Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register

Looking for a new addition, still.

TheMarsupial

New Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Posts
2
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
2
Hello everyone! I'm glad I found this forum. It has some really useful threads about health, safety and housing (that's all I've really looked at so far!) and I am eager to learn more.

A little about me:
I'm 29 and live in Ohio with my boyfriend and Puggle, Stanley. We have a 3 bedroom townhouse, so I have plenty of room for a couple of new kids. I am an ex-Sugar Glider owner. I lost my baby girl, Isabel a few months ago and have decided that we're not going to get a new pair any time soon. We're just a little heart broken over our loss of my chubby baby girl.

My boyfriend and I saw some piggies in PetSmart a few days ago and we started playing with them. They were following us, so we played and put our fingers against their paws on the glass. They squee'd a little and we were both in love. :heart:

I'm looking to see if there is a better way to acquire a Guinea Pig as well as learn more, so that I can be prepared when I get one. I saw that there are rescues out there for them, so I'm going to look for one in my area. Stanley is a rescue and he fits right in with us.

Is it possible to rescue in pairs?

Is there any special way to bond with your pig? Is it just best to let them work at their own pace? Sugar gliders are carried in a bonding pouch, but my guess is that wouldn't work out too well for a GP. :crazy:

Is it safe to put fabrics in the cage for them to snuggle or could they become tangled if they chew it and it goes unnoticed? Gliders require fleece for that reason, so I'm just wondering.

I have so many questions. I'm going to have to read a lot more! I can't wait to learn! :eye-poppi
 

C1407

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2011
Posts
168
Joined
Sep 23, 2011
Messages
168
Hi, and welcome :)

I have a lot to learn too, but I can tell you some things.

Rescues will be the most advocated - pet stores frowned upon. From what I've seen, many rescues encourage pairs and offer them in already bonded pairs and will only allow you to adopt if you adopt in pairs or if you already own a pig. There are some pigs that don't get along with other pigs, so those exceptions can usually be adopted alone if that's what someone would prefer.

As for the fabrics - fleece is a common bedding for guinea pigs from what I've seen on this forum. I've seen many different fabric items for guinea pigs, like beds/cozies and fabric tunnels. I'm not sure what you mean by putting fabrics in the cage, though, but what I just listed are some options for giving them something to snuggle in. You'll be able to find a lot of neat ideas in general on this site. Check out the photos section when you have some time.

For bonding, holding them and petting them is fine. Feeding them their veggies could also offer some bonding time. Future posters will surely have many other ideas and experiences for bonding with pigs.

Have fun looking around the forums!
 

ellisa

Cavy Star, Photo Contest Winner
Cavy Slave
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Posts
2,009
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
2,009
Hello and welcome!
It is very possible to rescue in pairs. You will just have to search around different rescues and see if they have any. You could also check Craigslist to see if anyone is looking to rehome their piggies.
As for bonding, spending time with them will help them to gain your trust. They are prey animals so they can get nervous. Spending time during laptime, floor time, and hand feeding should help them to gain your trust.
Many people, including myself use fleece as bedding. I love it. Piggies also love soft cozies and cuddle cups to nap and play in!
Here's a link for the fleece study:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/bedding/21568-fleece-project-study.html
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251
Welcome to the forum! And thank you, thank you, thank you for deciding to rescue rather than purchase a pig! If the rescue near you doesn't work out, let us know and we'll be glad to help you find a rescue or shelter nearby.

There's a wealth of information here for new piggy owners. Read the articles on the main page of this site (Home button at the top of this page), and the information on cages as well. Also see Guinea Pig Education, Care, Rescue and Adoption at Cavy Spirit.

The "Read Me" and "Sample Veggie Menus" stickies in the Diet and Nutrition Forum here have great information on what herbs, vegetables, and fruits to feed your pig.

It also will need unlimited long-strand grass hay, such as timothy, orchard grass, bluegrass or brome. Depending on its age, it will either need alfalfa pellets (under six months) or timothy pellets.

Don't get taken in by the pictures of guinea pigs on the items in the pet store. Some are ok, many are not. When you think "treats" for a guinea pig, think herbs or small pieces of fruit, not the sugary stuff in the store. Most toys are a waste of money, but when you get to that point, I'm sure people can recommend some.

Fleece is ok to put in the cage, and is the only fabric recommended for them to snuggle with. All other materials ravel, and they'll eat the threads.

I say "pig," but they're herd animals, and they're much happier with a buddy. A good rescue will either have (or find) a bonded pair, or work with you to find two that will get along with each other.

Again, welcome, and do post pictures when you have them.
 

TheMarsupial

New Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Posts
2
Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
2
Tons of great information here, guys! Thank you all so much for taking time to help a newbie out. :eek:

So, being a Sugar Glider owner, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people and learn a ton of cool techniques about keeping a cage clean and whatnot. Have any of you ever heard of(broken link removed)? Obviously, they wouldn't go IN the cage, but they go under the cage floor, in the drop pan. I'm wondering, since they're made for Sugar Gliders and are said to be REALLY absorbent, would these work in place of fleece? (If not, it's cool. I was just wondering. I like to ask too many questions!)

When you're looking for something snuggly for the cage, would something like this work? I used to cut fleece into strips and crochet it for Sugar Gliders and they LOVE sleeping in it, but they're nesting animals, so I don't know that this would even be of interest for a Guinea Pig. Any thoughts on that? I don't know how much GP's burrow or if they'd just chew through it and it would turn into a big pile of fleece. LOL I really am clueless here.

Just wondering if some of the knowledge i have from SG's will translate at all here. :confused:

Again, thank you all SO much for your information. I'm reading and learning!
 

Hhbean

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Posts
2,045
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,045
Welcome! Piggies don't chew the fleece so you wouldn't have to worry about them shredding it. I love the braided cup, I might try to make one for my boys! As far as the cage liner in a drop pan, piggies shouldn't be in a wired floor cage. They tend to go to the bathroom where they eat and sleep so you will see people talking about the kitchen area a lot. I have extra pads(fleece Sweeney on top of 2 layers of cotton) in these areas that get changed out every other day. There are alternatives to fleece it's comes down to personal preference. Remember when you do get your piggies, we LOVE pictures!
 

bpatters

Moderator
Staff member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Posts
29,251
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
29,251
TheMarsupial, you can't use a drop pan for pigs. It's is definitely not recommended to house them on wire. They're much heavier with smaller feet than most animals that can go in wire-bottomed cages, so the wire doesn't work well for them. They're very likely to get bumblefoot, and it can be hard to get rid of. You'll need to put them on fleece, shavings or another loose bedding, or wood pellets.

Some burrow, some don't. And they don't chew fleece, so it makes a great material for in the cage.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Top