Grids Thinking of adopting an older bonded pair (pictures at the bottom)

guineapigfeet · Feb 4, 2013

So I currently have two ~7week old pigs that I adopted about a week apart. It was before I knew about pet stores, but I bought Xena, took her home, and only then did the research. I found out she needed a friend before I came to guineapigcages, and bought Gaby because they were from the same litter(?) and had been housed together at the pet store. They get along wonderfully, except when Xena comes barreling into Gaby's house and Gaby is startled. I have had Xena since the beginning of January, and aside from the constant wheeking from X, they do wonderfully. They love running through fresh laundry piles, although last night some of my boyfriend's underwear had to be put back in the laundry. Oops.

When I take them out, I also bring out this plastic tray that they seem to love pooping in, and usually they go in that. X is an Aby and G is one of the short-haired kind... from Google I think she's an American. After finding out about pet store problems, I took them to our family vet who was comfortable with pigs, and I asked him some questions I've seen on this site just to get my bearings with him. He passed, and said both checked out fine, although were a little bony, and said it would be just fine to give them extra food until our checkup in about two weeks.

Well, there is a black and orange aby and a black and white that's the same as Gaby. The Aby is about four, and American is a year and a half.

Now to my question. I have my current pigs in a 3x3 cage (a little over twelve square feet), and the suggested space for four pigs is 2x6. Would a 4x4 be okay, or should I just give them a 2x6 for the zoomies? X and G run laps whenever they get bursts of energy, and Xena will sometimes fling around the spiral-cut toilet paper roll I gave them...

Sorry for running on, but I would love to adopt these two cuties, and I want to make sure I've got the right specs for them before I jump in. We go through a head of romaine lettuce a week, they get an 1/8th bell pepper a day for breakfast, and they get cilantro intermittently throughout the day. I try to keep their hay stocked, but Xena likes to pull it all out of the hay rack and poop in it.

Any advice would be extremely appreciated!

RubyRain · Feb 4, 2013

I think either the 4x4 or 2x6 would be fine. You might want to try whichever you prefer first and see how it goes. If you think the other might work better then you can change it out. I would think a 4x4 might be more challenging to clean but that's just me.

If you were going to adopt more, now is probably the right time (vs later) since you haven't had the babies that long and they were used to being with others at the store.

Are the older 2 from a rescue? Can you do a date to see how they all get along?

Just be sure you sex them yourself or trust someone experienced to do it before you put them together! I always check before any dates even if I've sexed them once or more already.

And before you get them be sure all the hidey houses have 2 exits (tunnels, boxes with 2 open ends, etc) so no one gets trapped like you mentioned. Also have at least 3 water bottles and 4 food bowls.

guineapigfeet · Feb 4, 2013

The older two are a rescue. As much as I want to rescue all the babies from the pet store (at least it isn't a petsmart/petco/other chain store?)

Noted! I'm going to call the person today, and get some more information from her (where she got them, and if I can come meet them even before my girls do). When I adopted my second, I had a mini-panic attack because I thought Xena might be a boy, and looked up how to sex them. I sexed her as a girl, and took her to the vet and they confirmed it. I will definitely get them checked before, though.

The 3x3 is okay to clean because the girls mostly poop in their house, in the box, and right in front of their hay. I clean it once a day when I bring them out for floor/lap time.

I will have my partner cut a second hole in their main hidey and change out the other two for ones with more holes. Thank you for that advice! I currently have a water bottle and a water bowl, because I was worried Xena couldn't figure out the bottle. She kept biting it, and there were no bubbles coming up from the bottom, but since then she just likes to pick up pellets and drop them in there.

Jesseehopper · Feb 4, 2013

haha i think that dropping pellets thing is cute

Have you tried rubbing a bit of banana at the end of the nozzle?? maybe she will figure it out that way.

Sound pretty good to me as long as they get along fine. oh and you could also add a loft to the cage to make is more intresting for them

At the bottom of the loft you could have a fleece forest

guineapigfeet · Feb 6, 2013

Haha, yeah, I looked through the entire cage pictures thread yesterday at work and got loads of ideas. Lofts make me nervous because I'm not sure how to stabilize them, but it's what I'm going to focus on in the next few days. Last night I built a 2x5, because the previously mentioned rescues had already be snatched up. However, two hours away is a lonely little piggie just waiting for me to come get her, and I have the room and financial ability to do so. I'm calling the shelter in about ten minutes.

Say hello to Regal Rose, hopefully the newest addition to our herd

According to the shelter she is a brown smooth hair texel two months shy of four years old.

Also - thank you for the banana trick. She seems to do just fine now, but banana might help her be more effective at it.

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Grids Thinking of adopting an older bonded pair (pictures at the bottom)

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