I guess I'm different from most in that I didn't own before I found this site. My daughter has been asking for a pet for ages and now that she's turning 8 I decided she was ready to start taking on the responsibility of a pet. I live in an apartment complex that charges an extra $100/month rent for a cat or dog so that was out of the question. So onto the internet I went to figure out what small & furry would make the best pet for us. After comparing hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, chinchillas, and rabbits I concluded piggies generally make the best pets. In googling "caring for guinea pigs", this site was one of the first to show up and it completely changed my perception of guinea pigs. I thought they'd be ideal "starter pets", requiring little care and expense. Boy was I wrong but after looking at their sweet faces, watching them popcorning and munching away on hay in youtube videos, and being brought to tears reading the horror stories about breeders and pet stores, I knew they would be worth it. My daughter's birthday is in December so I've had and still have a few months to prepare. I've already gotten the C&C cage together, bought the fleece, hideys, and all the accessories they could need. I've found a store that sells Oxbow pellets and will be ordering hay from Kleenmama's. I've printed out the veggie chart. I've found an exotics vet. And just yesterday I picked out the piggies I hope to get from a local rescue. They're not available until late December because they've been housed with males and may be pregnant, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I think I will make a great piggie mama! Oh yeah and my daughter too...since they'll supposedly be hers and all (heehee). I'm so glad I found this site so I didn't make all the mistakes I would have.
I also plan to foster when we get our new piggies settled in.
