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Hello :D

Ikaikai

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Hello, I'm Kai, I have bought home 2 adorable piggies with me last Sunday.
They are male and female, I named them Nickle (girl) and Dime(boy)

The pet shop employee told me and my mom, whom I'm with, that they're three months old and a Bear breed or kind of Guinea.
Here are some pics:
3791893226_213fc2cf6d_m.jpg

Nickle~
Sweet
Quiet
Lady-like



3791892406_be2075a152_m.jpg


Dime~
More Vocal
Active
Cuddly


They live in a small cage but I'm planning to make a bigger one, the C&C Type, for them as soon as I have saved enough money.

I really love my little piggies, they look cute all cuddled up with each other in a corner, and how they stay in one place and just stare at you. ahaha. even though both of them accidentally, I know it's an accident!, peed on me, and that they're still getting used of my presence.

Question:
How long does it take for a piggy to get used to you?
 

Ly&Pigs

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Hi and Welcome.

There are no bear breeds in guinea pigs. There are Teddy's which are a breed.

Also why did you choose a male and female? Are you planning on breeding? They should be in separate cages, not together or you will have babies.

In case you haven't noticed, this is an Anti-breeding, Pro-adoption board.
 

gooberific

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Welcome to the forum.

I'm glad you are planning to make a bigger cage for your pigs. I would suggest getting the boy neutered so they can live together. You can find recommendations for piggie-knowledgeable vets on the site.

Also, I see a wheel in your second picture. Wheels (and "exercise balls") are not good for guinea pigs as they go against the curve of the pig's spine and can cause injury and wire can injure toes/feet/legs, and should be removed promptly to avoid injuries.

It can take a while for some skittish pigs to come around -- even a year. Just be patient and give them lots of love, spend time talking to them and with your hands in the cage, and of course give them lots of fresh veggies because the key to their hearts is in their stomachs.
 

fieryone

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Adorable piggies. They look Abyssinian to me. In addition to the other comments, it looks as though they are on a wire bottom. That could cause bumblefoot, which is painful and can be very serious. https://www.guinealynx.info/pododermatitis.html

Welcome to the site, but please separate your pigs if they truly are male and female (although may already be pregnant if so), remove the wire bottom and wheel, and get them into a larger cage asap. It looks like they're in a hamster cage to me. Grids for a C&C are between $15-$20 and you can use a shower curtain liner for about $5 as a waterproof layer if you're unable to find coroplast right away. There is a wealth of information on this site regarding piggy care so welcome to the forum! :)
 
Last edited:

rabbitsncavyluv

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Ditto the above - they can breed at 3 to 4 weeks. Why did you buy one of each?

Pet store guinea pigs are often sold sick or missexed. Hopefully you have two of the same.

It looks like they are kept in a wire bottom (dangerous!!) hamster cage with a highly unsafe wheel. That is definitely too small.

Pet store employees are generally dumb. No such thing as a bear breed. Please read the care info at www.guinealynx.info They likely sold you a lot of bad products and care info.

They look tiny too - I wonder if they are even 3 weeks/ weaned. They are definitely not 3 months given the size of that cage.

Pet stores often sell babies too young. How much do they weigh? What are you feeding them?
 

Ikaikai

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Thank you for the greetings and information. :D

@ Ly: I was trying to get two of the same gender, but they were the last ones in the pet shop, not wanting them to feel lonely I bought both of them ><. I guess Guinea Pigs are popular this days...

@Gooberific: Thanks you, actually, they were housed in a smaller cage than this one, I asked them if they have a something bigger but it has exceed my budget...
I have unhooked the wheel on their cage the moment I read it was bad.
:D I have been playing, & talking with them before and after I go to school. Hopefully, they'll get used to me sooner.

@Fieryone: I thought they're Abyssinian as well. ><
Yesterday, I have covered the wire with towels, I hope that is okay as a temporary bedding for them. I think they liked it because they're more active in moving around.
I will make a C&C cage with a division soon. I just hope it won't be too late.
:D Thank you, I'll check out the care info. right away.

@Rabbitsncavyluv: Guess I only have two weeks...if they really are 3 months old. They are the size of my palm. The male is bigger, while the female is smaller.
I've been feeding them the pellets they gave me, it has no name, and some fruits & veggies like cabbage, green pepper, carrots , tomatoes, and apples.
Is there a required food for baby piggies?

Hehe... well it has happened, but I'm glad that I've joined this forum to learn more...and give them a better life. :p
 

Ly&Pigs

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I'm sure you will learn more than you ever wanted to know about cavies around here. I do hope you have separated them, if not please do so as soon as possible. You don't want to end up with pups on your hands, they are just babies themselves.

If you can find it, get some Oxbow Cavy Performance. It's for pigs under 6 months. You also need unlimited grass hay such as timothy, bermuda, brome, meadow, orchard, bluegrass, etc. Hay is essential in the diet. You could also get some alfalfa hay too but if you feed the Cavy Performance, you really won't need it. I'd ditch the cabbage and get leafy lettuces like romaine, red or green leaf. If you haven't seen my Nutrition charts in the Diet and Nutrition forum yet, please look over those.

I do have to ask you though to please not use symbols like >< and :p in your posts as they make reading posts difficult for many and please keep use of smileys/emoticons to no more than 1-2 per every 10 or more posts. You may want to read over our forum rules if you haven't already done so.
 

rabbitsncavyluv

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A 3 month old guinea pig would be bigger than that. My guess is they would be 3 weeks at most. Maybe only a few days over 2 weeks.

You need to separate them regardless. You cannot house an unneutered male and female together or they will breed, with the female potentially dying.

You should feed them hay too if you have it there.
 

Ikaikai

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@ Ly: Yes, I have seen your chart, that's where I based my piggies' veggie and fruit dirt. hehe...
I have no idea where I can get some hay in the Philippines though...but I'll try to look for some.

@rabbitncavyluv: Hmm... I'll get their measurements later, after school.
And yeah, I'll separate them as soon as possible.

Thank you. :)
 

gooberific

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I found some older threads from people in the Philippines that might be useful for you:

Coroplast: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/philippines/823-where-find-coroplast-philippines.html

Grids: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/philippines/782-grids-philippines.html (this one is very old, but could give you ideas)

Hay: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/philippines/1261-philippines-hay-dilemma.html

Hay & Pellets: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/philippines/1244-where-buy-pellets-even-hay.html


And a thread with information on from someone who had guinea pigs in the Philippines and the trouble they had finding supplies (not the original poster, it's the third or fourth post in the thread): https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/philippines/31757-i-want-guinea-pig.html
 

akstrohm

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Have you separated them yet? If you haven't had time to make a divided cage, then get something temporary set up until you can redo the cage. If the girl gets pregnant, it is likely that she could die giving birth. Pregnancy complications are extremely common in guinea pigs. She may already be pregnant, but the longer you wait to separate them, the more likely it becomes. Make sure you weigh them weekly to track their weight, and get a vet lined up ASAP.

Hay is an absolutely essential part of a guinea pig's diet. They need access to it in unlimited amounts at all times.

Did you take out the wheel yet?

Welcome to the forum! I hope the links gooberific posted will help you find what you need.
 

CavyMama

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As everyone else has stressed, these two NEED to be separated. I know you wanted same sex but the fact is, you got different sexes. You can't just say, "Oh well" and stick them in the same cage. It makes a BIG difference! Guinea pigs breed just as quickly as rabbits do.

Lots of people think, "Oh they're too young to mate", "Oh but they're "friends/brother& sister", "But it's only been one day they would never mate". Think again. Male and female guinea pigs are not like people. They can't be "just friends". They will mate if they are together.

There are no guinea pig taboos about who they can or can't mate with. Brother/sister, son/mother, it doesn't matter. So putting them together because you didn't want them to be "lonely" is not good enough.

I'm glad that you are planning to make a C&C cage - good thinking! And I'm glad you took the wheel out - well done!

May I ask how much research you did about guinea pig care before deciding to BUY them and bring them home? With any animal you need to know what you are getting yourself into. Even with cats and dogs, it's important to be familiar with different breeds as they all have different characteristics and needs.

In any case, what's done is done. The most important thing is that you get your two pigs separated. If you do plan on making a C&C cage, how will you accomodate needing to keep them separate? Will you make two cages?
 
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