General Top must have items

[mnyablonski]

My husband and I have decided to add a pair of guinea pigs in the coming weeks and want to have everything ready. What would you guys consider the best must have items?

 

[samsterlacci]

My husband and I have decided to add a pair of guinea pigs in the coming weeks and want to have everything ready. What would you guys consider the best must have items?

Most definitely this fleece, my piggy loves to burrow in it - GDad

this water bottle is amazing because it doesn’t drip at all and it’s much quieter than the standard one (I ordered the large which is for the rabbit, but it works just fine for my guinea pig. if you want the medium which I don’t recommend for a pair, because it’s too small, but they also sell that):

Ferplast Rabbit Water Bottle, Large


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CrystalCavy]

For must have items

Cage:
-A cage that is the appropriate size for a number of guinea pigs you are getting
-Fleece/paper/wood shaving bedding (whatever works best for you)
-Water bottle/bowl (water bottles are less messy)
-Ceramic dish/bowl for veggies, fruits, and pellets
-Hay Rack (could be store-bought or DIY, but make sure it's big enough to accommodate your piggies, or else you'll find yourself filling up their hay racks A LOT)
-Hideys (make sure you have at least 1 per pig)

Food:
-Hay (80% of diet)
-Veggies (15% of diet)
-Guinea pig pellets (5% of diet, must be appropriate for their age*)

For BEST items
-Pellets: The brand Oxbow is AWESOME. They have young and adult guinea pig pellets.
-Hay: You can also buy this from Oxbow, but it's cheaper to buy it in bulk from Small Pet Select, KMS Hayloft, or a local farm
-Dishes/Bowls: Buying them from pet shops are a bit expensive. You can instead buy small ceramic dishes made for cats/dogs at Dollarama or dishes/bowls made for humans from stores like Ones or Winners.
-Hay Rack: Pet store hay racks are tiny! Try bending a C&C grid or buy some sort of wire rack from Dollarama.
-Cage: C&C cage. There's lots of info on them in this forum.



*Guinea pigs that are under 6 months should be eating alfalfa hay based pellets, while guinea pigs above the age of 6 months should be eating timothy hay based pellets.

 

[spy9doc]

The best advice I can offer is to buy the bare minimum items to get started. Don't go crazy buying toys or hideys that you think they should have. Other than the items that they absolutely need such as water bottles, food dishes, a hay rack, hay, bedding, and pellets; wait until your cavies settle down and start to display patterns and preferences.

You can make almost everything for the cage.......or repurpose common household items. Most cavies won't play with toys and don't care if their hidey is a cardboard box, an oatmeal tube, or something fancy. A "dollar store" or the $1 aisle often has items that can be repurposed for cavies. Most new owners get taken in by all the cute things in a pet store.......don't waste your money.

I think that you are going to be surprised at just how intelligent, full of personality, and individuality these furballs possess. Let's hope that you discover the joy of being a "cavy slave."