Do guinea pigs make good pets?

Question

what are their personalities like, what do you feed them, what are the cage requirements for a guinea pig and what furnishings should be in there, do they need yearly vet checkups, must they absloutely be in pairs if not how much attention do they require as loan guinea pigs, if in pairs how much attention is required, how and how often should a guinea pigs cage be cleaned, do they need baths or other grooming, what bedding should i use, i have 520$ to spend on a guinea pig(s) per year, the initial cost doesnt matter just the yearly cost will this be enough to provide for one (or two) is there anything i should know about a guinea pig before i buy one do they have any special needs?what supplies do i need for them?

Answer 1

Yes , I would say guinea pigs make good pets. They are a little noisy though.You normally wouldnt have to bathe one. You need a water tube ,food, and a ball for them to roll in for exercize.

Answer 2

Okay, a lot of information coming at you right now, haha. You asked a lot and I think I can answer it all...

First of all, they make spectacular pets if you are willing to work hard and take the time to care for them. They are NOT good pets if you don't have a lot of free time, don't have a lot of room (You have to be able to devote a large portion of your apartment to their cage!), or do not have a lot of money. They're cuddly, quirky, noisy, and full of personality. They'll sit on your lap for an hour at a time, but they'll also run around a room and hop around or 'popcorn' in excitement! So fun to watch! But as far as personalities, that varies from pig to pig.

You feed them a tablespoon of good quality food a day, such as Oxbow Cavy Cuisine (or Cavy Performance for pigs under 6 months). They need unlimited access to fresh Timothy Hay or their digestive systems get messed up. They need large amounts of dark, leafy green vegetables every day, as well as a mixture of other veggies such as cucumber, baby carrots, red bell pepper, parsley, etc. Fruit shouldn't be fed more than once or twice a week.

Guinea pigs need large cages, you should build them a C&C cage, which is cheap and easy to make. Anything you purchase at a petstore won't be big enough. Here's a link for more information: http://www.cavycages.com

Furnishings for their cage is a hidey house or Pigloo, water bottles, ceramic food dishes (plastic dishes tip over), and fun toys. They love any tubes or tunnels, cat toys, ferret toys, bird toys, and chew blocks.

YES, they need to be in pairs! You will very very rarely find a guinea pig who prefers to be alone. Unless you are literally with the guinea pig 24/7, they will be very unhappy and lonely living alone. Adopting a pair that is already bonded in best.

Yearly vet appointments at an exotics vet is recommended, though not always needed. I take mine for yearly checkups just in case, because they are fragile animals that hide symptoms until the very end. You should have the address of a vet nearby that you can drive to in case of an emergency, for sure.

Guinea pig cages should be swept up daily, and cleaned out completely once a week at the most. They don't need baths, but if the guinea pig starts to smell (which tends to happen more with males), you can bathe them with kitten/baby shampoo in shallow water. Short-haired guinea pigs don't need other grooming, but long-haired breeds need daily brushing and often require frequent trims.

For bedding I recommend fleece & towels. Two layers of towels underneath one layer of polyester fleece. It looks great, doesn't smell much, is healthy and comfortable for the guinea pigs, and in the long run is cheaper. Cleaning is easy, just sweep up the messes daily and once a week throw it in the wash!

That is probably enough to spend on a pair of guinea pigs, we go through a lot more but we do have five guinea pigs. Of course most of the money goes toward vet appointments and veggies, but you can look for sales and deals on slightly older vegetables that don't look as great anymore. Keep some money saved for emergency vet appointments, that's very important.

Guinea pigs can NOT NOT NOT play with wheels or exercise balls like the last person suggested! Their backs are not made for them and they can be seriously injured or even killed in them! Same goes for harnesses and leashes. Guinea pigs DO need to run around in a playpen or room in your house a few times a week for exercise, though.

One final thing, check to make sure your apartment allows small animals! Not all do, and you don't want them confiscated and taken to the shelter! Good luck!

Answer 3

They are very social so if you only get on you should be able to play with it an hour each day.Do not keep a male and female together ,they will multiple like crazy.If you get two males make sure they are from the same litter or else they will fight.Do NOT keep an adult male and baby in the same cage ,the adult male will eat the baby.You need to keep it out of breezes.It will need a hut to hide/sleep in ,a HEAVY food bowl (if it is not heavy your guinea pig will tip it over).It will need a water bottle thingy to hang on the outside of its cage(cage should be large).The best bedding is corn cob bedding and should be changed at least once a week.Scrub the bottom of the cage at least every two weeks.They need their nails clipped every year.You can buy some toys at most pet stores.If it has long fur you will need to brush it every day.You do not have to with short haired guinea pigs.If you have more guinea pig questions go to cavysgalore.com.

Answer 4

Here's some answers to your many questions based on the pig I had a while back:

Feed them food made specially for Guinea Pigs. Romaine lettuse; skinless apple slices; and carrots are alright too.

Get it a larger cage; like 3x4x3 feet. If you get an aquarium, a 25gallon should do fine.

Shredded computer paper; ink-less; - or dustless cedar works well to put on the bottom.

I never brought mine to a vet, and she was 7 when she died. But she was always healthy, I would recommend making an appointment if you suspect something is wrong.

My lived alone and was extremely happy. Give it at least 2 hours of attention a day.

Clean the cage every 4-7 days.

You can brush the long haired ones; but I wouldn't wash them.

That was enough money for me!

You need a wheel, large water bottle, a food bowl, maybe a ferret-sized exercise ball; and some treats that will grind it's teeth down. Then of course you need the food and bedding!

If your going to let it run around the house make sure you know where it is at all times so it can't bite any wires. As for it going to the backroom on your floor, just vacuum every time you put it back in the cage.