of this exciting venture. To this day Piggie Parcels is still a family run business with lots of help and support from friends and the guinea pig community.

The inspiration behind Piggie Parcels was the love for my own piggies and my desire to offer them a healthy and happy life.

I have kept guinea pigs as pets for over 25 years and strive to give them an exciting and safe home, filled with physical and mental stimulation and a good natural diet.

I first came across botanical herbs as a forage food for guinea pigs around 15 years ago whilst caring for a piggie with a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) and I became interested in the suspected health benefits on both their physical and emotional wellbeing. The most common purpose of offering botanical herbs to guinea pigs, typically mixed in with hay, is to offer a more natural way of feeding by encouraging foraging behaviour which in turn increases mental and physical stimulation. But then there is also the health benefits to the guinea pigs that come from the specific nutrients within the plants. In the wild, guinea pigs are clever enough to choose which herbs to eat the stay healthy and by offering a selection of forage, we can replicate that in captivity, giving them the opportunity to self-select which herbs they need at any time.

For many years I would buy dried herbs for my own piggies from the limited suppliers on the market, being careful to purchase ones I knew were safe for guinea pigs but I noticed that it wasn’t always obvious to the consumer which herbs would be best for particular dietary needs. For example, what should I feed to a piggie prone to bladder infections? It got me thinking, how did other piggie owners know which ones to feed? How amazing would it be if I could just order a box of herbs that had already been selected for my piggies individual dietary requirements? And so the idea of Piggie Parcels was born, a parcel delivered direct to your door containing pre-selected dried botanical herbs and flowers chosen for specific needs just for piggies.

After the idea came intense research and a hunt for suppliers! I had high standards of the type of forage i wanted to provide, 100% Natural, no additives, preservatives or sweeteners. But alongside providing an excellent quality product, i knew the packaging was just as important. I was determined not to add to the pile of non-recyclable plastic being sent to landfill, so I started looking at biodegradable solutions for the bags but then what about the boxes, labels, tape, ink, the list was endless! However, the end result was worth it, quality products and Eco Friendly packaging to be proud of!

In the years since we started, we have grown into a fulltime business, committed to providing quality forage in packaging that meets our high expectations and 100% plastic free. We have had the absolute pleasure of working with numerous rescues throughout the UK on various projects over the years and we continue to support rescues and build strong relationships in the guinea pig community (we are such a friendly bunch), spreading the word on the benefits of forage.

One of my greatest accomplishments and the part that gives me the most pleasure, is the relationships I've built with customers and the piggies I've helped along the way. Knowing they trust me to supply only the best forage to feed their most precious piggies, most of whom i know by name (please keep the photos coming, i love my monthly updates from all your piggies)!

My hope is that I can help better the lives of piggies by providing wonderful forage foods for them to enjoy, allowing them a more natural way to feed.

This is my story so far but it is only just the beginning….