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Want a Guinea Pig(s) I need advice, i rly want a guinea pig and i want to treat it right, any advice helps

CvGuinea15

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Hi my name is CvGuinea15 and im 12 y/o. i rly want a guinea pig and i have done a lot and i mean a lot of research. but i want to know, is there anything i need if im going to get a pig, and is there anything i need to know. thx this will help me give some guinea pigs a good home lol any advice helps
 

4boipigs

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If your parents are unwilling to spend their money on 2 pigs, a correct size cage, and vet bills along with helping to care for the pigs PLEASE wait til you have your own job or turn 18.
 

CvGuinea15

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If your parents are unwilling to spend their money on 2 pigs, a correct size cage, and vet bills along with helping to care for the pigs PLEASE wait til you have your own job or turn 18.
thx and i know, do you have any advice like care wise though?
 

Smileandnod

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Hi my name is CvGuinea15 and im 12 y/o. i rly want a guinea pig and i have done a lot and i mean a lot of research. but i want to know, is there anything i need if im going to get a pig, and is there anything i need to know. thx this will help me give some guinea pigs a good home lol any advice helps

Welcome.

The best advice I can give you is to make the sincere effort to read through this forum. The immense amount of info you need to be prepared and educated is all here.

I mean truly read everything...the good but especially the bad... start with the medical threads and go from there. Don't for one second think that UTI's, eye injuries, URI, tooth issues, and bladder stones won't affect you or your guinea pigs... it's not IF a guinea pig will get sick, it is WHEN.

Then read the threads about large enough cage sizes for a minimum of 2 guinea pigs. Grab a tape measure and start measuring the space they will be in and be honest with yourself about if you have enough room for them.

After that, read through the threads about dominance issues and pigs fighting because their cage is too small.

Then read the threads pertaining to cage care. Pay attention to the amount of time and effort owners must put into their care daily. Honestly, my cat & dog are easier and take up less of my time for care.

It's great you want a guinea pig, but to be truly responsible for one you must be prepared and confident in the information provided here. You must be prepared for the cost. You must be prepared for the time they require daily for care. And then remember, guinea pigs can live for 7-8 years.
 
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GracieLollie

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They are right, you need 2 and a big enough cage. The care is ongoing. My parent's were over one time visiting when I did the daily morning cleaning (not the huge weekly overhaul) and were shocked. Now it's not insane, but there is a lot of work. My piggie just died this morning at 5yrs old. Not many vets will work on guineas much at all, check their websites and call around. And even if they do a lot can't be done for them (like a cat or dog) as they are small and it's iffy if they'll make it. Now, don't let that discourage you, you just have to realize that GP's live on average 4-7 yrs on the norm. But they are THE cutest pets out there bar none! I mean, they look cute 100% of the time and do and make the cutest noises. And this is coming from a 47yr old guy (my wife feels the same though).
To answer a little of your questions:
You don't buy an expensive cage from the pet store - they're all too small. You have to make one. The good news is you don't use that shavings they sell for their "bedding'. You need 2 bath/beach towels and a 60" x 60" piece of fleece - get it at any Michaels/Joann's Fabric's/Walmart. Then you buy 2 sets of that. Every week to 10 days you need to put them aside and tear everything out, shake and brush as much of the hay/hair outside - cold/hot/raining/sunny and wash it good. Before you shake, you lay down your new bedding in the cage and put the pigs and (washed) water/food bowls and washed water bottle. Then new food/water/hay and your huts, etc... You also will want to put down magazines/flyers/newspapers on the bottom of all the towels (I should have said that first) because some pee will make it's way through. You put this on a table (a cart/rummage table that is 5ft or 6ft long)If you get closer we can start talking how to do all this. But daily, the morning is cleaning the cage - sweeping up ALL the poops, hay and giving them fresh food/water/hay. evening around dinner time you do a quicker stab again not as thorough) Here's an old picture but of our cage so you get an idea (there's about a 9" tall plexiglass wall inside the wire cage pieces. 054.jpg.
 

TheGuineaPigGal

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Oh, I am so sorry about your piggy, [MENTION=23723]GracieLollie[/MENTION]. :(
 

GracieLollie

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The guineapiggal - thanks, it's been very hard indeed! On a side note, it looked like you PM'd me the other day on last time but I am unable to see it, so if you did I was unable to respond. Okay, back to this young girls questions......
 

4boipigs

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I agree with just reading up on everything here, the UK Guinea Pig Forum, Reddit pig groups, and Guinealynx. I can't stress enough that your parents need to get involved. They need to research, learn about pigs, and get online too. If they aren't committed, the pigs will suffer. Pigs take a lot of time and money. I have 4 pigs and hay for them costs me $10 to $20 a week (I work in a pet store so I buy from there). Vet bills will skyrocket, and your parents MUST be able and willing to pay. Many vets want the money that day, and if you can't pay, the pig will suffer. That isn't fair. An example from me is I spent at least $800 in a month on a pig who was sick with heart problems. You may say they are your pigs and you may care for them, but if your parents make the rules and the money, then they have the ultimate say on pig care.

They also need a lot of dedicated cleaning with their bedding! I pick up poop in my boys' cages at least twice a day. If you use paper bedding, you have to scoop out wet spots. Fleece is easier, but costly at first. Much easier/better than paper bedding, especially if you get a proper size cage. Are you willing to spend your time cleaning the cages and making sure the pigs have a comfy home?

Mostly I want your parents involved...because these guys live for up to 8 years. My pigs are from situations where people didn't want them. One pair was given to an animal shelter. The other pair was abandoned in a box to die. I don't want this to happen to your pigs.
 

MerryFriarTuck

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@CvGuinea15 you've come to the right place, this forum is wonderful! Also, this site helped me SO much as a new guinea pig owner: www.guineapigmanual.com it's very readable but packed with all the important info: Care, bedding, cages, diet, behavior, sounds and meanings, how to make friends with your piggy, etc! :)

Guinea pigs are shy, but have so much personality and make wonderful pets! They need one big single level cage, they can't have ramps/multiple levels. Most cages sold in pet stores are too small, and more expensive than better ones available elsewhere! Many treats and foods marketed for piggies are actually unhealthy.

24/7 unlimited hay (Timothy or orchard grass)
Oxbow guinea pig pellets (Oxbow is the best US brand by far, for pellets, treats, toys, hay etc!)
About 1 cup of daily veggies! Bell pepper is important every day for vitamin C. Yellow and green bell peppers they can have daily, orange and red are slightly higher in sugar so 4 times a week is better for them. Greenleaf, redleaf, or butterhead lettuce, corn husks, cilantro, cucumber, a little bit of carrot, etc are all great to rotate as their daily veggies.

( This chart from the forum goes into more diet details with everything they can have and how often: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List )
 

GracieLollie

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Hay is cheap as heck - I finally learned the trick by someone at the store - buy the 40-50lb compressed bundle of timothy grass (for horses). BAM! Hay for 2 pigs for 8-9 months easy. $17.99. I could never go back to buying regular hay in those little bags that are overpriced and only last a couple of weeks. Put the compressed bundle in your basement in a plastic bin you buy at Walmart or anywhere. It will make a little mess, but fill up a 13gal garbage bag once every 3 weeks or so that you keep and use by your pigs.
 

emily7788

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Thanks, it's been very hard indeed!
 

Rosiethecutepig

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I'd say read up on GP and maybe have a little presentation for your parents.
 
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