Guinea Pigs Information help?

Question

I am planning on buying a Guinea pig this Friday and I need to know the basics- Cage size? Please no huge cages I need the Bare Minimum do to lack of space for the cage. I do plan on letting it out several hours a day because I am home all day. Yes, and I do know they are happier in couples but I don't have the space for a cage that big. My girlfriend next door has a pig and we plan on having piggie play dates (he he) so I think that should suffice. I need to know food/toys/treats etc etc thanks! :D

Answer 1

Guinea pigs are great pets, they love to just sit there and cuddle with you. You can buy a basic guinea pig cage for about $50 and up its a plain cage with a plastic bin. Make sure your guinea pig gets plenty of vitamin C because they cant make their own vitamin C, most commercial guinea pig foods should be fine. Guinea pigs don't really need toys but they like having a place to hide like a plastic igloo, you can even make something for him/her to hide in, like a cut up box, which they could also chew on. Good luck!

Answer 2

I had quite a few guinea pigs growing up, and they are quite easy keepers. Just a small indoor rabbit like cage, regular guinea pig food, a large water bottle, food dishes (ceramic works best) and and a little piggy igloo. I was never a big fan of having bedding in the cage with them as it just gets stinky and stuck in their eyes, rather get a cage with the wire bottom so the pee and p**p drops into the bottom and change frequently!

have fun!

Answer 3

The bare minimum for one guinea pig is 7.5 sq ft, so about 30" x 36". MINIMUM. If you cannot meet that size, then you should not have a guinea pig. No amount of floor time is going to even out having a too-small cage. It is not fair to the animal. Check out http://www.guineapigcages.com/ to learn about size and how to build your own cage a lot cheaper than buying one.

Pigs are social animals and can become "ill" or depressed alone. They are happier in pairs and there is no real way you can make up for what he would miss out on. You cannot be a constant source of company/comfort, a full time playmate, an encourager to eat more, etc. If you know that it would be happier with a friend, then why would you want to get a pig just so he can be mediocrely happy?

http://www.guinealynx.info/index.html will give you all the information you need to know about caring for a guinea pig. Please make sure you are prepared to do these things before you get one. You should also consider adopting a pig from a rescue or shelter instead of buying one at a pet store. Pet store pigs are not generally cared for by people who know much about them and they won't come to you fresh from seeing a vet, so they commonly get brought home with illnesses, serious or minor. Rehoming a pig would be the best and nicest option.

Answer 4

Piggie play dates are not the same thing. They may fight. And if they do get along, they do bond and can get depressed when separated.

Pet store cages are not sufficient, even if you let them out several hours a day (and actually 7+ hours .. not a few hours a day as usually happens).

You should read over http://www.guinealynx.info and http://www.guineapigcages.com

And adopt

http://www.petfinder.com/

Answer 5

The most popular cage that people buy are the marchioro cages. I would suggest a tommy 82 (just ask for that, they will know what you are talking about) as far as food, I swear that oxbow makes the best food. you would need the Cavy Cuisine. I love this food. it is a little more expensive but is seriously the best food out there! Guinea pigs need an extra source of vitamin C so you should buy some vitamins for the water that are specifically for g-pigs and make sure it contains Vit. C. They are sususceptibleo scurvy if not enough Vit C is provided. You also need a constant supply of hay. Timothy hay is most common. for toys i would suggest you getting him a little house (made of wood so its chew-safe) or a Chewbular Tube(if you get this throw away the fluff) For bedding stay away from pine and cedar. Go with Carefresh or Aspen shavings! G-Pigs teeth grow continuously so provide a variety of toys. Just make sure it is edible and non-toxic. For treats go with something small. I always recommend giving the pig a treat every time you handle them so they will gain a connection and trust.

STAY AWAY FROM WIRE BOTTOM CAGES THEY WILL HURT THEIR LITTLE FEET AND COULD CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS!!!

Answer 6

Great Choice for a pet! Guinea pigs are wonderful pets!

Check out the website below :)

Answer 7

:( I miss my guinea pig, she died last year at the grand ol' age of 8 years old. My sister and I's older cousin used to breed guinea pigs, so we got sisters. My sister's died shortly after the other, which just goes to show how much they depend on a friend. I suppose your friend's piggy dates will suffice, but make them frequent. Try to get a cage that has enough room for him to run around comfortably. They love old shoe boxes with a hole cut in it for sleeping and stuff. Give them blocks of wood to chew on to dull their teeth. If you ignore their teeth, they keep on growing and it has been known for the incisors to grow up into the skull/brain and kill them. Feed them lots of raw veggies like lettuce and carrots. Plenty of water constantly, and play with him keep him happy too. Guinea pigs are great cause they're not that difficult to care for. Now me, I have horses, so I have two very big pigs of their own kind :)