im planning on getting a guinea pig and was wonderig if you guys had any advice/ or tips?
also should i get two guinea pigs or just one?
do they like to run around outside?
if so do i have to keep them in the shade?
if i put down a towel in like theyre play pen thing, while im gone should i worry of them trying to eat it??
my cage right now is 31" L x 12.5" W x 12.5" H is this big enough for two guinea pigs... i'll probably have them out running around alot to and i was thinking of atttaching a playpen onto the cage for more room to run.? is it a good idea?
should i get a ball so my guinea pig can run in it?
are there any things guineas love (toys,beds,foods. etc.)?
and if you have any helpful tips please share.** thanks
Answers:
You can get two female guinea pigs and put them in the cage you have now. Guinea pigs are awesome pets. Here are some tips:
1. Only get two females.
2. You can put them outside in the shade in the summer and attaching a playpen is a great idea.
3. Guinea pigs need vitamin C, so either give them carrots or the food I feed mine, Hartz Bonanza Guinea Pig Gourmet Diet. Giving them both is a good idea too.
4. Make sure there is a hiding place in the cage at least five inches high.
5. Hold the guinea pigs once a day for at least 5 min.
6. Guinea pigs need a water bottle at least 8 oz, getting refilled daily with cold water.
7. Get a ceramic food bowl that fits two guinea pigs.
8. I use and recommend pine woodshavings when it comes to the weekly cage cleaning.
9. Guinea pigs, when purchased older, are going to be scared of humans, so try to get smaller younger guinea pigs.
10. Make sure you never feed your guinea pigs grass with anything on it or iceberg lettuce. Feed them apples, carrots, celery or romaine lettuce.
1. Guinea pigs are herd animals by nature thus why they should be housed in pairs, they are very social so you should get 2.
2. Guinea pigs love to run around outside, they are like mini mowers. You will have to block of an area as they are not just going to stay still, play pens are good for this, I got a cheap one from a baby store. Avoid grass near the road side and make sure that the grass has not been posioned.
3. I doubt that they will eat it, if you scrunch it up and put it in one corner they are more likely to run through it and bury themselves, a simple toy!
4. The cage in itself is too small, even for 1. http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm...
Have a look at a C%26C (cubes and coroplast) cage, they are easy to build, modify and clean, and are really cheap let alone the fact that you can personalise it anyway you want.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm...
http://www.guineapigcages.com/types.htm...
http://www.guineapigcages.com/howto.htm...
http://www.guineapigcages.com/options.ht...
http://www.guineapigcages.com/safety.htm...
http://www.guineapigcages.com/where.htm...
Even if you have them out and running, they will be spending alot of their time in a small cage, when you are at work/school and sleeping at night. How big is the play pen? And will it always be attached to the cage? If so then it may be acceptable, but in the meantime seriously consider a C%26C cage.
5. Do not get a ball, or an exercise wheel or a harness, a guinea pigs anatomy is not made to bend in that way. If you do get a ball/wheel/harness it is highly likely that you will break their spine.
6. Toys are simple, things like scrunched up pieces of paper, toilet rolls stuffed with hay and parsley, 4 inch diameter PVC pipes, there is a whole list on the following site:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm...
In terms of bedding I would recommend either Aspen or fleece. Aspen has no aromatic-oils and is generally easy to maintain, it is however quite expensive. I place newspaper underneath the aspen so that it makes cleaning time easier. Carefresh is OK, although it has be known to cause respiratory problems in some guinea pigs. Pine and cedar need to be avoided, although the more expensive Kiln dried Pine is OK.
Fleece works great, what fleece does is wicks the urine through to the absorbent underlay (towels, puppy pads or in my case mattress pads) which soaks the urine up. I use a small hand vacuum to vacuum up the poops, and at the end of the week I chuck the mattress pads and fleece into the washing machine with a cup of vinegar. Fleece is more expensive to buy but because you keep re-using it, in the long run it is far cheaper.
Guinea pigs need a good plain pellet and hay, both which should be available at all times. Hay not only files the teeth but it also helps with the digestive system. If your guinea pig is under the age of 6 months than your guinea pig should be fed Alfalfa hay and Alfalfa based pellets. If your guinea pig is over the age of 6 months than your guinea pig should be fed Timothy hay and Timothy based pellets. Guinea pigs need fresh produce twice a day, fruits should only be fed on occasions. About a cup should be efficient made up of leafy greens like romaine lettuce, bok choy, parsley, kale etc with things like bell peppers, celery, baby carrots etc as side plates. The full list is here:
Vegetables:
http://www.guinealynx.com/diet_vegs.html...
Fruit:
http://www.guinealynx.com/diet_fruit.htm...
Guinea pigs can not make their own vitamin c so you have to provide it for them. Chewable (kids) tablets and syrup are able at most chemists, although your guinea pig should not need either if he/she is fed a high vitamin c diet. The following site has a list of vegetables, the ones with the highest numbers to the left of the vegetable have the highest amount of vitamin c:
http://www.guinealynx.com/diet_order-c.h...
Scroll down a bit to get to the actual chart.
Floor time:
You should do floor time each day for at least 1 hour in a large piggy safe room, this is where your guinea pigs are going to get their exercise, this link should help:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/floortime.
A good site to browse through, which includes a printable version of a care booklet plus information on medical and emergency care is guinea lynx.
http://www.guinealynx.com/
At the moment I have 3 sows (girls), aged between 3 months and just over 4 months, here is a pic:
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb25/...
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb25/...
Buzzare gave you excellent advice.
You cage is too small. You should have at least 30"by 36". For 2 boars, you will need more room. They can be moody about territory.
NO balls, wheel, or leashes. Guinea pigs are not made for these items. They can cause serious injuries. Maufacturers are not concerned with the safety of your pig. It's our job to figure out what is best. So please avoid these items.
Addition, in response to Emmarr's answer: Males can and should live happily in pairs. Males also do not eat their young.
Okay.
1) You should get two guinea pigs.
2) They can run outside in grass (un-treated/no chemicals in the grass).
3)THEY MUST HAVE SOME SHADE, if left in the sun even for just an hour, they could be dead, because of heat stroke.
4) I don't think that you should worry about the towel. Some people use fleece for their guinea pig's cage instead of bedding. That is if they have a C%26C Cage (I'll explain later).
5)No, that is not big enough for sure. Get a C%26C Cage (explained at bottom). You will see a bigger and better difference in your piggies.
6)Some people do attach playpens to their C%26C Cage I think.
7)NO BALL OR WHEEL!!These running balls/wheels that are made for guinea pigs are not good for them. They can break the piggy's back, and hurt their tiny little feet.
9)There is a hit with guinea pigs, called cozies, and you can make them yourself!
10)Finally, you been waiting it! What is a C%26C Cage. It's basically a cage (Cubes and Chloroplast) that you can make for about $60 (or more if you ordered one that has all the supplies for it from Sue). The cage is way bigger than the pet store cages, like the one you said you had now.
For more information go to here. They are about the best websites there are for guinea pigs.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
http://cavyspirit.com/
http://guinealynx.com/
Siblings are the best to buy which would already get a long better, These animals are great but they are rather boring and are not like active like dogs or anyting. Hoped this helped
ok i have one guinea pig but i see it everyday for company so if you get one you should do what i do but you could get two yes they would love to go in a run because they like to eat the grass and dandilion leaves if you do get a run make sure its got a shadey bit on one side and on the other side just wire mesh so it can choose between sun and shade !dont put a towl down
1) they might eat it
2)they want access to the grass
maybe get a bigger cage and yes playpens are a good idea but they are attached to the cage so the guinea pig can go in and out but a run they cant go back into the cage unless you put them back ! i wouldnt get a ball , they are made more for hamsters. my guinea pig likes chewing on emty tissue boxes but make sure you take the plastic out from the inside first so the cardboard is just left. and if you are in the Uk if you go to a shop called pets at home there is a wide range of toys and stuff there i got a fruity flavered ball called roll and chew and its very good because they nibble on it . also gerty guinea pig food is a good food for them thats the one i get anyway sorry it was a long one but good luck if you do get a guinea pig i hope i helped !
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