Wanting to get a guinea pig... help!!!!!?

Question

1. I have read that they do better in pairs, how can i convince the rents to let me get one, muchless 2.

2. what will i need exactly to start off with/what are your brand suggestions.

3. do thoes pet play pen things work for free roam time?

Answer 1

Some of the info above is incorrect,

1. first of all, you basically HAVE to have a pair, unless you are with your single pig every waking moment, which i imagine would be hard

2. I reccomend a C&C cage, pet store cages are awful and WAY to small. check this out http://www.guineapigcages.com/.

Second of all, buy hay, a guinea pig must have it at ALL times, alfalfa is fine for younger pigs and pregnant females but as they get older it is good to switch to timothy. here is a site about checking out whats in the pellets to make sure they are high quality http://www.guinealynx.info/pellets.html

For bedding, cover the bottom of a C&C cage with something like newspaper, and then cover with carefresh (about 2 inches thick), i dont reccomend any other type of bedding. DONT use pine or cedar.

For other foods, guinea pigs need about a cup of  leafy greens and veggies per day, no fruits (only about twice a week) check this page out to check what foods are good for your pig. http://www.guinealynx.info/charts.html Also DO NOT give your guinea pig multivitamins, they are actually bad for them. Plain vitamin C is fine but becomes bad in water very quickly.

Grooming is very important in owning a guinea pig, its good to clean their ears about once a week, and you must clip their nails on a monthly basis, here is a website about it http://www.guinealynx.info/nails.html#na...

i have not completely covered all of it so here is the rest of it. http://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.h... guinea pigs are a lot harder to take care of than you think, it might not be a good pet for you.

3. A play pen should work fine, here is a link on exercise for pigs =] http://www.guinealynx.info/exercise.html

Answer 2

I know there is 1 person here who says pigs can be happy without a companion. NO. Dead wrong. A guinea pig cn LIVE without a companion to a very ripe age, but that does not mean it is happy! A person can live in 1 room its whole life and only get the companion of a dog when it copmees to feed it and play with it, but bottom line, that person would not be happy, and neither would a guinea pig put in that situation!I know that was w weird analagy! lol! My suggestion is for a small pet go for a hampster, not a guniea pig. I love my guinea pigs, but in your situation, it would be much easier to convnvince your parebnts on 1 hampster that needs a small cage, than 2 guinea pigs that need a large cage (7.5 sq. feet I belive is the minimum.)

Ok for starting off with a guinea pig you will need to order a very large cage, or buile one. Either way, it involves a lot of trouble. They make great cages off of guineapigcages.com

For bedding I would say carefresh is the best. It is made out of recycled newspaper and it makes the cage not smell very bad. For food I say go for kaytee food. They make the best per products. There are also a lot of great little huts and things you can look at at the pet store. I can not name a specific brand cuz there are so many. And water bottles are a must (Obviously) and agasin, there are so many it is hrd to pick a specific one!

for the last question, yes. My 2 pigs love to run in there playpen!=)

I still say a syrian hampster is your best bet for a pet that you could com your parents in to, and it is much less expensive in the longrun! Here is a good caresheet on hampsters and a good cage for them-http://exoticpets.about.com/od/hamsters/...

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Answer 3

Pairs help but its ok they still live long you just need them out alot.

Cedar bedding is bad for certain breeds so watch out. Big cage

Alfalfa (hay for young ones at older age switch to timithy hay) normal pellets nothing fancy

Yes were getting one soon for ares but hes ok with out it just watch him when hes roaming

Answer 4

you need a cage, and bedding, (duh) a bag of food, (i use Mazüri) a waterbottle or bowl for water, waterbottle holder, food bowl, maybe some treats that arent too sugary, and something for it to chew on to wear down its ever growing teeth. (try convincinvg them that they are easy to maintain, and that they are inexpensive compaired to other pets, along with being good pets)

Answer 5

ew no they stink so bad and they squirm around when yu try to clean em eww

Answer 6

when u say rents? do u mean u live someplace but ur renting it and the people that really own it r unsure ? sorry im only 15 and im not as bright about soem things lol

well u can cinvine the people that they will be in there cage most the time except when u need to clean it and play wit them o u can say if i get 2 they will have company and wont need as much time out to socialize and play becouse they can play wit eachother in the cage :P!!!!!!!!!!! o ya im smart lol  u can also tell them that guinea pigs dont smell or anything there like the quitest animals next to a fish or a turtle lol they dont take up that much space or anything there clean fun animals :P

ummm well u will definatly need a cage so wat ever size if good if u only get one u can get a size that isint to small it can always use the extra space ;P it really depends on wat breed of guinea pig u get some get bigger then others  when u get one or know ur gettign one for sure u can email at [e-mail] for brands and good food stuff like that good luck i hope u get ur guinea pigs o ya i almost 4 got  if u do plzzzzzzz try to adopt alot of them need homes my mspca has tons of babys and middle aged ones u would be supporting the shelters no kill i hope :p

Answer 7

my guinea pig has been the only one we have had and he is so happy!!! i have him in a plastic tub a huge one!!! he has a water dillly and a food dish!! you can food and cage stuff at wal mart cheaper then pets smart!!! have fun

Answer 8

well they are very lonely without a buddy.and for the stuff;

-a cage about 3' by 2'

-a shoebox for a hideout

-a ceramic food bowl

-a big water bottle

-timothy hay

-food (pelets are best)

-playpen (dog pens r good)

-chewing items (ie. wood from petsmart)

-newspaper(to line the cage with)

yes dog playpens work wonderfully.they would need at least an hou a day in the playpen

guinea pigs are very social so they need a buddy. also you would be spending at least $300 initaly then every 2 months at least $20 on food.on top of that your guinea pig would need to go to the vet for shots and check ups every 4-5 months.guinea pigs are known to have skin problems so that would be more money at the vet.remember they can live up to ten yeas. also you need to make a commitment to not getting bored so easily with your pig. buying him is saying i will keep this animal until he/she dies.you need to research at least 5months so your pig is in a good home.

also you would have to choose a girl or boy and a name.also get your guinea pig from a shelter not petco there animals are unhealthy.

So decide now, is a guinea pig to much money?Is it to much time?

Is it really worth all that?

adding it up thats about $5,000 for 2 guinea pigs entire lives!!!

Answer 9

1. i got only 1 guinea pig and it was fine... they do probrably do better in pairs but i dont think its really nessecary.  my parents bot me my guinea pig because they felt i was responsible after having a couple of fish.  do your chores, make them know you are responsible. i sent an e-mail to my parents asking them if i could have a rat and they thought it was a nice way to communicate.  they will talk to you after recieving the mail.  

2. buy baby guinea pig food.  i suggest cavy cuisine for guinea pigs and oxbow hay.  it's reccomended by vets.  for water, make sure it's fresh every day, that doesnt''t mean you have to change it every day tho.  when you do change it, clean the bottle out with soap & brush.  get your guinea pig a rabbit / guinea pig cage.  dont get a cage with levels because they probrably wont climb.  get them a little house to hidei in.    you can feed it veggies, any greens... some kinds of fruit.  (banana's give diarrhea)... dandilion leaves ect...

3.i dont know... but i know for sure that your guinea pig will enjoy roaming around a closed room where it can't get trapped or lost.  

good luck =3

Answer 10

1. Not always true. I had a guinea pig and he lived to be quite old for an animal his breed and he lived alone. Besides, they can get aggressive in pairs so I would just stick to one.

2. You'll need:

-Cage: Bigger is always better but it doesnt HAVE to be huge. The best kind of cage is when the animal is walking straight in the bedding rather than a metal flooring above the bedding.

Example: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Yes, it may be expensive - and you can get cheaper ones at different pet stores, like a local one rather than a very well known one - but this is what an animal needs so keep in mind, its not exactly cheap. That is also about the size you'll need. I wouldnt go much smaller.

******Its NOT a bad cage! Look at the measurements, its a good size for one little guinea pig.

-Bedding: This is like cat litter for small animals lol You need to put a thick layer of this stuff at the bottom of the cage. I suggest the cedar kind, it smells best and keeps the icky animal smell well hidden. Change the cage at least once a week, sometimes it will need it more though.

Example: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

-Food bowl: Obvious reason for this, however I suggest the non-plastic types. Guinea pigs love to chew and have very strong jaws, so they often eat plastic dishes.

Example: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Also, for water: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

This can be made out of any material because it hooks to the outside of the cage. The tilted metal piece goes down between the slots of the cage.

Food: Any brand is good, but this is what they eat

Example: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

I never got really expensive or special food for my little guy, he was happy with whatever.

These are the things you HAVE TO HAVE when you get the guinea pig. Optional things are toys, houses, treats, hay/alphalpha (though I do reccomend you get some, its good for their digestive system), brushes, leashes, ect ect. You dont actually need those things but you can get them if you want them.

3. Yes the playpens work for free roam time but they dont always give a lot of room so you may consider just letting it out in your room as long as you have doors and windows shut, and block off enterences under your bed, dresser, desk, whatever you may have.

Good luck with all of this, taking care of guinea pigs is a big responsibility and its not always inexpensive. The experience is rewarding though, they make great pets!

Answer 11

They are social so getting more than one is a good idea.  Explain that to you parents.  As far as the money goes, I adopted a mother/daughter pair from the humane society and they were each only $10 a piece!  Consider adoption!

You will need a pen(caveycages.com), bedding (I use carefresh), water bottle, food dish, pellet food, hay, pet house (like pigloo) and fresh veggies.

I got one of those collapsible enclosures when I let them run outside the pen.

They are very cute and great fun, but alot more money than I anticipated.  (They eat ALOT and use alot of bedding)

Answer 12

If you want to get only one you have to spend every spare moment playing with is because they get lonely. That is why you should get them in pairs. I like the Super Pet products (cage, toys). My guinea pigs love the Kaytee Fiesta food. Guinea pigs like timothy hay the best, and they need hay in their diet. They also Love the play pen. They should have 1-2 hours of free roam time a day otherwise they can become overweight or even obese.

Also make sure you get salt licks and don't forget to give them some source of vitamin c regularly.

Answer 13

Some of the care and diet info posted above is inaccurate. Pet store cages are too small and most of the items the pet store will try and sell you are harmful.

I would look over

http://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.h...

http://www.guineapigcages.com/

and

http://www.petfinder.com/

Answer 14

wel its hard to say because i have had soo many piggies and some lived together some didnt. id say that you make the decision based on the guinea u buy. if it has always lived with 1 or more other then a cagemate is definately a good idea bt if he/she is used to living on their own then i wouldnt worry about it ay.

and if he does get lonely by himself theres nothing to say you cant buy a friend for him if need be!

to start off you will need :

-a water bowl/dripper bottle(whichever the piggie is used to as many do not know how to use a bottle)

-a supply of the food the piggie is used to eating to slowly intregate with the diet you intend to feed him on( if he changes food to suddenly he might get tummy upsets)

-fresh hay

-bedding/newspaper(we always used newspaper,its perfectly fine and does NOT cause health issues as some people say)

-fresh fruit and veges

-a few chew toys and tunnels etc

-a sturdy suitable cage,

there are hundreds of different types of cages you can buy and it all depends on wea piggie wil live and the climate u live in.

if it is possible for him to liv outside year round then the type of hutch consisting of a nest type box on one end with a large run attached is ideal.

http://www.swish-uk.com/shopimages/produ...

i would neva keep a piggie in one of these cages, there is to far for piggie to fall and the wire will cause bumblefoot an extremly painful foot dieseize.

http://www.petworlddirect.co.uk/acatalog...

these kind of cages would be suitable for piggie to liv in at night time if u dnt want him outside at night, bt honestly these cages are a huge ripoff, to small for year round living(piggie wont get enough exercise) and doesnt allow piggie access to grass etc.

http://images.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl...

ive seen the play pen things used and we have tried one ourselves the only thing is unless you are going to sit supervisng the whole time piggie is playing there is just to much danger that poor piggie will get nibbled up by a cat/hawk etc.

good luck with piggie i hope he/she brings u lots of fun memories!!

p.s.if u have any questions at all feel free to ask,il be happy to answer!

Answer 15

Well to start with guinea pigs do great in pairs. But you can still get one alone. If you do you have to spent extra time playing with it. Anyways these are the basic items guinea pigs need:

cage, water bottle, food, food bowl, vitamin drops, igloo, vegetation, something to chew on, and toys if you choose.

Answer 16

Guinea pigs are a lot of work you need to make sure that you can handle it. You will need to clean her/his cage every week and if you dont  thye will get sick. You also need to cut their claws and make sure that they always have food and water. They also need to be held alot even if you get 2 you still need to give each pig a lot of attention. You need to make sure that you can handle all of this.... Gunie pigs also need certain foods they need to have fruits and veggies and there are some veggies/frits that will make them sick or even kill them. You need to do your research you need to conivce your parents that you know how to take care of a guniea pig. You can get any brands it doesnt really matter.  You should get a gate/pen beacsue if you let you pig run around in your house tey will chew on your wires and get sick

Read all of these websites and you will be a pro at owning a guinea pig and then share your gunia pig knowledge with your parents

Hope i could help11