How has this site changed you?

[Treacle]

This site is addictive!

Before:

-Store bought cage
- No hay
- No toys
- No floor time
- Not enough cuddles and lap time.

Now:

- 2x4 C&C cage
- Fleece bedding
- Hay corner to hyde and eat
- Bunk bed
- Tunnel and toys
- They virtually own the spare bedroom for floor time.
- The slepp in my lap while I read this site.

The sad thing is that I went onn the net to find info before I got them, but the information was insufficient. Thank you for this site and everyones patience replying queries!

[JennG]

I'm very grateful for everything that I've learned from this site (as well as Guinea Lynx) without these two sites I know that I wouldn't be where I am today w/ my herd. Even though this is my first experience w/ piggies for myself, I remember when my younger brother had a piggie. He lived alone in a very small petstore cage. I know that he got iceberg lettuce and carrots as well as some crappy Hartz pellets. I don't even think they cut his nails or gave him hay. I feel sad when I think back of his life and what he must've gone through.

Now, I have a herd of 10 piggies in a very large cage that live on fleece and have all the hay, good pellets, and veggies they could ask for. And most recently, I've become a foster home for other piggies that are waiting to find their forever homes. I love my herd and I love being a foster mom knowing that I can make a difference.

Thank you!

[Hershey's Mom]

I have learned alot here from everyone. My boys are eating well and love the menus others have posted here. Hershey is a healthy pet store pig and Pumpkin is a rescue. (will definately choose rescues from now on) The boys seem to be the best of friends and Pumpkin our dominant boar lets Hershey steal food from him. I would have never known that Hershey would need a friend or how to cage him in big pigger house style. I am a first time pigger owner since August and I feel that my boys have benefitted from everything I have been able to look up on this forum.

[guineapigluver1]

Then
-Store bought cage
-Had no clue about veggies
-Had no clue about hay
-Was going to get ONE from PetStupid
-Had no toys
-I had a wheel ( )
-No hideys excpet for one pigloo
-No cozies
-No tunnels
-Terrible food with seeds, dried fruit, and colored bits
-Didn't know about floor time
-Didn't know their was such a thing as an exotic vet

Now (Even though I don't have any yet)
-Have tons of grids for a big C&C cage
-Am getting lots of hideys, and cozies
-Am getting several tunnels
-Know about hay (going to get KM's, yay!)
-I am going to get plain pellets from KM
-I am going to adopt two pigs from a rescue
-Are going to get lots of veggies!
-We are not shopping at PetStupid any more!
-Are going to get plenty of floor time
-I am looking for a good exotic vet


I can't thank you enough!!

[xPiggiesx]

Then:
Tiny pet store cage for three boars.
A baby carrot a night.
Vitamin C drops in their hay.
Bought my piggies from PetStupid.
Had no idea about piggie illnesses.
Gave them yogurt drops, thankfully they never ate them!
I had one of those giant ball things. I can count on one hand the amount of times I even got them in it, though.

Now:
Three boars living in a 2x6 cage.
Tons of romaine every night with a bit of a baby carrot and cherry tomato.
Tons of lap/floor time.
Adopted two more boars, whom are living in a 2x5 cage.
No exercise ball/wheel/anything.
Plenty of love and care!

[Renshai117]

When I joined this site, I had three store bought female pigs, one of which gave birth shortly after purchasing her. They had about an 8-10 sq foot pair of cages they where living in (each was like 4-5 sq feet). They received wal-mart brand garbage food, had a salt wheel, had vitamins in their water, and where using pine bedding (not kiln dried).

All that has changed and they now have a C&C cage that is about 18-19sq ft (if you include the new top level I just added), eat Mazuri 5664, have nice fleece and towel bedding, and get their vitamins from fresh fruits and veggies.

As far as I am concerned, I know now that I shouldn't patronize pet stores, that the employees generally don't know anything about small animals, and that I should adopt in the future.

[auburnmare5]

Oh my gosh! Where do I begin?
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has made this site the way it is now! Thank You!!
I got my Coco four years ago, he was a Christmas present from my uncle. I picked him out at a local petstore. We bought him a 24" L by 16" W Hagen cage. He got hay as a once in a while treat, and got Sunseed pellets. He got veggies, but mostly had Iceburg lettuce.
He had a leash and Cedar shavings. We did not use them for too long because they made the whole house smell! When we went on vacations, he would stay home most of the time and we had a neighbor check on him every 2 days or so.
He did not have a pig friend either. We had a cat who looked exactly like him. Calico. My cat hated him, and did not want anything to do with little Coco. On the other hand, Coco was so curious and loved Boo-Boo (Cat).
*On December 19, 2005, Coco lost his friend. We had to put down Boo-Boo at 18 ½ years old. Not only was our whole family upset, but he was too. His best friend was gone.
Coco got floor time but not too much. In the summer, he was put outside during the day to munch on grass, to his heart’s content.
Over the summer of 2007, I made sure my little Coco was much more involved with the family. Every weekend he came with us to our summer house. He was out much more during the day. He got more veggies and got hay more often!
I wanted to look for a new cage for my baby for Christmas. I googled it and I found a site called cavycages.com I clicked on it, and I was greeted with a site that was exactly what I was looking for and so so much more! I had read about the wonderful world of the C+C and I was blown away. I had never thought of it!
For the next few weeks, I begged my parents for one. I was searching all over this site for ways to make my pig happier. I started feeding hay, more veggies, gave more floor time. Once I started doing only a few of these things, my pig’s behavior drastically changed for the better!
Christmas was just around the corner and I was so excited! I was trying to convince my parents to get a C + C but no luck. I ended up buying a new petstore cage, some more hay, and toys.
Now, I was determined to get Coco a C+C Cage. Over February Vacation of 2008, I bought a box of grids at Bed Bath & Beyond.. I set them up immediately when I got home. I had my mom help and we watched him for about ½ hour in his 2x4 grids cage. We both agreed that he was now the happiest pig he can be.
At first I was even a little bit nervous about the C+C Cage, but now that I have one, I see why everyone says to get one!
I love the idea of a C+C even if I only have the first "C" of it currently, I love it! I cannot thank all of the people on this site enough for all of the help you have given me. I am so glad I switched to this and I have told all of my cavy owning friends and even rabbit owners to give them a try.

[pigsforlife]

Before:
3 pigs in a 6sq ft hutch with a 6sq ft upper level
Pigs came from breeder/petstore
Housed outside on pine
Bok Choy and Carrots morning and night
Chaff
Didnt know to cut their nails
Washed weekly
Never weighed


Now:
4 pigs in a 15.5sq ft C&C cage
4th pig came from a couple who had developed severe allergies
Housed inside on towels
A wide variety of veggies morning and night
Unlimited amounts of Oaten Hay, with supplemental Oxbows timothy hay
Oxbows Cavy Cuisine
Nails clipped fornightly
Weighed weekly

[Abbie]

Hello All! I am new here, though I have been on and off of this site for about a year now. This is my story on my two pigs.
I once had a neighbor who had a guinea pig. One day she just abandoned the home and left this pig in a cage out on her screened porch in the heat of Florida's Summer. As an avid animal lover (with no experience with GP's) I would go into her yard to be sure the pig had food and water. One afternoon it stormed and the rain went into the screened area. I went to check on the pig and her cage was sopping wet. I knew that foot rot could be a possiblity so I checked the outdoor laundry room for more bedding. It was there but wet too. I told my husband that I just could not leave her like that. So he helped me carry her cage to our house where I commence to cleaning it out while he went to the pet store for bedding. The poor pig was a mess. So I bathed her up too. My husband came home with bedding alright as well as a bunch of toys and treats. What a fabulous husband I have. Anyway, long story short the pig became mine. I felt poor Lilo (the name the little girl, who previously owned her gave her) was lonely so I bought a pig at a pet store (shame on me, as my two dogs and cats are rescued). They have lived together for over a year now in the same small cage. I kept thinking I needed to give them something more but wasn't sure how or what till I spent an entire day on this site a few days ago. Now I am constructing a 2 story 2X4 C&C cage for them that is nearly complete! I also learned that, although I give them fresh veggies often, it has not been often enough. I also found a site on this site to buy some very cool cozies for my pigs in which I ordered today and look forward to receiving! Once I get my girls in their new cage I will photograph and post! Thank you! Thank you for this site and the educational value it has brought me and I know my pigs will be thankful too!!!

[Piggie Grammy]

I've been on here about a month now. I guess you could say I got smart quick . My son received a GP from his aunt for his birthday and as I had never had any dealings with them or ever really been around guineas I decided some research was in order . The night my son got his piggie I went online and searched for guinea pig care...this was actually the first sight I clicked on, and I don't think I got off it for about 3 hours haha. I just kept clicking and printing and clicking some more (we actually have a 3-ring binder now for gp care). Needless to say, according to everyone around here, I am now the resident Guinea Pig expert Oh ya, and according to my oldest daughter "That pig eats better than we do". She gets mad because I won't let her eat the veggies I bought for the pig! OK, it's my son's pig, but dang it, I'm addicted. He's 14 so he gets tired of hearing me "Did you give her floor time?", "Did you do her veggies this morning/evening?" (Yes, she gets fresh salad ever morning and night and her fruits in the afternoon) When he's at school, I even go into his room and check on her, her food, hay, etc. Our taxes should be back this week, I plan on having her a new cage built within the week after that (hubby and I already decided how big, with 2 stories, the whole bit ). I'm even looking into trying to find Shelby a friend.

I did catch myself the other day getting really mad though. My son went to church Sunday and when he got home he told me that his pastor's family has a gp. So, I started asking him questions about it. When he told me that the poor thing was in a large aquarium I told him we'd deffinitely be making copies of all that is in his 3-ring binder and giving it to the pastor. I have a real thing about animals being treated right and people knowing about an animal before you get it, etc.

All in all, I do have to say, THANK YOU for this sight. If not for it, we would be doing a lot of things wrong for poor Shelby as all the information his Aunt got was from Petsmart, where she bought the pig.

[babyboo]

Before
-veggies as a treat
-stor bought treats
-yogurt drops
-vitamin c drops
-salt wheel
NOW
-good pellets
-veggis everyday the right amount
-trim their nails
-floor time, not just snuggle time
-i can really love them
-better cage

[Nelli]

My son wanted a pet for his birthday. I said no to cats and dogs because I didn't want any pets on my bed or counter tops. Reptiles were way out of the question. His dad has a python and I can barely deal with that. Anyway, we walked into Petco just to take a look at what animals were available. I said no to everything in there and stopped to look at the guinea pigs. First we saw Precious, she was so adorable, my son picked her and we decided to take her. While we kept our eyes on Precious we saw Patches in another tank just running all over the place. He looked like a busy body. I told my son he could only have one pet. Then he started asking if we could take Patches home so that Precious wouldn't be lonely when we were not home. I took one more look at Patches and I melted so we decided to take him too. I decided to hurry up and get out of there before my son had me buy every guineapig in there.

I didn't really know much about guinea pigs so I decided to ask the small animal specialist some information about cages and food. I was told the mixed feed was best for them and any brand was fine and they love timothy hay. I was told that a starter home (12x22) was fine for both of them even through adulthood. My money was taken and I was then sent home with a starter home, mixed feed, multivitamin drops, one hay dispenser and two guinea pigs.

I went to work two days later and begun t see if I could find any information on piggies. I stumbled onto the gl site, then to guinea pig home and then here. Thanks to all sites we have learned a lot and it has made a big difference.

Please forgive me for purchasing from a pet store. At that point I din't know about guinea pig rescues and adoptions or petstore maltreatment/ breeding mills. I thought rescues and shelters were really for cats and dogs. Now I know better and I have eventaught my son better. When I first started teaching him about all that goes on he got really sad. He started to get even more sad because he thought that we were going to have to take them back after he had gotten so attached to them. Now when I on the site he keeps asking if were going to adopt. He wanted us to tkae a drive to virginia the otherday to adopt a 1 month old girl piggie. I couldn't at the time but if I could have I would have.

The following is a part of a popst the I put on here regarding petstore cage vs. c&c:

When I bought my piggies 1st home I went to a pet store who did exactly what they were supposed to do (make a sale). Poor me didn't know any better, I listened to a sales rep who told me that a starter home would be the perfect size for two piggies even through adulthood. I was sold what I now know to be a glorified litter box for $89. Not satisfied with that a few weeks later I purchased another cage 47x22 ($130)not realizing that those were the measurements of the outermost part of the cage and not satisfied with that I decided to build a c&c which both I and my piggies are happy with. Thank God for sites such as this and guinea lynx from which I was able to learn about adequate cage space. I didn't know better then but I know better now.Total cost of the c&c = $67 {$26 for both boxes of cubes; $35 for a sheet of coroplast and $6 for 600 zip ties}.

Now I am more educated and still always learning thanks to sites such as this.

My piggies are now in a 3x3 with a 1x3 upper level (soon they'll be upgraded to a 3x4 with a 2x3 upper level). They get floor time which I knew nothing about, quality pellets, lots of veggies, some fruits, wooden tunnels, cozies, fleece bedding and fleece tunnels, lots of timothy hay (soon upgraded to bluegrass and timothy), lap time vet visits and lots of love.

[PrayerWarrior]

My story of how I got my pigs is actually quite odd. It started with a duck egg.

I found a duck egg up at the pond in our neighborhood, laying in the open to be crushed or thrown in the pond by some boys. I brought it home, put it in a 10 gallon aquarium we had for our passed on hamster, Lucky, and an electric blanket. I do not think the egg was fertile, as I did a lot of research on ducklings and hatching and such, and we used a flashlight and it didn't look fertile. I didn't check it for a few hours, and it got way too hot. If there was anything in it, I killed it. I felt absolutely horrible, and took it back to the pond and put it in a nest I found, where the egg already hatched. The next day, the egg was in half, so something ate it.

Having the aquarium out made me think about Lucky, and I asked my mom if I could get another hamster for my birthday. She said yes, and I started researching. We had gotten our last hamster from an independent petstore, and I figured we'd go back to the same place. As I was researching, my mom said, "What about a guinea pig? I had one when I was a kid." And I said absolutely no way.

"They're gross! Jesse (a friend when I was little) had two and kept them in her room, and if you sat on the floor and looked at them, they would turn around and shoot poop at you, out of the cage!"

Then I searched "guinea pig" in images, and this adorable little one came up. So I started researching guinea pigs, and found out there were many rescues for the unwanted pigs, so I immediately wanted a pig instead of a hamster if it meant adoption and not purchasing. I checked out books at the library, did google searches endlessly, and eventually came upon this site. It taught me, honest to goodness, everything I now know about pigs.

I adopted my first pair of boys on my birthday, 5/6/08, and brought them home to an already set up 2x6 with fleece bedding and everything. Then, on 5/25/08, I rescued a very sick boy off Craigslist, and he came home to a 2x3 quarantine cage, and then immediately went to the vet.

All are very healthy, happy, and loving. We're going back to the rescue we got my first two from after vacation for a girlfriend for my rescue pig.

Thank you so much for all the endless knowledge on this wonderful website.

[theresaj]

As one who was raised in a family that really didn't have much of a heart for animals at all, it all changed when Frankie came into my life and I found this site. I learned so much about proper and loving care and I've learned all the love and feelings a pet is able to share with us. They know when they're loved, know when you're upset at them, know when you're sad and want to make you smile. I never realized just how much pets are neglected abused and abandoned until I came to this site. This site opened my eyes to many things and a love for my pet.

[Toadies]

My boys now have a 2x5 C&C cage, good and good for them veggies, premium hay up the kazoo, quality pellets, fleece, pure water (no vit c drops), lots of hugs and cuddles-no, wait- they always had those, I spend way too much money on them - no- I was already doing that. Now I spend the way too much money on the things that are good for them. The fridge is not for human use and my schedule is dictated by their appetites. Life is truly grand!

[dra&pigs]

This site has done loads to help me realize what I've been doing wrong with my precious piggies for so long. I just discovered this site not to long ago (therefore the "newbie" status) and am planning on making huge changes this week, as I finally have my mothers permission (I'm only 12). I have my guinea pig and my brothers in seperate (1 boy 1 girl) pet store cages. We bought grids from Target and I'm picking up Coroplast today. I'm making a double decker 2x4 C&C cage. I've picked out the pigs I'm going to adopt for them, and they already are off their horrible pet store feed mix and enjoy Oxfords every day. A pile of veggies far larger than anyone in the house gets and lots of love and cuddles. With a new cage, accesories and friends my pigs will be truly pampered. Thank you so much GL and this forum!

[mailemomo]

Honestly this site and you tube are what really got me wanting a piggie. I now love them and you know, having a proper set up for any animal is what truly makes it enjoyable. We are having a great time and learning every day.
I rescued my pigs from the pound. There are no rescues here I know of. 2x6 C&C cage for the 2 of them. I still feel that is small. We are setting up a big 30 square ft play area. I bathed them and trimmed their nails, I saw it done on you tube and that really helped me not be so nervous about getting it done. Keep those video's coming, they really help.
I even cleaned out the grease sack. Mojo's was really dirty with lint stringing pretty far in there, I was able to gently pull in all out. He is acting happier. He popcorned around his cage today and it wasn't just freshly cleaned. He doesn't run away as much when we go to pet him.
I guess they like to be clean!
Thanks again for this forum, you all are seregetly helping keep these piggies happy and well taken care of.

[AnimalHouse36]

Hmm lets see.... Now, I' a vegatarian, whenever I go into petstores instead of wanting to but one, I yell at people who do. It hurts to look at young breeder puppies when before I would go up and want one! Now, I want to volunteer at a shelter, well actualy I've always wanted to do that... I think thats about it....?

[Bennalaya]

I was actually very fortunate that five years ago, when I first considered having guinea pigs, that I did a lot of research and stumbled upon GuineaLynx. Had it not been for that site, I would have never known adopting from a rescue was an option. I remember going to PetSmart every weekend and staring at their guinea pigs for sale and thinking about how sad and lethargic they all looked.

From GL I was directed to this site where I learned about how to make a C&C cage. My adopted boys were both born with genetic defects. One had severe neurogical and physical abnormalities and trouble with seizures which ultimately caused him to cross the Rainbow Bridge at a young age.

There was a couple of years where I did not own cavies and focused more on my dogs and cats. Then, one day, I realized I wanted cavies again. Then my mother and sister also decided they wanted to participate. I started lurking here again and, while I knew a C&C cage was the only way to go, I had never seen fleece bedding used. I had always used Carefresh in my boars' cage. So I got a ton of great ideas that I incorporated when making Abby's cage.

I've learned so much from Ly&Pigs about cavy nutrition. I printed out the pdf version of her charts and refer to them daily. Since I've never owned a sow before, I've learned a lot about their reproductive cycles, behavior, potential health issues, etc. One thing this site has really made me aware of that I wasn't as aware of when I had my boars is supporting pet stores that sell small animals. Even though I adopted my boars, I still patronized PetCo and PetSmart for their supplies. Now I know that even that supports them purchasing from breeding farms, so I buy at the local feed store and online.

I've always been involved in taking care of animals, from the time I was a little girl. I cannot remember a time in my life when we didn't take in strays, foster animals from the Humane Society and other rescue agencies, have horses, etc. Animals have always been a part of my life. We've had rabbits, turtles, lizards, horses, dogs, cats, cavies, hamsters, gerbils, fish, fancy rats. When I was in high school, my mother and I were involved in equine activism. I went to horse auctions to see if anyone was engaging in illegal practices. I visited stables pretending to be interested in boarding my horse and if I saw horses that were being abused or neglected, I reported the owners.

For awhile, though, I wasn't as involved. While I still took in strays, fostered animals, etc. I wasn't as passionate about being a vocal activist. Being here, surrounded by people with a love for animals and their wellbeing, lit a fire under my rear.

I got to thinking earlier. Every so often when I am bored, I'll go back through the older threads in The Kitchen. There are so many people who come here and poo poo all over the whole premise behind this site. I thought about Teresa and about all of the hats she wears. I thought about how little some people appreciate the thought and tremendous effort behind what she, and all of the moderators, have done here.

Teresa didn't have to add forum host to her list of things to do, but she did and this is one of only a few guinea pig related forums online where discussions don't turn into ego strokes for the easily offended. Where people will get (or give) bad information simply to prevent stepping on someone's toes. I don't have to worry about posting a serious question here. I am confident that my question will be answered promptly and the advice will be accurate and beneficial to my cavy's wellbeing.

Anyway, I just wanted to give my most sincere gratitude to everyone who has made this site available to us. To everyone who puts in the hours of volunteer work to help cavies and cavy slaves.

[piggyluv]

Before I found this site, my poor piggie was in a petstore cage, and even though he had timothy hay and plain pellets, but his cage could only fit food, water, and a fiddle stick house. We fed him some veggies every day, but only about 1/2 a cup. I didn't know about rescues and that shelters had small animals, and the conditions petstore animals are in.
Now, my piggie has a 2x3 C&C cage, with plain pellets and lots of hay, and floor time. He popcorns and runs around, and I'm trying to adopt a buddy for him. I also tell people about rescues and petstores and such.
If I hadn't found this amazing site, I hate to think how Snowball would be now. I didn't know that I was doing things wrong, I thought that I was giving him what he needed. But now I know, and I shop at a petstore that doesn't sell animals.
I want to say thank you so much, as you all have enriched so many guinea pig's lives, who without you, would definitely not have what they truly need. Snowball thanks you too, I'm sure.