Guinea pig owners only?

Question

i am thinking of getting a guinea pig do you have any pointers to tell me

Answer 1

First off, adopt! There's tons of homeless guinea pigs right now: http://www.petfinder.com/

Second of all, please get a same s*x pair. Guinea pigs are highly social herd animals and shouldn't be kept alone. Here's some excellent care information:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/guineapigs...

http://www.guinealynx.com/

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

http://cavymadness.com/

http://guineapigs.info/

Answer 2

I dont recommend having one of them because they are social creatures that live in big groups in the wild. Having two together is sufficient but not less than that!  You will not be able to pick them up and cuddle and love on them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Like people, they need to be with their own kind. Now where to get a guinea pig is the question. I do recommend searching the internet for local rescue groups and shelters that help in placing guinea pigs in homes. Believe it or not, there are plenty of guinea pig rescue groups out there. This may or may not be the perfect pet for a child. They can live up to 8 years and should be taken care of properly. they require daily feeding and watering and at least twice weekly cage maintenance or cleaning, depending on how big your cage is. When deciding which one you want to get, keep in mind that males are notorious for fighting. Well i have said enough and theres only so much that i can say! i hope this was a big help. Good luck!

Answer 3

Read the links badkitty gave you and adopt http://www.petfinder.com/

Answer 4

congrats!

i am currently the owner of 2 guinea pigs... these re my tips.....

1. adopt   there are many great places....

check around your local shelters.

petfinder.com is lso a great place to look

2. make a C&C cage

like this... http://guineapigcages.com/

3. bathe them 1 time a month   or 1 time every 2 months

4. trim there claws 1 a month no exuses

5. use fleece or shavings for bedding

(i would actually suggest carefresh but it is slightly expensive)

6. get 2 or more because if you get one they will be very lonley

7. get 2 females or 2 males but not one of each unless you want pigglets!         lol

8. if you get a long furred one.. comb it at least once a day   and i would suggest to cut the fur on its butt really short

it makes life MUCH easier (i have one long furred nd one short)

9.make sure you give it enoguh fruits and veggies or it might get scurvy

10. be patient NEVER give it puishment.

goodluck!

~kenz

Answer 5

tip 1: get two or more of them. it is considered cruel to to keep one on it's own. tip 2: get a guineapig book from the bookstore or library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

Answer 6

they should be in pairs at least.  guinea pigs that are alone are not happy.  make sure either the ones you get are already bonded and either spayed or neutered or both of the same s*x.  you don't want baby piggies!

make sure you get a cage that's sufficient size for them.  the ones sold in petstores are not nearly big enough for the 2 guinea pigs.  i made what's called a C&C cage myself for around $50-$60 and it's a huge 2 level closed lid one.  go to

www.guineapigcages.com

they'll give you instructions on how to make one of these cages.  it's very simple.  and will provide ample room for your pets to get proper exercise.

guinea pigs have very specific diets.  they need an alphalfa based guinea pig pellet until they are around a year of age.  after that they need a timothy based pellet.  i don't reccomend the normal petstore brands.  oxbow makes the best pellet i've found and my piggies enjoy it.

they also need hay constantly.  timothy hay is the best and should be available at all times.  alphalfa hay isn't really reccomended.  oat, wheat and brome hays can be used as well, but timothy is the most reccomended.  i've found that the petstore hay is often mostly stems and very stiff and can damage your pig when running around the cage.  i either find fresh small bales at my local farm store or the oxbow brand is better.  

they also require daily doses of vitamin C.  you can either give them a vitamin tablet daily, don't add it to the water.  wrap it in a safe treat that they will eat.  they also need the additions of veggies.  they have to have specific calcuim to phosphorus ratios so only certain foods will be ok to feed them.  red peppers, spinach leaves, green peppers are just a few.  iceburg lettuce can harm them and is not reccomended.  only fresh leafy green lettuces, and in small amounts.  here's a link that will show you what foods are good and what aren't and many other valuable tips.

www.guinealynx.com

they also need to be socialized.  you can't get a guinea pig, put it in a cage and interact with it whenever you feel like.  they need interaction from you at least once a day for a decent period of time.

they also require regular nail trims.  you can learn how to do this or your vet will do it for you.  but often trips to the vet can stress out your pigs.

the creatures are wonderful if you take the time to educate yourself and fully prepare before bringing them home.  if handeled correctly most do not bite or scratch.  if socialized properly they are content to sit in your lap and be petted or munch on a treat for fairly long periods.  mine even grumbles when she needs to potty so i can return her to her cage.

i think they are great pets.  but they are a lot of work and require time to be spent with them.  they should not be the sole responsibility of young children.

they can live anywhere from 7 up to 12 years on average.  so this is a long term commitment.  you need to be fully prepared for the pig chatter, whistles and mess for that long.  

they can be wonderful little companions and i would miss mine terribly if i didn't have them!

Answer 7

I had one by himself for almost 7 years, he seemed to be just fine just with me.  He would chitter to me constantly to get carrots/peppers, which I gave him.  He was fat and happy till the end.