I want a Guinea Pig(:?

Question

Basics?

Food.?

Habitat?

Pricing?

Cleaning?

Etc

Thankyou

Answer 1

Aww.  I love guinea pig questions.   I have had them for eight years so I am an expert.  They are so sweet and loving although they are skittish at first.  You have to earn their trust.  They love to be held.  You should interact with them every day and they do best in pairs because they are very social animals.  It is best to keep two females together because two males may fight and of course a male and female will make babies.  I have one of each so I keep them in separate cages.  Guinea pigs live five to eight years.  I keep mine in a cage that is for guinea pigs.  You can also invest in a rabbit cage for more space but don't get one with a wire bottom because they will get sores on their feet.  I like rabbit cages because the tray is higher so it contains the bedding.  They aren't expensive.  Between 30-40 dollars.  They eat pellets, hay, and of course they need fresh water daily.  I used the Nutriphase pellets for Guinea pigs with Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is very important for guinea pigs.  I also use liquid Vitamins for guinea pigs and put it in their water daily.  If they don't have enough Vitamin C they will develop a condition called scurvy.  You can use Aspen bedding or kiln-dried pine.  Everyone says that pine isn't good for rodents but it is fine because I use it and my pets have never had a problem with it.  Carefresh is the best but it is more expensive.  Remove the soiled bedding from the cage daily and change the bedding weekly or biweekly depending on the size of the cage.  Also clean the food and water bottle often and clean the cage when you change the bedding.  You can buy cage cleaner and deodorizer for small pets.  I used a solution of half water and half vinegar.  It works really well and isn't toxic to the animals.  The solution from the pet store is costly and I do through a lot of it.  Also make sure that your guinea pig is in a room that is comfortable.  Not too hot or too cold.  Too cold isn't as bad as too hot but it isn't recommended.  If it is too hot it can kill your guinea pig since it can't tolerate the heat.  Put a plastic igloo in the cage.  They love to hide in there.  Guinea pigs are diurnal which means that they sleep on and off but they sleep with their eyes open because they are prey in the wild and are always on guard.  Just interact with your guinea pig daily.  They love lots of attention.  They more time you spend with them the sweeter they are.  I have never know a guinea pig to bite but they will nibble on your fingers if they smell food on them so wash your hands before holding them.  The hay you want to give them is Timothy Hay.  Alfalfa is okay occasionally but too much will make them fat.  You can give them fruits or veggies a couple of times a week.  Not too much because they will get diarrhea.  Never give them lettuce.  It will cause diarrhea because it is mostly water.  Also, it has no nutritional value.  Kale is the best.  They love it an it is high in vitamin C.  I hope that I was helpful.

Answer 2

So my basic guide to guinea pigs:::::

Food) Guinea pigs need unlimited timothy hay. They also need unlimited food pellets with the first ingredient being timothy hay. A lot have the main ingredient as alfalfa, but alfalfa is too high in calcium. I'd reccomend the Kaytee stuff if you can't get oxbow, which is the best. But it has to be shipped, so it's harder to get.

Vitamin C) They don't make it so you have to give it to them some way. Kaytee food has it in it, so it's not as much of a worry, but you should give them fresh veggies so they get some of it fresh. Good fresh foods are romaine lettuce, parsley, mustard greens, carrots, bell peppers, and other stuff. Bad things are iceburg lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, and any dairy or meat. There is more to add to both lists, but that's just some simple stuff. They can eat almost all leftover veggie scraps, like the leaves you don't eat on carrots, corn, broccili, and celery. With celery make sure to chop it really small because it's stringy.

Cage) I say c&c cages are the best. One guinea pig should have 7.5 square feet of space. Go to http://www.guineapigcages.com and it will tell you how to order of build a cage.

Friend) Another guinea pig is not required, but reccomended. I'm guessing you're about my age, so you'll be needing to go to school every day. It will get pretty boring for your guinea pig. And if you get two both will probably be more active. That's more fun! So you don't need 2, but it's not much harder then one and will make them happier.

O yea. Just make sure they're the same s*x. Make sure the person sexes them with you watching, so you know they know.

Bedding) You have some options. You can use wood ships, but make sure you get ones that are safe for guinea pigs. If you do I would say spot clean as often as possible by switching out their 'special corner' and then giving a full cage clean once or twice a week. Same if you use Carefresh. Tho other option is using fleece with towels or puppy pads under it. To clean this vaccuum the poops off the top and then throwing the whole thing in the washing machine. I use fleece because it seems soft for their feet. Carefresh is most expensive but makes it smell best. If they like a corner more then anywhere else, try putting a litter pan in that corner. They might become potty trained!

Water) simple. Make sure they have enough fresh water at all times.

Hidey Home) Each guinea pig needs a home to hide in so it will feel security.

Toys) They like simple stuff like paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, and paper bags. They really like running through those soda packs. And a lot of them like those hanging bell toys. Some ferret, rabbit, and cat toys are good too. Just make sure your guinea pig can't eat through it or there are no small parts.

Grooming) They should be brushed about weekly, more if they're long haired and they need hair cuts if they have long hair. They need to get their nails trimmed about once a month. http://www.guinealynx.com has a good guide for nails. Also bathe them about twice a year, more if they get really dirty. Have some warm water in jugs. But your guinea pig in a sink or bowl it can't jump out of. pour the water over it, not on it's head and face though. Put small pet or possibly baby shampoo on it and lather up! But still not on the face. Now rinse with more of your warm water. Use towels to gently dry it off, then keep your baby in a warm-ish place until the water is all dry on it!

start up fees are about $150

from then on it's only about $10 a month or a bit more, depending on what you need to restock at the time

So I hope this helps! And you should know that you can ask me anything else you want to know!

15 hours ago - Edit - Delete

Answer 3

basics. give it love and care and attention.

food. get kaytee fiesta dry food for it and give it lettce and celery apple i have a guinea pig and he loves all this stuff)make sure you get it lots of things to chew onhabitat .give it a huge cage wih plenty of room. guinea pigs are 30.00 clean out his cage every two to three days

Answer 4

you should know... unless want to be kept awake all night long by your guinea pig's incessant squeaking noises, you should cover up the cage with a towel at night.

Answer 5

For food

Give only pellets, if you get the food with the treats in it, they won't eat pellets like they are supossed to.   Lots of vegetables! Stay clear of iceberg lettuce though. They do need greens but not too much because they will get gassy and have the runs.  Give fruits in moderation.

Get them a cage, not an aquarium. The cages are better pricing. And also use aspen bedding, Much better on their lungs!

Be prepared to spend some big money at first! The cages range from $70-$120 where I live! So take about $200 out of the bank just to make sure.

Try not to bathe your pig too much...but do keep their cage clean! I clean my piggies cage every other day.

Give them lots of attention!

Answer 6

just keep in mind just to get the guiney pig thing will cost about 150$$ though 250$$

Answer 7

First of all if you do get a Guinea Pig it's great that you are because Guinea Pigs need homes and with-out them the residence owners are forced to put them to sleep : (

BASICS:

First you need the supplies= cage, water bottle, food, bedding (this can be=hay, news paper shavings or sawdust= don't use sawdust!)

nail trimming (every 3 months or when they are about half a centimeter)

FOOD:

Guinea Pigs need fresh supplies of Vegetables in their diet, such as carrots and apple.

They also need hay, it contains vitamin C.

Lets just make this easier.

Buy a mix pack, some contain pellets, dried up fruit, bits of hay, sun flower seeds Etc but they still need fresh fruit and veggies.

HABITAT:

Guinea Pigs are Rodents and have hair.

Because of breeding population their numbers have increase extremely so every single one needs a home.

Guinea Pigs are great pets and usually need company (another companion), they also can stay in cages with Rabbits.

PRICING:

The average price for a Guinea Pig each would be from $5-$20.

CLEANING:

You need to clean out the cage every week so they are healthy.

This is perfurd to be used in most cages, newspaper which is under the hay-.

Scrub cage with salt water.

Remember when you pick a Guinea Pig make sure its eyes are clear and it is in good condition

Good Luck!

Answer 8

Basics: www.guineapigcages.com can tell you all about piggies.

www.guinealynx.com is more medical information.

Food: Timothy based pellet. Avoid katee and hartz. Most petstore brands are not good. Look for oxbow and kleenmamas. If you cant find those, look at their ingredients and try to find a similar pellet.

24/7 Hay is a must, it provides fiber and keeps the gut flora in moving. Timothy is prefered over other types.

Price: can vary, depends on what the piggy needs, where you get it, vet care can be expensive.

Please adopt two piggies of the same s*x or an opposite pair from a rescue.

Habitat: Try c&c cages. They are versatile and cheaper. The sites under basics can tell you more about the cages. Many rescues require these cages as part of the adoption or something similar.

Fleece bedding is the most economical and it is cheaper than buying carefresh every week. Aspen is the only shavings bedding you should use. It has a minor smell, if any, and is the most healthy for piggies if you do not want to try fleece/carefresh. Fleece gives you the carefresh feel, for a cheaper price. guineapigcages.com has a sticky and a forum you can ask questions on if you want to know more.

Cleaning: can be physically demanding. For me it is because my cages are really high up. For most it is roll up the fleece, shake it out outside, and throw it in the wash. For people with shavings, they compost it or throw it away, wipe the cage out, then put a new layer in the cage.

Veggies/fruits: Veggies are a favorite of most piggies. red leaf lettuce is something my piggies take to really well, they really like leafy things. Kale is a good source of vitamin C.

fruits are treats, they are really high in sugar and should be fed sparingly.

Avoid: all vitamin c drops(they are not needed if veggies are apart of the diet, plus the drops change the taste of the water and can deter a piggy from drinking, they are useless pnce they hit light.), cedar bedding, salt licks, treats from petstores. Do not feed pellets with colorful pieces in it, petstores are not good places to get a pet from. They typically get their animals from mills, and back yard breeders, and they hire people that dont know that much so they can train them in what to say, many people that work there are high school students that are looking to make a quick buck.

Try rescue/adoption instead. www.petfinder.com

Putting the piggy with a rabbit is not a good idea. Rabbits are social creatures and need companionship. They do not travel in herds and do not understand the complex relationship of herd animals. Guinea pigs are herd animals and tend to be loners even though they are around other piggies. rabbits like to cuddle and groom eachother. My bunnies, i have two, are very close. If one cant get to the other, they get upset. based on what I see,  it is a completely different relationship with rabbits and guinea pigs and mixing the species is not advised. One kick from a rabbits foot can kill a guinea pig, whether accidential or intentional.

Answer 9

basics:

um... well i guess the basics are: b sweet to them, dont talk loud or make sudden or loud noises around it.  pay loads of attention to it!

food:

my guinea pig went thru a head of lettuce in 1-2 days!  they eat lettuce, spinach, carrots, apples, banana's (give diarrhea), fruit, carrot greens <3, dandilion leaves, grass =S, anything but human food! feed it in a bowl so it doesn't eat up the paper shreds with it.  for water, put it in a bottle when older and in a bowl when young.

habitat:

make sure you have a little house for your piggy so it doesn't get scared.  get a big cage, (no levels) and you can use pretty much any bedding but i don't suggest wood shavings. (my piggy hated them).

pricing:

i got mine around 25$

cleaning:

you dont need to cleen him on a regular basis just clean him when he is really dirty. (i cleaned mine once a month or if he is really dirty).

etc:

i'm sure you will enjoy ur guinea pig.  i didn't trim it's nails and it's not obligated but it may hurt you.  they dont bite exept for the first days you have it because it wont know you well.  guinea pigs are sweet and have a cute personallity,

have fun with ur piggy!

hope i helped a little =)

Answer 10

All your answers are at guinealynx.com

And look into adopting before buying. Give a pig a home.

Guineapigs need a roomy home, look up C&C cages. They need green veggies not apples and carrots. They need a cup of romaine daily, and not vitamin drops.

Don't listen to the "Professional breeder" shes  doing more harm then good.

Don't use torn up paper for the cage, or saw dust. I always liked fleece and Carefresh!

Your pig needs a hidey house and a friend of the same s*x.