Getting My First Guinea!

[Angelique]

Hi everyone! So, I'm about to get my first guinea pig! I'm soo excited to finally own one! I've done all the research and am going to get supplies from Petco. I was hoping that someone could tell me the basic things I need for my guinea, I already know that piggies need timothy hay, food pellets, fresh veggies, clean water, a hidey hut, and a good sized cage. Any other ideas? And I'm looking to build a C&C cage but I can't find coroplast anywhere! So I've been searching for alternatives, would plastic work? Any other suggestions? I'm only getting one piggy so would a 2x3 or a 1.5x3 but stacked? I don't really have a lot of room so a smaller but adequate sized cage would be great!
I know this is a lot to answer, but I just want to be the best owner that I could be for my future piggy! Any suggestions, tips, ANYTHING would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Kota12]

Yay for you! Im hoping you are going to adopt your guinea pig from a shelter! as for the cage go with a 2x3 or bigger! Get Oxbow pellets from Petco, or get them from KMshayloft.com. I would get fleece instead of bedding, it's easier on piggies feet an cheaper in the long run. Do not get Vita drops to put in the water, it can change the taste and make guinea pigs not want to drink it. As for the hay, either Kms or Oxbow will do the job. Do not get a salt and mineral wheel, they are not good for piggies. Do not get a run around ball, it is fatal to the pigs. Do not get a wheel either, also fatal for the piggies. Let your piggy get use to it's surroundings at first, do not bug it only to give it food and water, and to clean for a couple day to a wheek. Good luck!

[CavyMama]

Awesome! Welcome to the lovely world of guinea pig slave-dom :-) You will find so much great info here. Feel free to ask questions. We were all newbies at one point too.

Hi everyone! So, I'm about to get my first guinea pig! I'm soo excited to finally own one! I've done all the research and am going to get supplies from Petco.

Not all supplies need to be from Petco. It's easy to do one-stop shopping there but as Kota mentioned, not everything they sell, is good or safe for guinea pigs. Avoid their treats and toys. Treats should be kept to occasional fruit and maybe a veggie they don't get all the time. Many of their toys are hazardous to guinea pigs. Their small animal "experts" will try to tell you that guinea pigs need this or that but the people at Petco are woefully under-educated when it comes to guinea pigs.

I was hoping that someone could tell me the basic things I need for my guinea, I already know that piggies need timothy hay, food pellets, fresh veggies, clean water, a hidey hut, and a good sized cage. Any other ideas?

Avoid the hay that Petco sells. Most of the time it's Kaytee which is garbage hay. Usually it's been sitting on their shelf for a while where it dries out and any nutrients that it may have had at one time, are gone. For the same reason, avoid their pellets as well. Any pellets you get, should be plain pellets -- no colorful bits or seeds.

Kleenmamas hayloft or oxbow are top-notch sources for hay and pellets.

Kleenmamas: KMS Hayloft, Grass Hays & Fortified Feeds From the Valleys of the Pacific Northwest
Oxbow: Oxbow Animal Health | Home

Have you checked out the Diet & Nutrition chart here on the site? I find it to be a hugely helpful resource while Im am out shopping for piggy produce. http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ants-list.html

And I'm looking to build a C&C cage but I can't find coroplast anywhere! So I've been searching for alternatives, would plastic work? Any other suggestions?

Coroplast can be found at almost any local sign store. Check the yellow pages or even google your local area to find sign stores near you. Plastic is not a good alternative as the pigs are likely to chew. Some people do use a shower curtain in place of coroplast and put the bedding on top of it.

I'm only getting one piggy so would a 2x3 or a 1.5x3 but stacked? I don't really have a lot of room so a smaller but adequate sized cage would be great!

Guinea pigs are social critters and thrive with company so please consider getting your pig a same sex buddy. Look through petfinder.com or adoptapet.com to find shelters and rescues near you.

A 2X3 would be fine (though minimal) for one pig but again, consider adopting two so they can keep each other company.

[MrWhistles]

Welcome to the wonderful world of guinea pigs.
I got my grids from Bed Bath and Beyond. I can toss in a coupon from them.
I got my coroplast from Sabic Polymershapes. They have 4 locations in Cali. I bought my coroplast for $15 each. My only issue is they required a min $25 order. But it was no biggie for me.
SABIC Polymershapes, Branch Locator

[pinky]

Please don't get your guinea pig from a pet store or breeder. There are more than 1000 guinea pigs listed on Petfinder right now in need of a good home. You can also contact your local shelter or rescue to see if they have any for adoption. Craigslist is also a good source but don't buy from breeders who place ads on there. They'll just continue breeding if you buy from them.

[Angelique]

Thank you soo much! I found this post to be quite helpful (: haha.

[mufasa]

Pinky gave you some great advice. Petfinder and Craigslist are great sources of piggies. One of mine is from Craigslist; the other is from Petco, but NOT purchased. I don't know about your area, but the one near me takes unwanted piggies and adopts them out if you make a donation to a pet charity (never give money to the actual store or it's not a real adoption).

Besides purchased hideys, you can make A-frames out of old cardboard boxes. My piggies go nuts for those. Also, if you do end up getting some stuff at Petco, look for Flex-E Fun-Nels or other plastic tunnels. Those are my piggies' favorite toys, so I configure them a different way in their floor time playpen every day.

[Kota12]

Oh and as for the coroplast, Guineapigzone.com has coroplast bases, it the pre-cut ones are too expensive, just get the individual pieces they sell for $4.00. I did that and 6 pieces gave me enough for a 2x4 with a loft!

[Angelique]

Ooh! I might actually try that