What are the needs and costs of owning a guinea pig (2)?

Question

First off do you need two

what are the things they need in there cage

is it okay for them to be in a c&c cage

can they live in my garage

what are the mothly costs and the one time costs????

thank you!

Answer 1

cavyspirit.com has some great info...

1) they recommend 2...read more on cavyspirit or other rescue site for info.  sometimes males have trouble bonding if introduced as adults.

2) They need a water bottle, hay rack, and food dish.  A rough stone helps keep their nails trimmed

3) they love c&c cages

4)garage is not a great idea, it's not climate controlled, plus they're very social, so they prefer to be in a location where they see people all the time.

5) one time, cage...if you make a c&c, it's about $35-40, water bottle+hay rack + food dish $15, monthly $10-20 for aspen or carefresh bedding, $5 for food, $5 for hay, $10-15 for fresh veggies, $3-10 for chew sticks, treats.  

Answer 2

Here's a great page on guinea pig care! It tells you what kind of cage, what kind of food, everything you need!

http://www.cavyspirit.com/care.htm

Answer 3

Ok, I bought two guinea pigs at a petstore although I do not reccomend this. Get one at a shelter if you can. Anyways, they were $16.99 each. Our cage was $60.00 for a good sized cage. Our water bottle was $1.99 and our igloos were $4.00 each. The bedding is $10.00 for a small package and $30.00 fo the big package. They hay we bought, Timothy Hay, was $15.00 and teh Guinea Pig pellets, Timothy Complete, was $9.00. I love my guinea pigs and wouldn't give them back for anything :) So, your grand total would be: $137.97

Answer 4

Guinea pigs are very social creatures and prefer the company of their own kind.

Bedding: Aspen, carefresh, and fleece are the common ones I here.

Aspen(kiln dried) is very messy in my opinion. It sticks to everything, but it is very cheap.

Carefresh is the best disposable bedding, but it is also the most expensive.

Fleece is a high-maintenance bedding, but it is reusable and cheaper than carefresh while having the carefresh feel.

Other beddings are not recommended i.e pine, cedar, newspaper.

Bowls and feed: bowls should be heavy ceramic bowls that are not easily tipped over because guinea pigs stand on them and will accidentally tip them over if they are too light.

Feed should be alfalfa or timothy based. preferably timothy after 6 months of age. Oxbow is the best brand of pellets and if you can find them, get them. www.oxbowhay.com has a store locator on their website if you want to find them.

They also need hay 24/7. Timothy is the prefered, but any hay will do.

Veggies should be in the diet as well. The websites in sources can tell you more about veggies and treats.

Water bottles are needed as well. No Vitamin C drops.



A C&C cage is one of the best cages out there for piggies. www.guineapigcages.com can tell you more about cages

I dont think its a good idea to put them in your garage. If you want the piggies, the best place to have them is in a room where the family is.

Avoid drafts.

I do not know the monthly cost or one time cost. I have not factored it out for one piggy.

Answer 5

Well, i had one guinea pig and it did fine on its own. You can put anything in their cage from houses made for then to cardboard for them to chew on. At any pet store they have guinea pig house for cheap prices. A C&C cage would be fine but what i also found that worked was a fish tank with a net top. I cut a hole in it and added on of those rodent cages with the ramps that go down on top so the ramp went through the whole. It worked very well. Depending on your garage it might b okay. If it gets too hot or warm its not a good idea. They should be in more of a body temperature environment. Keep them away from ann air conditioner, a heater, or windows. A window is ok, just not to close bc of the wind and the sun. I'm not sure of the actual cost of the guinea pig, but once you have the cage, it's not a lot of money. only for the aspen that goes at the bottom of the cage, their food, and any other houses or other things for their cage

Answer 6

The biggest cost is the set up.  After that it isn't expensive to keep a guinea pig.  They are very social animals so you should get a pair because you can never make up for your guinea pig having a buddy.  The best is a rabbit cage with a plastic tub.  Don't get a cage with a wire bottom because it will hurt their feet.  It also maintains the bedding.  Carefresh is the best bedding but it is expensive.  The best of the wood shavings is Aspen.  You should remove the soiled bedding daily and then change the bedding and clean the cage weekly.  Of course you need a water bottle.  Give him fresh water and food daily.  I used Nutriphase pellets because they have extra Vitamin C.  Also use liquid vitamins in the water because they need extra Vitamin C.  Give him an unlimited amount of Timothy Hay daily.  They would love an igloo or hideaway.  Give him wood chews because their teeth are constantly growing and you don't want them to get overgrown.  Occasionally you will need to trim their nails.  Don't ever give them baths because you don't want to put him under stress and give him a heart attack.  I would cost around $100 for the start up and then it really wouldn't be a lot for food, bedding, vitamins, and toys.  They live five to eight years.  You can expect a guinea pig to be skittish at first.  It needs to earn your trust.  Just handle your guinea pig daily.  Do not ever put a guinea pig in a garage.  If you don't have a proper place for a guinea pig then don't get one.  Garages smell and you don't want it to inhale anything toxic.  Also, the temperature in a garage isn't the same all the time.  They are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.  Hot temperatures can kill your guinea pig.

Answer 7

Yes, it is okay for them to be in a c&c cage, they NEED to be in one! Other cages are way too small, they need the size for excercise an exploration. Also, YES they DO NEED another guinea pig for a buddy! Their health, activity, and over all well being improves significantly with just one buddy even. They popcorn more, and even become more outgoing. With two, they require at least 10.5 sq ft. Is that why you want them in the garage?

I really would not recommend putting them in the garage. If you are just going to place them out there anyways, then why are you getting them? It's best to put them in either you bedroom or living room. Like Patrick said, the temperature in the garage isn't safe, and you are best off putting them in the living room because they are social creatures.

You really just can't give a list of estimated costs, but yes they may be considered quite costly. They need unlimited hay, a cup of fresh veggies DAILY, good qualitity pellets and of course any vet trips that may be. If you end up getting a pig, make sure you adopt one. Pigs from pet stores and breeders are often unhealthy and sick. To avoid getting a pig where you will just end up taking the vet to get healed, your best bet is to adopt one.

If you can't do any of this, or unable to do any of these, you should re-think if a guinea pig is really the pet for you. They do require ALOT of responsibility. If they are too much, I would advise on a smaller pet. Trust me, owning a guinea pig and giving it the approriate care is ALOT harder than taking care of a dog or a cat.

Patrick and Strawberry gave very good information as well. What Patrick said is very true, and very accurate.

Answer 8

1. yes, guinea pigs are very social and need another pig to keep them company

2. bedding, food, water, timothy hay, wood chews, hiding places

3. yes, c&c cages are one of the best cages to use, i personally use one for mine and it is very easy to keep clean.

4. no they cannot live in a garage, it can get too cold for them, they need  interaction and draft free areas.

5. monthly cost- ranging from $20-30

    start up cost- could be about $150-200-MINIMUM