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New here and new to Guinea Pigs. Need lots of references :)

chocolattkato

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Hello
My name is Marie. Im from Puerto Rico and im new to Guinea Pigs. Im about to buy my first one this week but before that i may need reference from the experts :D

How old should be a guinea Pig to adapt to a new parents? How do i know the size of a baby guinea pig or a only month old ones?

Anything very important i should know about them before i buy my first one?


Im happy to be able to get me first ones :D
Marie
 

maines pigs

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Hola amiga!,To start off guinea pigs are small animals and you need to take many considerations before you get one do you have the money for them? Do you know a cavy savy vet? can you provide hay 24/7?. thier diets consit on timothy or alfalfa hay pellets depending on age guinea pigs 0-6 months need alfalfa pellets and guinea pigs 6+months need timothy pellets.they also dont product their own vitamin c so you will also need to suppy them with veggies that have it or feed them an tablet.....
 

chocolattkato

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So do they turn out to be expensive? Im planning on getting one for now. I do have a vet near.


Hola amiga!,To start off guinea pigs are small animals and you need to take many considerations before you get one do you have the money for them? Do you know a cavy savy vet? can you provide hay 24/7?. thier diets consit on timothy or alfalfa hay pellets depending on age guinea pigs 0-6 months need alfalfa pellets and guinea pigs 6+months need timothy pellets.they also dont product their own vitamin c so you will also need to suppy them with veggies that have it or feed them an tablet.....
 

maines pigs

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umm sorta, its preferd that guinea pig have a cage mate so they dont be lonely but you can get one just make sure you spent alot of time with it.does your vet spiecalize with small animals?
 

maines pigs

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P.S. if you get one guine pig then that shouldnt be expensive.
 

Sirene

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So do they turn out to be expensive? Im planning on getting one for now. I do have a vet near.

Yes, they are quite expensive animals to keep, as they need a specialized and varied diet and specialist (exotic) vet care, which can be hundreds of dollars each visit. There are quite a few threads on the costs of guinea pigs - just do a forum search - i know I've replied to a few of them myself!
 

KiwiCavyAdorer

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Please don't be under any illusions that they are a cheap pet.

They are needing a minimum of 3 different kinds of meals per day -
good grass hay available all the time this is the most % portion of their diet
Oxbow or Kleenmama's pellets - most nutritional sort and best for them
a cup of fresh veggies in certain portions every single day. There are excellent lists in the nutrition section stickies.

the veggies alone were estimated in one post to cost $15 to $20 a week - but like the other 2 food sorts they absolutely need them for health.

Not every vet is cavy savvy. Infact it turns out that very few are. Please make sure.

Do a good forum search to answer your questions - they are all here - I have been looking and taking notes slowly for months now... (but I like to know what I am in for so I can at least prepare for some contingencies)
 

kathlaaron

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OH yes...please PLEASE do your research on here BEFORE you adopt a piggie. You will not regret informing yourself, educate yourself by reading and re-reading all the accurate information from this forum and from the above links that Mainespigs gave you hon, ok ? In my opinion, they are very expensive little creatures and need TONS of care in many different ways.
 

kathlaaron

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Marie,

One last thing...you mentioned "buying" a piggie...I assume you will be adopting a piggie? Please don't purchase one or two ( two is definately better than one, for reasons you will find out as you do further research on here..) piggies from a pet store. I strongly encourage you to "adopt", but it is your decision of course honey. Good luck and please keep us all informed ok ?
 

chocolattkato

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thank you all fr the great help. wow i thought these little piggies were as easy as a bird or a bunny haha looks like i must do some research before getting anything.
 

Sirene

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thank you all fr the great help. wow i thought these little piggies were as easy as a bird or a bunny haha looks like i must do some research before getting anything.

I'm glad you're going to do your research! I didn't do any before I got mine, because I'd had guinea pigs as a child (30 years ago) and thought I knew what I was doing. (Big mistake!). I love them, but they are much more time-consuming, specialised and expensive than I had ever imagined. They've definitely cost me over $1000 in the past year. Having had both, dogs are honestly easier.

By the way, bunnies need specialist housing and care, too - there's some information on this forum on bunnies as well.
 

crazy4looney2n

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I'm glad that you will be doing your research before you decide. Please keep in mind that petstore cages are way too small (so most people on this site have built C&C cages), they are happier if there is more than one, they need veggies daily (not an option), they need Timothy hay 24/7 and good quality pellets. They are much more work than getting a dog and can get very expensive if they get sick. So do your research 1st and see if guinea pigs are right for you before you get any. If you do decide to get a guinea pig (hopefully 2) you will see that they are a joy to have but need time and patience before they start to trust you.
 
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