Getting my first guinea pig, HAVE QUESTIONS!!!!

It depends. Lots of variables to consider.

Do you want to purchase a ready made cage (NOT one from a pet store, it won't be large enough), or build your own (see the Main tab at the top of the page and the photo galleries for examples)?

How many pigs are you talking about (two, I hope, as they're herd animals and do much better with a buddy).

Good quality hay will run you about $50-$70 every five to six months if you buy it online, or about $1.75 a pound. If you can find local grass hay, it will be much cheaper, $10-$20 for a whole bale. Hay from a pet store will be poorer quality and will cost $3-$5 a pound. Two pigs will eat 5-8 pounds of hay a month.

A good quality pellet (Oxbow and KMS Hayloft are the only ones we recommend) will be about $30 every six months.

Vegetables vary widely depending on the time of year, but I spend $10-$12 per week for three pigs.

The BIG expense is vet bills. Small animal (dog and cat) vets are not qualified to treat guinea pigs, and some are downright dangerous. You'll need a good exotic vet -- they're scarce and usually fairly expensive.

I use wood pellets covered with fleece for bedding. The pellets are about $7 per bag, and I use two bags about every three months. Fleece can be as cheap as $2-$3 for a throw from Walmart or Target, or several dollars a hard for cute stuff from a fabric store. It's been years since I've used aspen, and I've never used Carefresh, so someone else will have to comment on that.

Here's some reading material for you before you actually get pigs: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners and https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!

See this thread for places to find C&C cage materials. Grids are around $20 - $25
Coroplast is about $10 - $20

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107825-Where-to-find-C-amp-C-cage-materials

Thank you so much this helps a lot. We have been doing research for about 2 weeks and still have questions. We will be doing research for awhile longer including after we get our pigs.
Thanks again. -LadyNoir

The only thing I'd add is to please rescue your pigs from a shelter or guinea pig rescue, or even Craigslist. Pet store pigs are bred and raised in horrible conditions, and every purchase of a pig from a pet store means another sow will be bred, usually back-to-back with no interval in between pregnancies, and the pups will be raised in horrible conditions. They're often sick, missexed, have parasites, and the baby sows are pregnant..

If you rescue, you not only give a need pig a good home, but you free up a space for another unwanted pig to be rescued.

@bpatters quick question! What have you heard about the brand small pet select? Awhile ago I thought it was one of the recommended foods. Was I mistaken or did that change?

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My only quibble with SPS pellets are that they still use calcium carbonate, which I believe to be a factor in stone formation. KMS hasn't used it in the years that I've had guinea pigs, and Oxbow has taken it out of their pellets. That's the main reason that they're the only ones I recommend. SPS does have relatively low calcium, though.

Got it! Thanks!!

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I have a question.How do i post my own thread!I need to make a simillar post

@WinnieAndDucky, click on the Forum tab at the top of the page. Scroll down. You'll see a list of all the forums. Pick the one you want to post in and click on it. At the top of the page, you'll see a button to start a new thread.