Is a guinea pig right for me?

Question

I was thinking about making a C&C Cage and using a 2 by either 3 or 4

im trying to think of where i should put it though....where do you suggest i put it in either my bedroom, the family room with a TV, the office, or the den? I also only want to get one guinea pig i heard that its best to get two but i feel as my first time getting a guinea pig i can only handle one.

PLEEEEEAAASE PLEASE HELP....!

Answer 1

Well, guinea pigs are sociable animals so if you want to get one unfortunately you do need to get two. Plus they do have to be handled every day and groomed etc so maybe at the moment they rant the right pets for you. You could look in pets at home at the adoption section, because sometimes they have guinea pigs who are alone because their companion has died. The cage should go somewhere warm, but airy for the summer and if you want them indoors you will have to clean them out regularly. Hope this helped!!

Answer 2

guinea pigs need a large cage and put it in the family room because that's where the family is most of the time, and in your room you can become allergic to them. They like warm places but not toooooooo warm or they will get heat stroke then will die quickly.

Don't worry as long as you spend LIKE ALL DAY with them like i have to with my guinea pig. It's really a long commitment you are willing to make but luckily I am getting my guinea pigs baby as a little companion for her (too bad she isn't born yet :( ) AND I DID NOT BREED HER ON PURPOSE

Answer 3

well for the cage it has to be a warm dry place with plenty of light but not direct...

its always best to get 2 guinea pigs since they are social animals by nature and need someone from their own kind to keep them company. to help you understand that, imagine yourself alone in a cage with guineapigs. you'd feel lonely and bored, wouldnt you? EVERY animal needs one of its own kind, thats just they way things are. guineapigs are easy to handle, and im a first time owner and i bought 2 beacuase i knew 1 alone wouldnt be happy.

x

Answer 4

A C&C cage is excellent! It's great you've done your research. 2x4 is probably ideal, the more space the better! I really don't recommend putting the cage in your bedroom. Firstly, any noises or rustles it makes in the night can disturb you if you're a light sleeper. Also, most tend to kick out their wood shavings or Carefresh (if that's the bedding you'll use) and your carpet can get pretty messy. Temperatures also differ in bedrooms, especially if you use a heater or air conditioner. The main reason I REALLY don't recommend putting them in a bedroom, is that it isn't a very social place. As much as you'd like to think so, you don't spend every moment of your day there, and even then you're usually the only one in there frequently. Guineas thrive on living in a social environment most frequented by people. This applied to the office and den as well (depending on your type of den, whether its open and frequented by the family, or if it's just a quiet, relaxation area.)

For example, my two guineas Peanut and Buttercup have their cage sitting in the corner of my kitchen and lounge area. It's right near the sitting area for the TV and they are in viewing range from the kitchen. The area is very open, has a decent temperature range and airflow, and is the perfect location in my house. This is the area my family stays in most of their day, and it's where the most social activity is going on. Guineas love to feel part of the family, and I'm sure you don't want to tuck them away in your bedroom feeling lonely most of the day with little social contact :( So in short, the TV and family room sounds like your best bet. Just make sure they're in an area not in the way of the family, but not tucked up out of sight either. Somewhere open with decent airflow, not to close to the TV, but not to far away from social activity.

That brings me to my second point. One guinea pig will get quite lonely, especially if you're the only one caring for it. So you are right that you should get two. I know right now you probably don't feel you're ready to handle two, but it will make your life easier, believe me :) Here's how:

As you've probably heard before, guineas are social animals. They naturally live in herds and thrive on companionship. A lone guinea can get very lonely very quickly, and also very bored. Unless you're willing to commit the majority of your time at home to entertaining and loving one animal, your guinea pig won't be as happy as it could be. Whereas with two animals, you can leave home safely knowing that your guinea will not feel lonely and won't waddle around his cage bored and depressed. Two guinea pigs are always happier and especially when scared or cold, they love to huddle together for warmth and security. So please consider getting two - it really will make your life easier, honest! I'm confident you can handle two, they are reasonably low maintenance animals and you'll learn their habits and needs quickly. I started off with two, and it made my life easier knowing they had each other to keep each other company. Sure you'll have to get two food bowls, and there'll be twice as much little poops but that's nothing compared to caring full time for one.  Just make sure they're both the same s*x as you don't want to breed (and you shouldn't). Either two males or females are fine. I know many say two males won't get along, but that really isn't true. It's totally an individual guinea thing.

Oh and one more thing, I really do recommend you look into adopting a guinea/s. You'll be helping to home some poor unloved guinea pigs, and can be assured they're disease free unlike most poor pet shop guineas who are full of mites and other miserable sicknesses. Most of them are already housed together, so you can be sure that if you pick two from the same cage, they'll get along fine. Adoption centres and sanctuaries also s*x the pigs properly, so you won't risk getting a boy instead of a girl and vice versa. Also, you won't get any pregnant females - which you really don't want!

If you have any other questions about bedding, feeding, guinea pig behaviour and illnesses etc. please feel free to message me :)

Good luck!

Answer 5

Guinea pigs are great easy care pets. I should know, I am a breeder! Females love the company of others, but males tend to fight with others. And unless you want 10 puppies (baby guinea pigs) then make sure you don't get a male and a female together. If you don't have a lot of time to be cleaning out their cage then only get one. Mind you this means they will be more lonely and will want your love. The best place for your pig is a quiet place where she can rest most of the time. The family room will be much too loud but unless you clean her cage daily it may make your room a little smelly! You can choose a suitable place just taking in mind that the guinea pig will need a quiet place where you won't mind the mess that one will make.

Remember, just because they are small doesn't mean they have no personality. My little one Maggie is full of life and squeals whenever she hears my voice or the backdoor open. Even more so when she hears the rattling of a plastic bag with her lunch in it. At the moment Maggie is my only guinea pig, but she is fine with that because she gets lots of pats every morning before work (she thinks she is a dog, not your usual guinea pig).

Answer 6

If it's your first time, you should only get one guinea pig to make sure it is the right pet for you. When you think you can handle two, get another one. Guinea Pigs are awesome pets, you can pick them up and you can cuddle it. They cost about $30-$40 each. The cost of the supplies each month would be about $30-$50 dollars in total. You would have to trim their nails each month, or take it to a vet to have it's nails trimmed. Put the cage somewhere where It's not a drafty place, or a place where it burns up. The "horrible squeaking noise" is actually the sound of the guinea pig when it's happy. Whoever ready this, please rate it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Go here for more information:    http://www.jackiesguineapiggies.com

Email me if you need help.

Answer 7

I suggest you put it somewhere warm, but the cage often will start to smell so maybe it would be best not to put it anywhere where that matters...somewhere where there is a nice amount of noise to keep it from getting bored but not too much loud noise...I got a new guinea pig yesterday to go with my other one, because she was lonely...they're not difficult to handle and it doesnt make much difference to what you have to do to look after them, but I notice a real difference when there is one to when there is two...when you get above two though they start to become a bit of a handful!!! Guinea pigs are really friendly, they are really nice pets to have I am sure they are right for you. Hope all this helped. x