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jackfish14

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Hello!

I'm a newbie and really enjoying all the info I've found on this site. It has helped me tremendously in making a cage. I have not adopted a guinea pig yet as I want to be fully prepared. I've finished making the outer cage and a ladder and just need to buy the tenplast to make the bottom. I will also be making a fleece to use and got some old towels to go underneath. I'm also looking into u-haul blankets but not sure they sell them in canada.

I've put my name on a list to be called by my local spca if any come in and emailed a local breeder to talk to her.

Anyone have any suggestions on what else I would need, best kind of hay, toys, etc? I will be making a fleece forest, comfy cozy, ramp cover and a tunnel. I found the shipping is just too expensive to canada so I found some videos to make all of these. It looks pretty simple.

Any tips would be much appreciated! I want to be fully prepared before I bring 2 piggies home to join my family.

This is the ladder and cage I've started. I put steps on the ladder, which will be covered with fleece, so they don't slip. Hopefully I left enough room in between each step so they don't get their feet stuck. If anyone has any suggestions to improve please let me know! I want to make the best home 2 piggies could ever have.

IMG_1894.jpgIMG_1897.jpg
 

Lasinalia

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Looks great to me! Wish I could afford grids...I made my cage out of closet shelf units and basically, it is the shape it is and only by cutting more shelf units can I make it bigger... I'm pretty jealous...but I am determined to check thrift shops until I find someone.

Feel free to ask any questions you have (tho I would do a search or four or five <with different wording> to try to answer your question first just because so many people have been asking questions for so long :) )
 

jackfish14

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Thanks! I will check the forums and see what I can find. I've been perusing them already and found out some interesting stuff. I'd like to find someone that lives near me so then I know what products are available for food without me having to get it shipped. Anyone from Kelowna, BC or in the Okanagan? (Canada)
 

boofp

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looks like your off to an awesome start. welcome to the forum.... cant wait to see your new piggies and finished cage.
 

NursePiggy

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Welcome! Great you are looking into adopting a piggy from spca...but be wary of the breeders. Many folks on this forum do not approve of breeders since they do not offer the best environment. Likened to hoarders who sell from profit... So be patient and a pair will come your way. Do you have any places like Craigslist or other local papers where people can post their unwanted pets? A friend of mine found her second piggy on a Facebook page of local pets that were up for adoption. Be sure to post those piggie pictures when you do find them! We LOVE piggy pictures!
 

UchihaMickey

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@NursePiggy is right about breeders, I unfortunately got mine from a breeder, and I guess I got lucky with them being ok lol but I love your cage, im jealous!
 

jackfish14

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Thanks for the tips on breeders. I will definitely keep that in mind when looking. I'm thinking about buying another set of those grids and making a shelf on the bottom for all the piggies supplies. I guess another $25 would hurt if it keeps everything in one place. I'm surprised how easy it is to make the cage. I'm definitely not a crafty, or handy person. lol!

I heard there is a place close to me that has a petting zoo type place and they sell guinea pigs there. What should I be aware of when looking for guinea pigs? Should I strictly be looking at craigslist or sites like that and spca?
 

Agrimony

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Welcome to the forum! I would avoid petting zoo pigs at all cost- still encourages breeding. I also have a friend I know personally who once got 4 guinea pigs at a petting zoo- all four were pregnant and had mites, one also had a severe uri and it passed aware within only a couple of days. Bad news!

Rescues are by far the best place in my opinion. Second I'd say Craigslist. Rescues, especially guinea pig or small animal specific ones tend to be run by people who really care about and are knowledgeable so your likely to get well adjusted healthy pigs from someone who can continue to give you good advice and help. Craigslist you have a lot of options typically and are helping a pig in need. Some come from rough situations some are from caring families. If push comes to shove I personally (unpopular opinion) would talk to the breeder before going through a petting zoo. the petting zoos tend to take poor care of their animals and back bred continuously. now some breeders will too, its up to your discretion really. But again, rescue and Craigslist or petfinder first and foremost.

Good luck!
 

NursePiggy

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This site also has a pet finder listing you can see if it includes shelters near you...plus people post under adoptable a link if they are seeking to adopt or have one for adoption. You can email moderator to ask how to do that. While there is never any guarantee the piggy you adopt is healthy you can at least get a sense based on where or from whom you are adopting. Many good intentioned folks are pretty clueless about the care n expense of any animal so there are always folks looking to rehome what they thought was just a cute past time. I have two dogs, 2 birds, a rabbit, 3 female piggies n 3 school age children... Plus i work outside if the home..So I know busy! But I adore all my pets n look towards their care as a happy time. best wishes on finding your piggies! They will be very lucky to have an owner like you who is anxious to give them the best!
 

jackfish14

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DSCF0013.jpgDSCF0014.jpgDSCF0015.jpgI talked to a lady that has 3 gorgeous abyssinian babies that are 6 weeks old. Dark fur with red. How old do they have to be to adopt? She said she just started weaning them from the mom this past week. I'm a bit torn as well cuz I planned to only get 2 but not sure that I'll be able to walk away without taking them all.
 

CavyMama

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Is the woman you talked to with these babies, the breeder? As others have mentioned, I would not support the breeder as it encourages the continuation of breeding. I would support rescues and shelters. Look at your local Craigslist for those needing to rehome their pigs. It's a better option to provide a home for pigs already in need than to encourage the production of bringing more pigs into this already overpopulated situation.
 

Lasinalia

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Also, MAKE SURE YOU SEX THEM!! Look at the section on sexing to make sure you know if you are getting boys or girls! You don't want to be in my situation... The original owner of all 5 of my pigs thought he was getting a pal for Rodney...when actually "Rascal" was a "Rasquette" and that's how I got Fluffers (f), Flower (f), and Stripers (m). I'm now trying to adopt out either the boys or the girls...I really want to have a double-decker cage but have boys up top and the girls down below.
 

PiggieGuinea

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Ask her why she has them. Look for any other lsitings in that area with other pups as well. But, babies can be taken at 3-5 weeks old. She is a bit late on the weaning
 

Lasinalia

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If the babies are older than 3 weeks, there is a chance (if there are any male pups) that the mother or sisters could be pregnant (or at least that's what I'm told and hoping that my male baby didn't knock up his sisters/mother before they came to live with me). <The males are separated from the females now>
 

Agrimony

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As others have said, 3 weeks is the typical age. Be careful if they are males and females together. They are very cute, Abys are my personal favorite.
 

jackfish14

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This one is a breeder but not the same as the one with the petting zoo. It's going to take me a bit before the cage will be ready so ill be keeping an eye on kiji and castanet and SPCA
 

NursePiggy

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OMG! They are absolutely adorable! But like the others said...beware before you buy...but they are very tempting indeed....good luck in your search!
 

jackfish14

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Finally got the coroplast and finished the base and second level. Now to start the fleece projects and keep my eyes open for piggies!!I posted pics of finished cage on my profile.
 
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