Guinea pigs!

[Baby Grrr]

Hi everyone, I need information on guinea pigs because I plan on getting one. I already have a ton of info on them, but I want more. I want to be more prepared than I was when I bought my first hamster. Any advice about would be helpful. Thanks

[Tyrion Hammister]

1. I believe they prefer to have a friend. It's my understanding that they need to socialize with others of their kind as well as have plenty of human cuddles

2. It is extremely controversial to bathe hamsters. I would say it is not ideal to bathe them, but you may want to do more research on this if you haven't already.

3. They definitely need veggies in their diet with Vitamin C.

4. There's nothing that warms your heart more than when they popcorn for you <3

5. You will more than likely need to trim your guinea pig's nails. Whereas hamsters may be able to wear theirs down, our guinea pigs have had issues keeping them short. If they start to curl, make sure you trim them (just be careful of the quick!)

6. They love hay. They love it so much

7. Make sure your guinea pig gets lots of exercise. Ours is lazy and often does not get the exercise he needs. He's overweight and sometimes I worry it will cause health problems. Also keep a balanced diet!

8. You can use fleece for cozies and even flooring in playpens. Be aware that if you use a lot of fleece in the cage, you will be doing a lot of washing! They poop and pee in larger quantity than hamsters :P

9. It's been my experience that guinea pigs can be EXTREMELY nervous little guys, especially when they have not been handled since birth. It takes some time to get them to relax around you, and there will probably still be times where it prefers its hideout to you. It's all part of understanding the little guy's personality, and it is worth every second.

I hope you enjoy your guinea pig! I'm sure if you've done your research, you'll be 100% fine.

[Tyrion Hammister]

bathe guinea pigs* whoops!

[ayemee]

Hello!

I have 6 guinea pigs and they're absolutely adorable little things.

They do like having a friend so ideally you need to get two of the same sex. Two don't really cost any more to keep than 1. They get lonely if housed alone.

They need unlimited supply of hay to keep their teeth worn down and prevented from over growing.

They're so cute to watch interact with each other and when they popcorn it actually melts my heart.

They'll also need some fresh veg everyday as they can't produce their own vitamin C.

Good luck with your piggies! Any questions feel free to message me

[flowerfairy]

Sows live well together but boars can sometimes fight. Its better to only have pairs of boars, carefully introduced.

You can keep neutered boars with sows. Neutering doesnt change a guinea pigs behaviour but will prevent him getting sows pregnant (!)

They like lots of lovely hiding spaces. Mine would spend most of their time in their fleecy tunnels or fleecy beds lying down (so cute to see).

I love their noises. Best of luck. They are very rewarding pets.

[hrl20100]

Definitely get more than one. Sows (females) are so much easier to pair up and bond than boars (males) so if you do choose to get males, make sure you have a very large cage setup. Guinea pigs housed alone can get depressed and develop both health and behavioral problems.

They need a lot of floor space as they love to run around, so make sure you get atleast a 120cm long cage for 2 guinea pigs. If you get 3, make sure you have a 140cm cage.

HAY! Is a must in their diet. It should be available to them 24/7 and they will go through a lot of it :P

They tend to pee and poop wherever they want, I don't think its possible to litter train them. They are messy animals! Though they don't really smell.

They need vitamin C in their diet. A good guinea pig food should have this in, you can also give them vitamin C supplements which is put in their water. Carrot and other vegetables are also good sources of vitamin C.

They are naturally skittish animals so don't be upset if you find that they 'don't like you'. Two of mine are over 2 years old now and they still run away from me. Yet my 4 year old piggie actually runs up to me when I open the cage door and doesn't run away if I go to pick her up.

Guinea pigs are prone to ringworm and respiratory diseases, so when you first get your guineas, try your hardest not to stress them out much as this can trigger ringworm. Its a fungal infection that is zoonotic (can be passed to humans). If you get your guinea pigs from a petshop, look out for crusty noses, nasal discharge, sneezing, raspy breathing (signs of a respiratory infection) and also bald patches on their coats, particularly on their face as this is a sign of ringworm.

Good luck! They are wonderful animals!
I suggest getting girlies (that way, if you decide you want more its easy to bond them!)

[Baby Grrr]

Thankyou for the information ^-^

[Nancy's Hamsters]

Originally Posted by hrl20100

Definitely get more than one.
They tend to pee and poop wherever they want, I don't think its possible to litter train them. They are messy animals! Though they don't really smell.

Mine used a corner potty all the time and seldom went on their Fleece covered sleep area if the potty was clean. They would use it in their play pen area too if I put it in for them. The easiest way to train them is to place the potty in a corner where you hang their hay rack as they mostly do their business while eating.

Hay is also important to keep their gut active and avoiding bloat and digestive problems which are quite able to kill them.

I have not seen anyone mention the need for a mineral salt lick but they do need that too.

[hrl20100]

I've never given mine a mineral or salt lick, I don't give them to any of my animals really if i'm honest.

IMO if they have the correct diet then they won't need a mineral/salt lick, unless they have a deficiency of some kind.

[racinghamster]

And check your bank balance in case they need a vet. Guinea pigs are great pets, but believe me, like rabbits, they can have health issues so the best thing is to make sure you have a decent amount of money in your individual bank account, or if relying on parents, make sure they are prepared to spend good money on them if it comes to it. If the answer to this is a big no or don`t know, I wouldn`t get guinea pigs. Just a reminder, but one I think is important to factor in. A friend of mine went through four guinea pigs within a space of a few years (all from breeders) and they cost her a small fortune at the vet. Admittedly, she isn`t that clued up about small animals but moreso horses! But all the same, it`s not all about researching their upkeep.

Some male (boar) guinea pigs won`t live with other boars and end up living alone, but mainly they can be paired up with a baby male. Not something I would attempt though without proper supervision or instruction from a rescue or someone who has kept piggies for years and has done this themselves. x