Me and My Pig(s): Introducing me and my pigs....

[LisaJazz]

Hello. My name is Lisa as per my username. I am quite new to the world of guinea pigs but thanks to this forum from a week after getting my first 2 pigs I had a C&C cage. i think I spend hours here poring over the photos and in the UK these grids are really hard to come by!

Anyway I currently have a 3 storey 2 x 4 that houses 6 sows who all live together very happily indeed. I love how happy they are actually. I didn't plan on so many but after getting 2 peruvians I got a shorthaired who was quarantined and seemed so sad on her own that I went back to the same lady for another to quaratine in a pair and the same thing happened again and voila 6.

I then offered to temporarily house 2 rescue guineas who were being neglected and not held. They were previously with some people who just bred and bred and ended up with many many pigs and couldn't manage them all. So they came here and lived in a hutch outside. I hated them being outside and my whole being was calling me to bring them in. So they came in and started to tame so so much faster. They aren't in a c&c as I don't have anywhere to put another one. They are in a customised rabbit 120 which has an upstairs litter / food pad and all of downstairs is sleeping / running. They still aren't as tame as my other girls but they are getting better. I have since decided that I can't give them back now they have spent so long here. They are tamest with me and not with my husband so if I housed them with someone else they could go back to square one. I just want them to relax for life.

So that's me. I am considering getting a male today who has been sat in a store for months and months all alone. I really don't want to buy but I have phoned, emailed and complained to this store about this poor biy and they aren't budging. He's a funny looking chap but I think he's lovely. They feed him well but his emotional needs aren't good being all alone. I was going to get him neutered and put him in with my 6 girls but am scared it will upset them and stop them getting on so well.

What do you think?

Sorry for the essay, I always have too much to say it's one of my worst habbits.

Great to be here and I look forward to meeting you all.

[Ly&Pigs]

Hi and Welcome to GPC.

While it's wonderful that you've discovered C&C cages, the cage you have, well the main level must meet the minimum requirement for the amount of pigs you have. Having 6 sows all living together, your main level should be no smaller than 2x7. Upper levels, unfortunately, don't count towards square footage.

While it's sad, I would leave the male at the petstore and not purchase him. Buying from petstore only encourages more breeding and he will be replaced as soon as you buy him. It's better not to support guinea pig mills and breeders with petstore purchased pigs no matter the conditions they are in.

[DalesLass]

I am confused here; if the upper levels don't count, it would be far better to separate the group into three pairs.

If the ramps are removed, each 2x4 space would then be completely acceptable for each pair. Isn't this giving the pigs less space to explore and exercise than the current arrangement? I can't understand why would it be better?