Hello everyone!

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

Hi! I'm new here so I thought make my first post. Last Thursday I got my first guinea pig. I wasn't expecting it, I just stumbled upon some at a flea market and couldn't say no to a cute little girl. I still had a cage from when I had my hedgehog so I'm using that. It's 24"x24" and a plastic pet store cage. I know it probably isn't the best but I'm planning on getting something better. Anyways I put in lots of Timothy hay and she always has pellets and water. I give her 1 cup of veggies per day, and she loves apples and grapes (as treats). Her name is Gloria. I have regular bedding stuff (not pine or cedar). But when I reach in to pick her up she hides in her igloo. Am I doing something wrong? Once I pick her up and snuggle her, she doesn't mind. So anyways, hello everyone! I'm glad to be here!

PiggieGuinea · Jul 9, 2013

Nothing is wrong. But you really need to get her a friend and a bigger cage. I love the cages here. She needs at least a two grid by 3 grid or a two by for if you have a loft so they have enough room. Your piggy is just scared and needs to be tamed. And make sure you cut down on fruits and only give her 1/8 to 1/4 cup of pellets a day. And unlimited timothy jay and water too

good luck and welcome!

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

I'm planning on getting her a friend from our local pet shop. We have talked to the lady who owns the place and she is a guinea pig breeder. I am going to get one from there. I might get another cage like the one I already have and connect them so they can have their space and also interact. I am trying to tame her and I hope its working. I definitely will cut down on fruits and she hardly eats her pellets anyways. And I have unlimited hay and water so I'm set there! Thanks!

WheekingPiggies · Jul 9, 2013

Welcome to the forum! We love pigtures here, so we hope you will post some of Gloria! I am glad you're planning to get her a friend, but please adopt instead of shop. I suggest searching on Petfinder to find guinea pigs in your area that need a forever home.

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

I second going to a shelter for Gloria's friend! That way you are saving two lives, the pig you adopt and the pig they can make room for, you will know more about your pigs personality and you will hopefully be free of illnesses like URIs which are very common in pet store pigs.

Also there are great threads on this site about building C&C cages.

And, if she is a new pig, she's probably still nervous, so just take your time to get to know her and eventually she won't run and hide as much.

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

As much as I'd like to adopt, it isn't going to be possible for me. My local shelters don't have guinea pigs and on Petfinder there weren't any local. Sadly, the store is my only option.

As for the cage, I have connected a pet playpen to my cage and made a ramp down to it. This increased the sizes slightly and I am planning on getting a better cage in the future

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

@piggies11, you should try craigslist too, they almost always have people giving up their pigs.

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

I will try craigslist! I won't be able to adopt for a couple weeks anyways, maybe by then something will come up on craigslist.

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

Also if you post a relative location where you are, many people on this site would be more than happy to try and help you find a piggy :]

PiggieGuinea · Jul 9, 2013

And look on craigslist for Choroplast and Organizer grids or look up "C and C guinea pig cage" And if you have a handy family member/loved one/friend then they can make a playpen style cage like mine as you can see here:

This is mine. It is 3.5 feet by 3.5 feet. If you want pictues of structure just message me. We used aspen scraps for the outer wood layer.

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

Just a question, if I get a C&C cage, can I cover it at night? My dog sleeps with me and my piggy is in my room, and my dog likes to try to play with her but she doesn't like the dog.

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

You can absolutely make a cage top!

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

About how much is a C&C? And can you get the supplies at WalMart or K Mart?

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

I bought my grids for 19.99 at K-Mart! https://www.kmart.com/stor-floor-st...W435219990001P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2
Looks like they are up to 21.99 again, but I know Bed, Bath and Beyond sells them for 19.99$ still!

One pack of K-Mart grids got me 23 grids, I bought 3 packs for a 2x5, a two grid high stand and I plan on making a loft as well.

The coroplast I ended up getting from guineapigcagesstore.com, but most people recommend Home Depot or sign making stores.

Just make sure your grids are 14" by 14" and has a minimum of 9 squares in each direction or they can cause choking hazards.

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

OK, how big is one cube?

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

A cube is 14 inches. For you to get two girls, you need a 2x4 at minimum in size, so two grids wide, four grids long. Ends up being 28" wide and 4'7" roughly.

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

What are the prices for coroplast?

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

I've heard it ranges from 15$- 30$
I ended up ordering mine on line so it ended up being like 65$ because of shipping haha

piggies11 · Jul 9, 2013

And how much coroplast will I need? Sorry for all the questions

agirlwithink · Jul 9, 2013

You'll need enough to cover the bottom and 3 to 6 inches up each side. Look at guineapigcagesstore.com for everything you need to know

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